Cocaine

The AFP has charged a Matraville man for his alleged involvement in a plot to import 252kg of a dangerous illicit drug cocktail, known as ‘pink cocaine’, into Australia by international air cargo. The substance, also named ‘tusi’, commonly contains a mixture of ketamine, MDMA and other adulterants, and rarely contains any cocaine. The AFP began an investigation in October 2024 into a transnational drug trafficking syndicate targeting Australia after 252kg of ‘pink cocaine’ was seized in an air cargo consignment – labelled as containing an industrial saw – destined for Castle Hill, NSW. The AFP undertook a controlled delivery operation and on 6 November, 2024, the consignment was delivered to the Castle Hill address and allegedly accessed by the Matraville man. The man, 21, was arrested by AFP investigators in Coogee a short time later and was subsequently charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border controlled drug, contrary to sections 307.5 and 11.1 of the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth). The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment. He appeared before Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday, 7 November, 2024, where he was formally refused bail. He is expected to next return to court on 29 January, 2025. AFP Acting Superintendent Stuart Millen said the seizure of such a significant quantity of ‘pink cocaine’ destined for Australia was a concern for policing agencies across the country. “’Pink cocaine’ is made up of an unpredictable cocktail of illicit drugs, meaning anyone who consumes the drug has no idea what they are putting in their body. Despite the name, it rarely contains cocaine,” a/Superintendent Millen said. “The dangers of all illicit drug consumption can be severe, including loss of consciousness, stroke, heart attack and even death. Consuming a cocktail of illicit drugs significantly increases those risks. “Branding this cocktail of harmful drugs as ‘pink cocaine’ is a ploy designed by drug syndicates to maximise profits at the expense of the health and welfare of users. “The AFP is closely monitoring the notable increase in ‘pink cocaine’ detections domestically, and offshore, throughout 2024. “This outcome has prevented a large amount of illicit drugs from reaching our communities and causing harm, and put a sizeable dent in the wallets of organised crime.” 14 November 2024 Source: AFP

Spain has seized 13 tonnes of cocaine worth almost FJD$2 billion in the biggest drug raid in its history, and most of the packs were labelled as Fiji. Sky News reports that Spanish Police found 13 tonnes of the class A drug hidden behind bananas in a cargo container that sailed from Ecuador. Spanish authorities have shared dramatic footage of a raid on a property linked to the seizing of the cocaine, in what they described as the biggest anti-narcotics operation in the country’s history. Officials found bricks of drugs hidden in a shipment of bananas in a container from Ecuador at the port of Algeciras in southern Spain. The cargo container had sailed from Guayaquil, Ecuador. Officers can also be seen trying to break a safety box before a woman is detained at what appears to be a separate location. The final shots show police officers loading the drugs, appearing in the form of green bricks, on vans. The operation, in collaboration with the Ecuadorian police, resulted in five raids and one arrest. The Ecuadorian export company was on police and customs records for a history of “illicit trafficking,” according to the police. Police are looking for two of its managers. To date, the largest drug seizures in Spain was 9.4 tonnes in 2023, and another 8.7 tonnes five years earlier. Ecuador intercepted a total of 204 tonnes of drugs between January and September this year, almost the annual average for the past three years, government figures show. 12 November 2024 FijiVillage News

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has arrested four men after finding about 400 kilos of cocaine aboard their boat off the coast of Kent, England. UK Border Force officers intercepted the fishing vessel on Sunday morning and discovered the drugs. The three men on board the boat, aged 64, 45 and 25, were arrested for allegedly importing narcotics. They were transferred to police custody for questioning by the NCA, and a fourth man allegedly connected to the smuggling attempt was arrested in East London. “This amount of cocaine will represent a significant loss for the organized crime group that attempted to import it into the UK,” said NCA Operations Manager Jules Harriman. “With our partners at Border Force and the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC), we have successfully removed this harmful drug consignment from the criminal marketplace.” Most of the UK’s major cocaine busts happen at container terminals, where customs officials occasionally find multi-tonne consignments disguised as shipments of fruit or consumer goods. Small-craft shipments are occasionally intercepted on cross-Channel routes, like a bust off Sussex in 2021, which netted three convictions. According to the NCA, an Albanian organized crime group – the Mafia Shqiptare – is the dominant player in the UK’s illicit cocaine trade, organizing the complex logistics and money-laundering needed to bring vast quantities of the drug across borders. Unlike other importers, the Albanians are said to be vertically integrated: they have supply contacts at the source in South America, allowing them to import at wholesale prices, then pass the savings on to the consumer through street-level sales. They are believed to have a close working relationship with the ‘Ndrangheta, the Italian mafia group that dominates the Euro-area cocaine trade. 10 November 2024 The Maritime Executive

Spanish authorities have reported a major cocaine seizure, marking the second-largest in European history and one of the largest globally. Law enforcement intercepted 13 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a shipment of bananas from Ecuador to southern Spain. The bust, announced by Spain’s national police force, underscores the scale of drug trafficking across Europe. “It’s clear these 13 tonnes weren’t solely for the Spanish market,” explained António Jesús Martínez, head of the central narcotics brigade. “This volume was meant for distribution throughout Europe.” The container, arriving last month at the port of Algeciras from Guayaquil, Ecuador, was flagged for inspection due to the exporter’s prior record of illicit trafficking. The operation, coordinated with Ecuadorian authorities, led to five raids and one arrest—the partner in the company set to receive the shipment. Two managers involved remain at large, according to Martínez. Previously, Spain’s largest cocaine seizure was 9.4 tonnes in 2023, also in Algeciras. In total, Spain intercepted 100 tonnes of cocaine last year, more than twice the amount in 2022. European countries are facing a surge in hard drugs, with cocaine trafficked from Latin America being a primary concern. Germany recently made Europe’s largest recorded bust, seizing 35.5 tonnes of cocaine concealed in fruit and vegetable shipments after a tip from Colombian authorities. In response to this growing threat, the EU launched the European Union Drug Agency (EUDA) this summer to combat organized drug networks. European Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson emphasized that drug trafficking now poses a threat on par with terrorism, and the agency will work with countries like Ecuador to disrupt criminal networks. Meanwhile, drug production methods are shifting. Cocaine processing, traditionally confined to Latin America, is increasingly taking place within Europe itself. In 2022, 39 cocaine labs were dismantled across various EU countries, according to EUDA’s latest statistics. 7/11/2024

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers at Eagle Pass Port of Entry this week seized more than $399,000 in cocaine in a single enforcement action.  “Our frontline CBP officers successfully utilized their training, experience and high tech tools to detect and interdict this significant quantity of cocaine in the passenger vehicle environment,” said Port Director Pete Beattie, Eagle Pass Port of Entry “Seizures like these exemplify CBP’s ongoing effort to uphold its border security mission and keeping our communities safe.”  The seizure occurred on Nov. 4 at the Camino Real International Bridge when a CBP officer referred a 2015 Chevy driven by a 41-year-old female Mexican citizen for secondary inspection. CBP officers conducted a secondary examination that included utilization of a non-intrusive inspection system. Upon closer physical examination, CBP officers discovered 12 packages containing a total of 29.93 pounds of alleged cocaine within the vehicle. The narcotics had a street value of $399,740. CBP seized the narcotics and vehicle. Homeland Security Investigations special agents arrested the driver and initiated a criminal investigation. 11/07/2024 US Customs