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Top Ten Cities for arresting Americans


The top 10 cities where Americans were arrested and the number taken into custody:
1. Tijuana: 520
2. Guadalajara: 416
3. Nuevo Laredo: 359
4. London: 274
5. Mexico City: 208
6. Toronto: 183
7. Nassau, Bahamas: 108
8. MĆ©rida, Mexico: 99
9. Nogales, Mexico: 96
10. Hong Kong: 90

Arrests WorldWide (Drug Enforcement)

Arrests WorldWide (Drug Enforcement)

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2,500 citizens are arrested abroad. One third of the arrests are on drug-related charges. Many of those arrested assumed as U.S. citizens that they could not be arrested. From Asia to Africa, Europe to South America, citizens are finding out the hard way that drug possession or trafficking equals jail in foreign countries.
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Drug Enforcement automatically monitors news articles and blog posts tracking breaking news of arrests and drug incidents as they happen worldwide .These inter-active News Reports are followed as they develop. Giving you the chance to comment on breaking stories as they happen. Drug Enforcement alerts you to topics that are frequently linked to and commented upon in the world press. Someone is arrested every 20 seconds for a drug related offense !Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the Blogspots terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of the Drug Enforcement site. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification.

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Drug Enforcement automatically monitors news articles and blog posts tracking breaking news of arrests and drug incidents as they happen worldwide .These inter-active News Reports are followed as they develop. Giving you the chance to comment on breaking stories as they happen. Drug Enforcement alerts you to topics that are frequently linked to and commented upon in the world press. Someone is arrested every 20 seconds for a drug related offense !Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the Blogspots terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of the Drug Enforcement site. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification.

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Monday, April 30

Spanish court clears four Scots of drug trafficking

Four Scots have been acquitted by a Spanish court of drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Ronald O'Dea, 45, from Kilmarnock, Mary Durkin Hendry, 61 from Hamilton, Ian Donaldson, 32, and James McDonald, 62, both from Glasgow, were cleared at the National Criminal Court in Madrid. Judges said there were pointers towards clandestine activities but insufficient evidence to convict. Stephen Brown, 45, from London, was convicted of trafficking amphetamines. He was jailed for six-and-a-half years and fined 8,000 euros. Cash forfeited The case followed a four-year operation by Spanish law enforcement agencies and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency into amphetamine smuggling and money laundering. Mr O'Dea and Mr McDonald were arrested in Spain in November 2008. Mr Donaldson, who fled, was later extradited from Scotland. He forfeited £70,000 which had been found when he was arrested. The Spanish judges said there was reasonable doubt about clandestine activities between the accused, and property they owned without legitimate income to support it. But they said there was insufficient evidence to convict them and Ms Hendry, who was also charged.

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Foreigner sentenced for life for drug smuggling

Criminal Court today has sentenced a Bangladesh national for life after being found guilty of drug smuggling. The State had filed the case against Sumonmiyaa for charges of drug smuggling on October 18, 2010. The two customs officers, who testified during the trial today, stated that the drugs were discovered upon inspection of Sumonmiyaa’s luggage when he arrived on a Qatar Airways flight. The drugs had been concealed on the bottom of his suitcase and had tested positive for cannabis, the officers added. While delivering the verdict, Judge Ahmed Sameer Abdul Azeez said that the testimonies proved that Sumonmiyaa had been found guilty of drug smuggling beyond reasonable doubt. Henceforth, in accordance with the earlier laws of illegal narcotics Sumonmiyaa had been sentenced for life, Judge Sameer said.

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Two Russians May Face Death Penalty in Indonesia Over Drugs


 

Two Russians May Face Death Penalty in Indonesia Over Drugs

Two Russian nationals, arrested in Bali on drug smuggling charges, may face death penalty if convicted, the Jakarta Globe reported on Monday.

According to the daily, a 30-year-ol Russian yoga teacher Alexander Simonov was held on April 24 in Bali as he arrived from Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. Airport customs’ officials held the man with 88 hashish capsules in his stomach.

Two days later another Russian national, a 43-year-old art designer Sergei Chernykh who was reported to have swallowed 359 hashish capsules, was also arrested in the Bali airport.

“We were suspicious because their stomachs were hard. We then detected hashish capsules in their stomachs after an X-ray scan,” the Jakarta Globe quoted head of customs at Ngurah Rai airport, Made Wijaya, as saying.

Wijaya said that both men, who said they had not known each other, had reportedly bought drugs in India. A total value of drugs is estimated at 966 million rupiah ($105,300), the daily said.

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Sunday, April 29

Mass arrests at dance festival

Two hundred people were arrested today at the Creamfields dance music festival in a police crackdown on drugs and drinking. Officers worked with Passive Alert Detection (PAD) sniffer dogs to detect illicit substances at the Melbourne Showgrounds event in Flemington. Police apprehended 180 men and 20 women for drug and drinking offences.

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Drug Bust Includes Days Inn General Manager Arrest

Two North Trail motel owners in Sarasota told police they'll work with them after 18 arrests between the two of them including one of their general managers. The Sarasota Police Department has made 10 arrests at the Days Inn and six arrests at the Cadillac Motel during two recent prostitution investigations. One noteable arrest even included the general manager of the Days Inn, Haider Ali Jaffer, 55, police said. He is no longer an employee of the Days Inn after he was arrested on April 18 for ownership, lease, rental, or possession of a structure for sale of a controlled substance, police said.  During the month of April the Sarasota Police Vice Narcotics Unit, and Street Crimes Unit, have made a concentrated effort to address illegal narcotics activity and prostitution on the North Tamiami Trail.  This latest bust arrested 34 people overall, police said. "It is my hope that the recent operations at the Days Inn and Cadillac Motel, along with prostitution operations conducted by the Street Crimes Unit, begin to make a difference in the quality of life for residents, businesses and patrons in and around North Trail," said Lt. Pat Ledwith, Commander of the Vice Narcotics Unit in a statement.  "It is apparent that both locations served as a hub for illegal activity in the area.  The ownership of both establishments have expressed a desire to work with the police to make improvements to discourage this type of activity.  We will do everything practical to assist them."   The Sarasota Police SWAT Team, Narcotics, and Street Crimes Units executed four search warrants on four rooms at the Cadillac Motel with the following results at the Cadillac Motel: In Room 109 Kiwon R. Abner, 19, 2933 Palmadelia Ave. was arrested and charged with Possession of Rock cocaine with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a park. In Room 114 Reginald Frazier, 25, 6420 8th St. W. Bradenton was arrested and charged with Possession of Rock cocaine with intent to sell within 1000 feet of a park. In Room 115 William Storey, 38, 1575 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way was arrested and charged with Possession of Rock Cocaine with intent to sell within 1000 feet of a park and Possession of Marijuana.  Also in Room 115 Jamal Barnes, 42, 4021 N Trail was arrested and charged with Possession of Rock cocaine with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a park, Possession of Marijuana over 20 grams, Possession of a controlled substance (Dilaudid) Schedule 2, and Possession of drug paraphernalia. In Room 123 Kevin L Davis, 21, 6420 8th St. Ct. West Bradenton was arrested and charged with Possession of Rock cocaine with intent to sell within 1000 feet of a park, Possession of Marijuana less than 20 grams, and possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Also in Room 123 Victor L. Shuler, 20, 2113 32nd St. was arrested and charged with Possession of Rock cocaine with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a park, Possession of Marijuana less than 20 grams, and possession of Drug Paraphernalia. In total 7.3 grams of Rock Cocaine, 6.4 grams of Powder Cocaine, 24.1 grams of marijuana, 1 gram of Dilaudid (Schedule II narcotic), and Drug Paraphernalia was seized, police said. At the Cadillac Motel, six individuals were arrested for a total of 14 criminal charges.  The following people were arrested at the Days Inn, 4900 N. Tamiam Trail, on April 18 following a search warrant and investigations:  Room 120, shortly after exiting the room, Channing James, 27, was arrested for Possession of Rock Cocaine (73 pieces), Driving while License Suspended, and Escape.  Parking Lot: an undercover detective purchased illegal narcotics from Raymond Sanders, 24, Sanders had been observed in Room 218 for three days prior to the sale. Marcus Abner, 27, observed walking in 4900 block, was stopped in the 5000 block where officers were aware of active arrest warrants, found to be in possession of Rock Cocaine and Marijuana.  Arrested on warrant and drug possession charges. Deborah Powell, 53, arrested on April 18 during search warrant in Room 218 for possession of marijuana. Raymond Sanders III, 24, and Jeon L. Jenkins, 15, arrested during search warrant at Room 218, both charges with crimes including Possession of Crack Cocaine with Intent to Sell or Deliver within 1,000 feet of a church. During the investigations criminal charges were developed on three additional suspects for fleeing to elude, driving on a suspended license, trespass, and driving while a license suspended with knowledge, police said. As part of the Sarasota Police Department's efforts, the department will forward suggestions to other hotel motel operators of what to watch for and how to crack down on this acvitity. The suggestions are designed to minimize the chance of this type of criminal activity on their properties, police said.

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Los Angeles airport screeners arrested on drug, corruption charges

Two security screeners at Los Angeles International Airport have been arrested on drug trafficking and corruption charges, accused of taking bribes to allow large narcotic shipments through the airport, authorities said on Wednesday. The pair were arrested along with two former airport screeners. Authorities said the screeners allowed drugs to pass through x-ray machine checkpoints in five incidents in exchange for payments of as much as $2,400. The arrests mark one of the first instances in which employees of the Transportation Security Administration, which oversees screening checkpoints at airports across the nation, have been accused of complicity in drug smuggling, a spokesman for the agency said. "The allegations in this case describe a significant breakdown of the screening system through the conduct of individuals who placed greed above the nation's security needs," U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr said in a statement. The four were arrested late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday over incidents that took place between February and July 2011, he said. In three of the incidents, the drugs were smuggled by a confidential source for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. But on the two other occasions, the airport screeners allowed independently operating smugglers to move through their checkpoints, the indictment said. It detailed the shipment through airport screening stations of over 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of cocaine, over 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of marijuana and about four kilograms (8.8 pounds) of methamphetamine. In one instance, one of the drug smugglers who had been in touch with an airport screener ended up going to the wrong terminal and was stopped at a checkpoint with 4.9 kilograms (10.8 pounds) of cocaine, the indictment said. Naral Richardson, 30, who was terminated from his job with the Transportation Security Administration in 2010, was accused of orchestrating the five smuggling incidents. He was charged with five counts of conspiracy , five counts of possession with the intent to distribute narcotics and two counts of offering bribes to public officials. He and a former screener, along with two current screeners, face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. TSA spokesman Nico Melendez said he was not aware of other cases where agency screeners had taken bribes for allowing drugs to pass, although the FBI said there was at least one other case where a screener was accused, also in Los Angeles. Authorities could not say if that resulted in a conviction. In the current case, one of the screeners, 23-year-old John Whitfield, was accused of meeting with a DEA c onfidential source in an airport bathroom and accepting a $600 bribe - the second half of a $1,200 payment - to allow a meth shipment through his screening station, the indictment said. The other individuals indicted in the case included Joy White, a 27-year-old TSA screener who was fired last year for an unrelated matter, and current screener Capeline McKinney, 25. One suspected drug courier was in state custody in the case and another was expected to surrender on Thursday.

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Thursday, April 26

32-year-old Caldwell man sent to federal prison for 10 years for dealing meth

Shawn Lynn Gordon will spend the next decade in a federal prison for selling methamphetamine in Canyon County last year. The 32-year-old Gordon, who federal prosecutors is an associate of the Northside (“Norteno”) street gang, pleaded guilty in January to a charge of distribution of methamphetamine. Federal prosecutors say Gordon admitted to selling 48 grams of meth over a two week period, beginning in late April 2011. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Gordon to a 121 month prison term Wednesday. Once released from prison, Gordon will be placed on federal probation for another five years. Gordon is one of 11 documented Norteno gang members or associates indicted by a federal grand jury last fall on drug trafficking and firearms charges. Gordon and seven others arrested in connection with the case have entered guilty pleas. Gordon is the first one in that group to be sentenced. Three others are awaiting jury trials in federal court. “This 10 year sentence underscores that violent street gang members who engage in drug trafficking will receive swift and sure punishment,” said Wendy Olson, the U.S. Attorney for Idaho. “Taxpayers can be assured that its federal, state and local law enforcement agencies will work together to combat gang crime.” The case was investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force.

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Tuesday, April 24

Dubai police seizes 52kg heroin, arrests four Pakistanis

The Dubai police foiled a bid to smuggle 52kg heroin to Africa in fruit shipment and arrested four Pakistanis involved. According to Director Dubai Anti-Narcotics, Major General Abdul Jalil Mahdi Muhammad Al Asmawi, during the first week of month the force got secret information that a gang of smugglers was going to smuggle a huge cache of heroin to Africa in fruit shipment any time during the month. He said that the directorate after getting the information put the suspects under observation and during search of fruit shipment, 52kg heroin worth 104 million Dhs in international market and hidden in 2,600 boxes of oranges was recovered. The Dubai police arrested four Pakistanis involved in the smuggling and started search for a co-accused, a Nigerian national.

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Opiates Killed 8 Americans In Afghanistan, Army Records Show

Eight American soldiers died of overdoses involving heroin, morphine or other opiates during deployments in Afghanistan in 2010 and 2011, according to U.S. Army investigative reports. The overdoses were revealed in documents detailing how the Army investigated a total of 56 soldiers, including the eight who fell victim to overdoses, on suspicion of possessing, using or distributing heroin and other opiates. At the same time, heroin use apparently is on the rise in the Army overall, as military statistics show that the number of soldiers testing positive for heroin has grown from 10 instances in fiscal year 2002 to 116 in fiscal year 2010. Army officials didn't respond to repeated requests for comment on Saturday. But records from the service's Criminal Investigation Command, obtained by the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, provided glimpses into how soldiers bought drugs from Afghan juveniles, an Afghan interpreter and in one case, an employee of a Defense Department contractor, who was eventually fired. The drug use is occurring in a country that is estimated to supply more than 90% of the world's opium, and the Taliban insurgency is believed to be stockpiling the drug to finance their activities, according to a 2009 U.N. study. While the records show some soldiers using heroin, much of the opiate abuse by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan involves prescription drugs such Percocet, the Army documents show. Judicial Watch obtained the documents under the Freedom of Information of Act and provided them to CNN. Spokesman Col. Gary Kolb of the International Security Assistance Force, the NATO-led command in Afghanistan, verified the documents to CNN on Saturday. One fatal overdose occurred in June 2010 at Forward Operating Base Blessing, after a soldier asked another soldier to buy black tar opium from a local Afghan outside the base's entry control point. The first soldier died after consuming the opium like chewing tobacco and smoking pieces of it in a cigarette, the documents show. The reports even show soldier lingo for the drug -- calling it "Afghani dip" in one case where three soldiers were accused of using the opiate, the Army investigative reports show. The United States has 89,000 troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. death toll since the September 11, 2001, attacks that triggered the war has risen to more than 1,850, including 82 this year, according to the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Central Command. Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said his group was interested in soldiers' drug use partly because the risk was present during the Vietnam War. "You never want to see news of soldiers dying of drug use in Afghanistan," Fitton said. "Our concern is, will the military treat this as the problem that it is, and are the families of the soldiers aware of the added risk in this drug-infested country? "There is a dotted line between the uses. Prescription abuse can easily veer into heroin drug use," Fitton added. "Afghanistan is the capital of this opiate production and the temptation is great there and the opportunity for drug use all the more." The group is concerned that "there hasn't been enough public discussion, and we would encourage the leadership to discuss or talk about this issue more openly," Fitton said. In one case, a soldier bought heroin and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax from five "local national juveniles at multiple locations on Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, and consumed them," one report states. Soldiers also distributed heroin, Percocet and other drugs among themselves, according to the reports. Another soldier fatally overdosed in December 2010 after taking several drugs, including morphine and codeine, though the drugs were not prescribed for him, the Army documents show. One female soldier broke into the Brigade Medical Supply Office at Forward Operating Base Shank and stole expired prescription narcotics including morphine, Percocet, Valium, fentanyl and lorazepam, the documents show. The investigative reports show soldiers using other drugs, including steroids and marijuana, and even hashish that was sold to U.S. servicemen by the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police personnel, the reports state.

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Monday, April 23

Seven tonnes of hashish discovered in Italy drug bust

Police in Italy have seized seven tonnes of cannabis in Genoa, during an operation that has led to international arrests. Nine men in Canada and two in Pakistan have been apprehended in connection with the smuggling attempt.

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Drugs in musician's suitcase 'by mistake'

Hashish and tramadol pills found in the suitcase of a musician playing in the band of the Egyptian singer and presidential hopeful Saad Al Sughayar were there "by mistake", a court heard today. Related ■ Man 'had drugs worth Dh320,000' Topic Crime YM told the Criminal Court he arrived in the UAE from his native Egypt to play in the band for one day, but denied intentionally bringing the drugs with him. The date of the musician's arrest was not mentioned in court. "I don't know how they ended up in my bag, the customs officer surprised me with them," he said, adding that he shares the tuxedo in which the drugs were found with his brother, who is a similar size. However, the musician admitted using drugs in his home country. "You know how it is," he told Chief Justice Sayed Abdul Baseer, the head of the court. "No. How would I know how it is?", replied the chief justice, "you are a big sinner". The musician said he had a medical prescription for the Tramadol that he had been issued in Egypt but he did not know where it was. "Someone was supposed to attend today and bring it, but I don't know what happened to it," he said, telling the judge: "If you can give me two days I'll bring it." The musician said that he previously signed a confession only because the police told him that he would be immediately returned to Egypt if he did so. The judge said he would announce a verdict on Tuesday. When the musician asked if he could be bailed out in the meantime, the judge replied: "You'll get bail in heaven."

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Saturday, April 21

4 charged in Chicago-to-NYC heroin, cocaine ring

Prosecutors say an accused Chicago drug dealer flung a kilogram of heroin out a New York City apartment window as police closed in on a two-state drug trafficking scheme. Rudy Cabrera was being held without bail after pleading not guilty Wednesday in a Manhattan court. Three other suspects were due in court later. The New York City special narcotics prosecutor's office says two of the men drove from New York to Chicago in March to arrange a drug shipment. Prosecutors say those two, Cabrera and an associate from New Jersey tried to ditch the drugs during the March 20 Harlem police raid. Prosecutors say police saw Cabrera toss the heroin package out the 13th-floor window. Prosecutors say there were indications cocaine was flushed down a toilet and sink.

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Beckley Police make $25,000 cocaine bust

Beckley Police Department, with assistance from the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, made an arrest Thursday night that nabbed over a quarter of a kilo of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $25,000, according to Lt. Gant Montgomery. He explained that BPD and RCSD conducted a drug investigation and made multiple undercover drug buys from a local individual. These controlled buys led police to obtaining a search warrant for a home on Woodlawn Avenue, where 29-year-old Justin Sharieff Rolls, of Selden, N.Y., was visiting. When police arrived, Rolls was in the residence with a suitcase at his feet, Montgomery explained. This led police to obtain additional search warrants for Roll’s vehicle and suitcase, from which police recovered 9 ounces of cocaine. Montgomery said there are 28 grams in an ounce. Cocaine is worth $100 per gram, bringing the street value to $25,200. Rolls was charged with two counts of delivery of cocaine, two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and one count of possession with intent to deliver, Montgomery said. He was arraigned before Magistrate Steve Massie and was remanded to Southern Regional Jail as a pre-trial felon on a $500,000 bond. Rolls also has a history of drug violations in North Carolina, Montgomery added. The investigation continues as Roll’s connections to the area remain unknown at the time, he said. “This was a substantial drug bust that recovered large amounts of cocaine — which was about to be distributed on the streets in Beckley — so we feel good about this. This bust wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation of the sheriff’s department,” Montgomery said.

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2 charged with cocaine possession

Two people were arrested and charged with possession of cocaine for resale this week after an alleged faulty brake light prompted a traffic stop. According to a report filed by deputy Andrew Coggin of the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office, Travis Gill and Nancy Berry were traveling on APD 40 in a burgundy GMC Sonoma Tuesday evening. Coggin noted the vehicle had only one working brake light and he made a traffic stop. According to his report, Berry, who was the driver, appeared very nervous and was trembling. Coggin asked consent to search the vehicle and found a cigarette container which had three bags of a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine, according to his report. The container was located in a compartment in the driver’s side door. Berry and Gill both denied knowledge of what the powdery substance was or who it belonged to. Both were then placed into custody and transported to the Bradley County Jail where they were charged with possession of Schedule II narcotics for resale. - A vehicle parked at a Valley View Road residence was burglarized, but nothing taken, according to a report filed by deputy Darren Miller. Alan Bell said he arrived home and found his vehicle had been rummaged through. Bell’s father-in-law stated he had seen a white male who appeared to be in his early 20s prowling around the Bell residence earlier. The suspect was described as wearing a black shirt and red shorts. A black shirt was found near the residence. According to his report, the shirt was recovered and logged into evidence at the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office.

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Four people arrested, cocaine and $50,000 cash seized

Four men were arrested and charged with drug-related offenses on Wednesday. Nearly a kilogram of cocaine and more than $50,000 was seized following an investigation by the 5th Judicial Drug Task Force. The following individuals were charged: • Saul Eugenio Sanchez, 26, Avalon Drive, Louisville, charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (cocaine) with intent to resell; three counts of delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance (cocaine), and possession of drug paraphernalia. He is being held on bonds totaling $101,000. • Jose Luis Meza-Rosas, 28, Pleasant Ridge Road, Knoxville, charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (cocaine) with intent to resell. He is being held on a $25,000 bond. • Rudolfo Alarcon-Jinez, 19, Pleasant Ridge Road, Knoxville, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (cocaine) with intent to resell. He is being held on a $25,000 bond • Juan Hernandez, 28, Pleasant Ridge Road, Knoxville, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (cocaine) with intent to resell. He is being held on a $25,000 bond. All four individuals are scheduled for a hearing in Blount County General Sessions Court at 9 a.m. April 25. The arrests are the culmination of a five month long investigation initiated by the 5th Judicial Drug Task Force, according to Blount County Sheriff James L. Berrong. The investigation led to a search warrant at Sanchez’s residence Wednesday night, where FJDTF members, along with members of the DEA Task Force (Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, and Knoxville Airport Authority), found ¾ of a kilogram of cocaine, $50,050 cash, digital scales and other paraphernalia used to repackage cocaine. During the course of the investigation, a total of almost two kilograms of cocaine, with a street value between $52,700 to $74,400, was seized. “We are very excited about the outcome of this investigation because the disruption of this organized drug ring will have a big impact on helping to make Blount and surrounding counties become a drug-free communities,” Berrong said. The 5th Judicial Drug Task Force is comprised of officers and deputies from Alcoa and Maryville Police Departments and the Blount County Sheriff’s Office.

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Friday, April 20

Hashish weighing 366 grams has been detected in three parcels that arrived from New Delhi at the Central Mail Exchange

Hashish weighing 366 grams has been detected in three parcels that arrived from New Delhi at the Central Mail Exchange on Wednesday by the Sri Lanka Customs’ Narcotic Division yesterday. The hashish had been packed inside three magazines in a hollow rectangle created by cutting magazines and making them look like parcels. These parcels have been addressed to a well-known actress residing in Kollupitiya. Customs officials found six hashish packets containing 366.07 grams in three parcels. Of the two foreigners who came to claim the parcels, one has been arrested while the other fled. The 23-year-old arrested British national has been produced before court. Investigations are being carried out by the Sri Lanka Customs’ Narcotic Division.

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Woman drug pusher arrested; 2kg hashish recovered

Islamabad Police on Thursday arrested six persons including a female drug-pusher and recovered two kilogram hashish and four pistols from their possession, a police spokesman said. On a tip off, Sub-Inspector Zulfiqar Ahmed from Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of Islamabad police arrested a female identified as Anwer Bibi from `Chungi No.26 in the area of Golra police station and recovered two kilogram hashish from her luggage. CIA police arrested Mubeen Malik from sector I-10/4 during routine patrolling in possession of 30 bore pistol. Tarnol police arrested an accused Inayat Ali for having 30 bore pistol while Bhara Kahu police apprehended another accused Ejaz during special checking in possession of 30 bore pistol and ten rounds. Industrial area police arrested a dacoit identified as Tahir Islam and recovered 32 bore pistol from him. Ramna police arrested a thief Aamir Shehzad and recovered stolen items from his possession. Cases have been registered against these nabbed persons under relevant sections and further investigation is underway.

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Dealer who swore off crime is caught in dragnet

During the summer of 2005, Alain Charron told members of a parole board that he was "saturated" with living the life of a gangster and wanted nothing more to do with organized crime. At the time, Charron, 63, a Val Morin resident once suspected of being a hit man for the Dubois Gang, was serving a sentence for his role in a 27-tonne shipment of hashish seized in 1990 in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia. The drug seizure was considered a record in Canada for a single bust of its kind. On Wednesday, Charron and six other people were arrested by the RCMP and charged with smuggling several containers packed with hashish, totalling more than 43 metric tonnes, seized within the context of an investigation dubbed Project Celsius. Some containers were seized at the ports in Halifax and Montreal. Others were seized in Pakistan or while en route to Canada in Italy and Belgium before and after the Celsius investigation was initiated in 2010. The RCMP estimates the value of the hashish seized, which originated primarily from Pakistan, to be worth more than $860 million. The RCMP's C Division, based in Montreal, said the investigation was conducted with the help of police in Pakistan, Italy, Belgium and the U.S. According to a release issued by the RCMP, "such a large quantity of hashish could have supplied every resident of a city of 10,000 with a daily dose for more than 11 years." During the 1980s, Charron was charged with four murders but was acquitted in each case. Police suspected he carried out the gangland slayings for the Dubois Gang, a group of nine brothers who ran a series of rackets in western Montreal for decades. He has served time in prisons in the Bahamas, U.S. and Canada for drug trafficking. In 2005, when he was about to be released, after having served two-thirds of his sentence for the 27-tonne hashish shipment seized in Nova Scotia, Charron swore he was done with organized crime. But on Wednesday he was among seven men scheduled to appear before a judge at the Montreal courthouse to face charges of conspiracy, importing and possession of cannabis resin (hashish) for the purpose of trafficking. Two men - Lorne Beerworth, 47, of Greenfield Park, and Michael Harte, 49, of St. Constant - were also among the people arrested by the RCMP on Wednesday. Both are listed as members of the International Longshoremen's Association, a union based in the Port of Montreal. The RCMP described them as employees of the port. Beerworth, Harte and a third man, Patrice Bruyere, 38, of LaSalle, are charged with conspiring with Charron, and several other people, to smuggle hashish into Canada between March and November 2010. According to a release issued by the RCMP: "A number of irregularities were observed with respect to procedures and mandatory referrals, leading investigators to believe that employees performing various duties with companies at the Port of Montreal (the Cast terminal) were involved in the organization." The RCMP is still trying to locate Sylvain Parent, a 39-year-old man from Gatineau, as a suspect in the Celsius investigation. A resident of Slangenburg, Holland, Alexander William Van't Hoff, 64, is also listed as a suspect in an indictment filed at the Montreal courthouse on Wednesday.

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Nine nabbed in huge hashish ring

Over two years ago, masterminds behind an international drug ring thought they had begun quietly slipping $860 million of hashish into Canada through ports in Halifax, Montreal and Toronto. Some reports noted enough drugs were involved — 43.3 tonnes — to supply the entire population of Canada a number of times over. But this week, nine culprits learned the jig was up when police arrested eight men in the Montreal area and a ninth in Gatineau, Que. The men face charges of conspiracy, importing and possession of cannabis resin (hash) for the purpose of trafficking, the RCMP said. It wasn’t clear Thursday how much of the massive cache of hash went through the Port of Halifax. Some of the hash was stashed in containers marked as containing denim jeans or different kinds of food. “Some were going to Halifax. Altogether there were nine containers,” Cpl. Luc Thibault of Montreal RCMP said in an interview Thursday. The Montreal Mounties, in charge of Project Celsius, as the sting operation has become known, said all the drugs were destined for that city and then were to be distributed elsewhere. Investigators were in control of monitoring and/or intercepting the hash as it made its way through Halifax and then onto trucks that had come from Montreal, Thibault said. The same monitoring and/or interception happened at other ports and locations as well, he said. It all started in 2009 when investigators received information from Canada Border Services Agency agents who had discovered hashish in containers in Halifax and Montreal, the RCMP told the CBC on Thursday. After authorities noted a pattern, either drugs were removed and empty containers continued on their way to waiting trucks, or the drugs’ journey was monitored and “controlled,” Thibault said. Elsewhere, the drug operation centred on Belgium, Italy, Pakistan and the United States, the RCMP said. The drugs were believed to have been readied for the trip in Pakistan, the CBC reported. Police there said that when the drugs arrived in Montreal, a fax would be sent to a hotel in that city. Then the container retrieval plan would start. Police also said they found that the containers arriving in Montreal were handled differently from those in other locations, pointing to the possible involvement of port workers, news reports said. Thibault said the Mounties seized all the drugs.

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Wednesday, April 18

German man held with hashish before boarding flight

 Police said on Tuesday that a German national, identified as Marcus Bucher, was arrested in possession of hashish from the Tribhuvan International Airport here in Kathmandu on Monday. The Germany-bound man was held was nabbed with 5 gram of the contraband while he was heading to board an Etihad Airways flight yesterday. The drug, hidden in Bucher's body, was found during a regular security checking of the passengers at the TIA 4:15 pm yesterday, police said. Bucher has been kept at the office of Naya Baneshwor-based Narcotic Drug Control Law Enforcement Unit for further action.

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Tuesday, April 17

Nine International Drug Smugglers Indicted In Croatia


Nine members of an international cocaine smuggling ring were indicted on Friday for drug trafficking by the Croatian Bureau for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime (USKOK). The defendants were arrested last April in Austria and Slovenia, during an international police operation codenamed “Spider Web.”  All nine defendants are charged with trafficking large amounts of cocaine from the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic to Europe, between the fall of 2010 and April 2011. The defendants used rented private jets to transport the drugs from South America into Europe. A portion of the drugs were sold on the Croatian market, and the rest was sold in Western European countries. According to the authorities, the group’s leader was a Croatian-Canadian citizen Miroslav Anicic. A woman with a dual Croatian and Canadian citizenship was also indicted, along with five Croatian nationals, one Colombian national, and a man with dual Serbian and Bosnian citizenship.  The trafficking group was busted in April last year, when the Austrian police stopped and searched a rented vehicle driven by Anicic and one of the other suspects. The police found more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, with an estimated value of close to €4 million (US$5.2 million). The drugs arrived to Europe via the Stuttgart airport, where Anicic and his co-defendant transferred them to a rented car. According to the indictment, the group bought 74 kilograms of cocaine in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic in January last year, and then flew the drugs in a private jet to Zagreb. Two of the defendants then sold at least 59 kilograms of cocaine from the shipment in Croatia and Slovenia. The estimated value of the drugs was €1.9 million (US$2.5 million). The sellers kept a portion of the proceeds for themselves, while the rest of the money went to the “organizer” of the trafficking chain. USKOK also said Anicic and his associates in Colombia arranged a number of cocaine purchases, with 150 to 200 kilograms of cocaine per shipment. Other members of the group travelled to Colombia in March, bringing €400,000 (US$520,972). However, they were arrested before they completed the transaction. Among the defendants is an employee of the Zagreb airport, who worked with the drug gang and employees at the Salzburg, Austria and Stuttgart, Germany airports who helped circumvent the cargo control for the flights carrying the cocaine. The defendants were indicted at the Zagreb County Court. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also participated in the operation.

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Visitor jailed for life for smuggling 50g of cocaine

 

visitor was jailed for life after a court convicted him on Monday for smuggling and possessing 50 grams of cocaine for trading purposes

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Houston-area crackdown targets drugs, guns

 

Officials say more than 100 people were arrested on drug offenses during a two-day sting by law enforcement agencies that also targeted gun and human smuggling operations in the Houston area. Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia said Monday that officers stopped more than 900 vehicles during last week's operation along Interstate 10 and U.S. Highway 90. From those traffic stops, officers made arrests and seized more than 5 pounds of cocaine, 11 pounds of marijuana and three stolen guns. Garcia said Houston is a major distribution hub for drugs, guns and human smuggling and officials are hoping that similar initiatives will disrupt trafficking operations. Last week's operation included the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

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West Central Illinois Task Force arrests six following extensive drug investigation


On April 10 at 11:15 a.m. agents from the West Central Illinois Task Force, with assistance from the Fulton County Sheriff's Office and Farmington Police Department, conducted and undercover heroin purchase in Farmington. The purchase by an undercover Illinois State Police Agent resulted in the arrest of Clay S. Chatten, 19, of Farmington for two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. A second undercover purchase was made in Peoria with the assistance of agents from Peoria Multi Enforcement Group. The purchase resulted in the arrest of Lorenzo Burke, 48, of Peoria for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. During the second purchase information was obtained that additional subjects were possession of heroin. Agents arrest Crista Prewitt, 34, of Havana and Tony Farris, 43 of Pekin for unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Two additional arrests were made during the investigation, Brandon Porter, 28, of Farmington and Renee Finley, 24, of Farmington were each arrested on outstanding Fulton County arrest warrants for escape. Porter and Finley were lodged in the Fulton County Hail. Burke, Prewitt, and Farris were lodged in the Peoria County Jail. Chatten was released on a notice with a court date in Fulton County court.

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Eight are arrested in online drug store bust

 

EIGHT PEOPLE have been arrested and indicted for their roles in an online drug store that supplied controlled substances under the counter to web punters. The arrests happened in the US, the Netherlands and Colombia under an operation called "Adam Bomb" that involved parties including the US Postal Service, Dutch Police and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The US Attorneys office for the Central District of California said that the gang used the TOR anonymising network to sell drugs to around 3,000 customers in 34 countries. The store was called the "Farmer's Market" but is unlike any of the ones we have been to. The court documents say that it sold marijuana, ecstasy and LSD and made around $1m from approximately 5,000 orders. The suspects have all been charged with drug trafficking and money laundering. It sounds like it was a sophisticated operation, and the people that ran it would charge a commission based on the value of any shipments and offered customer service friendly features like advice on packaging deliveries. Customers paid for their drugs with systems ranging from Western Union transfers to Paypal. The authorities seized unknown quantities of hashish, ecstasy and LSD, and have vowed to keep working together to do so. "Illegal narcotics trafficking now reaches every corner of our world, including our home computers," said US Attorney André Birotte Jr. "But the reach of the law is just as long, and the Department of Justice will work with its partners, both nationally and internationally, to bring narcotics traffickers to justice, wherever they may hide. Working together, we want to make the Internet a safe and secure marketplace by rooting out and prosecuting those persons who seek to illegally pervert and exploit that market." The 'War on Drugs' that is supported and prolonged by the US does not have support in all quarters though, and the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper said he favours taking another approach to the problem. "I think what everyone believes and agrees with, and to be frank myself, is that the current approach is not working, but it is not clear what we should do," he said this week, according to a report in the Globe and Mail. Harper's comments came during a meeting of Western hemisphere leaders in Columbia where there was a general consensus that since the bulk of the illegal drugs trade is consumed in America then the US should work harder to deal with that problem.

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Hill drug sweep nets 60

 

Pittsburgh police arrested more than 60 people during a five-month drug sweep in the Hill District, including a father and son described as high-level dealers who have been called a scourge upon that neighborhood for decades. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl joined police Chief Nate Harper Monday in unrolling the results of Operation Clean Sweep, in which detectives seized more than $83,000 in cash and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of heroin, cocaine and marijuana. The officials spoke at a news conference at the corner of Erin Street and Centre Avenue, where police said they observed many of the open-air drug deals. Rather than focus on hand-to-hand drug sales, police said they sought "high-level targets," such as Howard Horsley, 66, whose criminal record dates back to 1976, when he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for participating in a multimillion-dollar scheme to distribute "Mexican Brown" heroin. Mr. Horsley's son, Howard Horsley Jr., 28, also was charged in the sting. Police described him as a "midlevel dealer" who sold heroin to lower-level street dealers. "He has been doing this 30 years, and he has passed along his trade to his son," Cmdr. George Trosky said of the elder Mr. Horsley, whom he called "the main dealer in the Hill District." "The officers have been quite busy working to eradicate the drug activity that has been plaguing this neighborhood," Chief Harper told reporters as lifelong residents strolled past to listen. Many said they were skeptical of the sweep, which also involved the efforts of several social service providers whose representatives roamed the streets to remind drug dealers and users of what they can offer, the chief said. "Let's see how long it lasts," said one resident, David Monroe, 63, who recognized all the mug shots on display. Many of those charged are in their 50s and 60s, Chief Harper noted, longtime dealers who pass in and out of the revolving door of the criminal justice system. "They go to jail, they get back out and they're involved in the same activity again," the chief said. Another "key target" was Daniel "Penn Man" Penn, 52, who police said supplied heroin to at least nine other people, who then packaged it for sale on the street. Police said they found $19,000 worth of heroin on him during his arrest in January, and a search of his car netted more than $36,000 in cash, a surveillance system, a firearm and drug packaging equipment. Mr. Ravenstahl said such drug activity is unacceptable as development in the Hill District continues. "Residents deserve safety and a quality of life that is not compromised by illegal activity," he said.

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Police in downtown Los Angelese are fighting crime by predicting offences - before they have even happened.



Unlike the usual method of responding to 911 calls, cops use computers which show them 'red spots' where an incident is most likely to occur.

They are then deployed onto the streets in a bid to deter thugs, burglers and gangsters from going on their next crime spree.

Technical: LAPD cops study an enormous computer screen showing 'red spots' where the next crime is most likely to committed

Technical: LAPD cops study an enormous computer screen showing 'red spots' where the next crime is most likely to committed

 

The 'predictive policing' system pulls together crime statistics and pinpoints the areas where most offences are being carried out. Police are then sent to patrol those streets

The 'predictive policing' system pulls together crime statistics and pinpoints the areas where most offences are being carried out. Police are then sent to patrol those streets

The programme has some similarities with the hit science fiction film Minority Report.  The movie is set in 2054 and a special police unit is able to arrest murderers before they commit their crimes.

However, unlike LAPD's system who use computer data, those in Minority Report employ special psychics called 'precogs'.

Tom Cruise plays 'PreCrime' captain John Anderton but the system eventually predicts that he will commit a future murder and he has to take flight.

 

 

Such disturbing situations are unlikely to happen with LAPD's system, which uses crime statistics - and not premonitions - to pinpoint the next likely incident.

The system has been trialled in the Foothill division of downtown LA since November and could be rolled out to other areas if it is successful

The system has been trialled in the Foothill division of downtown LA since November and could be rolled out to other areas if it is successful

The 'predictive policing' system being used in the Foothill Division of downtown LA has been developed from the same kind of mathematical calculations used to predict earthquakes and aftershocks.

It analyses the times, dates, and places of recent crimes such as burglaries, break-ins, and car thefts. It also looks at the frequency of offences and predicts how many are likely to be carried out if the trend continues.

If a spate of crimes have happened in one area, or a crook appears to be moving across the region, this is flagged up the software. The data is then aggregated and 'hot spots' are formed.

Capt. Sean Malinowski says the system is able to put police on the streets before crimes have happened.

Futuristic: Tom Cruise, left, as John Anderton in the science fiction hit Minority Report, which uses psychic 'precogs' to predict future crimes

Futuristic: Tom Cruise, left, as John Anderton in the science fiction hit Minority Report, which uses psychic 'precogs' to predict future crimes

Anderton uses his special powers to predict crime to map future offenders on a giant computer screen. The premonitions backfired when he was himself accused of a future murder

Complex: Anderton uses his special powers to predict crime to map future offenders on a giant computer screen. The premonitions backfired when he was himself accused of a future murder

'Sixty-five percent of our crimes are burglary, grand theft auto and burglary from a motor vehicle. And that's what these boxes represent,' he told CBS.

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said the main goal was to prevent crime. Since the system was introduced burglaries are down 33 per cent and violent crime is also down 21 per cent.

Police Chf Beck said: 'I love catching people - it's what I live for - but what I'd rather do is live in a place and work in a place where crime didn't happen.

'Everybody thinks they do their profession as well as it can be done and so they don't need any help. If this old street cop can change the way that he thinks about these things, then I know my kids can do the same.'

He added that the system helps police to use their officers more effectively. It has been tested in the Foothill Division since last November and if it is found to be successful it could be roled out across more divisions in LA.




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Three accused of smuggling 50kg hashish from Iran

THREE men will stand trial for allegedly smuggling 50kg hashish to Bahrain from Iran. Two others are accused of helping them by providing a boat and a sailor, Central Governorate Public Prosecution head Ali Al Showaikh revealed yesterday. A sixth man has been charged with selling hashish in Bahrain. It is understood the Bahrainis managed to sell 32kg of hashish before they were caught last month with the remaining 18kg and a large amount of cash. The suspects are said to have confessed to their role in the smuggling operation and their case will go before the High Criminal Court for the first time on May 7. One of the defendants has also been charged with hashish possession, while three are also charged with using hashish.

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Coast Guards seize 195kg hashish


Pakistan Coast Guards seized a huge quantity of hashish from a Hino truck and arrested two drug traffickers near Gwadar, Balochistan.   PCG officials had received information from intelligence sources about the smuggling of narcotics from coastal highway near Shahjehan check post at Nalient. During the checking PCG officials spotted a suspicious Hino truck loaded with scrap.   On checking of truck officials recovered approximately 195kg fine quality of hashish hidden under the scrap. The approximate value of hashish in the market is Rs.30, 00,000/-. The driver along with a helper was taken into custody.

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Monday, April 16

British terror supergrass sentence cut by two years


jailed British terrorist has had his sentence cut by two years in a supergrass deal after giving evidence about an al Qaeda-linked “martyrdom” plot in New York, it was revealed today. Former teacher Saajid Badat was jailed for 13 years in 2005 for plotting with shoe bomber Richard Reid to blow up a transatlantic airliner in 2001 in what an Old Bailey judge said was a “wicked and inhuman” plot. He has now had his term reduced by two years under the first “supergrass” deal involving a terror convict, after providing intelligence to US prosecutors investigating an alleged plot to blow up the New York subway on the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attack. Details of the deal — kept secret for more than two years — were revealed today by the Crown Prosecution Service as a trial of the alleged al Qaeda plotters began in New York. Defendant Adis Medanjanin, a 27-year-old Bosnian-born US citizen, is charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction, conspiring to commit murder in a foreign country, and providing “material support” to al Qaeda. He is said to have had terrorist training in Pakistan in 2008 and then returned to begin a plot to use beauty parlour chemicals to blow up the subway. Badat, from Gloucester, joined Reid’s shoe bomb conspiracy but pulled out at the last minute.

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Sunday, April 15

Western embassies targeted in Afghanistan attacks

 

Gunmen have launched multiple attacks across the Afghan capital Kabul. Western embassies in the heavily-guarded, central diplomatic area are understood to be among the targets as well as the parliament building in the west. There are reports that up to seven different locations have been hit. The Taliban has admitted responsibility, saying their main targets were the British and German embassies. There is no word at this stage on any casualties.

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Taliban free hundreds from Pakistan prison

Hundreds of prisoners are believed to have escaped from a jail in northwest Pakistan after it was attacked by anti-government fighters armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades. Some of those who escaped from the facility in the town of Bannu, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, early on Sunday morning were "militants", an intelligence official told the Reuters news agency. "Dozens of militants attacked Bannu's Central Jail in the early hours of the morning, and more 300 prisoners have escaped," Mir Sahib Jan, the official, said. In Depth   Profile: Pakistani Taliban "There was intense gunfire, and rocket-propelled grenades were also used." Many of those who escaped following the raid were convicted Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder reported from Lahore. A prison official in Bannu confirmed that "384 prisoners have escaped". A police official identified one of the inmates who escaped as a "dangerous prisoner", who took part in one of the attempts to kill the former president, Pervez Musharraf. The TTP, an umbrella organisation for anti-government groups that are loosely allied with the Taliban in Afghanistan and al-Qaeda, took responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for Hakeemullah Mehsud, TTP's leader, confirmed to Al Jazeera that the group was responsible for the attack. Another Taliban spokesman told Reuters: "We have freed hundreds of our comrades in Bannu in this attack. Several of our people have reached their destinations, others are on their way.".   Our correspondent said the attack took place in the early morning and had resulted in an exchange of fire that had left several people wounded. "After the attack the paramilitary and regular military forces came to that location and tried to surround the area," he said. "They have arrested up to a dozen men, but most of the people have indeed escaped." The injured were rushed to a local hospital in Bannu. Sources told Al Jazeera that as many as 150 fighters were involved in the attack. After blowing up the gates of the main prison at around 1:30am local time (20:30 GMT on Saturday), they entered the compound and freed the inmates, the sources said. The attackers had arranged for the transportation of the inmates from the facility. A police official told Reuters that Bannu's Central Jail held 944 prisoners in total, and that six cell blocks had been targeted in the attack.

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Friday, April 13

Vietnam court sentences woman to death for drug trafficking

 

A Ho Chi Minh City court Monday sentenced a 30-year-old woman to death for trafficking heroin and other drugs. Le Thi Thu Thao, a native of the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre, appeared calm and at ease during the three-day trial including after the verdict was announced. Two key members of her 13-strong gang, Pham Thi Hien and her 25-year-old boyfriend Tran Ngoc Thinh, got life sentences. The others got between four and 20 years. Thao left her parents and six siblings for HCMC when she was 16 and got married. After buying heroin for her addicted husband, she realized the massive profits the drug could generate, and walked out on her husband to start a business she believed would make her rich quickly. Herself an addict, she used her good looks and charm to push drugs to customers at night clubs. In 2010 she met Hien at a casino in Cambodia where the latter was selling foreign currencies and persuaded her to find sources to supply heroin to her gang in HCMC. The law caught up with her in August 2010 when police officers in HCMC seized a consignment of 10,000 ecstasy tablets from Cambodia.

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Life Term Sought for Drug Mule Teacher

 

Prosecutors in Bali are seeking a life sentence for a teacher from Malang, East Java, accused of attempting to smuggle 3.8 kilograms of methamphetamine into the resort island. Sukada, the lead prosecutor, told the Denpasar District Court that the alleged crime by Theresia Avilla Yanti Siwi, 39, was particularly serious because she was an educator and as such was supposed to set a good example. Theresia was arrested on Oct. 11 last year after arriving in Bali on board a flight from Kenya. Authorities found the drugs, with an estimated street value of Rp 9.3 billion ($1 million), stashed in a hidden compartment inside the English teacher’s luggage. Another woman and a man believed to have set up the smuggling attempt are also standing trial at the same court.

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Thursday, April 12

Leader of ring trafficking cocaine from South America arrested


Officers with the General Directorate for Fight against Organised Crime arrested the leader of an organised crime group dealing with trafficking and distribution of cocaine from South America, the press office of the Interior Ministry announced. The detainee is a 40-year-old man with initials K.D. He was declared for national search after on April 9, 2011 authorities arrested him while making a drug deal with four members of the group. Back then the authorities found and confiscated 6 capsules of cocaine, weighing a total of 60 grams. During following raids authorities also found arms, silencers, cell phones, forged documents and others.

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Monday, April 9

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has launched a manhunt after four persons were arrest with material meant for processing crude heroin and morphine

The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has launched a manhunt after four persons were arrest with material meant for processing crude heroin and morphine from Muslim-dominated Lilong. The NCB believes that the heroin-manufacturing units in the state are backed by drug barons.

A joint team of NCB, Assam Rifles soldiers and members from 'Anjuman', a local anti-drug body formed by Muslim religious leaders, on Friday busted what they claimed was a 'mobile heroin manufacturing unit' and arrested four persons with 6kg of poppy husk, one processing machine and four tins of limestone. The four - Nuruddin (24) Ziur Rahman (27) Munir (37) and Yahiya (30) - have been remanded to judicial custody for fifteen days:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder

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Police say they arrested a woman carrying more than 4 pounds of cocaine stashed inside a fake pregnant belly strapped around her waist.

:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder 

The federal police says in a statement the 20-year-old woman was arrested Friday morning after arriving at the international airport in the northeastern city of Natal.

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Tuesday, April 3

Canadian man detained in Spain 'extremely thin and weak,'


Philip Halliday, the Nova Scotia man who has been detained in Spain for more than two years on drug-trafficking charges without a trial date, is extremely weak and thin but in good spirits, his family said Monday, hours after returning home from their first visit to him in jail. "It was pretty emotional. It's hard to describe. Definitely a lot of hugs, some tears," Halliday's son, Daren, told Postmedia News. Philip Halliday, 55, was arrested in December 2009 about 300 kilometres off the coast of Spain aboard a converted Canadian Coast Guard research vessel, the Destiny Empress. Inside a hidden compartment, authorities found more than 1,000 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $600 million. Halliday, an ex-fisherman who spent more than 30 years dragging scallops off the sea floor, insists he had no idea the drugs were onboard and believed he was simply delivering the vessel to a new owner. Daren Halliday said he, his older brother Cody, and their mother Sheree, were able to spend several hours with Philip in a private room over a span of two days. Recalling the first moments they laid eyes on their father, Daren said, "I don't know if there was a lot said. We hugged him pretty quick. Told him it was good to see him, that we missed him and how much we love him." One thing that was readily apparent to everyone was how much weight Philip, dressed in a buttoned-up shirt and blue jeans, had lost. Since landing in jail, he has had to have his gall bladder removed. He has also had problems with his liver and kidneys. "I thought I'd prepared myself for what Philip would look like, but I must admit I was shocked," Sheree later recalled in a Facebook posting. "He is extremely thin and weak. He walks like an elderly man and is quite emotional." "But," Sheree added, "he still has that beautiful smile that I've missed! And he hasn't lost his sense of humour." Philip was able to buy some pop, juice, chips and some sweets for the occasion, turning it into something of a family picnic, Sheree recalled. Daren said family members peppered Philip with questions about what life was like in jail. Philip, in turn, asked about life back home in Digby, N.S. The family brought Philip some novels, Sudoku game books and some clothes, including a T-shirt that said "Canada" that one of Philip's fellow inmates had requested. Philip gave the family a duffle bag full of letters that people had written to him to bring home. On the third day of their visit, the family was only able to communicate with Philip through a glass partition. "We couldn't physically touch him," Daren said. "He was on a phone. We talked through a mic. Like the movies, we put our hands on the glass. "There was a hallway he had to walk down. And one we walked down. We waved goodbye. And that was it. That was pretty hard." Family and friends back home have been pleading with Canadian officials to help get Halliday released — or at least to get a trial date set. "We're hoping to get him a quick and fair trial, to speed things up," Daren said. "It's very frustrating that nothing's changed." The amount of time someone spends in pre-trial detention varies widely across the European Union. Some countries, including Spain, can hold someone for up to four years, while other countries don't have a limit. Canadian foreign affairs officials have said that while this country cannot interfere with the judicial proceedings of another country, they have been pressing Spanish authorities for a timely and transparent trial. So far, the Halliday family has incurred $90,000 in legal fees and has had to sell their home in Digby. Family friend Peter Dickie said Monday that a Halliday Family Support Society has been formed with the goal of raising $250,000 to help cover expenses.

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