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Main article: Drugs
Drug mafia
2024
Record cocaine shipment seized in Germany - 35 tonnes worth €30bn
In mid-June 2024, it became known that Europol, in cooperation with the German criminal police and customs, seized record shipments of cocaine during several raids - 35 tons worth 30 billion euros. Criminals smuggled cocaine from South America into the EU through major ports, mainly the ports of Hamburg (Germany), Antwerp (Belgium) and Rotterdam (Netherlands). The investigation also involved law enforcement agencies in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ecuador and Colombia.
The investigation was launched in April 2023 to prevent large shipments of cocaine sourced from Ecuador and shipped from Colombia, Ecuador, Suriname, Guyana and Paraguay to Europe. Investigators have also linked the gang to drug shipments from West Africa. The criminal network was based in Germany, organizing deliveries involving a large number of shell companies, including transport, and a number of accomplices from the underworld. Between April and September 2023, law enforcement agencies in Belgium, Ecuador and Germany seized about 35 tons of cocaine related to the activities of this criminal network.
During the raids held on May 31 (in Cologne) and June 5 (in Hamburg), 6 people were arrested. The operational actions of police officers from different countries demonstrate the results of cooperation between member states E. Based on the results of Europol raids in partnership with the customs of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg, a joint analytical report was published, which examines the risks and problems posed by criminal networks in EU ports. Europol ensured the rapid exchange of information between the various security forces, coordinated their actions and provided constant analytical support to the investigation.[1]
10.7 tons of cocaine seized by the French Navy in the Gulf of Guinea - a West African record
10.7 tons of cocaine seized by the French Navy in the Gulf of Guinea. The cost of the party is $755 million, writes Bloomberg. The operation, which took place on March 14, also involved the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
This is the largest weight in the history of West Africa. The previous record was set in Cape Verde, where 9.6 tons were seized in 2019.
Western Africa is considered a transit route for cocaine coming from Europe South America. Large seizures in the region could be linked to rising demand in. To Europe Also, drug traffickers could seek new routes, the Office on UN Drugs and Crime said.
A ton of cocaine worth 11 billion rubles was found in St. Petersburg. Photo
On January 10, 2024, the Federal Customs Service (FCS) of Russia announced the detention of a large consignment of drugs in the Big Port of St. Petersburg. They tried to disguise the prohibited product in the form of white powder with stickers with emblems of the fashion brand.
As reported in the FCS Telegram channel, smugglers hid 1000 briquettes with compressed white powder at the top of the cargo module. The examination confirmed that it was cocaine. The volume of the party was estimated by customs officers at 11 billion rubles. A criminal case was initiated under paragraph "b" of Part 4 of Art. 229.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (drug smuggling on an especially large scale). This article provides for punishment up to life imprisonment, commented in the FCS.
The FCS published a picture of briquettes laid out at containers on the ground, about half of them marked with the word Dior, the second part - BBB. Customs did not explain the meaning of the inscriptions, but before drug cartels more than once used such designations to mark batches. And in the spring of 2023, a consignment of cocaine from the "Dior cocaine gang" was discovered in Australia.
2023
100 kg of cocaine found in containers with bananas in the port of St. Petersburg
At the end of December 2023, over 100 kg of cocaine was found in containers with bananas in the seaport of St. Petersburg. The cargo arrived from Belgium. The powder in 100 identical briquettes was hidden in the process cavities of the refrigeration plant.[2]
The Federal Customs Service reported that during 2023 in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, when trying to import into the country, about 4 tons of narcotic substances were seized. The total cost of goods in the shadow market is estimated at 19 billion rubles. The FSB clarified that all seized drugs are destroyed under the control of an interdepartmental commission as planned after the courts convict those involved in specific crimes.
3 tons of cocaine confiscated in Senegal
At the end of November 2023, 3 tons of cocaine were confiscated in Senegal. A patrol boat of the country's Navy intercepted a ship with a substance 150 km from the coast of the country.
In Canada, allowed the population possession of heroin and cocaine
In early March 2023, information appeared that in the western province of Canada, British Columbia, it was allowed to store a small amount of heavy drugs for personal use. So the provincial authorities expect to reduce the number of drug addicts in the country.
According to the Canadian authorities, until January 31, 2026, police in British Columbia will not punish those people who have found no more than 2.5 grams of these substances for possession of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, as well as methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The drugs will not even be seized. Instead, a person will be told where they can help cope with drug addiction.
At the same time, possession of more than 2.5 grams or the sale of heavy drugs in Canada is still prohibited. The law also does not apply to adolescents 12-18 years old, Canadian military personnel and those who seized drugs in kindergartens, schools and airports in the province.
The two companies were licensed to manufacture and sell several types of drugs after they were decriminalised in the province of British Columbia. In a statement on March 1, 2023, Sunshine Earth Labs said it had received permission from Health Canada to "legally possess, manufacture, sell and distribute coca leaves and cocaine," as well as morphine, MDMA and heroin.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau clarified on March 3, 2023 that they did not have "permission to sell commercially." The companies were only licensed to sell cocaine to pharmacists or hospitals. Trudeau explained that the companies did not have permission to sell it for commercial purposes or provide it on the open market, this misunderstanding will be corrected. Trudeau added that there are limited and very limited approvals for certain pharmaceutical companies to use the substance for research purposes and for very specific, narrowly prescribed medical purposes.
In 2022, 2.2 thousand residents of British Columbia died of an overdose. The decriminalization of hard drugs for personal use in British Columbia has been supported by doctors, officials and people who have coped with addiction. According to the authors of the idea, the use of narcotic substances is a matter of health care, not justice.[3]
Arrest of 1.34 tonnes of cocaine in Spain disguised as cocoa
The Gendarmerie (Civil Guard) of Spain seized 1.34 tons of cocaine delivered from Ecuador in bags with the inscription "cocoa," the Spanish Interior Ministry reported in February 2023.
According to the source, the cargo with cocaine was hidden in the farthest corner at the bottom of four containers, where there was real cocoa. The criminal cargo was transported by a merchant ship en route from Guayaquil (Ecuador) to the Spanish port of Barcelona.
During the inquiry, the gendarmes intend to find out who, in fact, and not according to the documents, was the sender, as well as who was actually supposed to take possession of the cargo in Spain.
2022
Cocaine production in the world has grown by a third
Illegal cocaine production on a global scale has reached a record level, increasing by more than a third in 2021 compared to 2020. Such data are contained in the report of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNIDC), released on March 16, 2023.
Global cocaine production has risen sharply after a slowdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. Thus, the volume of coca cultivation (the main raw material for the production of the corresponding drug) from 2020 to 2021 jumped by 35%. Such a significant increase is due not only to the expansion of crops, but also to the improvement of the chemical processing process.
However, the number of cocaine shipments intercepted by law enforcement agencies around the world has also increased sharply. In 2021, the volume of seizures reached a record high, amounting to almost 2,000 tons. The report states that countries in Southeast Europe, as well as West and Central Africa, are increasingly being used as key transit points for the transportation of cocaine. At the same time, criminals send more and more cocaine to European countries, bypassing North America.
 | The niche of large drug syndicates is gradually being filled by new motley groups that create their own networks of illegal trafficking. The disarmament of the fighters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who previously controlled many regions where coca is grown, created a window of opportunity for cartels from Mexico and criminal groups from Europe, the UNIDC report said. |  |
A sharp increase in supply was accompanied by an increase in demand: in many regions of the planet, a steady increase in the number of cocaine users was recorded. The illegal cocaine market is mainly concentrated in the Americas and parts of Europe, but, as the authors of the report note, there is great potential for a significant expansion of sales in Africa and Asia.[4]
Colombian president at UN General Assembly calls for legalisation of cocaine
In September 2022, the new president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, at the UN General Assembly called for the legalization of cocaine around the world.
British mafia gang detained for Spain's biggest ever shipment of pink cocaine
The highly organised and dangerous British drug traffickers were based in Ibiza.
In August 2022, several Britons were arrested on the Balearic island of Ibiza in connection with the largest confiscation of pink cocaine in Spain, also known as 2CB, a highly addictive synthetic drug.
After raids on houses on August 29, twelve people and 13 kilograms of the deadly narcotic substance and a large number of other drugs with an estimated value of 2.3 million euros were arrested in the cities of San Josepde Sa Talaya, San Antonio de Portmani, Es Cubels and Ibiza itself.
According to official sources, this is the largest amount of this substance discovered to date by the Civil Guard after the seizure in 2021 of 11 kilograms from a Dutch citizen allegedly associated with the Turkish mafia.
Most of the detainees were citizens Britain living in the Balearic Islands.
As well as pink cocaine, 12 sites where the searches were carried out were found to contain a submachine gun, three handguns, about half a million euros in cash, 16.4kg of cocaine, 5.6kg of ketamine, 87,000 tablets and 10 high-end vehicles.
Operation Fora Via, carried out jointly with the British NCA and Europol, began at the tip of the Colombian authorities, where members of the criminal group allegedly went for direct negotiations with local drug lords. Two women were also arrested here, one from the United States and the other from Colombia.
Investigators in Spain consider the gang "extremely violent," and while further arrests are not ruled out, the chief colonel of the Balearic Civil Guard, Alejandro Hernandez, has already expressed satisfaction with the operation's success.
Swiss police seize 500kg of cocaine from cargo for Nestle factory
In early May 2022, more than 500 kg of cocaine, estimated at over 50 million Swiss francs ($50.65 million), was found in a container with bags of coffee beans for the Nestle Nespresso factory in Romont in the western Swiss canton of Fribourg.
Employees at Nespresso, a coffee capsule factory owned by food giant Nestle, found an undetermined white substance as they unloaded just-delivered bags of coffee beans, cantonal police said.
{{quote 'It appears that all drugs were intended for the European market, police said. }}
Analysis provided by police shows the substance is cocaine. A search of five cargo containers delivered on the same day by train allowed the seizure of more than 500 kilograms of the drug, the police added. Police also said a large security perimeter was set up around the factory during the operation, which also involved a large contingent of customs officers.
The initial study showed that the cargo was delivered from Brazil, the police said, adding that the seized cocaine was determined to be more than 80% clean, and its approximate street value was more than 50 million Swiss francs ($50.65 million).
{{quote 'As a police investigation is underway, we are unable to share further details. We want to assure consumers that all our products are safe for consumption, - said the manufacturer of capsules for disposable coffee. [5]
2021: In Oregon, citizens allowed possession of heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine
In the US state of Oregon, citizens were allowed to possess hard drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. The corresponding law entered into force on February 1, 2021. Read more here.
2019
The price of cocaine in countries around the world
The popularity of cocaine in the regions of Russia
In 2019, in almost all regions of Russia, cocaine ranks last (most likely, due to the price, its popularity is not great, people prefer analogues cheaper).
Cocaine is brought entirely from South America through intermediate stops in Europe or Africa. The price of cocaine in 2019 ranges from 8 to 15 thousand rubles per gram, which is more expensive than in any other European and North American country. The overall demand for this type of drug is growing, but its share in consumption is falling.
Highway 10 - route of cocaine supply from Brazil to West Africa
In January 2020, Nigerian journalists from Premium Times presented a large and picturesque panorama of Highway 10. This is unofficially called the People's Commissariat of Route 2.5 thousand km long, connecting the coast of Brazil with the Senegalese Dakar and running along the tenth parallel - the shortest route from America to Africa.
Centuries ago, slaves were exported along this route, since the 2000s. white gold has been circulating along it. Higway 10 links South American drug cartels in the Amazon basin to "germs" - Abidjan's street gangs in Kot-d Coast - and Italy's Ndragenta, with the most unexpected places serving as the main links, such as the modest Regina Marguerita pizzeria in Abidjan or the Free World Hotel in Bengerville. So West Africa is gradually becoming the largest cocaine hub in the world, where the worlds of the Calabrian mafia, Colombian rebels and Mexican drug cartels collide.
Nigerians living in Brazilian São Paulo, mainly from the Christian south, are engaged in the transfer to Africa of cocaine and other drugs through the "mules" courier, recruited among the local Nigerian community, which appeared here relatively recently.
This is a dangerous and thankless occupation, but leading businessmen with minimal risk and maximum comfort circulate between São Paulo and Lagos in Nigeria and periodically deliver solid quantities of the drug themselves.
Dubious businesses have reached a new level after Sao Paulo was flooded by Nigerian secret societies. They were formed on the basis of Nigerian student fraternities, created in the 1950s. according to the Oxford model. Gradually, circles of nationalist intellectuals degenerated into sinister international criminal networks with a strong occult bias, establishing ties with Goat Nostroy and Ndragenta. According to the data, FBI USA the Nigerian mafia operates already in 80 countries of the world, from Moscow to Malaysia, and given the fact that by 2050 Nigeria it will become the third largest country in the world with a population of 399 million people, it will not have a shortage of personnel.
In the late 2010s, one of the fraternities - New Black Movement, which appeared back in 1978 - opened the first representative offices in Latin America - "temples" in Brazil and Venezuela. Each such "temple" is responsible for its own site, their activities are coordinated by a "council of elders," and recruiting takes place mainly in Christian churches among emigrant youth. So very soon the Mexican and Guatemalan cartels will have strong Nigerian competitors on both sides of the ocean, ready to establish full control over the alternative route of white gold traffic.
Cocaine supply routes
Cocaine transit is Guinea-Bissau's main economic sector
Main article: Guinea-Bissau
2018: MRI reveals early brain damage from cocaine use
On April 25, 2018, the results of a clinical study were published, according to which MRI scans using a diffusion tensor imaging technique (DTI) are able to detect microstructural changes in the white matter of the brain in people who use cocaine.
The research results also provide new insights into potential peripheral markers of neuronal damage, as well as the role of oxidative stress in altering neuronal structure and impaired water diffusion coefficient.
With DTI and these peripheral markers of oxidative stress, damage can be identified long before the development of clinical symptomatology of psychiatric disease. Cocaine abuse leads to white matter damage and microstructure changes in many areas of the brain. The most vulnerable structure turned out to be the corpus callosum - this subcortical region is associated with the motor, sensory and cognitive sphere of activity of the brain; in addition, it integrates the functions of both hemispheres.
Past research has shown that white matter changes in cocaine use and other neurological disorders may be associated with oxidative stress. It is the degree of damage under oxidative stress that makes it possible to determine DTI - this technique visualizes changes in the microstructure of white matter based on the diffusion of water molecules.
In normally myelinated axons, axial diffusion is higher than radial diffusion because the flow of water moves along the axon to the body of the neuron, and the thick myelin layer normally prevents radial diffusion. With acute axonal damage, axial diffusion decreases due to axonal fragmentation; in chronic damage, there is a general disruption of neuronal structure and an increase in both axial and radial diffusion.
The new data could be the basis for early diagnosis, and possibly treatment, of cocaine addiction.[6]
1906: Cocaine as a cold cure
See also
Notes
- ↑ 6 arrested as 35 tonnes of cocaine seized at major European ports
- ↑ More than a ton of cocaine found by customs officers in a container from Nicaragua
- ↑ Two Canadian companies licensed to sell cocaine, but not to the public
- ↑ Cocaine trafficking diversifying through new hubs and groups, with global supply at record levels, says new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
- ↑ Over 500 kg of cocaine found in coffee delivery for Nespresso
- ↑ ARRS: DTI-MRI shows brain damage from cocaine use
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