Owner of marijuana plantation caused Ibiza fire by negligence

 

Spanish man who was arrested for starting the fire which broke out on Ibiza on Sunday night is believed to have started it through negligence while he was caring for his marijuana plantation nearby. Civil Guard sources have told the EFE news agency that the cause is thought to be either a cigarette he was smoking or a fire he had lit to cook food. The suspect had spent the past few days caring for his crop in the area where the blaze broke out. He spent his nights in a home-made shelter and used a nearby cave to dry out his plants. The Civil Guard seized marijuana plants and dried leaves at the site, amounting to almost 6 kilos of the drug. The man now faces additional charges of a public health crime. The fire which began in Cala Llonga and forced hundreds of people to be evacuated in Santa Eulàra des Riu destroyed more than 80 hectares of pines and just under 9 hectares of agricultural crops. The amount of land destroyed is however lower than the original estimate of 115 hectares. The Baleares Nature Institute, Ibanat, gives the amount as 92.3 hectares.

More Than Half Of All Drug Arrests In U.S. Are For Marijuana

 

We all know marijuana is the most used illegal drug in The United States. It stands to reason that marijuana is responsible for the most arrests out of all of the illegal drugs. But according to new statistics from the F.B.I., marijuana arrests account for more than half of all drugs arrested, meaning more people are arrested for marijuana than all other illicit drugs combined. Of the 854,000 arrests for marijuana, 88% were for possession. Opponents of marijuana legalization like to pretend that The War on Drugs is aimed at gang leaders and dealers, but the simple fact is the drug war budgets of law enforcement agencies are built on the backs of people whose only crime was having some weed on their person.

Authorities confirmed Monday were captured Saul Solis Solis, aka El Lince, one of the main leaders of the group of Knights Templar.

 

The action was carried out by the Mexican Army. The Lynx, is a cousin of Henry Plancarte Solis, also leader of the Knights Templar. The Attorney General's Office offered a reward of up to 15 millions of dollars for information leading to his capture. The action was achieved in the town of Mujica, in the municipality of Nueva Italia, Michoacán. In the raid also arrested Mario Alberto Gallardo Rodríguez, alias El Mayo, and a young child.

Gunmen halt traffic, dump 35 bodies on busy downtown avenue in Gulf coast city in Mexico

 

Suspected drug traffickers dumped 35 bodies at rush hour beneath a busy overpass in the heart of a major Gulf coast city as gunmen pointed weapons at frightened drivers. Mexican authorities said Wednesday they are examining surveillance video for clues to who committed the crime. Horrified motorists grabbed cell phones and sent Twitter messages warning others to avoid the area near the biggest shopping mall in Boca del Rio, part of the metropolitan area of Veracruz city. 11 Comments Weigh InCorrections? inShare ( no / Associated Press ) - Soldiers and police block off an area where 35 bodies lay under an overpass in Veracruz, Mexico, Tuesday Sept. 20, 2011. Masked gunmen blocked traffic on the busy avenue in a Gulf of Mexico coastal city and left the bodies piled in two trucks and on the ground, according to authorities. The scene was a sharp escalation in drug violence in Veracruz state, which sits on an important route for drugs and Central American migrants heading north. The gruesome gesture marked a sharp escalation in cartel violence in Veracruz state, which sits on an important route for drugs and Central American migrants heading north. The Zetas drug cartel has been battling other gangs for control of the state. Prosecutors said it’s too soon to draw conclusions from the surveillance video. “We’re not going to confirm or deny anything,” Veracruz state Attorney General Reynaldo Escobar Perez told the Televisa network Wednesday. “We’re looking at it in different ways, we’re seeing different numbers, that’s why we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves.” Escobar said the bodies were left piled in two trucks and on the ground under the overpass near the statue of the Voladores de Papantla, ritual dancers from Veracruz state. He said some of the victims had their heads covered with black plastic bags and showed signs of torture. Police had identified seven of the victims so far and all had criminal records for murder, drug dealing, kidnapping and extortion and were linked to organized crime, Escobar said. Motorists posted Twitter warnings said the masked gunmen were in military uniforms and were blocking Manuel Avila Camacho Boulevard. “They don’t seem to be soldiers or police,” one tweet read. Another said, “Don’t go through that area, there is danger.” Veracruz is currently hosting a conference of Mexico’s top state and federal prosecutors and judiciary officials. Local media said that 12 of the victims were women and that some of the dead men had been among prisoners who escaped from three Veracruz prisons on Monday, but Escobar denied the escaped convicts were among the dead. At least 32 inmates got away from the three Veracruz prisons. Police recaptured 14 of them. Drug violence has claimed more than 35,000 lives across Mexico since 2006, according to government figures. Others put the number at more than 40,000.

Three women held for drug smuggling bid

 

Three women were arrested at Dubai International Airport attempting to smuggle narcotics into the country. Dubai Police's General Anti-Narcotics Department officers on duty at the airport were alerted by the suspicious behaviour of the three African women. Two of the suspects denied anything to do with narcotics despite checks to confirm the same but the third confessed she had swallowed capsules containing narcotics. A total of 2.044 kg of cocaine concealed in 184 capsules was recovered from the women.

Venezuela deports 6 suspected drug traffickers

 

Venezuela deported six suspected drug traffickers wanted in Colombia and the United States on Monday, touting the action as proof the government is making strides in fighting smuggling. Those deported included two accused of belonging to Colombia's largest leftist rebel group. They also included a U.S. citizen, Lionel Scott Harris, who is suspected of smuggling drugs to the United States, Asia and Europe. Harris, 67, was captured in March on Margarita Island, a popular tourist destination. Venezuela is a major hub for gangs that smuggle Colombian cocaine, and U.S. officials have accused President Hugo Chavez's government of being lax in anti-drug efforts. Last week, President Barack Obama's administration classified Venezuela as a country that has "failed demonstrably" to effectively fight drug trafficking. Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami dismissed that accusation, saying the U.S. has been spreading "pure lies" about Venezuela's counter-drug efforts. "We're winning this battle and we're going to keep winning," El Aissami told reporters at a later event Monday. El Aissami oversaw the deportations at Simon Bolivar International Airport as the handcuffed men were led to a waiting vehicle. He said that in recent years Venezuela has captured and handed over to other countries 69 drug trafficking suspects, including about 15 who have been sent to the United States. The U.S. Embassy welcomed the deportation of Harris, saying he has been wanted in the United States since 1991 for various felony charges. "We desire and hope to resume a full and cooperative relationship on counter-narcotics, which represents a threat to the U.S. as well as Venezuela," the U.S. Embassy said in an emailed statement. U.S.-Venezuelan counter-drug cooperation has been sharply scaled back since 2005, when Chavez suspended cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and accused it of being a front for espionage. Besides Harris, Venezuela deported five Colombians wanted on drug-related charges: Jose Reyes Galarza, Jorge Santaella Ayala, Rubernei Vergara, Yesid Rios Suarez and Didier Rios Galindo, said El Aissami. He said Rios Suarez and Rios Galindo are guerrillas who belong to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Another Colombian wanted on murder and extortion charges but not drug charges, Raul Pena Buitriago, was also deported, he said.

Sahel drug gang battle - 4 dead

 

Four people were killed when drug traffickers clashed in the desert zone between Mali and Algeria, over the spoils from a massive drug sale, officials said on Monday. A source from the governor's office in Timbuktu in northern Mali said the deceased were from Mali and Niger. "Four people were killed during a fight between drug traffickers which is under way in the Sahel. It is about the haul from a ton of  Indian hemp [dagga] and cocaine," the source said on condition of anonymity. The information was confirmed by an advisor to the governor. "The battle is going on at the moment on the border between Mali and Algeria between an armed group of drug traffickers from Mali and Niger, and another group aligned with the Polisario Front," the independence movement in the Western Sahara, said the advisor. "They don't agree on how to share the sale of a ton of drugs."

Drug dealer Harford jailed for five years

 

Alleged gang member Jakai Harford has been jailed for five years after admitting drug-dealing charges but being cleared of gun allegations. Harford, who has twice been shot and also lost his brother to gun violence, filmed himself on his cell phone with the narcotics in question. Police found cocaine and cannabis along with a gun during a raid at the defendant’s home in Mission Lane, Pembroke in January. A prosecution witness who told police that Harford had knowledge or control of the gun “is no longer co-operating and is not going to give evidence,” according to Ms Mulligan. Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves described the 28-year-old as “a well-organised drug trader and businessman”. He also called upon him as “a leader” to put a stop to the gang violence blighting Bermuda [see separate story.] The accused man first went on trial at Supreme Court on Monday, having pleaded not guilty to possessing 118 grams of cannabis and 47 grams of cocaine with intent to supply. The court heard from police witnesses that most of the drugs were stashed in the walls and ceiling of a derelict building in Harford’s yard, packaged in twists ready for sale. A semi automatic handgun loaded with a live bullet was also hidden in the building which was enclosed within the yard of the house by a 14-foot-high wall. Detectives who detained Harford found $13,707 cash in his pockets. A further $19,000 was hidden in a laundry basket in a downstairs apartment where his mother, Valita Harford, lived. The residence is located in an increased penalty zone due to being near a church, park and pre-school. It is also on the home turf of the 42 gang that Harford allegedly belongs to. Although Harford denied all the charges at the outset of his trial, he pleaded guilty yesterday morning to possessing the drugs — worth more than $20,000 — with intent to supply. He continued to deny possessing drug equipment, in the form of scales and plastic bags, plus the handgun and bullet. Prosecutor Susan Mulligan said the pleas were acceptable to the Crown and Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves directed the jury to find Harford guilty of the drug possession charges and not guilty of the firearm, ammunition and drug equipment charges. When Harford was sentenced yesterday afternoon, Ms Mulligan explained his DNA was found on the drug wrappings, and video footage on his cell phone showed him handling the drugs and large quantities of cash in the derelict building at night-time. However, she said, Harford’s DNA was not on the gun and there was no cell phone video of him with the weapon. A prosecution witness told police that Harford had knowledge or control of the gun but “is no longer co-operating and is not going to give evidence,” according to Ms Mulligan. Defence lawyer Marc Daniels urged the judge to take into account Mr Harford’s young age and the fact he pleaded guilty to the drug charges. “Mr Harford has certainly had his share of pain and loss and he’s in the position of wanting to move on with his life,” he added. The judge replied: “But if you’re dealing in drugs, you can expect violence, can’t you?” He ordered that the $32,707 found at the house be forfeited to the court as the proceeds of crime. Harford has served time in prison before. He began committing crimes of violence and theft when he was in his late teens. In 2005, he was at the centre of a high-profile Supreme Court case when he was convicted of torturing a man by jumping up and down on his stomach and bursting his intestines. Harford carried out the attack with three other men, and ended up being jailed for four years.

Drug-Dealing Miami-Dade Gang Busted

 

Authorities said Friday that 11 members of a dangerous drug-dealing gang believed to be responsible for several robberies and shootings in Miami-Dade have been arrested. The criminal street gang "YB" was busted up in "Operation Sugar Hill," a 13-month investigation by the Miami-Dade Police Department's Street Gang Section and agents from the Department of Homeland Security. The gang is believed to be behind several armed robberies, including a carjacking, a home invasion and two shootings, police said. Members also sold cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the northwest section of Miami-Dade and parts of the City of Miami, police said. The gang's leader, 32-year-old Marcine Hill, faces racketeering, conspiracy to commit racketeering, sale of marijuana and continuing criminal enterprise charges, police said. Also arrested were 34-year-old Sinclair Anderson; 41-year-old Leshonne Brown; 43-year-old Brent Hughes; 32-year-old Emanuel Rhymes; 23-year-old Ikene Ragin; 26-year-old Christopher James; 25-year-old Brandon Owens; 20-year-old Calvin Hall; 23-year-old Theartis Hawkins; and 36-year-old Diron Wadley. Police said a shotgun, a rifle and a handgun were also recovered. Hill, Anderson, Brown, Ragin and Owens were being held without bond Friday.   Hughes was being held on $7,500 bond, Rhymes on $30,000 bond, James on $25,000 bond, Hall on $47,500 bond, Hawkins on over $55,000 bond and Wadley on $52,500 bond. It was unknown whether any has an attorney.

Jesus "The King" Zambada, a leader of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel developed a love for exotic species shared with other Drug kingpins

 

The three tiny squirrel monkeys led a life of luxury on a 16-acre ranch, surrounded by extravagant gardens and barns built for purebred horses. More than 200 animals, ranging from mules to peacocks and ostriches, lived on the ranch in central Mexico and hundreds more stayed on two related properties, many in opulent enclosures. Also kept on the grounds were less furry fare: AK-47 assault rifles, Berrettas, hundreds of other weapons and cocaine. The ranch's owner was Jesus "The King" Zambada, a leader of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel. He had developed a love for exotic species shared with other kingpins. Just two days before Zambada's arrest, police confiscated two tigers and two lions from a drug gang hideout on the forested outskirts of Mexico City. As federal authorities capture a growing number of gang leaders, many of their pets are being driven from their gilded cages into more modest housing in the country's zoos. That's proved overwhelming for some institutions, which are struggling to cope with the influx. But it's also giving Mexican animal lovers a bounty of new creatures to admire. Like Zambada, who was apprehended in October 2008, the squirrel monkeys sit in state custody, chirping away at gawking children at the Zacango Zoo, about an hour outside Mexico City. Their previous home "was a very big enclosure made of good quality material," said Manlio Nucamendi, the zoo's coordinator. "But they didn't have the right diet and medical attention." Mexican forces have discovered drug cartel private zoos that housed tigers, panthers and lions among other animals of exotic breeds, though the federal Attorney General's Office, which supervises all seizures from drug gangs, couldn't provide an exact count of the number of animals seized. Whatever the number, officials have been challenged to house the armies of confiscated drug cartel animals. "Within the limited resources of the Mexican government, there are a lot of efforts to ensure the welfare of these animals," said Adrian Reuter Cortes of the conservation group the World Wildlife Fund in Mexico. "But even the zoos have limits, and can't welcome all the animals." The government usually calls zoos for help because they have the expertise, equipment and vehicles to transport large animals, said Frank Carlos Camacho, executive director of the wild animal park Africam Safari in the central Mexico city of Puebla and president of the national association of zoos. "There's some risk involved in handling animals like big cats, bears and large herbivores," Camacho said. He said he has heard of drug cartel zoos that included giraffes, buffalos and camels. As the cinematic gangster film "Scarface" portrayed in 1983, private zoos have long been considered status symbols for drug kingpins eager to show off their wealth. Descendants of Colombian drug boss Pablo Escobar's hippopotamuses still roam his private zoo in Colombia, which became state property after his killing and is now a tourist attraction. Three of the beasts escaped and lived in the wild for two years. Some kingpins also use the beasts for more nefarious purposes. Leaders of the ruthless Mexican Zetas cartel have been rumored to feed victims to lions and tigers kept in their properties, local media have reported. Animals are also used in the drug trade as smugglers. Over the past couple of years, traffickers have tried to ship drugs inside frozen, cocaine-stuffed sharks, snakes fed with bags of cocaine and bags filled with transparent liquid cocaine inside containers shipping tropical fish, Reuter Cortes said. As with drugs, Mexico is a main corridor for the illegal trafficking of animals to the United States. The country also has a healthy domestic demand for animals, with big cats found in some urban markets. In July, Mexican authorities seized more than 5,500 illegal animals and plants during a nationwide three-day operation. Not all exotic animals, however, are as lucky as Zambada's monkeys. Many animals found in drug cartel captivity or in private homes suffer from malnutrition or have been de-clawed or de-fanged, said Nucamendi. "It's a symbol of status and power," he said. "It's a bizarre psychology for the people that keep these animals." As he showed off the zoo's grounds on a recent afternoon, Nucamendi jumped over a barrier and knelt to greet Diego, a 2-year-old jaguar, who responded by pressing his face against the chain-link fence. Diego's former owners in Tijuana used to charge for pictures with him, Nucamendi said. Elsewhere in the zoo was a 3-decade-old elephant seized from a circus because his owners didn't have the proper permits. Workers joke that the elephant is an illegal immigrant because he was sneaked from the U.S. to Mexico. An 8-month-old male lion cub, also called Diego, arrived malnourished from private owners. Now fatter, Diego plays with two other lion cubs also on exhibit. As for the squirrel monkeys, they'll be moved to a bigger exhibit being planned in a remodeling of the zoo. Although some of the confiscated animals had finer housing before, their new homes offer genuine care from the people watching them. "It's more important for us to guarantee the welfare of these animals than the criminal investigations," Nucamendi said. "That's our duty. We offer our bodies and souls for the welfare of these animals."

 

Marihuana seized in Rincon de la Victoria

 

LOCAL POLICE in Rincon de la Victoria arrested a 25-year-old man and seized 30 kilos of marihuana from his home. The police estimate that it would have had a street value of more than €30,000.

Cops make big arms find in Las Cuevas

 

Police yesterday made a major discovery of 15 high-powered firearms and more than 10,000 rounds of assorted ammunition—the largest since the state of emergency was declared two weeks ago. Officers, in search of marijuana, discovered a cache of arms buried two miles in the Rincon Forest, Las Cuevas. The guns, wrapped in plastic and newspapers, were greased. Detectives said the firearms belonged to a notorious gang leader. Officers of the North Eastern Division said they received a tip-off and headed to the forested area around 4 am. The exercise was headed by Supt John Daniel and included Sgts Stephen Dorridge, Daryl LaPierre, Cpls Dale Emmanuel, Andrew Stannisclaus and PC Goyton Ramcharan. Detectives said the firearms belonged to a “notorious” gang leader. They claimed that since the state of emergency was declared, several gang members had fled to the north coast. Investigators said the firearms would be sent for ballistic testing. No one was detained, but investigators said an arrest was imminent. They said officers of the Crime Investigations Unit would continue inquiries and also conduct forensic analysis on the seized firearms. At yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference, National Security Minister John Sandy commended the lawmen on the seizure. Meanwhile, Customs and Excise Division seized five disassembled rifles at the TTPost facility in Piarco. A release said a package from the United States arrived for trans-shipment to Thailand on Tuesday. Upon X-ray, the package contained what appeared to be firearm components. The package was declared as “used motorcycle parts.” It was handed over to the Preventive Branch of Customs and Excise where an examination was done in the presence of army and police personnel. “Investigations are ongoing in conjunction with officers of the Organised Crime, Narcotics and Firearms Bureau in Thailand and the United States,” the release said.  Meanwhile, a 50-year-old retired soldier was up to late yesterday under interrogation after a recently-issued radical design army kit was found at his home in Lopinot Village. Police said the suspect left the army in 1985. That exercise was led by Northern Division officers and included Supt Samuel Bullen, Insp Ramnarie Seecharan and acting Sgt Ganga Singhons. The guns, ammunition and other items found yesterday were:  Two self-loading rifles;  four pump-action shotguns; one 1.25 rifle, three 303 rifles; one mini Uzi; one Uzi; one Tec 9; one flare gun; a nine-millimetre submachine gun; 10,000 rounds of assorted ammunition; two bulletproof vests; a gun telescope; one kilogramme of marijuana; and One ski mask.

Malaysian and Nigerian drug smugglers are using Thais as accomplices

Malaysian and Nigerian drug smugglers are using Thais as accomplices, judging by the two latest drug busts by police with a total haul of 89 slabs of ganja with a street value of RM180,000.

In the first case on Tuesday night, police arrested two Malaysians and a Thai at Bandar Sri Damansara after finding 60 slabs of ganja hidden in an altered floor board and front bumper of a Toyota Crown belonging to one of the suspects.

In the second case yesterday morning, two Nigerians and a Thai woman were picked up at a petrol station in Jalan Duta. Police seized 29 slabs of ganja stashed in two backpacks.

"Over the past three months, we detained other Nigerian drug smugglers who were also accompanied by Thai girlfriends-cum-accomplices," said Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Noor Rashid Ibrahim.

SECRET STASH: Some of the 60 slabs of ganja seized by police hidden inside an altered front bumper of a Toyota Crown

"It appears the Nigerians have a new modus operandi of flying to Thailand first and then coming here via land routes with Thai accomplices. From June to last month, we also arrested 13 Nigerians for attempting to smuggle drugs when they landed here at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang."

In the Bandar Sri Damansara bust at 11.15pm on Tuesday, the three suspects were aged 25 to 32.

"Their hiding the 60 slabs of ganja, worth RM120,000, was similar to the approach by another drug syndicate we busted last month in which 10 people were arrested at several locations in the city after we found 88 slabs of ganja, heroin and syabu stashed in altered floor boards and other secret compartments in four Mercedes-Benz cars," said Noor Rashid.

In yesterday morning's bust, police received a public tip-off concerning drug peddling at petrol station in Jalan Duta.

"There was a brief scuffle before we managed to apprehend both Nigerians and we also arrested the Thai woman as she's believed to be their girlfriend-cum-accomplice," said Noor Rashid, adding the three suspects were aged 28 to 41 and the 29 slabs of ganja bore a street value of RM60,000.

 

Police arrest 300 in cannabis crackdown

 

300 people have been arrested in a two-month crackdown on drug houses. Police carried out 301 search warrants as part of Operation Localise, a nationally coordinated operation focusing on "tinnie houses" - those where cannabis is sold. They made 311 arrests, seized 32.2kg of cannabis and 139g of methamphetamine. Cannabis was found growing at 44 locations, with 2657 plants and seedlings seized. Officers also seized $111,154 in cash, 19 firearms and ammunition. A wide range of charges have been laid, including conspiracy to supply class A, B and C drugs, manufacturing methamphetamine, participating in an organised criminal group, unlawful possession of a firearm and threat to kill. "This was a sustained programme of enforcement to combat drugs and disrupt organised crime groups" said Assistant Commissioner Malcolm Burgess. "Tinnie houses are hubs for criminal offending. The people who run them are often not only dealing cannabis, but also methamphetamine. They invariably receive stolen property, take payments for drugs and are involved in organised crime groups. "Such houses cause misery in communities and we are sending a clear message that they won't be tolerated. "We will continue to protect our communities from the harm caused by drug dealers and stamp out the anti-social behaviour they create." Police are trying to seize assets from 47 of those arrested. They will have to prove they are not the proceeds of criminal activity. Mr Burgess said he was confident the operation had caused "significant disruption" to drug dealing and warned dealers they would continue to be the subject of close police attention.

Very Unusual' Drug Operation Found At Scene Of Lakewood Fire

 

Police are calling a drug-making operation found during a Lakewood fire last week one of the most unusual they've seen in decades. Home video captured the huge fire that leveled a home as explosions rocked the neighborhood. UNCUT: Fire Explodes At Lakewood Home UNCUT: Chopper 7 Over Lakewood Fire At first, police thought they were dealing with a meth lab, when they went inside and found what appeared to be equipment for illegal drug manufacturing. Then, they found bag after bag of scored and burned marijuana and what they say were the makings of a hashish oil factory. "(It's) very unusual," Lakewood police Lieutenant Chris Lawler said. "Even some of the people in our narcotics unit haven't seen this in a long time. ... It's very rare. I haven't seen it in my 20 years in law enforcement." Investigators say the suspect had pounds of marijuana and boxes of butane, and somehow set them on fire while making the oil. Hashish oil is a concentrated form of the active ingredient in marijuana. It's extracted through a process using highly flammable butane. "It's suspected that that was probably the cause," Lawler said. The suspect's father spoke with KIRO 7 on Friday night after his son was taken to Harborview Medical Center with burns over nearly 30 percent of his body. "I don't know what in the world my son was doing," James Rogers said Friday. "I think he was fooling around with some explosives or something he shouldn't have been." The suspect remains in the hospital; it's not clear when he'll be released or what charges he may face.

Drug couriers have started to smuggle hashish into Finland inside their bodies in small swallowable packets.

 

      According to the Customs, the first attempts to bring internally concealed hashish into the country were observed in 2008. In the past several months, however, the phenomenon has become markedly more common.       Customs Inspector Tero Virtanen explains that since last December more than a dozen individuals have been stopped and caught on arrival at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport for trying to smuggle in hashish inside the body.       ”Most of them have been men between the ages of 20 and 35. They are professional couriers, and some of them have told the officials that they have made several successful runs to Finland before getting caught. Some of them have also performed deliveries to other Nordic countries.”       According to Virtanen, the Customs have confiscated more than ten kilograms of cannabis from the mules. The street value of the lot would have been in the region of EUR 100,000.       In addition to this, the officials have learned in the preliminary investigations about the importation of additional roughly 10 kg of hashish.       “Thanks to the couriers, several different criminal organisations have now been tracked down in Finland. At the receiving end of the chain there are around a dozen suspects and the spectrum of their nationalities is broad”, Virtanen notes.       The Customs believe that hash has been distributed, or was supposed to be distributed, across Southern Finland.       The amounts of cannabis that the couriers have swallowed in small packages have varied from half a kilogramme to a kilo.       The smugglers doing the ingesting of the small packages have been natives of Spain, Portugal, Morocco, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.       Customs officials suspect that the smuggled substance has generally originated from Morocco and Spain.       One of the couriers told the authorities that his fee for the gig was EUR 700.       The use of this technique to bring in hashish is a new development: traditionally the internally concealed drugs smuggled into the country have been substances appreciably stronger than hash, such as cocaine and heroin.       “Larger hashish consignments are still brought in through other means, but this is a quick way to import narcotics. There will always be a ready market for cannabis”, Virtanen says.

County Antrim man arrested over Ibiza drugs haul

 

One man believed to be from Northern Ireland and two from the Irish Republic were among 13 people arrested as part of a major drugs haul in Ibiza. A total of 4,000g of cocaine was seized along with 3,600 ecstasy pills and 5,000g of crystal meth after eight properties were searched. Also recovered were 69,000 euros, along with some cannabis and anabolic steroids. It is understood the man from Northern Ireland is 30 and from County Antrim. The latest drugs haul is part of a wider operation by the Guardia Civil which has seen 73 people arrested and 30 properties searched. 'Large demand' The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) said the majority of the pills which have been seized are known as Pink Rock Star and are similar to those believed to have poisoned eight people in Ibiza in July. It said those detained are "members of one of the most active gangs on Ibiza which is the main supplier of cocaine and other designer drugs". A Soca spokesman said enquiries were carried out on the basis of intelligence obtained by the Guardia Civil after other gangs involved in drug trafficking on the island were dismantled. It said the "majority of these gangs were British and took advantage of the influx of young people during the summer". It added that enquiries found that the gang, which is now dismantled, only travelled to Ibiza in summer to "meet the large demand for drugs on the island during this period". Nine of the other men arrested were British nationals. One of the men was a Polish national.

Four drug dealers and a money launderer have been jailed for a total of 16 years and three months.

 

Four drug dealers and a money launderer have been jailed for a total of 16 years and three months. The men were arrested and put before the courts as part of Operation Parrot, a large-scale investigation carried out by Lancashire Constabulary's Serious and Organised Crime Unit (SOCU.) Appearing before Liverpool Crown Court, Mikki Wills, 22, of Belvedere Gardens, Stockport, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and was jailed for four years. Jamie Halsall, 28, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine and possession with intent to supply heroin and was jailed for six years. Darren Simmonite, 49, of Sackville Road, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis and was jailed for three years. Terrence Harrison, 54, of Sandstone Road, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply cannabis and was jailed for two years and three months. David Place, 41, of Tulketh Road, Ashton, pleaded guilty to money laundering and was jailed for one year. DI Simon Brooksbank, of SOCU, said: "This was a large scale organised crime gang who were based in Preston but who were also operating throughout Lancashire, Manchester and areas of Yorkshire. "They were a sophisticated group who attempted to frustrate police investigations with their advanced use of telephony systems, while laundering their money in a bid to hide the profits. This ultimately proved unsuccessful and they are now behind bars. "I am pleased with these sentences, which will go towards restricting the supply of drugs onto the streets of Preston." Operation Parrot was aimed at smashing a drugs ring which had been operating across Preston, with a supply chain that reached out into Stockport, Sheffield and West Yorkshire. The covert policing operation was carried out between 2009 - 2010, culminating in a series of raids being executed in November which resulted in the arrest of seven people. During the course of the investigation, officers seized significant amounts of cannabis, cocaine and heroin, with a total street value of over £350,000, along with substantial amounts of cash.

Taiwan busts massive drug smuggling ring

 

TAIWAN police say they've busted a drug smuggling ring responsible for transporting $66.06 million worth of narcotics to Australia, New Zealand and Japan. A total of nine suspects have been arrested, including the suspected leader of the ring, 40-year-old Fan Chu-lin, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said on Monday. "This is definitely one of the largest smuggling rings to be uncovered in many years," bureau official Yang Ming-chang said. Over a 10-year period, the group allegedly smuggled hundreds of kilograms of ecstasy and amphetamines from Hong Kong and China to Japan, New Zealand and Australia. It also smuggled large amounts of marijuana from Thailand and Holland into Taiwan. According to preliminary estimates, the drugs smuggled by the group over the 10-year period totalled at least $65.5 million, Yang said. If convicted, Fan could face a minimum 20 years in jail under Taiwanese law.