Jun92020

News Briefing – Week of 1 June

Belgium, Cannabis, Cocaine, Ecuador, Heroin, Illegal pesticides, Newsbriefings, Publication, Seizure, The Netherlands

  1/06/2020 – As law enforcement focuses of the Coronavirus lockdown measures, a substantial increase in cannabis cultivation in Albania is anticipated. Recent seizures indicate that the Balkan route remains a favoured trafficking route for Europe destined cannabis. Albania is also about to conclude a draft law which allows for the cultivation of medical cannabis in…

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Jun42020

News Briefing – Week of 25 May

Africa, Cannabis, Cigarettes, Cocaine, Colombia, Honduras, Latin America, Newsbriefings, Nigeria, Publication, South Africa, Wildlife trafficking

  25/05/2020 – Moroccan authorities are analysing seizures made in 2019. It is reported that 119 tonnes of cannabis were seized as well as 13.5 million cigarettes and 680 000 pills that indicate psychotropic substances.   25/05/2020 – The Colombian army discovered 516kgs of cocaine hidden in 5 plastic containers. It is believed that the now seized drugs were…

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May272020

News Briefing – Week of 18 May

Belgium, Bolivia, Cannabis, Cocaine, Colombia, Illegal logging, Methamphetamines, Morocco, Newsbriefings, Peru, Publication, Seizure, South Africa, Wildlife trafficking

The lock-down measures adopted in Morocco have disrupted the usual routes used to traffic cannabis towards Europe. Indeed, traffickers were previously relying on the commercial shipping vessels or high-speed boats crossing the Mediterranean. So as to avoid detection, they are favouring longer and more expansive routes however such methodology requires drug hand-overs at high sea.  Burmese authorities…

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Apr292020

News Briefing – Week of 20 April

Airport, Cocaine, Dark web, Mexico, Newsbriefings, Trafficking, Wildlife trafficking

As the Mexican government concentrate its resources on pandemic control, with the peak of COVID-19 expected in May, criminal groups continue to position themselves so as to strengthen their control and influence within the states, cities and regions they operate in. The COVID-19 pandemic in Peru has hit the cocaine trade in Peru. Cocaine prices have sharply…

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Apr232020

News Briefing – Week of 13 April

Argentina, Cannabis, Cocaine, Cooperation, Costa Rica, EUROJUST, Japan, Latin America, Morocco, Newsbriefings, Organised Crime Organisation, Serbia, US

700 kg of cocaine was seized at the Yokohama seaport in Japan in March 2020. The drugs were hidden in a container transporting boxes of bananas. According to the Japanese authorities, the drugs more than likely arrived by mistake as a result of traffickers not being able to unload at ports prior to Yokohama.    Over 1600…

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Apr152020

News Briefing – Week of 6 April

Brazil, Cannabis, Cocaine, Fake medicine, Heroin, Mozambique, Newsbriefings, opium, Organised Crime Organisation, Production, Seizure, Trafficking, Wildlife trafficking

Heroin production is on the rise in the Golden Triangle according to the Narcotics Control Board secretary-general in Thailand and as seizure along the border between Myanmar and Laos suggest. The Golden Triangle is one of the largest areas where opium is grown.   A large criminal network involved in fraud, money laundering and social…

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Apr72020

News Briefing – Week of 30 March

Brazil, Cocaine, Guinea Bissau, Newsbriefings, Pangolin, Seizure, The Netherlands, Wildlife trafficking

Malaysian customs discovered six tonnes of African pangolin scales hidden beneath a layer of sacks containing cashew nuts. This was the first seizure at Port Klang since September 2017 and may indicate that  traffickers are responding to greater security at other Malaysian ports as well as ports in Singapore where, last year, 40 tonnes of pangolin scales was…

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Mar312020

News Briefing – Week of 23 March

Cocaine, Colombia, Ecstasy, Ghana, Heroin, Honduras, Latin America, Mexico, Money laundering, Newsbriefings, Precursors, Trafficking, Venezuela, West Africa

  Several prisoners escaped from four Brazilian prisons after authorities announced the suspension of the one-day release programme. This decision was taken as a preventive measure to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus, COVID-19.   Honduras is becoming a cocaine producing country in addition to being a transit country.  Reporting indicates that, between 2009 and 2020,  12…

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