What harm? A comparative analysis of drug trafficking and organised crime in the Netherlands and Belgium

Two highly regarded researchers in the study of drug trafficking and organized crime presented a radical analysis at last week’s conference of the International Society of the Study of Drug Policy in Ghent. Letizia Paoli (Univeristy of Leuven) and Victoria Greenfield (George Mason University) have a record of contributing to our understanding of drug markets…

The arrest of Oscar Niña, Bolivia’s drug police chief points to links with the Mexican Sinaloa cartel

  The premise of the Cocaine Route Programme, that international law enforcement need to work more closely together to keep apace of organised crime groups, was validated yet again by events in Bolivia. Last month, Óscar Niña, the anti-drug police chief was arrested together with his son for alleged offences of illicit profiteering, money laundering, and…

News briefing – week beginning 17 November

Cocaine valued at £5 million was seized from a light aircraft at an East Yorkshire airfield in the UK, following joint operations by members of the NCA and Border Force. Many Mexaican citizens believe that the 43 missing and possibly dead students in Iguala reveal the increasing connection between corruption and violence which indicate failures…

The Rise of Opium-poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan

Afghanistan poppy cultivation is estimated to have hit an all-time high despite the international counter-narcotics efforts. The US has spent an estimated USD $7.5bn in an attempt to curb the phenomenon. At present, opium-poppy is being cultivated on 209,000 hectares (516,230 acres) of land in Afghanistan, indicating a 36% increase from 2012. A report released…

A Shift in the Drug Policy Debate

The US led ‘war on drugs’ initiated in 1971, by then President Richard Nixon still informs the American approach to drug control. Given the global, widespread and complex nature of the problem, many other actors have come to realise that there are alternative ways of dealing with drugs in society, incorporating different strands including harm…

‘Drugs Uncovered’ – the Guardian

As the drugs policy debate gains momentum ahead of UNGASS 2016, many different perspectives are being put forward. This weekend the Guardian newspaper examined British attitudes to drugs in their ‘Drugs Uncovered’ series. The cornerstone of the series was the British Drugs Survey 2014. The survey revealed that the proportion of the population that have…

News briefing – week beginning September 8th

The Global Commission on Drug Policy released a report stating that drug control is out of hand, calling for a shift towards decriminalisation and regulation of most illegal drugs, while cracking down on violent drug gangs. Following a three-year investigation in New Brunswick, Canada, 28 people were arrested, disrupting a major organised crime and drug…

Documentary – ‘Rosario – Violence, Drugs and Football’

Drug use has grown significantly in Argentina, creating a different type of drug war. This 3-part documentary by Vice News reveals the impact of drugs in Rosario, Argentina’s 3rd most populated city. In Rosario, drug dealers have penetrated the police, economy and even football supporter groups, making drug use widespread. [youtube id=”voLnpnHlhXI”] [youtube id=”QMFhdxPgh-c”] [youtube id=”l98IyhYYzXE”]