News briefings – Week of 9 January

During the final congressional session of 2016, the government of Argentina submitted plans in order to modify the country’s anti-narcotics law. The reform – if approved – would increase penalties for the production, trafficking and supply of paco, the smokeable paste at intermediary stage in processing cocaine. The post-conflict minister of Colombia acknowledged that coca…

News briefing – Week of 5 December

The Crime Rate Index for 2016 listed Mexico as the third most dangerous country in the world due to the violence created by drug-related organized crime, with the country ranked higher than countries currently at war. Ecuadorean Police seized around 10 metric tons of cocaine at Guayaquil port, which could mean the country may become…

News briefing – Week of 28 November

Data from Argentina’s Attorney General Office reveals that more than a third of money laundering cases since 2013 were linked to drug trafficking, informs Insight Crime. According to one of the two prosecutors of the Economic Crime and Money Laundering Bureau (Procuraduría de Criminalidad Económica y Lavado de Activos – PROCELAC), the fact that such…

News briefing – Week of 14 November

Reportedly, there are 440 organized crime groups operating in Spain, out of the 3,600 identified in all of Europe, as indicated by experts from the Spanish Guardia Civil and the National Police. The majority of those criminal groups are dedicated to drug trafficking and fraud. Ten organised crime groups in Spain are labeled as “high…

News briefing – Week of 7 November

15 alleged organized crime figures accused of smuggling drugs from South America were arrested by the Italian police. The target was a ring which was reportedly sending drugs from Colombia to Spain, and then into Italy. The investigation was a joint effort of Italian State and financial police, and Drug Enforcement Administration officials in the…