tagged w/ Drug Trafficking
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Really disturbing story from Guinea this morning as reports are filtering out of the West African nation's capital about soldiers killing pro-democracy demonstrators in the streets. Its estimated that as many as 157 people have died and the AP reports that soldiers, smelling of alcohol, were witnessed even raping protestors.
From the Washington Post:
An Associated Press reporter said he saw halls full of wounded patients at the city's large Donka Hospital, some with bullet wounds, others who appeared to have been beaten.
Opposition politician Mutarr Diallo said he witnessed soldiers raping women with rifle butts during Monday's protests. He was arrested during the protest but released Tuesday morning.
New York-based Human Rights Watch said eyewitnesses also told them that security forces had stripped female protesters Monday and raped them in the streets. Other eyewitnesses said soldiers had stabbed protesters with knives and bayonets.
Guinea has been in trouble for decades. Ever since declaring independence from France, it has been cursed with a series of corrupt administrations focused more on getting themselves rich than bringing stability and prosperity. This corruption and lack of stable law enforcement has made Guinea (and other nations in West Africa) a prime location for drug trafficking into Western Europe. (Our new season of Vanguard will include a story on this by Christof Putzel, actually). At the end of last year, the military took control of the country in a coup. This is the government pro-democracy protestors were hoping to get rid of. So it's even more chilling that soldiers, directly part of the ruling military body could inflict such damage.
Military leader Capt. Moussa "Dadis" Camara told Radio France International: "Those people who committed those atrocities were uncontrollable elements in the military....Even I, as head of state in this very tense situation, cannot claim to be able to control those elements in the military."
Well that's not very reassuring.
We'll have more updates on this story for you during the day - and video later on in the afternoon.
UPDATE: Video from Guinea
Guinean Protesters Shot DeadReally disturbing story from Guinea this morning as reports are filtering out of the... more
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New legislation and a “sustained focus” on drug-related crime has led to the seizure of millions of dollars in assets and 900 arrests, police say.
Civil forfeiture legislation, introduced in December last year, allowed police to follow money trails left by organised gangs and criminals and focus on the production, sale and use of methamphetamine, police deputy commissioner Rob Pope said.
A total of $36m in assets - including cash, houses, vehicles and other property - was being investigated, he said. About $25m was believed to be gained through drug-related crime.New legislation and a “sustained focus” on drug-related crime has led to... more
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On March 24, Russia and NATO discussed efforts to combat drug trafficking in Afghanistan at an extended meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in Brussels.
Predictably, Moscow failed to persuade NATO to step up its campaign against the drug trade in Afghanistan.
Viktor Ivanov, Head of Russia’s Federal Service for Drug Control, tried to persuade NATO representatives to start destroying poppy plantations. The response was that NATO forces already tried to eradicate poppy fields, but it only antagonized Afghan farmers and drove them into the arms of the Taliban.On March 24, Russia and NATO discussed efforts to combat drug trafficking in... more
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MARIETTA, Ga. -- A Marietta bakery is used to getting shipments of flour, sugar and other ingredients. But when employees opened a package Friday, they were shocked by what was inside.
The Flowers Baking Company, located on Powers Ferry Road, received a large package of marijuana at about 11:05 a.m. Friday, Marietta police confirmed to Channel 2 Action News.
Investigators said when employees opened the package, they found the marijuana and called police.
Police estimated the marijuana to be in the hundreds of pounds.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Jeff Dore spoke with Marietta Police Officer Michael Gardner, who said the bakery was received an unexpected package, which they employees thought contained parts to repair a loading dock. But instead, the package included marijuana mixed in with repair parts, bringing the total weight of the package to 600 lbs.
Investigators said the package was delivered from a private carrier service from a private distribution center that is not associated with Flowers Bakery.
No one was taken into custody, police said.
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/22967233/detail.htmlMARIETTA, Ga. -- A Marietta bakery is used to getting shipments of flour, sugar and... more
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Jakarta Police announced Tuesday it had arrested a suspect for allegedly running a meth lab at a house in the affluent Citra Garden housing complex in Kalideres, West Jakarta.
Police seized 5,000 Ecstasy pills, 200 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 500 kilograms of generic drug ingredients during the raid. “The seized evidence is valued at around Rp 170 billion (US$18.7 million),” Jakarta Police narcotics unit chief Sr. Comr. Anjan Pramuka Putra told reporters.
According to Anjan, the police raided the two-story house on Monday night after conducting intensive surveillance for almost two months. Anjan said the police had previously tried to catch the suspect, Anthony Widjaja, red-handed through a number of failed undercover stings.Jakarta Police announced Tuesday it had arrested a suspect for allegedly running a... more
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On the occasion of the XV Day in Memory of Victims of Organised Crime, we have released a special issues of our magazine, FLAREing.
The pdf version is freely available on our website at http://bit.ly/aRseLEOn the occasion of the XV Day in Memory of Victims of Organised Crime, we have... more
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Poice have ended a nine-month investigation into a Queensland outlaw motorcycle gang’s drug trafficking network with the arrest of 44 people and the seizure of more than $2 million in drugs, assets and property.
The operation focused on alleged trafficking of methylamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis across Queensland and resulted in the seizure of more than $1 million in drugs, $470,000 in property and $700,000 worth of assets.
The operation, named Hotel Formation, began in July 2009 by members of the state drug investigation unit and initially focused on central Queensland. A total of 44 people were charged with over 100 offences, including 18 for allegedly trafficking dangerous drugs.
Today, members of the state drug investigation unit and the Outlaw Motor Cycle Gang (OMCG) Task Force Hydra executed search warrants on an alleged cocaine trafficking syndicate operating out of the Gold Coast with distribution networks into Hervey Bay.Poice have ended a nine-month investigation into a Queensland outlaw motorcycle... more
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The Wachovia Bank unit of Wells Fargo & Co has agreed to pay $160 million to settle U.S. allegations that it laundered Mexican drug money.
Under the agreement, Wachovia will forfeit $110 million, representing the proceeds of illegal narcotics sales that were laundered through the bank, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida said.
The bank will pay an additional $50 million fine to the U.S. Treasury.
“Wachovia’s blatant disregard for our banking laws gave international cocaine cartels a virtual carte blanche to finance their operations by laundering at least $110 million in drug proceeds,” U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Sloman said on Wednesday.The Wachovia Bank unit of Wells Fargo & Co has agreed to pay $160 million to... more
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Four people from Greater Manchester have been arrested in connection with bringing more than 20 tonnes of Class A and Class B drugs into Britain.
Police believe they have smashed a smuggling ring responsible for importing drugs – including more than 4,500 kilos of cannabis – into the country over the past 18 months. Eight people were arrested by Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) officers this morning, on suspicion of conspiracy to supply controlled drugs.
They include two men, aged 30 and 31, in Bolton, a 46-year-old man in Walkden, and a 27-year-old woman in Trafford Park. Two 52-year-old men were also arrested in Hampshire, a 26-year-old woman was arrested in Grimsby and a 25-year-old man in Hartlepool.
The suspects, being held in Greater Manchester, are alleged to have used ‘paper’ companies as a front for their activity and employed business service centres across the country to unwittingly receive packages of cocaine and cannabis on their behalf.Four people from Greater Manchester have been arrested in connection with bringing... more
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Lately, Russia has been subjected to a real narcotics invasion. Russia’ law enforcement agencies confiscated 46 tons of drugs in 2009, a 20 percent increased compared to 2008. In fact, 90 percent of the drugs brought into the country illegally are of Afghan origin. The Russia-NATO Council will focus on drug trafficking at its meeting in Brussels. Concerning the possible outcome of the meeting, the president of the Institute of Strategic Assessments, Professor Alexander Konovalov has this to say:
“I believe that Afghanistan is the most promising area of cooperation between Russia and the U.S. owing to the fact that they have common interests there. The reason is that the “Afghan Drug Threat” is a serious phenomenon rather than just an expression. Drug traffic from Afghanistan has increased several times since the Taliban was ousted from rule in the country.Lately, Russia has been subjected to a real narcotics invasion. Russia’ law... more
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The Department for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) has sent to court approx. 2,300 persons in 2009, in 760 cases, Chief Prosecutor of the Department, Codrut Olaru, on Friday announced.
He presented the body’s 2009 activity report, showing that DIICOT solved more than 7,000 cases, in which 13,000 people were investigated. “2009 was a very good year for DIICOT. We scored a professional record – the largest drug seizure, 1,204 kilograms of cocaine, in Constanta (southeast).
We investigated crimes such as espionage, treason, weapons trafficking and we sent to court two acting ministers,” said Codrut Olaru.The Department for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) has... more
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An increase in arms trafficking by drug smugglers is connected to terrorism and will spur security counter-measures, according to Algerian officials.
Security forces have seized seven machine guns and 12 automatic pistols from drug smugglers in the last three years, the chief of the judiciary police, Colonel Zeghida, said on Algeria’s Radio 3 on February 22nd.
“Drug smuggling can be now be linked to terrorism,” he stated, adding that last year there were “fifteen shoot-outs with border guards, up from just four in 2008″.An increase in arms trafficking by drug smugglers is connected to terrorism and will... more
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The U.S. State Department on Monday released a report criticizing Venezuela for failing to combat Colombian guerilla groups involved in cocaine trafficking operations and claiming to have strong evidence that “some elements” of Venezuela’s security forces “directly assist” the FARC and ELN.
The report said that Venezuela “does not cooperate consistently with the United States and other countries to reduce the flow of cocaine through Venezuela,” and that “There is strong evidence that some elements of Venezuela’s security forces directly assist” the FARC and ELN.The U.S. State Department on Monday released a report criticizing Venezuela for... more
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Not far from Yosemite’s waterfalls and in the middle of California’s redwood forests, Mexican drug gangs are quietly commandeering U.S. public land to grow millions of marijuana plants and using smuggled immigrants to cultivate them.
Pot has been grown on public lands for decades, but Mexican traffickers have taken it to a whole new level: using armed guards and trip wires to safeguard sprawling plots that in some cases contain tens of thousands of plants offering a potential yield of more than 30 tons of pot a year.
“Just like the Mexicans took over the methamphetamine trade, they’ve gone to mega, monster gardens,” said Brent Wood, a supervisor for the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. He said Mexican traffickers have “supersized” the marijuana trade. Interviews conducted by The Associated Press with law enforcement officials across the country showed that Mexican gangs are largely responsible for a spike in large-scale marijuana farms over the last several years.Not far from Yosemite’s waterfalls and in the middle of California’s... more
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A German waste management firm employed by the NATO mission in Afghanistan has been accused of involvement in drug smuggling. Allegations against Ecolog and the Macedonian family behind it date back to the war in Kosovo.
Allegations have surfaced that a German-based company contracted by NATO’s ISAF troops in Afghanistan may have been involved in smuggling drugs out of the country.
“There is a chance that drugs or other such things have been smuggled,” NATO General Egon Ramms, chief at ISAF headquarters in the Netherlands told German public broadcaster NDR.A German waste management firm employed by the NATO mission in Afghanistan has been... more
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UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa has called for concerted efforts to “break the vicious circle between insecurity and underdevelopment”. Addressing the Security Council today during a debate on global threats against international peace and security, Mr. Costa said, “Instability attracts crime, and crime deepens instability. In a chain reaction, humanitarian crises follow, development is stalled, and peacekeepers are deployed”.
To illustrate the problem, UNODC issued the report Crime and Instability: Case Studies of Transnational Threats. The report focuses in particular on the impact of flows of drugs (cocaine and heroin), piracy around the Horn of Africa and minerals smuggling in Central Africa.
To reduce vulnerability to transnational threats, Mr. Costa underlined the need for development and security. “But we can not just throw money or troops at this problem, we also need law enforcement”.
He underlined the need for States to make more effective use of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which was adopted a decade ago. Parties to the treaty, also known as the Palermo Convention, will meet this October in Vienna to review implementation.UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa has called for concerted efforts to... more
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Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Ranko Krivokapić accused Serbia of trying to “export” the problem of narco-cartels to Montenegro.
“Serbia is the homeland of this kind of crime, and Darko Šarić is a Serbian citizens, and now they want to unload that problem on Montenegro. Montenegro has that problem in one sector and we will solve it,” Krivokapić said.
Šarić, a Montenegrin native who was given Serbian passport in 2005, is currently at large, and is wanted by Serbia on charges that he organized the transport of over two tons of cocaine last year from South America to Europe.
Krivokapić was responding today to Belgrade’s accusations that Podgorica is not cooperating in the Šarić case.
The speaker called on Belgrade to “solve that problem” and qualified the accusations leveled at his country as an effort of Belgrade to “arrange things” in Montenegro.Montenegrin Parliament Speaker Ranko Krivokapić accused Serbia of trying to... more
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The US refusal to destroy opium poppy crops in Afghanistan guarantees that raw drug sources there will be inviolable, leading to heavy drug use in Russia, the head of the Russian federal drug control agency said.
The amount of narcotics brought into Russia has increased two-fold since the beginning of the anti-terrorism operation in Afghanistan, Viktor Ivanov, Russian Federal Drug Control Service chief, said on Saturday. “Afghan heroin amounts to 90% of all drugs sold in Russia. Annual supplies stand at 35 tonnes or 5 billion shots,” Ivanov said, as quoted by Interfax news agency.
At the same time, the Taliban’s share in Afghan drug production is minimal, Ivanov pointed out. “Nevertheless, the NATO command has focused entirely on this minority producer and generously lets local Afghan authorities combat the remaining 99% of drug production,” he said.
It is high time to formally declare the phenomenal narcotics production in Afghanistan to be a threat to international peace and security, Ivanov said. Viktor Ivanov warned that drugs production in Afghanistan is “a global factor destabilizing the situation in Russia as the target market and in Central Asia which has become a transit territory.”The US refusal to destroy opium poppy crops in Afghanistan guarantees that raw drug... more
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Italian anti-mafia national prosecutor Pietro Grasso has called the Balkans a “warehouse for drugs.” In an interview with Montenegrin television Vijesti, Grasso explained that criminals choose the Balkans to store drugs intended for the European market because of its proximity to the market for sale.
“Due to the location, drugs can be brought in less than 24 hours to a location in Europe. This brings changes in drugs in the European market,” Grasso said.Italian anti-mafia national prosecutor Pietro Grasso has called the Balkans a... more
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Cuba has confiscated over 3.1 tons of drugs and detained 35 foreigners in 2009, as part of actions to fight international drug trafficking, according to a report by the Interior Minister published by Granma daily on Friday.
Of the 3,186 kg of drugs seized, about 3,113 were taken from two aborted naval and one air operation.
Authorities have also found an abandoned speedboat with over half a ton of narcotics and seized 112 drug packages that had reached the coasts of 12 of the Island’s 14 provinces.Cuba has confiscated over 3.1 tons of drugs and detained 35 foreigners in 2009, as... more
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