Cocaine

A Sydney man has been charged over an alleged plot to import more than 250 kilograms of “pink cocaine”, a potent and highly sought-after synthetic drug. Authorities intercepted the shipment before it could reach Australian streets, dealing a major blow to international trafficking networks. Investigators believe the suspect played a key role in orchestrating the smuggling operation, which involved concealing the illicit substance within commercial cargo. As law enforcement cracks down on the rising influx of synthetic drugs, this case highlights the ongoing battle against international drug syndicates and the sophisticated methods used to distribute high-value narcotics.

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