A 26-year-old man has faced court after police allegedly discovered $18 million worth of illegal drugs hidden within the door cavities of his car during a routine traffic stop on the Hume Highway near Gundagai, in southern New South Wales.
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In a historic judgment, 18 members of an international organised crime group (OCG) have been convicted in the UK’s largest-ever drugs investigation. The network, responsible for smuggling billions of pounds worth of drugs into the country, has been dismantled following a multi-agency operation led by the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The criminal network trafficked an estimated 50 tonnes of heroin, cocaine, and cannabis into the UK over three years. From southeastern England to Scotland, the OCG supplied drugs to crime gangs across the nation, devastating communities and fueling violent street crime.
18 Convicted in the UK’s Largest-Ever Drugs Conspiracy Read More »
The final member of an organised crime group that orchestrated a sophisticated plot to smuggle 448 kilograms of MDMA to Australia has been sentenced to 23 years in prison. William Sartin, 63, was convicted for his role in the criminal operation following an investigation by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). Sartin joins six co-conspirators—Danny Brown, Stefan Baldauf, Peter Murray, Tony Borg, Leon Reilly, and Philip Lawson—who were sentenced for their involvement in 2022. The smuggling network was dismantled through Operation Venetic, a UK-wide initiative that targeted criminals using the encrypted messaging platform EncroChat. Sophisticated Smuggling Plot The group concealed the MDMA within the arm of an industrial digger, a Doosan DX420, which they purchased for €75,000. The digger was first stored at an industrial unit in Grays, Essex, under Sartin’s control. The drugs were hidden behind a lead lining in the excavator’s arm, a concealment designed by co-conspirator Philip Lawson, who arranged for a welder to modify the machinery. To give the shipment an air of legitimacy, the group organised an online auction for the excavator’s arrival in Australia. The digger was transported from Leeds by Reilly’s company, Mizen Equipment, and later shipped to Brisbane, Australia, via Southampton Docks. Australian Border Force officers intercepted the shipment, x-rayed the machinery, removed the drugs, and resealed the arm to allow the delivery to proceed under surveillance. International Cooperation The digger arrived at an auction house in Brisbane before being transported to a site west of Sydney in May 2020. The Australian criminal group intended to retrieve the drugs but was unable to locate them, prompting confusion and frustration. EncroChat messages revealed that the UK conspirators launched their own investigation, holding meetings attended by Sartin to determine what went wrong. The NCA worked closely with the Australian Federal Police to monitor and disrupt the operation. The collaborative effort prevented the MDMA, which would have commanded a far higher price in Australia than in the UK, from reaching the streets. Operation Venetic and Sartin’s Conviction Operation Venetic uncovered critical evidence against the group, including messages sent via EncroChat. One pivotal clue was an image sent by Danny Brown of his pet dog “Bob,” whose tag displayed a phone number, inadvertently leading investigators to his partner. Sartin, who operated under the EncroChat handles “haplessbadger” and “urbanmallet,” was previously convicted for smuggling cannabis and tobacco. His industrial unit was central to the conspiracy, serving as the site where the digger was modified and filled with drugs. Sentencing Sartin at Kingston Crown Court on December 3, NCA Branch Commander Chris Hill said: “Sartin played a vital role in this conspiracy; it was in his industrial unit that the excavator was concealed, cut open, and filled with MDMA. “Our work with partners abroad, shown here through our collaboration with the Australian Federal Police, protects the public from the dangers of Class A drugs, which destroy lives and communities here in the UK and across the world.” A Major Blow to Organised Crime This case marks the conclusion of a highly complex investigation that spanned two continents and involved multiple law enforcement agencies. Operation Venetic continues to serve as a blueprint for tackling organised crime, leveraging international partnerships and advanced investigative techniques to disrupt criminal networks. The sentencing of Sartin and his co-conspirators underscores the NCA’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking operations and protecting communities from the devastating impact of Class A drugs. 3 December 2024
EncroChat Investigation: 448 Kilos of MDMA Hidden in Digger Foiled Read More »
Five members of an organised crime group that smuggled 2.7 tonnes of cocaine in a shipment of bananas from south America have been jailed. Petko Zhutev, 39, from Bulgaria, Gjergji Diko, 33, from Italy, and Albanian nationals Bruno Kuci, 33, Olsi Ebeja, 40, and Erik Muci, 45, were investigated by the Organised Crime Partnership (OCP) – a joint National Crime Agency and Metropolitan Police Service unit – who identified they were planning the importation. They were arrested by OCP officers, supported by an armed MPS unit, at an industrial estate in Tottenham, north London, in February 2021, after receiving 41 pallets of bananas into which the cocaine had been loaded. The drugs had different branded stamps on them, which corresponded to particular organised crime groups that were going to sell them on the streets of London and the wider UK. Border Force officers at Portsmouth International Port found the cocaine on a cargo ship from Turbo, Colombia, concealed within a legitimate consignment of bananas. OCP officers removed the cocaine and followed the consignment of bananas until it reached its final destination – Agro Food Ltd at the Crispin Industrial Estate. The seizure is believed to be one of the largest ever of its type in the UK, and the drugs would have had an estimated street value of £210 million. Investigators identified that Zhutev had taken over as the director of the food company in December 2020. Although it was previously a legitimate business, he had acquired it solely to use as a front for criminality. Muci was one of the principal organisers for the drugs importation. He was observed meeting with Zhutev, Kuci and Diko at Agro Foods and arranged the delivery and installation of equipment to support the pretence that it was a legitimate enterprise. Investigation into the mobile devices used by the crime group showed Muci controlled the importation and ongoing supply of significant quantities of cocaine across the UK. After Zhutev, Kuci and Diko accepted the consignment, armed MPS officers used a circular saw to enter the locked premises during a raid that resulted in their arrest. Empty banana boxes had been strewn over the floor of the unit, a result of desperate attempts to find the drugs and move them from the site. The men had constructed dozens of cardboard boxes which they had intended to pack the drugs into. Officers also found nine empty suitcases which were to be used to fill with cash generated from drugs sales. A forward-venting blank firearm with five rounds of live ammunition was found hidden behind a ceiling beam, along with numerous mobile devices which had been concealed around the premises. Ebeja was the intended lookout and driver for the drugs, and was arrested near Agro Foods as he waited inside a hire van. Ebeja was employed by Muci to act as a courier supplying drugs across the UK. Following the arrests, OCP officers searched a flat associated to Diko, Ebeja and Muci, during which they found 37 kilos of cocaine and ammunition for the firearm. Officers arrested Ebeja at an address in Central London, in October 2023. Muci was arrested outside an address in Hornchurch, East London, the following month. John Coles, Head of Specialist Operations at the NCA, said: “The sentences handed down to these men mark the culmination of a thorough investigation by NCA and Met Police officers. “By intercepting this huge haul of cocaine, which was one of the largest ever of its kind in the UK, we stopped it from reaching UK communities and protected the public from the scourge of class A drugs and street violence associated with it. “We continue to work with partners at home and abroad to target organised criminals at the pinnacle of the class A drugs supply chain and who pose the greatest risk to the UK.” Detective Superintendent Victoria Sullivan, from the Metropolitan Police, said: “This joint investigation between the Met, NCA and other partners sends a very clear message to criminals and gang members in the UK and abroad – we will come after you and we will bring you to justice. “The supply of drugs has devastating consequences on communities. This is why we continue to crack down on drugs and the gangs that exploit vulnerable people, while working closely with partners to support drug users through addiction.” Diko and Kuci pleaded guilty to drugs, firearms and ammunition offences at the Old Bailey in October 2021 and April 2023 respectively. Both men admitted charges in relation to the weapon and ammunition found at the industrial unit and Diko to the ammunition found at the flat. Zhutev, from West Beckton, London, was cleared of the firearms and ammunition offences at the same court in July last year, following a two-month trial. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on drugs importation offences and he was re-tried for these. However, he changed his plea to guilty on Tuesday, 17 September – 58 days in to the re-trial. Ebeja and Muci were convicted on 10 October, having faced trial alongside Zhutev for the first time. Ebeja and Muci were found guilty of conspiracy to import class A drugs. Muci was also found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs (in relation to the cocaine found in the flat). At the same court today (3 December), Muci was sentenced to 33 years, Zhutev to 27 years, Diko to 18 years, Kuci to 21 years and Ebeja to 17 years. The Organised Crime Partnership (formerly the Middle Market Drugs Partnership) has been in operation for 20 years and is comprised of equal numbers of specialist NCA officers and Metropolitan Police detectives. The team works to stop the flow of drugs to the criminal market in London, target upstreamcriminals that impact on London, as well as disrupting those overseas that make huge profits from this illegal activity. 3 December 2024 Source: NCA
Gang jailed for smuggling £210 million of cocaine hidden in banana boxes Read More »
Intoxicating substances, from alcohol to narcotics to synthetic marijuana, come from all over the world—chemicals manufactured in China, plants grown in Afghanistan, or home-brewed stimulants from clandestine labs in the United States.
The vast majority of drugs are consumed by Americans—both illicit and prescription substances—but most of these drugs are not made in the United States. In fact, drug cartels based in Central and South America are responsible for bringing illegal drugs across the border and into the US. This page will cover the 5 most famous and powerful drug cartels in the world.
The 5 Most Powerful Drug Cartels in the World Read More »
An international law enforcement operation supported by Europol has led to the arrest of a suspected heroin trafficker running a criminal network stretching from Iran to Western Europe. The investigation was led by the German authorities with the support of the Netherlands and Europol. Over the past few months, the authorities involved joined forces within the framework of an Operational Taskforce (OTF) set up at Europol to gather intelligence and coordinate the operational activities. On 23 November, a 57-year-old Turkish citizen was arrested in Albania. Residential and business properties linked to the suspect and his girlfriend were searched in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The suspect, one of Europol’s high-value targets, is suspected of heading a criminal network responsible for the large-scale import of heroin into Western Europe. The investigation was able to link the suspect to the seizure of 703 kilos of heroin in the port of Hamburg in Germany on 30 August 2022. The heroin was hidden in a container shipment of soap originating from Iran. A single dose of a two-digit milligram consumption unit of heroin can be fatal to the consumer. The suspect is now awaiting his extradition to Germany. Europol’s support Europol has supported this investigation since April 2022 with continuous intelligence development and the coordination of the operational strategy between all the countries involved. An Operational Taskforce was launched at Europol in August 2023. This Taskforce is the result of law enforcement heightened understanding of heroin trafficking in Europe, based on this case and other further developed and supported in the framework of Europol’s analysis work into encrypted criminal communications. While cocaine is grabbing the headlines, heroin trafficking is still an attractive venture for criminals. The OTF aims to identify and disrupt the ‘control and command’ of heroin supply and targets criminal networks, in the EU and beyond, that are behind multi-tonne shipments of heroin to the EU. Authorities involved in this investigation Germany: Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) and Prosecutors Office in Dresden/Germany Netherlands: Netherlands Police – National Investigations and Special Operations Unit and Netherlands Public Prosecutors Service – National Public Prosecutor’s Office. Albania: Border Police Europol: European Serious Organised Crime Centre 28 November 2024 Source: Europol
Heroin kingpin arrested after 703 kilos of heroin found in soap shipment Read More »
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers at the Laredo Port of Entry this week seized more than 400 pounds of methamphetamine valued at $3.7 million in a single enforcement action.
“This significant seizure of methamphetamine by our frontline CBP officers underscores the reality of the drug threat they face on a daily basis and exemplifies their determination and resolve to uphold CBP’s priority border security mission,” said Port Director Albert Flores, Laredo Port of Entry.
CBP officers seize $3.7 million in methamphetamine Read More »
The AFP has charged 11 men and two juveniles following an investigation into a transnational organised crime syndicate accused of conspiring to import 2.34 tonnes of cocaine into Australia by sea.
The men, including the crew of a vessel allegedly attempting to import the illicit drugs into Queensland and multiple parties waiting on shore to collect the cocaine, were arrested on Saturday (30 November, 2024) night and in the early hours of yesterday (Sunday, 1 December, 2024), following a joint investigation between the AFP and Queensland Police Service (QPS).
13 people charged over the largest cocaine seizure in Australia Read More »
The AFP and Australian Border Force (ABF) have seized more than 33.7 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursors in the past financial year. The majority of illicit drugs seized include methamphetamine (11t), 1,4-butanediol (6.8t), cocaine (5.6t), MDMA (1.8t), ketamine (1.5t) and heroin (745kg). The amount of illicit drugs and precursors seized in 2023-24 was an increase compared to the previous financial year, with an additional 7.1 tonnes of border-controlled drugs seized by the AFP and ABF at the border and across Australia. The AFP works with ABF to disrupt the attempts of criminal syndicates to import and traffic illicit drugs through the aviation, maritime and postal streams. In April, 2024, the AFP charged three men from New South Wales over an alleged import of 500kg of cocaine into regional Queensland via a large cargo vessel. The AFP searched the vessel and found 15 black and yellow waterproof bags that each contained about 32 blocks of a substance that tested positive to cocaine. Each block weighed about 1kg. More than 4200 litres of 1,4 Butanediol, known as ‘bute’, has been seized by authorities in Sydney since a change in Commonwealth legislation in March 2024 defined it as a border controlled drug (Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Omnibus No.2) Act 2023). The seizures included 180 litres of bute imported from China and was concealed in bottles labelled as body oil. The ABF alerted the AFP who executed search warrants in Fairfield and Lidcombe where an alleged additional 1000 litres was found. In a separate matter, a trio from Queensland was charged for their alleged involvement in the importation and possession of about 560kg of cocaine allegedly discovered during a search warrant in a small coastal town of Western Australia in August, 2023. Police alleged the men were Australian members of a transnational criminal syndicate that imported the illicit drugs into WA by sea. AFP Commander Paula Hudson said the AFP’s seizure of 33.7 tonnes of illicit drugs during the past financial year had prevented serious harm to Australians as a result. “Australia sadly remains a lucrative target for transnational serious organised crime and while these criminal syndicates continue to become more sophisticated in their attempts to smuggle harmful drugs into our country, the AFP and our law enforcement partners, remain a step ahead,” Commander Hudson said. “The AFP remains committed and focused on targeting, identifying and disrupting these attempts to import harmful illicit substances into our country, and is dedicated to bringing those responsible to justice. “The increase in the number of seizures at the border, and AFP successful operations across Australia, should also serve as a warning to the criminal syndicates which are trying to bring these illicit drugs into this country. We are watching, we are ready, and we will bring you to justice.” ABF Acting Commander Troy Sokoloff praised the efforts of ABF and AFP officers in 2024. “As the year draws to a close, it’s quite sobering to see these figures and to consider the immense community harm that has been prevented by the dedication and significant efforts of officers in our agencies and law enforcement partners,” Acting Commander Sokoloff said. “We are keenly aware that Australia will continue to be targeted by criminals seeking to profit and cause the community harm, and our clear message is this: Do not attempt to illegally import narcotics. Our highly skilled officers will detect them and you will face the full force of the law as a result.” There were 11,220 Australians hospitalised – the equivalent of over 30 hospitalisations every day in 2021-22 – from methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin consumption. 1 December 2024 Source: AFP
AFP and ABF seize 33.7 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursors Read More »
India has made history with its largest-ever drug bust, as the Coast Guard intercepted five tonnes of methamphetamine off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The massive haul, linked to an international trafficking network, was seized from a suspicious vessel in a high-stakes maritime operation. Authorities believe the shipment was destined for global distribution, highlighting the growing role of Indian waters in transnational drug smuggling. This record-breaking seizure marks a major victory in the fight against the narcotics trade, demonstrating India’s commitment to disrupting drug syndicates operating across the region. Investigations into the source and intended recipients continue.
India’s largest drug bust: 5 tonnes of Meth seized by Coast Guard off Andamans Read More »
