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…
300 kgs of cocaine valued at £40 million hidden in a shipment of bananas originating from Colombia was seized in Portsmouth, UK, following joint efforts by Border Force, Irish Police and the NCA. 25 kgs of cocaine valued at £750, 000 was seized and ten people were arrested in Swansea, UK. Cocaine valued at £100,000…
20 kilograms of cocaine valued at £1 million, bound for the Fermanagh area of Northern Ireland, has been seized in a port in Holland by Dutch authorities. 54 kilograms of cocaine estimated at £8 million, hidden within a lorry-load of Christmas trees at the port of Harwich, UK was seized as one person was arrested by…
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…
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…
Argentina is reportedly becoming a major drug-trafficking hub in Latin America. Several Latin-American countries have adopted shoot-down laws, which allow countries to shoot down suspected drug trafficking flights, in an attempt to curb aerial drug trafficking. Four people were arrested in the Kenyan port of Mombasa on suspicions of drug trafficking. A group of four…
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…
Ronald K. Noble the US Law Professor who has led the organisation for the past 14 years is stepping down and is due to be replaced by Jürgen Stock, the vice president of the German Federal Criminal Police. One of the first issues that the incumbent will have to consider is whether to collect a…
UNODC is expected to collaborate with Fiji in its efforts against drug trafficking, corruption and terrorism as the Pacific region is considered vulnerable to transnational organised crime The alleged leader of Portsmouth drug trafficking organisation, Antwan Black, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison; disrupting drug supply in the region Detectives from the…
