News briefing week of 13 June

12/06 Illegal donkey skin trade is a ‘trojan horse’ for wildlife trafficking, claims charity. Vast numbers of donkey skins are being sold illegally on social media sites, a new investigation has revealed. 13/06 A double-edged sword: The role of technology in combating wildlife crime. New approaches are needed to develop, procure and implement technology in…

seizure SEACOP cocaine Malaga

SEACOP contributes to seizure of 648kg of cocaine in Malaga

In early November 2021, the SEACOP project contributed to the seizure of 648kg of cocaine through a joint operation between Spanish, Colombian and Italian authorities. Started back in July 2021, the investigation involved various entities working in anti-drug trafficking and transnational maritime security. Notably, the operation was initiated by the Chief of the Census Room…

News briefing week of 18 October

18/10 Morocco police seize over one tonne of cocaine in Tangier port -statement. The ship departed from Brazil and was heading to the ports of Antwerp in Belgium and Portbury in the UK, the police said in a statement. 19/10 Senegal seizes record 2 tonnes of cocaine off Atlantic coast. The 2,026 kilos of cocaine…

AIRCOP holds its 7th Global Meeting- Special attention given to women in AIRCOP

AIRCOP held its 7th Global Meeting from 4 to 7 October 2021. More than 200 participants from over 40 countries, came together to discuss past successes and future challenges. The meeting highlighted AIRCOP’s achievements and results, with cocaine seizures, for example, amounting to more than 10 tons.     Regional and international communication, cooperation, and…

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…

AIRCOP co-organises the First Inter-regional Workshop on Combatting Trafficking in Persons by Air

On the 1st and 2nd of September 2021, UNODC brought together 16 East African, Middle Eastern, and Gulf countries for an inter-regional workshop on combatting trafficking in persons by air. The first-of-its-kind inter-regional workshop, gathering 105 participants, 26% of them being women, aimed to spread awareness on and find solutions to challenges related to trafficking…

Double Anniversary: 20 years of the Firearms Protocol and the Programme of Action on small arms

The Firearms Protocol and the Programme of Action on small arms turn 20 this year. On the 26th of July 2021, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held a joint high-level side event on the continued importance of the two instruments. Esteemed experts,…

News Briefing – Week of 01 March 2021

01/03 – In Belize, corrupt police officials have been implicated in facilitating drug flows through the nation, according to a new InSight Crime article.   01/03 – French law enforcement arrested 38 people, accused of trafficking Moldovan nationals to France for illegal labour on construction sites, providing falsified EU identification documents, and money laundering.  …

News Briefing – Week of 08 February 2021

08/02 – In a joint operation by the Spanish Civil Guard, the National Police and the Internal Revenue Service dismantled an alleged Chinese Mafia organisation dedicated to international drug trafficking and money laundering through parcel companies. Agents arrested 38 suspects and carried out 30 searches in the provinces of Madrid, Salamanca, Toledo, Asturias, Lugo and…