Benny Palmeri-Bacchi, a former Venezuelan judge, has been sentenced to over six years in prison for his role in ‘a major cocaine trafficking case’ that helped move Colombian cocaine through Venezuela, and was reportedly linked to the government of former president Hugo Chávez. In November he pleaded guilty to charges of extortion, conspiracy to obstruct…
The EU and CELAC (association of Latin American and Caribbean states) have been holding an annual ‘high level dialogue’ on drugs since 2007. A chapter in the inter regional dialogue is dedicated to drugs, and the EU is committed to exchanging viewpoints with so called producer and transit countries by subscribing to the principle of…
Small recreational drones flown autonomously by remote pilots have gained popularity.Used for photography, film-making and sports, most recreational drones are innocuous. Punitive anti-drugs strategies in Latin America may be creating a new market for drones though. For example, the destruction of landing strips in Peru by the military creates a need for new ways to…
The jury at a Manhattan federal court took just three and a half hours to find Ross Ulbricht guilty of operating the online drug marketplace ‘Silk Road’ from February 2011 to October 2013. Ulbricht had previously pleaded not guilty to seven charges of narcotics trafficking, criminal enterprise, computer hacking and money laundering. After an eight-month…
One of the unintended consequences of the dismantling of large Colombian cartels over recent years has been the return of European crime groups to Colombia. It is reported that groups from the Balkans have also arrived, hardened from years of working in a conflict zone. Striking relationships with South American partners, they are opening up…
Venezuelan officials have denounced a report that links the head of the country’s congress, President Diosdado Cabello, to the drug trade. Georgian police have seized an amount of cocaine valued at US$2.5 million at the Ninotsminda/Bavra border crossing with Armenia. In Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has “smashed” a drug trafficking cell…
Over the New Year, two boats were intercepted by authorities, carrying migrants that have paid criminal groups to transport them to Europe through illegal means. The practice highlights the adaptability of organised crime groups, but also their increasingly businesslike nature. Organised crime is continually adapting to changes in the global economy, capitalising on new opportunities…
In the history of drug control, the prohibition on popular, psychoactive substances has three distinct consequences: The replacement of a mild / moderate version of the drug with stronger ones, e.g. the ban of opium/beer is followed by the spread of heroin/whisky. The criminalisation of the distribution chain. The loss of quality control and consumer…
News briefing – week beginning 19 January Two people have been arrested as an international drug trafficking ring was dismantled in Taipei, Taiwan following joint efforts and cooperation between officials from Taiwan, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. 31 people have been arrested as 600 kilograms of drugs were seized by members of the Italian police…
It is with great sadness that we have to report the sudden death on 29 December 2014 of Tim Manhire, the SEACOP team leader. As many of you know Tim had led the SEACOP project for four years, after retiring from UK law enforcement where he had spent a distinguished career as a maritime drug…
