News briefing week of 20 September

21/09 Nearly three tonnes of heroin with a street value of $2.7bn (£2bn) from Afghanistan have been seized from a western Indian port in a major bust, officials said. Two Indians were arrested after the heroin, which was kept in two containers marked as carrying talc, was found by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)…

CRIMJUST launches the first issue of the new “Cocaine Insights” publication series – The illicit trade of cocaine from Latin America to Europe: from oligopolies to free-for-all?

On 7 September 2021, CRIMJUST launched the first issue of a new publication series “Cocaine Insights” in an online event during which UNODC and EUROPOL presented the main findings. In the opening remarks, Ms Chloé Carpentier, from the UNODC’s Drug Research Section, noted that while the cultivation and production of cocaine is concentrated in Latin…

News briefing week of 13 September

13/09 The Nigerian National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intercepted more than 24,311 kilos of different hard drugs at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MIIA), Ikeja and the Tin-Can Seaport, Apapa, Lagos respectively. The substances were suspected to be heroin, codeine, Arizona and Colorado variants of cannabis. 13/09 Colombian Defence Minister announces seizure of…

News briefing week of 06 September

06/09 Heroin worth $2.4 million seized in southeastern Turkey. Turkey, a transit route in drug smuggling between Asia and Europe. 07/09 Indian agencies track huge heroin seizure off Sri Lanka. More than 600 kilos of heroin seized, and seven Pakistani nationals arrested. 08/09 Netherlands, Belgium overtake Spain as main gateways into Europe for cocaine. In…

The Countering Firearms Trafficking project alerts on evolving trends during a webinar on new trends in firearms trafficking

As part of the business of organised crime groups (OCGs), firearms are a tool for criminal violence  enabling OCGs to leverage other forms of criminality, like gang violence, intimidation, or coercion. Apart from the violence and tension that a high number of firearms in a region creates representing a major human security concern, it also…

News briefing week of 30 August

30/08 A  suspected narcotic trafficker, Ibeh Ejike, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after allegedly ingesting 87 wraps of cocaine. 30/08 Cargo ships act as trans-Atlantic drug carriers, with crews unaware. Police in Brazil have broken up a smuggling ring where divers…