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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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Wednesday, February 29

Bailed Kyle Thain and James Harris return from Spain

 

Two men from Essex accused of attempted murder in Spain have returned to England. Kyle Thain, 24, and James Harris, 29, had been in Spain for the past seven months after being accused of attacking two men in an Alicante bar in July 2011. The pair, both from Southend, were held in a Spanish prison for four months without charge. They have now been allowed to return to England on strict bail conditions. Mr Harris returned to the UK on Tuesday and his friend Mr Thain arrived at Stansted Airport on Wednesday evening. New lawyer As part of the conditions of their return to the UK, both men must sign in at the Spanish consulate in London twice a month. Speaking before her son Mr Thain's arrival, Sharon Harris, said: "I am so excited and nervous at the same time. "I still can't believe it. I won't be happy until I've got my arms around him at the airport." Both men have protested their innocence and have said they can prove they were elsewhere at the time of the attack. They were released from jail in November and given their passports back after each paid £6,000 in bail, but were told they could not leave the country. A new lawyer has now negotiated their return home. Pablo Sebastian, a Spanish lawyer working in Alicante with offices in Hadleigh in Essex, has been helping the boys' families secure their release. "We are very relieved to have them home," he said. "It is an improvement because they are back with their friends, family and at their jobs." 'Lives disrupted' Mr Sebastian said the men's "impeccable behaviour" while on bail in Spain had persuaded the Spanish judge to allow them back to the UK. It is thought the men's families have paid about £25,000 to cover travel, accommodation and legal costs since the pair were arrested. The men must now wait to hear if they must return to Spain for a trial. Richard Howitt, MEP for the East of England, is now calling for a change in European law to ensure minimum standards of justice across all member states. "The idea they have been several months in prison, outside the country and suffered such a huge financial loss is unacceptable," he said. "If we had a system whereby you respect and uphold each other's system of justice, then Kyle and James could have come home seven months ago. "But their lives have been totally disrupted, as have their families', which is why we need better standards of judicial co-operation at European level."

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Gang murdered drug dealer then blew up his house

 

Drugs gang executed one of their dealer's and then blew up his house to cover-up the murder, a court heard this afternoon. Colliston Edwards, 38, of no fixed address and Andre Johnson, 25, also of no fixed address are accused of shooting Leroy Burnett, 43, after he kept back some of their money from drugs deals. Max Walter, 21, of no fixed address was then recruited by the pair to blow-up his house in Crichton Road, Battersea the Old Bailey heard. Mr Burnett was allegedly a low level drug supplier, who dealt drugs in Wandsworth Road and the Nine Elms area on behalf of Edwards. Edwards, whose street name is Lousy, was allegedly a drug dealer who commuted between Doncaster and South London and worked in a team with Johnson, known as Tallman. The court heard that Lousy had two mobile phones and gave out the numbers to his customers, travelling to their homes to sell the drugs. He allegedly expected Mr Burnett to carry out sales and look after his phones whilst he was away in Doncaster, but problems arose when Mr Burnett started miscounting money owed to him. Prosecuting, Aftab Jaffbrjee said: "There was simply no reason other than this pernicious deed of drugs supply to cost Leroy his life. Ads by Google Build Eco Friendly Visit us Today for Carbon Reduction Eco Tips for Construction Industry! www.CutCarbon.info Election Boundary Changes Constituencies are changing. Have your say on our report, Autumn 2013 independent.gov.uk/boundarychanges "He was executed in his home having been shot in the head at point blank range. There was nothing else that accounted in his life for such a brutal attack. "Walter then blew up the entire house causing destruction to the building and the street." Edwards and Johnson are both on trial for joint enterprise of murder and intending to pervert the course of justice. They deny having anything to do with the murder or the cover-up. Walter has pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and arson, but denies being reckless as to whether life was endangered. The trial which opened this afternoon is expected to last six weeks.

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Saturday, February 25

Relief for British man suspected of smuggling crystal meth into Indonesia as authorities say they wont seek death penalty


The family of a man arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of drug smuggling have spoken of their relief after being told he won't face the death penalty. Jack Walker, 53, from Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, is awaiting trial after allegedly being caught with a large quantity of crystal meth. The dad-of-three - who is known locally as 'the meat man' - had been warned that Indonesian authorities use the death penalty against drug traffickers. But his brother-in-law James Gillan said prosecutors have now told Mr Walker the maximum sentence he will receive is life in prison. His family are now hoping he will be able to serve the sentence in Britain if he is convicted. James said: 'It's a relief because the possibility of a death sentence had been hanging over us. 'But we spoke to Jack and the prosecution have recommended that he receives a life sentence. 'He's given a statement to the police and he has one of the top lawyers in the country representing him. Support: Sister Linda Gallan, left, and daughter Hollie say the 'meat man' - as Jack Walker is known in his village - is innocent 'Now we want to try and get him brought home to serve his sentence over here if he is convicted.' Officials at Jakarta International Airport allegedly found the drug methylamphetamine - also known as ice - in a concealed compartment of a suitcase last September. But Mr Walker's sister Linda Gillan says he was the victim. She said: 'He genuinely didn't know what he was carrying. He is well-known and well-respected in Wythenshawe.' Mr Walker is known as 'the meat man' because he delivered meat to pubs and businesses in his white van for many years. He suffers from diabetes and collapsed after he was stopped. His family believe he may not survive in a prison hospital without the proper treatment. James added: 'He says he is fairly comfortable out there. 'His medication isn't too bad now but he's missing home.' Mr Walker's daughter Hollie and wife Lorraine will be flying out to visit him in the next few months.

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One in seven Cambridge students 'has sold drugs to help pay their way through university'

 

One in seven Cambridge students is  dealing drugs to help pay their way through university, according to a survey. It found many claim that they have been forced to sell illegal substances to friends to make ends meet as they study. And it revealed nearly two-thirds admitted taking drugs, with cannabis the most  popular substance.

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Wednesday, February 22

Forces open fire on Kerobokan jail, which houses Schapelle Corby and the Bali Nine

 

INMATES at an Indonesian prison in Bali, which holds 12 Australians, have taken over the jail again after a second night of riots. Some 400 heavily armed police and military forces were gathered outside the overcrowded Kerobokan prison, which holds 1,000 inmates, including 12 Australians convicted of drug smuggling. "The prisoners took over the prison again, which forced security personnel to fire warning shots into the air," provincial military command spokesman Wing Handoko told AFP. "The rioters wanted their friends being treated in the hospital to be taken back because they were afraid they would be mistreated by security forces," he added. An AFP reporter heard three minutes of continuous gunfire, but it was not clear if there were any casualties. A flaming torch made of rags wrapped around a pole was flung from inside the prison and landed near a television vehicle, but was extinguished before the fire could spread.  Riots continue in Kerobokan prison The prison was without light because electricity, cut off during Tuesday's rioting, still had not been restored by authorities. "There are 51 foreign prisoners from 17 countries at the prison. We will give them special security if the situation warrants," Handoko said before the shooting. It was not clear whether the most recent riot was close to the wing where Australian or other foreign prisoners are housed. Shouting and the rattling of the prison's inner gates were heard before police opened fire, but after the shooting silence and darkness descended upon the jail with inmates and security forces in a tense stand-off. Heavily armed forces had stormed the prison early Wednesday to regain control after inmates took over the prison during a night of arson and stone-throwing. All 12 Australian prisoners at Kerobokan, including two on death row and six serving life sentences, were safe after that trouble, Australia's foreign ministry said after Indonesian police had regained control of the facility. Some 100 heavily armed police and military had stormed the jail on the holiday island at around dawn on Wednesday, firing volleys of rubber bullets. Officials said they intervened after attempts to negotiate with the rioting prisoners had failed, and after some inmates managed to get hold of firearms. Three inmates had been injured in the legs, and a police officer was lightly hurt, police said. Among the Australians at the jail are convicted drug trafficker Schapelle Corby and a group known as the "Bali Nine", who were caught attempting to smuggle drugs from Bali. Up to 1,000 armed security forces backed by armoured vehicles and water cannon were stationed Wednesday morning outside the jail, which is in a suburban area of Bali seven kilometres from the tourism hub of Kuta beach. But police said the situation had returned to normal by late afternoon, and that only about 30 armed personnel had remained outside. Police and local reports said Tuesday's trouble began when one inmate stabbed another prisoner on Sunday, touching off reprisals that erupted into a full-blown riot. Prisoners began trashing cells and throwing stones at the guards who were forced to abandon the jail - built for just 300 inmates but now housing more than three times that many prisoners, both male and female. Police said the inmates were in charge for more than seven hours - from around 11pm Tuesday until 6.45am the following morning. Prison staff said the jail's registration office, including the files of prisoners, was destroyed in a blaze. After the rioting Tuesday, Michael Chan whose brother Andrew Chan is one of the Bali Nine, said he was worried about his brother given that during a previous riot "things got pretty bad, and they were in lockdown for a couple of days". Corby's family said she was well, with the women's wing of the prison untouched by the violence. There have been a number of riots at the jail in recent years, including one triggered by a police drug raid in June. It is one of Indonesia's most notorious prisons, with a combustible mix of inmates including convicted murderers, sex offenders and others guilty of violent crimes.

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Tuesday, February 21

Man jailed for transporting cocaine

 

An English man who drove a truck into Ireland carrying duvets stuffed with blocks of cocaine has been jailed for four years. Imran Ramzan (aged 34) was one of five men arrested by members of the Garda National Drugs Unit when they stopped a €585,000 drugs deal taking place in September 2006. He was the driver of a truck used to deliver nine blocks of cocaine to drug dealers waiting at Station Road, Lusk, Co Dublin on September 14, 2006. Detective Garda Gregory Sheehan told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he saw one of the men handing a plastic bag containing €85,000 in cash into the truck. He said he saw Ramzan and the passenger of the truck tearing up a plastic bag which contained quilts that had brown packages taped to them. These packages were later found to contain 8.35kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of €585,000. The five -day trial heard evidence that Ramzan had suffered head injuries during a road crash a year before his arrest and his defence counsel, Roderick O’Hanlon SC, had argued that he was not capable of knowing the consequences of his actions or of changing them. Ramzan of Polygon Road, Manchester had previously told gardaí he knew drugs were in the lorry and said he had driven the truck from Manchester to Dublin in exchange for money to cover his expenses. He had pleaded not guilty to three charges relating to possession of cocaine for sale or supply, two of which were dropped during the trial. The more serious charge had to be dropped because of a successful legal argument regarding the way cocaine is valued by the Forensic Science Laboratory and gardaí. Judge McCartan ruled that the Director of Public Prosecutions could not go ahead with this more serious charge under section 15a of the Misuse of Drugs Act because the State could not prove the value of the drugs was greater than €13,000. The jury then convicted Ramzan of the lesser charge of possession of the drugs for sale or supply under section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. Today prosecuting counsel, Elva Duffy BL, made an application for a transcript of that ruling for “possible consideration” by the DPP. The court heard that the main target of the garda operation, David Timmons (aged 28) Chapel Gate, Balbriggan, received an eight-year sentence after being found guilty of conspiracy to possess cocaine for sale or supply. The other men arrested, Brian Thompson (aged 52) of Silverwell Road, Croxteth, Liverpool; John Gossan (aged 31) of Castlegrange Hill, Swords and Naveed Aslam (aged 33) of Newington Avenue, Manchester, received sentences of five, four and six years respectively. Before sentence was passed, the court heard from Dr Patrick Pender, a neuro-psychologist from Beaumont Hospital who said that a 2005 car crash had left Ramzan with a “severe brain injury” which impacts on his ability to think, plan and react to complex events. Dr Pender said that he believed Ramzan understood what was happening on the day of the drug deal but was unable to stop himself. Judge McCartan accepted that it was unlikely Ramzan played a role in the planning of the drug deal as he was in hospital receiving treatment for his brain injuries up to the day before his arrest. The judge said there had to be a prison sentence as Ramzan’s co-accused had received prison sentences and he imposed a term of four years.

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Drug smuggler pleads guilty, gets two years

 

A B.C. man who admitted that he helped smuggle hundreds of kilograms of cocaine with an ex-Mountie and a border guard has been handed a two-year sentence in a Seattle courtroom. Anthony Jurcev, 26, could have spent anywhere from a decade to life behind bars for his role in the elaborate cross-border smuggling ring that U.S. authorities have linked to the Hells Angels. By waiving extradition and pleading guilty, Jurcev avoided the minimum 10-year sentence for conspiracy to traffic cocaine. Jurcev was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Robert Lasnik. He is just the latest in a series of B.C. residents serving time south of the border after pleading guilty to their role in the large-scale smuggling ring. Jurcev was recruited by ex-RCMP officer Rapinder (Rob) Sidhu, who is also charged in the U.S. but has not yet been extradited. “Anthony Jurcev was a member of a highly organized, long-running conspiracy that was responsible for the transportation and exportation of enormous quantities of cocaine from the United States into Canada,” Asst. U.S. Attorney Sarah Vogel said in her sentencing memo. “He worked directly with Sidhu to implement the scheme. Sidhu, of course, is the person who recruited the Canadian border inspector, who also was involved in this scheme.” Former Canada Border Services Agency employee Jasbir Singh Grewal also pleaded guilty and was given a five-year sentence in November 2011. “Jurcev’s role in the conspiracy was to help Sidhu by relaying instructions and helping to coordinate the individuals that were transporting the cocaine for the smuggling organization, thus facilitating the transportation of the cocaine,” Vogel said in court documents. “On most occasions, the cocaine was hidden in a motorhome or minivan, and crossed into British Columbia, Canada, from Western Washington.” Two of the shipments — totally almost 500 kilograms — were intercepted by U.S. law enforcement in June 2007 and May 2008. Jurcev’s lawyer Irwin Schwartz had asked for an 18-month sentence, saying it was more in line with what others involved in the drug ring had earlier received. And he claimed Jurcev “ is a man with multiple medical and psychological problems.” The drug ring was active until the arrest in June 2008 of B.C. smugglers Rob Shannon and Devron Quast. Both men pleaded guilty, as did other high-profile members of the drug gang, including Jody York and Skeeter Russell.

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Man swallows 134 capsules in Oman drug smuggling bid

 

A daring attempt to smuggle narcotics has been foiled by the Royal Oman Police (ROP) at the Muscat International Airport. According to a ROP press release on Monday, police have arrested a Pakistani national who appeared uncomfortable on his arrival at the Muscat International Airport. The suspect was travelling from an Asian country into Oman. The police did not find anything objectionable in the suspect's bags but he was taken to the ROP hospital in Qurum where X-rays revealed that he had swallowed 134 capsules of narcotics. This modus operandi of swallowing capsules filled with drugs is becoming common and police at the Muscat International Airport are vigilant about this method of smuggling drugs. According to sources, some of these drug smugglers, who appear to be poor couriers, sometimes arrive without any luggage.

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Federal agents bust heroin operation at Stillwell Ave. auto shop in the Bronx, arrest 2, seize drugs and gun

 

Federal narcotics agents busted a heroin operation at a Bronx auto shop this month, severing a million dollar supply chain that stretched to Long Island, court records indicate. They raided Mobile Creations, a luxury car customizing shop, on Feb. 7 after nabbing a Suffolk County drug dealer attempting to sell 68 grams of heroin. The dealer ratted out his supplier, who gave up his source at Mobile, at 1631 Stillwell Ave. near Pelham Parkway in Morris Park, according to a complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court. The drug task force officers had the supplier set up a meet with James Gainer, who allegedly operated out of the Bronx shop, and arrested the suspect with 500 grams of heroin he planned to sell for $28,500, according to the complaint. They also snatched Mobile Creations manager Robert Bishun after finding 1.5 kilograms of cocaine and 250 grams of heroin hidden in a vehicle at the shop, and $40,000 in cash concealed in a Mercedes-Benz sedan registered to Bishun. The officers seized a .40 caliber handgun, loose ammunition and $30,000 cash from the shop’s office, along with pay-and-owe sheets detailing millions of dollars in narcotics transactions. The complaint charges both men with drug dealing and possession and Bishun with possessing a firearm linked to trafficking. Four drug grinders and a scale were also found in the shop, according to the complaint. The Suffolk County supplier told the agents he met Gainer at Mobile Creations to buy at least 100 grams of heroin a week. Repair shops and auto parts stores line Stillwell Ave., a quiet street that abuts Metro-North Railroad tracks. The facade of Mobile Creations sports colorful signs featuring Bentleys, Range Rovers and other luxury cars. "I just work here 10-6," said Mike James, a mechanic at Mobile Creations, on Monday. "This is a legit shop." "The shop has been around for over 10 years and they do high-end customization of cars," said Javier Solano, Bishun’s lawyer. "They do Lamborghini-style doors. They do $25,000 rims, $30,000 audio systems." Bishun and Gainer are being held without bail and have not been indicted yet, said Solano. Gainer’s lawyer, Lawrence DiGiansante, declined to comment.

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Sunday, February 19

US$1.3 million which was found in a freezer at the house of a Jamaican woman in St Catherine must be forfeited under the Proceeds of Crime Act

 

THE Financial Investigations Division (FID) scored a major victory yesterday when the Supreme Court ruled that US$1.3 million which was found in a freezer at the house of a Jamaican woman in St Catherine must be forfeited under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The division had brought a claim against Delores Elizabeth Miller and three others to recover assets which include money and properties. Justice Donald McIntosh heard the matter and ordered that the assets, which include properties, a minibus, a motorcycle and money in several bank accounts and building societies, must be forfeited. The assets were frozen by the Supreme Court pending the outcome of the case. One of the properties is at West Cumberland, St Catherine; two are at Hellshire Glades, St Catherine; and two at Plantation Village, St Ann. The judge said the money deposited on the properties must be confiscated. Disappointed with outcome Miller told The Gleaner yesterday that she was not happy with the outcome of the case and was going to take it to the Court of Appeal. She claimed that the money found in the freezer should have been returned because two years had elapsed and the agency had failed to apply for a forfeiture order. The other defendants were Miller's sons, Rohan Anthony Fisher and Ricardo Fisher. The fourth defendant was Karen Vassell, common-law wife of Rohan Fisher. The FID claimed that Miller and the other defendants were joint owners of properties, bank accounts and several motor vehicles. After the money was found in the freezer at Miller's house in 2007, she was charged with money laundering but the case was adjourned sine die (without a date being set). Justice McIntosh said the only reasonable and inescapable inference based on all the evidence was that the properties seized were obtained through unlawful conduct and were therefore recoverable properties under the Proceeds of Crime Act. He said it was incumbent on the defendants to demonstrate evidentially how they lawfully came into possession of the assets seized. The judge said the evidence indicated that the Fishers, who lived in the United States of America, were both involved in the illegal drug trade.

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Travel agency boss held for drug smuggling: Malaysia

 

businesswoman allegedly paid her staff to be drug mules and brought in 75kg of drugs said to be worth RM18.7mil (S$7.8 million) over the past four months. The 43-year-old woman, who runs a travel agency, and three others were nabbed in a Customs sting, that also netted 3.3kg of syabu estimated to be worth RM825,000 on Feb 14. One of those caught was her young Nigerian boyfriend who is a computer science student in a private college. The other two were said to be her business partners, aged 25 and 27. KL International Airport Customs deputy director Siti Baya Berahan said initial investigations found one of the women's employees had landed at the low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) from Phnom Penh the night before and had slipped past the Customs checkpoint. “We believe her staff abused the green lane facility and special treatment accorded to tour agencies to camouflage the illicit trade. “Initial investigations revealed six of her staff, including a woman, had succeeded in smuggling drugs 25 times over the past four months using the modus operandi. “Based on a rough estimate, they may have smuggled in 75kg of drugs worth RM18.7mil during the period,” she said here yesterday. Siti Baya said the businesswoman and the Nigerian were nabbed at a house in Kepong while the other two men, who were employees of her travel agency, were detained at another location where Customs officers also seized a bag containing syabu hidden among clothes and children's toys. “The four have been remanded to assist in the investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” she said. The offence carries the death penalty if convicted. Siti Baya said investigations showed each drug mule was paid RM3,000 when they returned from “familiarisation trips” to Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Manila, Bangladesh, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Mozambique and Singapore among other destinations. She said the police had detained six of the agency workers, aged 20 to 30, who allegedly acted as drug mules. They would appear as prosecution witnesses.

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Saturday, February 18

Nigerian nabbed in multi-million Ringgit drug bust

 

A local woman and her young Nigerian boyfriend were arrested on Valentine's Day by the authorities in connection with smuggling syabu worth about RM18.7 million, over the past four months.   The 43-year-old woman, who operates a travel agency in the federal capital, and the 28-year-old Nigerian who studies computer science at a private college, were nabbed at a house in Kepong.   Also detained on the same day were two local men, suspected to be drug mules, aged 25 and 27, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) baggage section. Initial investigations revealed the couple had masterminded the smuggling of 75kg of the syabu, also known as methamphetamine, into the country since last November.   The operation to cripple the international drug syndicate was jointly carried out by the Customs Department and the Federal Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman. KLIA customs department deputy director Siti Baya Berahan told a media conference that the syndicate had operated through the woman's travel agency's "employees", comprising five local men and a local woman, in their 20s.   She said the five had travelled to several countries, including Pnom Penh, Johannsburg, Bangladesh, Siap Reap, Manila, Cape Town, Mozambique and Singapore, as part of their illicit drug operations. "They had travelled to other countries for 25 times, meaning each of them, four or five times . "Each time they returned to Malaysia, they are believed to have brought in not less than 3kg of syabu in their baggage," added Siti Baya.   She said investigations revealed the 27-year-old suspect returned home from Phnom Penh on Feb 13, with a baggage containing 3.3kg of syabu worth RM825,000. Siti Baya said the suspects had been remanded for 14 days under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

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Friday, February 17

Men who smuggled drugs from Dover to Skelmersdale jailed

 

A gang who smuggled heroin and cocaine into the UK hidden in a lorry have been jailed for a total of 31 years. Carl Robinson, 30, and Graham Miller, 38, both of Skelmersdale, were tracked bringing the drugs from Dover to Lancashire in August last year. They were arrested after meeting Ian Adderley, 46, of Kirkby, in Skelmersdale. All three pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import and supply Class A drugs at an earlier hearing. They were arrested in dawn raids on 12 August after a major surveillance operation carried out by officers from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit, Titan. Officers also seized the class A drugs which had an estimated street value of more than £1m. 'Ill-gotten gains' Robinson, who also pleaded guilty to affray in connection with an incident at a pub in Skelmersdale on 6 August, was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison. Adderley, who also admitted cannabis production was sentenced to 12 years, and Miller to nine years and six months in jail. Speaking after the trial, Det Supt Jason Hudson, head of operations for Titan, said it would do all it could to end the mens' criminal enterprise. "Titan is here to dismantle and disrupt the organised crime groups causing the greatest levels of harm to the North West," he said. "This group clearly fit that category and we are committed to not only arresting and bringing those people to justice but also financially ruining them, to ensure that all the financial gain that they have managed to achieve through their ill-gotten gains can be taken off them."

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Turkish criminal gangs are ruling over the streets in the UK

 

Turkish criminal gangs are ruling over the streets in the UK, controlling much of the drug market in Germany, as well as providing political influence in the Netherlands. Turkish mafia has launched a wide range of activities in various European countries, has its own network subject to certain Turkish political circles. This is stated in the reports of the European countries and the UN. Turkish mafia is influential especially in Germany and the Netherlands. According to annual report of the German police, Turks as well as migrants from Nigeria and Sierra Leone are playing major role in coordination of crime among the immigrants. The number of residents of not German nationality suspected of organizing criminal gangs reached 471,067, while 106,396 out of them were Turks. As to drug trafficking, 26.6% of Germany’s drug dealers are Turks, 21.9% of those engaged in cocaine trafficking are Turks as well. The representatives of this ethnic group stood out as part of those involved in sex crimes in Germany - 34.9% of rapes and other similar crimes accounted for Turks only. German press reports that dangerous Turkish youth criminal gangs are operating in the cities of Germany. They also deal with the main business of Turkish mafia – drug trafficking and prostitution.   Back in 2010 Militant Islam Monitor website wrote that Turkish criminal gangs are controlling the streets of Berlin.  Turkish groups also form a part of a large Turkish community in the Netherlands. It is dominated by Turkish gangs, engaged in buying and selling drugs. According to local police, these groups often appear with their families and clans. The dealers are often controlled directly from Istanbul. The Turks in the Netherlands and Belgium are also selling weapons, are dealing with trafficking of immigrants, prostitution, forgery and money laundering. In the UK drug market is also under control of the Turkish clans. The British press reported that the Turkish criminals are fueling fear. According to law enforcers, about 90% of imported heroin is of Turkish origin. The Turks engaged in heroin business are mainly concentrated in the eastern part of London. They have links with Afghanistan and Pakistan. Back in 2006 thirteen members of a Turkish gang were arrested for hiding 13 kilos of heroine in a butcher shop. Later police found famous Hamit Gokenc aka “Mafia babası” (God father). The criminal gang he was heading had close ties with Turkey’s Grey Wolves gang. As a result of police operation, 22 kilos of heroine was found. In order to understand the reasons for Turkish mafia’s influence in Europe, we must look back at the history. Drug trafficking, distribution and use of drugs were considered a normal thing under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Prior to the ban on cocaine, opium and other drugs in Europe, they were imported directly from the Ottoman Empire. Exports of opium was one of the main sources for income. Naturally, the Turkish suppliers entered the European market being particularly active in France. After the First World War, the Turks formed alliances with the Yugoslav, Bulgarian and Greek criminal circles by organizing cooperation in drug smuggling. Nowadays, the Turkish-Bulgarian, Turkish-Serbian and Turkish-Albanian groups are active in this business. Large Turkish communities formed in Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Hungary are contributing to this. After the Second World War, when Marseilles was major opium trafficking center, the Turkish mafia established ties with the leaders of the drug market – Marseille residents and Corsicans. Then, they expanded their activities reaching the United States. Nowadays, the Turks are controlling major part of the black drug market in Europe - about 93%. The reports of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says 110 tons of heroine entered  Europe in 2009, while 80% came by a route lying through Turkey. Thus, the Turkish criminal groups are expanding their activities in Germany and the Netherlands due to a large and influential community. In the UK, the lever is a huge community of Sunni Muslims. The Muslims from African countries are also joining the Turkish clans selling drugs in the European streets.

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David Barnes made as much as £29m from illegal activities and are seizing it under the Proceeds of Crime Act

 

The ringleader of an international drugs gang based in Wiltshire has been ordered to pay £2.6m or face an extra eight years in jail. Police believe David Barnes made as much as £29m from illegal activities and are seizing it under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Barnes, 42, of Berkshire, was convicted of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs and jailed for 12 years in 2010. Barnes claimed that he had made just £50,000 net profit from the operation. But Judge Jamie Tabor QC rejected the claim and said: "The Crown suggests that Mr Barnes has salted away the profits that he has made from the enterprise. "I suspect that the profit made was substantially more than that suggested by the prosecution. "Nevertheless, if the prosecution is correct, Mr Barnes made a minimum net profit of £2,652,925. "I am quite satisfied that Mr Barnes was the principal mover in this conspiracy in the UK. "Regrettably he has lied to the court yet again. As I said earlier I believe the prosecution formulation to be overgenerous, however, I am prepared to accept it. Ten tonnes of skunk cannabis was found at a farm in Wanborough near Swindon "Mr Barnes' net profit was £2,652,925. At least this figure has been hidden and probably spirited out of the country." During the trial, Bristol Crown Court heard Barnes and seven other gang members were caught after 10 tonnes of skunk cannabis was found at a farm in Wanborough near Swindon in April 2009. The gang had smuggled the cannabis into the UK among shipments of flowers such as tulips and chrysanthemums. It was then driven in lorries to Wiltshire. Wiltshire Police said it was one of the largest drug distribution operations seen in the UK. Police believe the gang transferred millions of pounds out of Britain by taking cash by car from Swindon to London. From there a courier would go to a high street money bureau and wire the cash to bureaux in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai. It was then collected and the trail ends. Barnes has six months to pay the £2.6m or his jail sentence will be extended.

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Scott Storch -- Arrested for Cocaine in Vegas

 

Storch tried to hide a baggie of cocaine in a trash can at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Vegas before cops arrived ... this according to the police report, obtained by TMZ. In the report, the arresting officer says cops fished out the baggie after receiving a tip from hotel security ... and discovered it contained 2.7 grams of blow. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hip-hop producer Scott Storch -- a recovering drug addict -- was arrested in Vegas earlier this month for possession of cocaine ... TMZ has learned. According to law enforcement, Storch was arrested at a Vegas hotel around 8:30 AM on Feb. 4. Sources tell us ... the arrest went down after an employee called police to complain that Storch wouldn't pay for his room. When cops arrived to the scene, we're told officers discovered Storch was in possession of cocaine. Storch was hauled to a nearby police station ... where he was released on $5k bond. Storch -- who has worked with stars like Beyoncé, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Snoop, Pink and more -- famously blew a $30 million fortune after getting hooked on drugs back in 2006. He eventually checked into rehab and has been working on his recovery ever since

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Misery among heroin addicts in Afghanistan

 

U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-moon said Thursday that Afghanistan will never be stable unless it tackles its drug problem. He spoke at an international conference in Vienna. Ninety percent of the world's opium originates in Afghanistan's poppy fields -- and much of that is turned into heroin. CBS News contributor Willem Marx took a look at the problem. Beneath a notorious bridge in downtown Kabul, a human tragedy festers. For more than a year now, hundreds of heroin addicts have lived there -- an ancient opium den in a modern urban sewer. Thousands more drop in each day to buy, smoke and inject their daily fix. "How do you react when you see that level of misery?" Marx asked Jean-Luc Lemahieu, who heads the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime for Afghanistan. "Appalling, appalling," he said. "And even more appalling, it is happening just below and in front of us." Lemahieu said with ever more users injecting their drugs, there's a troubling new statistic. Around 1 in 14 of Afghanistan's drug users is now believed to be HIV positive. And with addicts sharing needles, that number is soaring. This is how an HIV epidemic brews. We watched as men reused bloody syringes again and again -- so many, that we had to walk carefully among the addicts for fear of treading on an errant needle. "Each day my life was getting worse and worse," said Abdulrahim Rejee, a former heroin user who crawled out of this despair a year ago. Today he lives with nine other recovering addicts in a shared home. Abdulrahim credits a pilot program involving methadone, a heroin substitute that requires no needles. It is widely viewed as the best defense against the spread of HIV here. "I feel my life has changed 100 percent," he said. "I have rejoined my family, and I feel very healthy." But methadone is available for just a fraction of Afghanistan's addicts -- Abdulrahim and 70 others. "We need to expand the delivery of that service to a lot more addicts than what we are able to do today," said Lemahieu. The only other option here is to go cold turkey at a detox clinic. Under the bridge one morning, Marx saw an addict collapse from an overdose. Abdulrahim jumped in to resuscitate the struggling man. "When I go to that bridge," Abdulrahim told Marx, "I want to help those people, that they can live like me." The man barely survived barely, But with limited care available, he lived only to shoot up another day. This misery persists, while a deadly virus continues to spread.

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'Britain's war against Afghan opium production is failing'

 

Britain’s war against opium production in Afghanistan is being lost, according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, with outputs of the class-A drug soaring to record levels in the past decade despite western intervention.

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Wednesday, February 8

80 officers made arrests and seized more than a million dollars worth of drugs on Friday

Police have made four more arrests in the major drug operation called Project Deplete, a long-term investigation by the Manitoba Integrated Organized Crime Task Force.

 

More than 80 officers made arrests and seized more than a million dollars worth of drugs on Friday. A total of 13 people were charged and seven people were arrested at that time, said police.

 

On Monday, they announced four more arrests: Kareem Martin, 31, Dane Sawatzky, 27, Mark Beitz, 31, and Dalton Miller, 21.

On Tuesday, RCMP said Elmer John Deato, 26, had also been taken into custody. 

 

 

A warrant for arrest remains in effect for David Thomas, 29, of Winnipeg, Manitoba for weapons trafficking and other offences. 

Those taken into custody Friday include: William Lauren Bowden, Joshua James Lyons, Chi Hong Do, Christopher Lea Murrell, Pardeep Kapoor, Joshua Robert Charney, all of Winnipeg and Ramsey Yaggey of Edmonton.

 

 

"We've had a lot of success in the last while with the Hell's Angels, taking them off the street, the Zig Zag Crew and others," said Winnipeg Police Chief Keith McCaskill on Friday. "When that happens quite often there is a void left open and there is people jockeying for position."

 

On Friday officers seized: 6,912 grams of cocaine, 465 grams of crack cocaine, 272 grams of methamphetamine, 9,811 ecstasy tablets, 1,063 grams of MDMA, 501 oxycodone tablets and 891 grams of marihuana.

 

A number of the accused made an appearance in court Monday, including Hell's Angel member Billy Bowden, who was charged with three counts of trafficking cocaine and two counts of possessing the proceeds of a crime.

 

 

 

Many of the accused have been remanded to March 14. Some of their lawyers expressed their intention to seek bail in the meantime.

 

 

Project Deplete began in August and focuses on high level independent drug traffickers in Winnipeg and around the province. Officers from the Winnipeg Police Service, RCMP and Brandon Police Service participated in Friday's bust.

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