The jury at a Manhattan federal court took just three and a half hours to find Ross Ulbricht guilty of operating the online drug marketplace ‘Silk Road’ from February 2011 to October 2013. Ulbricht had previously pleaded not guilty to seven charges of narcotics trafficking, criminal enterprise, computer hacking and money laundering. After an eight-month…
Over the New Year, two boats were intercepted by authorities, carrying migrants that have paid criminal groups to transport them to Europe through illegal means. The practice highlights the adaptability of organised crime groups, but also their increasingly businesslike nature. Organised crime is continually adapting to changes in the global economy, capitalising on new opportunities…
In the history of drug control, the prohibition on popular, psychoactive substances has three distinct consequences: The replacement of a mild / moderate version of the drug with stronger ones, e.g. the ban of opium/beer is followed by the spread of heroin/whisky. The criminalisation of the distribution chain. The loss of quality control and consumer…
News briefing – week beginning 19 January Two people have been arrested as an international drug trafficking ring was dismantled in Taipei, Taiwan following joint efforts and cooperation between officials from Taiwan, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. 31 people have been arrested as 600 kilograms of drugs were seized by members of the Italian police…
It is with great sadness that we have to report the sudden death on 29 December 2014 of Tim Manhire, the SEACOP team leader. As many of you know Tim had led the SEACOP project for four years, after retiring from UK law enforcement where he had spent a distinguished career as a maritime drug…
Six Nova Scotia men have been charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine, following “Operational Hancock” an international investigation into illegal trafficking of drugs originating from Panama into the Port of Halifax, Canada 150 grams of cocaine concealed in chorizo sausage bound for France has been seized following the arrest of three men by the Spanish…
2.5kgs of cocaine valued at 6 million pesos (~USD400,000) has been seized, following the arrest of a Mexican in joint efforts involving the Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. A drug baron, Karl Wilson, has been jailed for 16 years for running a multi-million pound smuggling ring,…
An alleged drug trafficker suspected of brokering deals between Colombian terrorists and drug traffickers and Mexican transnational criminal organisations, Hermes Alirio Casanova Ordoñez, has been arrested by officials of the Colombian National Army. 339kgs of cocaine paste, used in the production of cocaine, were discovered by Honduran security forces in the Caribbean port of Puerto…
In July 2014, the UK became the last European country to ban Khat. With debates ongoing on whether illegal drugs should be decriminalised, this newly criminalised substance provides an opportunity to examine this debate from a new angle. Khat is a naturally occurring stimulant that has traditionally been cultivated in Kenya, Ethiopia and Yemen. Over…
11 tonnes of opium and hashish have been seized by members of the border patrol police in the Jakigour area of Sistan-Baluchestan, Iran. A recent study revealed that cocaine consumption quadruples the risk of sudden death in people aged between 19 and 49. Nine men have been sentenced to prison following the smuggling of cocaine…
