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Fentanyl shaped like Lego, toys in Campbell River drug bust.

Fentanyl

RCMP in B.C. is warning about a new way that drugs are being disguised in the province. On Sept. 25, the Campbell River Street Crime Unit with assistance from the Major Crime Unit, Community Response Unit, Community Policing Unit, General Duty and First Nations policing searched three locations. Two searches were conducted in the 900 block of Island Highway South and another in the 600 block of Nursery Road. Police seized more than 1.6 kilograms of fentanyl with some that was being diluted, dyed, flavoured and moulded into dinosaurs, Lego bricks and other shapes. In addition, police seized more than 180 grams of cocaine, more than 290 grams of methamphetamine, a small number of dilaudid pills as well as cash, weapons including a firearm, and other items commonly used in drug trafficking. Leah Lewis of Campbell River has been charged with drug trafficking and production offences and is currently in custody. “It’s a profoundly disturbing seizure of drugs and I want to profoundly thank the RCMP who were involved in doing the investigation and breaking up this drug ring,” BC NDP candidate David Eby said on Friday. “We’re making sure that the RCMP have the tools they need to arrest the criminals who are distributing this toxic and poisonous drug supply throughout our province that’s killing people. We’re seizing the cars and the homes of the gangsters who are profiting from it. They’re not walking into casinos with bags of cash anymore with impunity, they are in court right now and we are taking their stuff and we’ve got to do more.” Eby said the federal government has a role to play in intercepting the chemicals that are imported to Canada and used to make these drugs. 11 October 2024 Source: Global News

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Italian man charged over alleged 15kg meth import through Sydney Airport

Methamphetamine

An Italian national is expected to appear before Downing Centre District Court today (22 November, 2024) charged with allegedly importing 15kg of methamphetamine into Australia concealed in his luggage. Australian Border Force (ABF) officers allegedly detected the illicit drugs yesterday (20 November, 2024) after selecting the man, 18, for a baggage examination when he arrived at Sydney Airport on a flight from Europe. They allegedly found packages of a white substance hidden in three large black plastic packages in the man’s suitcase. Initial testing of the substance returned a positive result for methamphetamine. The AFP arrested and charged the man with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, contrary to section 307.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). The offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. This amount of methamphetamine could have been sold as almost 150,000 street deals with an estimated value of $13 million. AFP Detective Superintendent Morgen Blunden said the AFP and its partners were committed to stamping out criminality in the airport environment, including by transnational drug syndicates. “Despite all the risks involved, we are still regularly arresting people who have attempted to bring illicit drugs into our country through our airports,” he said. “No matter how elaborate or creative the attempts are, the AFP and our partners are working tirelessly to prevent airports being used as part of the criminal supply chain.” ABF Superintendent Elke West said every day, officers were observing passengers’ behavior as they transited through airport terminals, looking out for any indicators that might raise suspicions and warrant further inspection. “ABF officers rely on their intuition and monitoring of passenger behaviours, as well as intelligence and liaison with partner agencies, to detect criminality at the border,” Superintendent West said. “Stopping any quantity of illicit drugs flooding into the market is a win for our officers, protects the community and removes the substance from causing any future harm.” 22 November 2024 AFP

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El Paso CBP officers stop internal cavity drug smugglers

Fentanyl

EL PASO, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Bridge of the Americas international crossing seized just under half-a-pound of fentanyl November 17. Two people were arrested in connection with the failed smuggling attempt. “Fentanyl interdiction remains an important element of the CBP enforcement mission,” said CBP El Paso Director of Field Operations Hector Mancha. “Stopping this dangerous product before it can make it into our communities will help save lives.” The seizure was made just after midnight Sunday when a 33-year-old male U.S. citizen and a 47-year-old female U.S. citizen entered the country together from Mexico through the pedestrian lanes. CBP officers working at the primary inspection area selected the pair for additional scrutiny. A CBP drug sniffing dog alerted to the presence of narcotics during a secondary exam. During the inspection process the female traveler removed a bundle of fentanyl that had been concealed within her vaginal cavity. The package weighed 3.1 ounces. One package of fentanyl was removed from the rectal cavity of the male traveler. It weighed 4.2 ounces. Both travelers were arrested and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigations. Federal prosecution was accepted on the pair. In addition to this seizure, CBP officers working in the El Paso area recorded multiple enforcement actions since Saturday. They seized 103 pounds of methamphetamine and a small amount of marijuana. They also confiscated more than 3,500 units of prescription medications as well as several veterinary medications. CBP officers also recorded four National Crime Information Center fugitive arrests and intercepted prohibited food products arriving from Mexico. 19 November 2024 US Customs  

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Sydney man charged with orchestrating 237kg MDMA importation

MDMA

A western Sydney man is expected to face Parramatta Local Court today (16 November, 2024) charged for his alleged role in orchestrating the importation of 237kg of MDMA. The AFP arrested the man, 47, at Sydney International Airport yesterday evening (15 November, 2024) on his return to Australia. The investigation, named Operation Casarabe, began in November 2023 after Australian Border Force (ABF) officers conducted a routine inspection of a shipping container on arrival to Australia from Germany. An examination of the shipment, purporting to be new car parts, revealed 237kg of MDMA concealed within 12 boxes of the consignment. The ABF alerted the AFP, with officers removing the illicit drugs before the consignment was released for delivery under police surveillance. The consignment was delivered to a western Sydney logistics facility on behalf of a company administered by the  man. AFP officers attended the man’s Meadowbank home in November 2023, where he allegedly claimed to have arranged the importation of car parts on behalf of another person. It will be alleged in court that the person nominated was not real and was a manufactured identity. In May 2024, police executed a search warrant at the Meadowbank home. Investigators seized a number of electronic devices which were subject to further forensic examination. It will be alleged the examination of the devices resulted in investigators obtaining evidence to link the man to the 2023 importation, and to the manufactured identity used to arrange it. AFP officers allegedly discovered a concealed compartment within one of the man’s vehicles. Investigators located a dedicated encrypted communications device in this compartment. The AFP will also allege evidence found during the search warrant linked the email address used to coordinate the shipment to the man and to offshore cryptocurrency accounts. AFP investigators arrested the man yesterday (15 November, 2024) on his return to Australia and located and seized about $576,000 in cryptocurrency, suspected to be proceeds of crime.  He was subsequently charged with: One count of attempting to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, namely MDMA, contrary to section 307.1(1) by virtue of section 11.1(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); One count of dealing with suspected proceeds of indictable crime greater than $100,000, contrary to section 400.9(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth); and One count of possess a dedicated encrypted criminal communication device, contrary to subsection 192P(1) of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW). AFP Acting Superintendent Stuart Millen said the evidence to support these charges came as a result of a clinical and dedicated investigation. “The lengths this individual allegedly went through to import this insidious substance shows the extremes criminal groups will go to in search of profits,” Det a/Supt Millen said. “Criminals do not care about the harm they cause, and our investigative teams are resolute in bringing those responsible before the courts. “The AFP and partners are committed to protecting the community from the scourge of drugs and to targeting individuals who seek to profit from the illicit trade.” ABF Acting Superintendent Marc Rea said this significant detection could have resulted in the cosmetic drug market being flooded with tens of millions of individual street deals. “ABF officers immediately observed anomalies within the consignment, with the goods not matching the described and declared items. On further inspection, the alleged illicit drugs were uncovered, with the syndicate attempting little to no concealment methods,” a/Supt Rea said. “This shows how criminal syndicates are only interested in profits and have a blatant disregard for our border controls and the harm these drugs pose to the community. “MDMA capsules and tablets are often cut with various other toxic agents and dangerous illicit substances. In such a large quantity could have resulted in tens of thousands of lives being put at risk. “The ABF will continue to work with the AFP and our state and territory law enforcement partners to disrupt the importation of prohibited drugs, in turn working together to target the overall supply and demand chain.” 16 November 2024 Source: AFP

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Tipping point: How drug trafficking became a ‘national cause’ in France

Drug Trafficking

France is grappling with an alarming surge in drug-related violence, from grisly murders in Marseille to deadly clashes in smaller towns. As criminal networks thrive, the government has declared the fight against trafficking a “national cause” – but experts warn the crisis may be spiralling beyond the control of law enforcement. Reports of drug-related violence have littered French headlines in recent weeks. A teenage boy was stabbed 50 times and burned alive in a drug-related killing in Marseille last month. A few days later, a 36-year-old football player was shot in cold blood by a minor. The murders both took place in Marseille, the country’s second-largest city, but also one of its poorest – and currently the epicentre of gang violence linked to drug trafficking. But smaller cities, towns and even rural areas are also seeing unprecedented violence linked to drug trafficking and the settling of scores. An incident in Rennes in northwestern France left a 5-year-old with bullet injuries on October 26 while in Poitiers, home to about 90,000 inhabitants, a 15-year-old boy died after being shot in the head during a bloody duel between drug gangs on October 31. The spike in cases of fatal violence around drug dealing has even prompted the Marseille courts to coin a new catch-all term, “narcohomicide”, to describe people killed in situations linked to drug trafficking, sometimes for simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time. France’s former interior minister Gérald Darmanin dubbed drug trafficking the “greatest threat to national unity” this past May. And the current government has continued to take a hard line on the issue since coming to power in June. Current Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on November 1 that the situation in France had reached a “tipping point”. The country faces an ultimatum, he said: “full mobilisation” or “Mexicanisation”– a term used to describe the scale of drug trafficking in France that risks reaching levels similar to those in Mexico, where drug-related violence is rampant in some areas. The fight against the drug trade has now become a “national cause”, according to both Retailleau and Justice Minister Didier Migaud, who spoke out on the issue in Marseille last week. 14 November 2024 FULL Story: France 24

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U.S. Blocks Records on Nigerian President’s Alleged Drug Ties

Drug Trafficking

The FBI, CIA, and DEA face legal scrutiny as they invoke Glomar responses—provisions allowing them to withhold confirmation of records to protect privacy and national security—amid requests for information on Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s alleged ties to drug trafficking. In a recent court filing, the agencies argued that confirming or denying the existence of records could compromise privacy interests and national security, as they responded to multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from plaintiff Aaron Greenspan. The case highlights ongoing tensions between transparency and the protection of sensitive information held by federal agencies. The CIA, FBI, and DEA jointly filed a statement opposing the release of unredacted files on Tinubu’s background, again citing national security concerns. According to the filing, disclosing these details could endanger U.S. interests abroad. Court documents from a Chicago case claim that in the early 1990s, Tinubu was linked to bank accounts allegedly used to launder money for a heroin ring in Chicago. Records from 1993 reveal that Tinubu, then a prominent figure in Lagos, agreed to forfeit assets to U.S. authorities in a plea bargain, sidestepping a potential trial on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin, a vocal advocate for transparency on the issue, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the CIA, FBI, and DEA had recently submitted a memorandum opposing the release of Tinubu’s records. Intelligence officials argued that revealing such connections could “compromise U.S. national security” and referenced Tinubu’s possible status as a CIA asset. Amid public demands for transparency, the DEA echoed the CIA’s stance, maintaining that citizens are not entitled to unrestricted access to intelligence files. “We oppose the full, unredacted release of the DEA’s Bola Tinubu heroin trafficking investigation records because… they do not have a right to know what their president is up to,” the DEA stated. The agencies’ position hinges on national security risks, with the CIA underscoring the potential consequences of either confirming or denying any ties to Tinubu. Hundeyin expressed frustration with what he described as the U.S. intelligence community’s support for “terrible leaders” in Africa, accusing it of worsening regional instability. It has been 31 years since Tinubu, then a private citizen, forfeited $460,000 to U.S. authorities after an investigation tied him to alleged drug trafficking in Chicago. Meanwhile, Dada Olusegun, Tinubu’s special assistant on social media, dismissed the claims of CIA ties as “tragic” and baseless, asserting the president’s innocence. 14 November 2024 Source: OCCRP

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Man pleads guilty to possessing 15 kg of fentanyl seized in $3.2M drug bust

Fentanyl

The judge seemed to want to make sure he had heard correctly just how much fentanyl the federal drug prosecutor said was found at a London address. “15?” Superior Court Justice Michael Carnegie asked Vince Mazza, encouraging him to repeat the measurement during the brief synopsis of the case. “Kilograms,” Mazza said. Those were all the facts that went into the record at Taymoor Pasha’s guilty plea Friday to one count of possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking. There will be more facts presented at the London man’s sentencing hearing slated for next year and more about the other 20 charges that are on his lengthy indictment. While the court hearing was brief and routine, the amount of drugs described to Carnegie by Mazza is massive. Sarnia police said when the drug bust and charges were announced in February 2023, that all of the drugs seized had a street value of nearly $3.2 million and the fentanyl seizure alone amounted to roughly seven million doses. They said it was one of the largest seizures of street drugs in the region, and certainly the biggest bust ever initiated by Sarnia police. They also said that the bust had put a large dent in the drug trafficking business across the region. Pasha was charged, along with a second person, in January 2023. Pasha’s lone guilty plea was enough to start the process of preparing a pre-sentence report for his next hearing. He told Carnegie he understood he had given up his right to a trial by entering the initial plea. “Guilty,” the 24-year-old tall, bespectacled man with a beard said while he stood in the prisoner’s box. Mazza told the judge that the drugs were discovered in “a stash house” belonging to Pasha during a police search on Jan. 26, 2023. He told Carnegie he would not elaborate any more about the case until Pasha’s next hearing. Sarnia police said in February 2023 that the investigation was a three-month effort initiated after a tip that a man with ties to London was trafficking large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs in Sarnia and across Southwestern Ontario. Sarnia police and the OPP’s guns-and-gangs enforcement team joined forces for the investigation and were able to identify two London addresses, one on Cheapside Street and one on Mornington Avenue, suspected to be part of the drug trafficking scheme. Search warrants turned up 15 kilograms of fentanyl, more than 3.4 kilograms of cocaine, 1.4 kilograms of MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy, and a large number of prescription pills including oxycodone, codeine, morphine, Percocet, hydromorphone and others. Also seized was a Ruger handgun. The large seizure of fentanyl was particularly significant. The synthetic opioid that is highly addictive and up to 100 times more powerful than morphine has been identified as the main culprit in the ongoing opioid drug crisis across Ontario and the rest of the country. Not only has it ravaged the lives of the addicted, it has also been proven to be fatal to drug users who unknowingly purchase drugs that have been mixed with the opioid. A second person charged in the investigation is expected to go on trial in May. Pasha’s case returns in the new year. 15 November 2024 Source: The London Free Press

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Turkey seizes nine tons of methamphetamine in two weeks

Methamphetamine

Turkish officials have seized nearly nine tons of methamphetamine, half of it at the Iranian border, in the last two weeks, the interior minister said on Thursday. Ali Yerlikaya said 4.16 tons of methamphetamine were seized during this period, including 3.5 tons in Istanbul and the rest in other cities including Izmir in the west and Hakkari near the border with Iran and Iraq. More than 4.5 tons had been found at the beginning of November in three trucks crossing into Turkey from Iran, according to Turkish customs. Turkish police confiscated nearly 22 tons of methamphetamine last year, a sharp increase over previous years, according to official figures. Methamphetamine is a stimulant whose effects are two to five times more intense and long-lasting than amphetamine, with greater addictive potential, experts say. This synthetic drug, popular in Turkey, is sold in Europe or North America in the form of crystals, powder, capsules or tablets. The European Union Drugs Agency says the increase in methamphetamine seizures in Turkey could be explained by a rise in production in Iran and Afghanistan, where its trade has intensified since the Taliban imposed a ban in 2022 on the cultivation of opium poppies, used to manufacture heroin. 14 November 2024

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