News briefing week of 23 August

25/08 Latin America’s Marijuana Markets Diversify. A series of seizures and drug raids across Latin America have revealed how previously niche high-strength marijuana products are establishing themselves within the region’s drug markets. 27/08 Two people were arrested in a tik (crystal methamphetamine) bust in Cape Town on Thursday night, Western Cape police said. The raid…

News briefing week of 16 August

16/08 Afghanistan: Cheap heroin could flood European countries after Taliban takeover. With Afghanistan entering a new period of economic and political insecurity, the country’s opium production is set to soar, say experts, meaning cheap heroin could flood the streets of European towns and cities, along with the country’s deadly new export, crystal meth. 16/08 Cocaine…

News briefing week of 09 August

12/08 Organized Crime and Corruption: a “Cause and Consequence” of Climate Change. After the U.N. climate panel report called this week for an urgent and drastic cut in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, experts told the OCCRP that organized crime and corruption play a significant role in the state of the climate crisis. 12/08…

News briefing week of 02 August

02/08 Dominican gangs have become Spain’s primary urban security threat. On July 23, Spanish authorities announced the arrest of seven members of the Dominicans Don’t Play (DDP) street gang and the dismantling of a local chapter that operated in the Henares corridor of the greater Madrid area. 03/08 Colombia announces seizure of 116 tons of…

News briefing week of 26 July

28/07 Paraguay seizes more than 3,400 kilos of cocaine. Authorities say the cocaine was being stashed in a load of sugar for international shipment. The destination is for the moment unknown. 28/07 Over 4,500 kilos of cocaine were seized in the Rotterdam port in two different fruit shipments. Customs officials found over 1,500 kilograms of…