Burlington man has been arrested for allegedly importing 3.5 kilograms of heroin into Canada

A 44-year-old Burlington man has been arrested for allegedly importing 3.5 kilograms of heroin into Canada.The drugs are worth an estimated $1,050,000.Officials said the arrest was made last Wednesday after a joint investigation between Halton police, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Greater Toronto Area Drug Section and Canada Border Services Agency.The Greater Toronto Area Drug Section seeks to identify, disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that are having the most significant impact in Canada.
As a result of the investigation, a residence on Glendor Avenue in Burlington was searched. Officials have not released any details of how the drugs were allegedly smuggled into the country.

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Mireles-Andrade four hollowed-out wooden plaques of the Virgin Mary filled with cocaine were seized at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge.

Four hollowed-out wooden plaques of the Virgin Mary filled with cocaine were seized at the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge.U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized about five pounds of cocaine after they stopped Victor Hugo Mireles-Andrade, 23, a U.S. citizen from Chicago. The drugs have a street value of almost $147,000.Agents said Mireles-Andrade walked to the pedestrian checkpoint at the bridge and turned over his suitcase to officers for a routine x-ray examination. The x-ray revealed the cocaine inside the hollow wooden plaques.
Mireles-Andrade was transfered to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who continue to investigate the smuggling attempt. He remains in federal custody.

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Luciano Angrilli the manager at Prewett’s two nightclubs Khrome and Ecstasy has fled

Convicted Sarasota businessman Daniel Prewett of federal drug charges of Trafficking In Cocaine and money laundering charges, Prewtt Ran his cocaine operation out of his "front" an accounting firm at 5777 Beneva Rd Sarasota Fl during regular office hours, Prewett was the "main guy" in the Sarasota Cocaine powder Business. A confidential informant (CI) for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded video of a meeting with Sarasota businessman Daniel Prewett about laundering $100,000 in supposed drug money. On the video, Prewett tells the confidential informant to write down his full name on a form. “Felipe,” the informant says. “You know, no full names.”Later on the tape, Luciano Angrilli (his pic, he has fled), the manager at Prewett’s two nightclubs (Khrome and Ecstasy), tells the confidential informant (CI) about the benefits of Costa Rica and laundering the money through a loan. The confidential source then has an undercover agent bring in the $100,000 cash and tells Prewett he will go the loan route. Prewett, 58, former owner of Jackson Hewitt tax franchises and two Sarasota nightclubs, got a federal prison term of 16 years and is currently in the Fort Dix NJ facility .


Prewett also wired $80,000 to an undercover bank account so Luciano Angrilli, a man who ran his nightclubs, could buy 10 kilograms of cocaine from undercover agents. SARASOTA -- Three men met at the Ritz-Carlton to talk business -- the sale of several kilos of cocaine, and a way to launder drug money to leave no trace of the crime -- according to federal court records. An informant tells federal agents Daniel Prewett is involved in selling cocaine and ecstasy at two nightclubs he owns, Khrome and Ecstasy. Two informants, posing as drug dealers, offer to sell cocaine to the manager of the two clubs, Luciano Angrilli (pic above), at the Sarasota Ritz-Carlton. An undercover DEA agent delivers $100,000 of supposed drug money to Prewett two times, and both times Prewett wires $90,000 to an undercover DEA account from an account belonging to J.H. Investment Services, Inc.. Angrilli was arrested on drug possession charges when he went to a commercial storage warehouse to load the cocaine into his trunk.


Luciano Angrilli pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess cocaine in March of 2008 but never showed up for sentencing in which he faced more than 10 years in prison, federal prosecutors said. "He pled and fled," Assistant U.S. Attorney James Muench told a federal judge. "I'm guessing he's in Italy, the office does not know if Angrilli left the country -- or if he left the country at all.


Federal agents who posed as cocaine dealers say Angrilli and another man, Michael Parsons, met them at a Sarasota commercial storage warehouse and loaded kilograms of cocaine into his trunk. Parsons pleaded guilty to a related charge and is serving a 4 1/2-year Federal prison term at the Pensacola Fl facility.

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160 kilograms of cocaine was seized in a joint effort by Hickory Hills and Justice police

160 kilograms of cocaine was seized in a joint effort by Hickory Hills and Justice police, authorities said Friday, adding it was worth more than $15 million.On Thursday, more than 100 kilograms of cocaine was found at a residence in the 7800 block of 98th Street in Hickory Hills, police from that community said in a news release. The investigation led authorities to a second location on the 8900 block of 84th Street in Justice, where they found more than 50 kilograms of cocaine.Detectives seized a total of four cars, which "were equipped with hidden compartments used to conceal drugs," the statement said. A stolen .45-caliber handgun also was recovered at the Justice location.Four suspects were taken into custody. Police did not release their identities as charges were pending.

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arrested two suspected drug traffickers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA has arrested two suspected drug traffickers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos for allegedly ingesting 147 pieces of substances that tested positive for cocaine. The suspects described as a factory worker in Italy and a trader in Onitsha allegedly swallowed the substance for the sum of 7,300 Euros.
One of them was caught on September 17, 2008 at about 8 pm when the result of scanning conducted on him proved positive for drug ingestion. The suspect who claims to live in Padova, Italy was on his way to deliver drugs in Amsterdam when he was arrested at the centre screening point. In his confessional statement said that he ingested 75 wraps of cocaine for a fee of 3500 Euros and that he was compelled to carry drugs because he needed money to bring home the corpse of his elder brother.
The second suspect was nabbed on September 15, 2008 at the central screening point at about 1031 pm on his way to Berlin, Germany.
The suspect who hails from Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State said he was promised 3,800 Euros with a part payment of 700 Euros also claimed that was his first time of trafficking in narcotic drugs. He ingested 73 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.390 kilogrammes.The cases according to the NDLEA Commander at the Airport, Mr. Victor Cole-Showers are under investigation and will be charged to court.

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car stopped for speeding led to an arrest and the seizure of 55 pounds of cocaine and five pounds of heroin.

car stopped for speeding led to an arrest and the seizure of 55 pounds of cocaine and five pounds of heroin.State police troopers pulled over the car after its driver was speeding on I-94 near M-51 in Van Buren County.During the stop, the troopers found a hidden compartment in the car and 27 kilo-shaped packages. Of those, 25 tested positive for cocaine and the other two tested positive for heroin.The estimated street value of the drugs is $1 million.
Though he wasn't involved in this particular bust, Capt. Joseph Taylor of the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team said I-94 from Chicago through Detroit is a haven for traffickers, and they're tough to spot."They're very, very skilled," Taylor said. "Hidden compartments in the vehicles are very common, very well done and very difficult to find unless you're an expert in that area."A US Department of Justice drug market analysis of 2008 cites Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids as primary drug markets for a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area because of their proximity to both Detroit and Chicago. The report adds many gangs distribute the drugs in the area, and there are around 70 gangs in Kent County alone.Cocaine, heroin and marijuana are commonly available throughout West Michigan counties. But, the report states, there is an almost unlimited demand."The profit potential is almost unlimited. If they get hit at that level with a million-dollar seizure, they just write that off as collateral damage, when they've got tens of millions, hundreds of millions of dollars."Capt. Taylor said law enforcement across the state are fighting an uphill battle. "It's a very profitable business," he said, "and it will continue to be a problem for this country."The suspects names have not been released at this time. The investigation is still underway.

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Three men have been arrested by a strike force investigating the alleged smuggling of cocaine into Sydney from South America.

Three men have been arrested by a strike force investigating the alleged smuggling of cocaine into Sydney from South America.Two Merrylands men were arrested at Moore Park yesterday, while a 31-year-old Colombian man was taken into custody in Sydney's CBD.Police say they also discovered a drug lab in a raid on a Merrylands home, where they found a large amount of cash, a gun and ecstasy tablets with a street value of $12,000.The Colombian man and a 22-year-old Merrylands man have both been charged with offences including conspiracy to import a border controlled drug.The third man arrested was released after questioning.

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Navy P-3 Orions working with Coast Guard teams have spotted two of the self-propelled, semi-submersible (SPSS) craft

Navy P-3 Orions working with Coast Guard teams have spotted two of the self-propelled, semi-submersible (SPSS) craft trying to make their way from Colombia up to the west coast of the U.S. in the Pacific ocean. Intelligence helped them know where to look.Rear Adm. Ted N. Branch says the Navy P-3 Orions used in the interdictions have radar and forward looking infrared sensors that can detect these low profile SPSS craft on the ocean.These types of smuggling vessels are fabricated in the jungles of Colombia and designers have moved on from earlier wood and fiberglass models to steel and fiberglass. Their low topside profile creates a small radar cross section, so maritime patrol aircraft have the best detection track record so far, according to the Coast Guard.On Sept. 13, a Navy P-3 Orion directed a U.S. Navy warship to one SPSS so a Coast Guard team could board the vessel. The boarding party surprised the four Colombians aboard, who then opened valves to scuttle the vessel. The Coast Guard crew was able to get the valves closed, allowing the 59-foot long SPSS and seven tons of cocaine to be seized.In the other case on Sept. 17, the P-3 directed the Coast Guard cutter Midgett to an SPSS 400 nautical miles south of the Mexico-Guatemala border in the Pacific. Seven tons of cocaine valued at $196 million were seized, but the SSPS sank after the drugs were removed.

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three tons of cocaine have been discovered aboard a shrimp trawler"Juan Alejandro"

three tons of cocaine have been discovered aboard a shrimp trawler off the Pacific coast of Chiapas, Mexico, officials have announced.
The Mexican Navy spotted the "Juan Alejandro" on Wednesday, and an inspection of the vessel led to the discovery of 3,100 packets of cocaine in one of the water reservoirs, the Mexican Attorney General's office said.The six members of crew, members of an association of Mexican fishermen, were arrested by authorities.
A mini-submarine from Colombia was found carrying nearly six tons of cocaine in the same area of Mexico's Pacific coastline in July.

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arrested two British nationals in Delhi recently and seized three courier packets with 'charas', which was bound for the Netherlands.

Courier companies and post offices are being increasingly targeted by drug traffickers to send out contrabands from the country since tracking the sender is difficult, anti-narcotics officials say. Officials point out that though traffickers earlier used more human couriers and sea routes to send out narcotic drugs, recent cases which various agencies have busted, show that sending out drugs through couriers and even post offices has now become a preferred option for many.
"They are being used more because it is difficult for an agency to get hold of the sender. The sender can give a false address and make a good escape. In case of human couriers, they can be arrested and investigating further linkages is easy," a top Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) official said. The agency had recently intercepted and seized a courier truck carrying a consignment of VCDs and DVDs of devotional music and films in Ludhiana which was bound for Canada via the national capital after it was found to contain around six kg of heroin.
Close on the heels of this case, the Narcotics Control Bureau had also arrested two British nationals in Delhi recently and seized three courier packets with 'charas', which was bound for the Netherlands. "India is not a source market but a transit point. Drugs are procured from neighbouring countries which are then sent out through India. We have asked the courier companies to ensure that they are not used to send out narcotics to foreign countries," a senior anti-narcotics official said.
DHL, one of the world's largest courier firms, said all packets that are send abroad from India are always screened using the latest technology to prevent any misuse.
"As a process, once a consignment reaches Delhi (DHL facility), every shipment sent internationally through the network is necessarily screened using stringent international security measures and sophisticated scanning (Ion scan and X-ray) equipment". One of the biggest seizures by anti-narcotic agencies from a courier consignment in recent past was done by the NCB in the national capital region at Noida. In March this year, NCB raided a call centre in Noida and seized a number of pre-labelled packets of an international courier company with large quantity of banned drugs in it. This was followed by the agency busting a software firm in the capital which was allegedly involved in illegal online trading in pharmaceutical drugs. With the arrest of four person including a postal agent, NCB had seized over 90,000 various regulated and banned tablets valued at over Rs one crore in the international market that were to be smuggled out through post. "Monitoring courier packets being send out becomes tough for anti-narcotics officials. We are in regular touch with courier agencies and keep telling them about steps that could be taken to ensure more safety and alertness," a senior NCB official said.
The DRI points out that responsibility for not allowing contrabands to be sent out through couriers also rests with courier firms. "One just cannot shy away from responsibility. Precautions and steps should be taken by the firms in this regard," a DRI official said.

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Kaohsiung International Airport trafficking ring has brought at least NT$100 million worth of heroin into Taiwan

Criminal Investigation Bureau announced Friday that a police task force had arrested two drug mules returning from Cambodia a day earlier and seized 835 grams of pure heroin.A spokesman for the bureau said that the task force -- formed after police received tips about a cross-border drug trafficking ring -- consisted of officers from the bureau's third brigade and police units in Keelung, northern Taiwan, and in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan.
After learning that the ring's leader, a 45-year-old man identified by the surname Hsiang, went to Cambodia again with his girlfriend from China on Sept. 10, the task force began to place them under surveillance.
Upon their return at Kaohsiung International Airport Thursday, the couple were subjected to a body search, leading to the discovery of 835 grams of pure herion in the heels of the shoes of Hsiang's girlfriend, identified by her surname Li.
According to the spokesman, the trafficking ring has brought at least NT$100 million worth of heroin into Taiwan by using people with no criminal records as drug mules, paying each of them NT$100,000 for a successful trip, plus an all expenses-paid holiday in Cambodia.After returning from Cambodia, the drug mules would ride a high speed train from Kaohsiung to Taoyuan in northern Taiwan to deliver the drugs to members of Hsiang's ring, the spokesman said.The Criminal Investigation Bureau is still trying to track down the other members of the drug ring.

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Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, which could send the man dubbed the "Merchant of Death" to the United States to face terrorism charges.

Thailand's criminal court must decide whether there is enough evidence to extradite Viktor Bout to the United States, where he could face life in prison for allegedly funnelling arms to some of the world's bloodiest conflict zones.
Thai court on Monday opened extradition hearings for alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, which could send the man dubbed the "Merchant of Death" to the United States to face terrorism charges.Bout did not speak to reporters as he entered the courtroom in shackles, an orange prison-issue outfit and running shoes.The stocky former Soviet air force officer was arrested in Bangkok in March after a sting operation headed by US agents, and Monday's proceedings opened with Bout's lawyers filing an appeal against his detention."I have submitted the petition that Viktor Bout has been detained illegally," his Thai lawyer Preecha Prasertsak told reporters, but did not say on what grounds they were contesting the detention.
The judge told the court that a separate date would be set to discuss the petition, and opened the extradition hearings.Lawyers questioned the first witness for the prosecution, a Thai foreign ministry official, on technical details of the arrest and extradition case. A US embassy official and Thai police officer were also due to testify Monday.The fourth and final prosecution witness and witnesses for the defence will be called to the stand on October 10.During the sting operation, Bout allegedly agreed to supply surface-to-air missiles to US anti-drug agents posing as rebels from Colombia's Marxist FARC group, which Washington considers a terrorist organisation.He has been charged with conspiracy to kill US officers or employees and conspiracy to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile.Bout has been held at a maximum-security prison outside Bangkok since his arrest on March 6, and has complained that he has been jailed unlawfully on "fabricated American accusations".
A US indictment accuses Bout of using a fleet of cargo planes to transport weapons and military equipment to Africa, South America and the Middle East.He is accused of being a global gun-runner since the 1990s, and is believed to have supplied arms to the Taliban militia, Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda terror network and former Liberian leader Charles Taylor.His apparent downfall came after the 12-month undercover sting in which US Drug Enforcement Administration agents infiltrated Bout's inner circle posing as FARC rebels seeking an arsenal of weapons.

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Police Friday announced the arrest of nine people in the northern Basque Country region suspected of laundering more than 32 million euros

Police Friday announced the arrest of nine people in the northern Basque Country region suspected of laundering more than 32 million euros by sending large sums to Latin America.A probe revealed “several irregularities in payments made overseas from five offices, two of them in Irun and three in San Sebastian,” a police statement said.“Since 2006, those arrested could have sent more than 32 million euros (45 million dollars) gained from illegal activities,” it said, adding that the transfers were made to Colombia, Nicaragua and Honduras.The statement did not specify the nature of the illegal activities.Spain is Europe’s main point of transit for cocaine from South America, mostly from its former colony Colombia, the world’s top producer of the drug.The country has become the biggest consumer of cocaine in continental Europe, and is one of the world’s top users of the drug, according to a report published in January by the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime.

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Chinaemerem Callistus Ukwanna Igboanusi has been charged with attempting to smuggle the Class A drug

Chinaemerem Callistus Ukwanna Igboanusi, 25, of Tamworth Road, Fenham, Newcastle, has been charged with attempting to smuggle the Class A drug into the UK.Prince Tims Odunze, 30, from Ashton under Lyne, near Manchester, has been charged with conspiracy to smuggle drugs.Both have been remanded in custody by Newcastle Magistrates

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Ali Kherchachi, 30, was stopped by UK Border Agency officers, and a search of his van uncovered thirteen wrapped drug packages, weighing 6.5 kilos

Belgian national has been jailed after attempting to smuggle cocaine with a street value of £250,000 into the UK through the port of Dover.Ali Kherchachi, 30, was stopped by UK Border Agency officers, and a search of his van uncovered thirteen wrapped drug packages, weighing 6.5 kilos in total.He was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years at Canterbury Crown Court.

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Joe Ezeokeke faces deportation after completion of his 11 years and 6 months prison term

Investigators say Joe Ezeokeke had nearly 9 pounds of cocaine hidden in his checked luggage, stashed in food containers.A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted him of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine.Customs officers at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport last December were doing routine checks of passengers and bags on British Airways Flight 2192. An X-ray detected suspicious items in Ezeokeke's bag.Ezeokeke faces deportation after completion of his 11 years and 6 months prison term.

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Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Hardy, 18, were sentenced to 12 months behind bars

Tanisha Samuel, 20, and Shereen Hardy, 18, were sentenced to 12 months behind bars earlier this week after they admitted the audacious attempt to get more than 2kgs of the drug on to a London-bound plane.The women will serve their sentence at Fort Augusta, Jamaica's only women's prison. It promises to be a tough ordeal for the two friends, according to charity Prisoners Abroad, which has offered to help them.
Thomas Lawson, deputy chief executive of Prisoners Abroad, said: "Fort Augusta is a pretty difficult place. It's an incredibly old colonial fort, it's not particularly modern. The windows don't close particularly well - during the storms rain comes through."There are rats in the place. The food is in reasonable amounts - three meals a day - but the nutritional content can be variable.
"We send money to clients in Fort Augusta so they can supplement their diets at the tuck shop. They are big cells, about 28 people to a cell. There's very little or no privacy."Sangster International Airport officials found the cocaine, thought to have an estimated street value of £175,000, stuffed in black socks and stitched to the underside of the long, dark-haired wigs they were wearing.After their arrests on Sunday, the pair claimed they were offered a combined £4,000 fee to transport the drugs from Jamaica to Gatwick Airport, police said.
They were stopped because they were acting suspiciously, Montego Bay Resident Magistrates' Court was told.The woman were given one-year jail terms after they pleaded guilty to three charges of possession, dealing and export. They were also told to each pay a 250,000 Jamaican dollars fine - about £2,000 - or face a further six months in prison.

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Judiciary Police arrested three men in possession of 5.1 kilos of cocaine at Lisbon Airport

Judiciary Police arrested three men in possession of 5.1 kilos of cocaine at Lisbon Airport on Friday 12th September. They are suspected of being involved in a major drug smuggling operation.The men were returning from Brazil when they were intercepted by Judiciary Police at Lisbon Airport with around 51,000 doses of the substance. Aged between 29 and 35 years old, they had been under investigation for over a month as they were suspected of dealing cocaine in several areas of Western Lisbon. Investigations are continuing to discover where the drugs originated from and how many people are involved in the drug smuggling operation.

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Two women have been arrested in Jamaica drugs seized are said to have a street value of £170,000

Two women have been arrested in Jamaica for allegedly trying to smuggle £170,000-worth of cocaine into the UK under their wigs.The drugs seized are said to have a street value of £170,000A spokeswoman from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said the women, aged 17 and 20, are from Derby.They were arrested as they boarded a plane bound for London, allegedly wearing wigs with around 2.3kg of cocaine stitched into the hair.The pair, both unemployed, had been on holiday in Jamaica for two weeks before their arrests.They are alleged to have told police officers that they were to receive £4,000 for smuggling the drugs into the UK, said the HMRC spokeswoman.
"We anticipate the two will be charged with committing drug smuggling offences and appear in court in Jamaica tomorrow."The arrests were part of Operation Airbridge, a joint UK-Jamaican collaboration to catch drugs couriers before they board planes from Jamaica.Tony Walker, of the UK Border Agency and head of Operation Airbridge, said: "The dedication of the UK and Jamaican drugs detection officers has prevented deadly class A drugs from entering the UK."The Airbridge Operation is delivering real results in this and other cases by helping to protect both countries from the violence and corruption that always accompanies the trade in illegal drugs."
Operation Airbridge was launched in June 2002 by the British and Jamaican governments to tackle the increasing number of couriers, or "mules", smuggling cocaine between Jamaica and the UK.The number detected at UK airports from Jamaica has fallen from around 1,000 a year to five in 2007, the HMRC said.

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Police on Grand Bahama have launched n investigation into the recovery of over $3.5 million worth of cocaine in Grand Bahama

Police on Grand Bahama have launched n investigation into the recovery of over $3.5 million worth of cocaine in Grand Bahama on Sunday afternoon. According to Chief Superintendent of Police Basil Rahming, Drug Enforcement Unit officers seized the contraband shortly after it arrived at the Freeport Container Port.He said a team of Interdiction Officers acted on information they received when they went to the Freeport Container Port around 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, where they commenced inquiries.Supt. Rahming said that while inspecting the contents of a 40 ft metal container that had just been off-loaded onto the storage bay, the officers discovered three large black duffle bags that were concealed among a shipment of sugar.These suspicious bags were retrieved and taken to the DEU headquarters, where,upon inspection, they were found to contain a total of one hundred and twenty-eight (128) kilos of cocaine, that have an estimated street value of three and one half (3.5) million dollars he said.Supt. Rahming reported that the concealed narcotics had just arrived at the Container Port aboard the MSC Peru, that was inbound from Buenaventura, Colombia and it's cargo of containers were in transit to Port Au Prince, Haiti.The captain and crew of the vessel were interviewed, but no arrests were made he said. The seized contraband have since been flown to New Providence aboard an 'Operation Bat' helicopter, where DEU officials will be continuing the investigation, along with International Law Enforcement agencies he reported.

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New Zealand woman has been arrested and her young child taken into care after 300 cannabis plants were seized in a series of police raids in Melbourne

New Zealand woman has been arrested and her young child taken into care after 300 cannabis plants were seized in a series of police raids in Melbourne's outer west.
Police swooped on houses in Brampton Close, Delahey, yesterday following a two-month investigation, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said. They allegedly found 102 cannabis plants at one address, arrested a 41-year-old New Zealand woman and placed her two-year-old daughter in the care of the Department of Human Services. The woman was waiting to be interview by police and has not been charged. More plants were found at two houses across the road, police said. Acting Sergeant Paul Ziebell of the Brimbank tasking unit said the scale of the raid was a surprise. "Whilst police had suspicions about one of the premises, it was surprising to find another two houses manufacturing drugs in the same street," he said.

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Customs found the cocaine when a container shipment arrived at Sydney's Port Botany

Customs found the cocaine when a container shipment arrived at Sydney's Port Botany in March 2007, federal police said on Wednesday.Australian Federal Police agents arrested a 38-year-old man from the western Sydney suburb of Greystanes on September 11.Three men from Rockdale, aged 32, 36 and 37, a 40-year-old Kensington man, a 44-year-old Dundas man and a 35-year-old Bexley man appeared at Sydney's Central Local Court on July 13.They were all charged with conspiracy to import a controlled drug.
The 38-year-old arrested last week was charged on Tuesday with conspiracy to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine.He is due to appear in Sydney's Central Local Court on Wednesday38-year-old Greystanes man will face Sydney Central Local Court this afternoon charged over the importation of 35 kilograms of cocaine concealed in flowerpots from Mexico following a joint Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Customs operation.AFP agents arrested the man on 11 September 2008. He is the seventh person charged over the 2007 importation.Customs officers at the Port Botany Container Examination Facility discovered the cocaine concealed in the rims of the flowerpots when the consignment arrived in Sydney in March 2007.A 36-year-old man, a 37-year-old man and a 32-year-old man, all from Rockdale, a 40-year-old Kensington man, a 44-year-old Dundas man and a 35-year-old Bexley man appeared in Sydney Central Local on 13 July 2007 charged with conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug and attempt to possess a border controlled drug in relation to this consignment.
The 38-year-old man arrested yesterday was charged with conspiracy to possess a commercial quantity of cocaine contrary to the Criminal Code Act 1995. The maximum penalty for this offence is life imprisonment and/or an $825,000 fine.

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Officers seized 150,000 cigarettes and 12 kilos of tobacco, with a street value of €60,000 after searching passengers who had arrived at Dublin airpor

Officers seized 150,000 cigarettes and 12 kilos of tobacco, with a street value of €60,000 after searching passengers who had arrived at Dublin airport on a charter flight from the Canary Islands. The shipment represented a potential loss to the Revenue of €46,500.The searches were carried out as part of an intelligence-led operation against the gang. A Customs spokesman said: "This was another significant success for Customs following a similar operation last week against the same smuggling gang."

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arrested two men aboard "the Ronin " carrying 5 million pounds worth of cocaine.organized crime ring operating out of the British capital connection

British police say they have arrested two men aboard a yacht carrying 5 million pounds (US$8.9 million) worth of cocaine.London's Metropolitan Police say a 58-year-old and a 53-year-old were nabbed 15 miles (24 kilometers) off the coast of southwest England when their 35-foot (11-meter) yacht was intercepted by British customs vessels early Friday morning. The boat was carrying 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of cocaine in large nylon laundry bags concealed in the forward cabin.
Police say the yacht was sailing from the Caribbean and that the men aboard were part of a organized crime ring operating out of the British capital. They say a 42-year-old man was arrested later that morning in London.Police identified the men as British but did not reveal their names.One hundred kilos of cocaine bound for London has been seized in a major drugs bust on board a yacht.Officers from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) swooped on the 35-foot yacht off the Cornwall coast yesterday and found the £5million stash hidden in laundry bags.It is understood the cocaine was bound for London, according to the UKBA.It is thought the British-registered yacht - the Ronin - had sailed from the Caribbean and it has now been taken to secure docks in Plymouth where it will be forensically examined.Drugs bust: Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll assisted with the raidHailed as a 'major blow' to organised crime in the capital, the multi-agency operation also included assistance from the Serious and Organised Crime Agency as well as the Royal Navy, which provided its frigate HMS Argyll for the raid.Pete Olive, the ship's commanding officer, said: 'All of us were delighted to be able to contribute to this successful operation.
'The Royal Navy routinely train with personnel from other agencies and it is gratifying to be reminded that the training works and to know we have made a difference.'Tony Walker, of the UKBA, added: 'This is a perfect example of the modern and collaborative approach to border control adopted by the UK Border Agency.
'We will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies to tackle the smugglers who attempt to bring illegal goods into the UK.'
Two men, aged 58 and 53, were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking offences in relation to the importation of cocaine.
A 42-year-old male was also arrested in London.All three are currently being questioned.

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Police arrested a Senegalese man after they found 460 grams of cocain in his possession.

Police arrested a Senegalese man after they found 460 grams of cocain in his possession. The 29-year-old man arrived on board a flight from Girona, Spain and was arrested shortly after a search by police and customs officers.The drug was found separated into two small packets and hidden in a pair of shoes within the luggage. Two other packets were found in the shoes he was wearing.The magistrate on duty Miriam Hayman ordered further investigations and the man is to be arraigned today.
In the previous weeks two Nigerian men were also found carrying illegal substances aboard an incoming flight.

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cocaine was seized in a Milan apartment where police arrested a Uruguayan woman and two men were arrested

Italian police say they have seized 330 pounds (150 kilograms) of cocaine and arrested three people suspected of smuggling the drug in Milan and other cities.
Milan police officer Fabiano Girolamo said Wednesday the cocaine is worth an estimated €6 million ($8.5 million). The drug was seized in a Milan apartment where police arrested a Uruguayan woman and two men were arrested. Police did not give the nationalities of the men but said only that they were from former Yugoslavia.

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Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman plane crash-landed in the Yucatan peninsula on September 24, El Universal reported.

Private jet that crash-landed almost one year ago in eastern Mexico carrying 3.3 tons of cocaine had previously been used for CIA "rendition" flights, a newspaper report said here Thursday, citing documents from the United States and the European Parliament.
The plane was carrying Colombian drugs for the fugitive leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman, when it crash-landed in the Yucatan peninsula on September 24, El Universal reported.The daily said it had obtained documents from the United States and the European Parliament which "show that that plane flew several times to Guantanamo, Cuba, presumably to transfer terrorism suspects."It said the European Parliament was investigating the private Grumman Gulfstream II, registered by the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, for suspected use in CIA "rendition" flights in which prisoners are covertly transferred to a third country or US-run detention centers.It also said the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) logbook registered that the plane had traveled between US territory and the US military base in Guantanamo.It said the FAA registered its last owner as Clyde O'Connor in Pompano Beach, Florida.Extraordinary rendition has been harshly criticized since it began

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Dublin Airport arrests

Dutch woman and her 17-year-old son who between them swallowed cocaine pellets worth over €52,000 have been arrested at Dublin Airport. They were among seven people caught trying to smuggle drugs at the airport in the past week. The 47-year-old woman and her son arrived on a flight from Amsterdam. They were stopped at customs and found to have swallowed almost a kilogramme of cocaine pellets between them, worth an estimated €52,500. A 44-year-old Latvian man, with an address in Dublin, also aroused the suspicions of customs officers when he arrived on a flight from Paris having earlier started his journey in French Guyana. He was found to have swallowed one kilogramme of cocaine worth €70,000. A 17-year-old Irish youth was stopped when he arrived from Alicante and was discovered to have 1,248 sleeping tablets in his possession. A file is being prepared for the Republic's Director of Public Prosecutions by the Irish Medicines Board. Officers discovered 9kgs of cannabis, worth over €100,000, in the suitcase of a 25-year-old Polish man when he arrived on a flight from Charleroi Airport in Belgium. In the biggest haul of the week, a 25-year-old Irish man was caught with 39,000 Valium tablets worth €200,000. He had arrived on a flight from Abu Dhabi having earlier left Bangkok in Thailand. The drugs were found concealed in his luggage. A sniffer dog was used to catch another Irish man who was found in possession of a quantity of heroin and cannabis after he arrived from Amsterdam. Meanwhile customs officers seized 289,000 cigarettes and 50kgs of tobacco in an operation targeting smuggling gangs from Latvia, Romania and Northern Ireland. So far this year, officers have seized almost 25million cigarettes and 1,000kgs of tobacco at Dublin Airport. This represents a potential loss to the Revenue of €7.5m.

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Six people have been arrested following the seizure of drugs at Dublin Airport

Six people have been arrested following the seizure of drugs at Dublin Airport within the past week.A 47-year-old Dutch woman and her teenage son were detained by Customs officers on their arrival from Amsterdam. Both had swallowed pellets of cocaine with an estimated value of €52,500.A 44-year-old Latvian national, who had arrived on a flight from Guyana, via Paris, had swallowed 1kg of cocaine worth €70,000. Nine kilos of cannabis with a street value of €108,000 were seized from a 25-year-old Polish man on a flight from Belgium. The drugs were discovered in his luggage.A 25-year-old Irish man was detained after 39,000 valium tablets were found in his luggage. The man was returning from Bangkok in Thailand. Customs officers estimate the drugs were worth €200,000.A man who arrived on a flight from Amsterdam was arrested after a customs sniffer dog detected drugs. He had three grams of heroin and 40 grams of cannabis in his possession.All five have been charged following questioning by gardaí at Santry and are currently on remand.A 17-year-old was also questioned after 1,248 of the restricted sleeping tablet Limovan was found in his possession on his return from Alicante in Spain. A file is being prepared for the DPP for the Irish Medicines Board.

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Grooverider has been freed from Dubai prison

Grooverider has been freed from Dubai prison as part of the pardons issued during Ramadan.Sources have confirmed that the Radio 1 presenter and drum ‘n’ bass pioneer Dj is currently on board a flight back to London Heathrow.Grooverider was sentenced to four years in prison in February and has been serving his time ever since. It is unclear as to what the future holds for the Dj.Flying in for a nightclub gig in November he was caught at the airport with 2.16g of cannabis in his luggage. He stated in an interview afterwards, “I must have forgotten the spliff, it was a small amount. Back home I would not even get prosecuted.”Four years is the minimum sentence for drug trafficking in the United Arab Emirates and on Monday February 18th 2008, this sentence was handed down to Grooverider (known to his passport as Raymond Bingham). It was also reported in the Dubai press that following a urine test, Bingham had traces of drugs in his system. In 2006 R&B vocalist, Dallas Austin was also arrested in the United Emirates after being found guilty of bringing cocaine into the country. After lobbying Utah senator Orrin Hatch, Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie, (who is hugely popular in Dubai), the singer was released and deported.Grooverider was not as lucky as his American counterpart, as there was a lack of backing from his employers in the UK. The British Embassy had been in touch with the Dj but no other information on their involvement has been released.

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Mexican police have discovered an air-conditioned drug-smuggling tunnel

Mexican police have discovered an air-conditioned drug-smuggling tunnel less than 60m from the US border in north-western Mexico, state police said yesterday.
The director of police in Baja California state, Juan Miguel Guillen, said the 140m-long tunnel, 1.3m wide and 5m below ground, contained an electric rail for container transport, ventilation, lights and air conditioning.State officers arrested eight suspects after discovering the tunnel under a house during a patrol in Mexicali, across the border from Calexico in the US, Mr Guillen said. ''The detainees confessed that they were looking after the building where a drug tunnel was being built.'' Agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration were excavating on their side of the the border to find the tunnel's exit point, he added.Most of the cocaine and marijuana that reaches the United States is trafficked through Mexico, and much of the country's extensive drug trade is controlled by cartels based in border areas.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 260 pounds of cocaine found late Sunday night in a hidden compartment on a commercial bus

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 260 pounds of cocaine found late Sunday night in a hidden compartment on a commercial bus, the agency announced in a news release Wednesday.Agents have refused to identify the bus company or the 43-year-old driver, a Harlingen resident, who was attempting to cross the bus into the United States about 11:05 p.m. Sunday. Agents fined the driver $10,000 but did not arrest the person.A drug-detection dog discovered the cocaine, worth an estimated $8.3 million on the street, as agents conducted a secondary inspection of the bus, according to the news release."This is the largest cocaine seizure (CBP has) found hidden in a commercial bus," said Hector A. Mancha, the agency's Hidalgo-Pharr port director, in the news release.A spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the agency is working to unravel the smuggling operation and could not provide more information about the bus or the driver.According to a 16-count federal indictment unsealed in April, five owners and managers of a commercial bus company in Starr County rigged their buses to smuggle drugs from Mexico to northern destinations in the United States and transport cash back south into Mexico.During stops between 2001 and 2006, investigators found drugs stashed under the buses' walkways and behind mirrors in their lavatories, as well as in the vehicles' luggage compartments.Each time the bus company was busted, it closed and reopened under a different name, frustrating authorities trying to track the buses' movement, authorities said at the time.
The case is still in U.S. District Court in Houston. The company operated under names such as Transtar, Neptune Tours, Los Primos, USAMex and Ameri-Mex.

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Colombian police have seized Daniel Rendon, alias 'Don Mario,' 5 tons of cocaine

Colombian police have seized 5 tons of cocaine, with a street value of about 570,000 dollars, near the country's border with Venezuela, local media reported Thursday.
The drugs were found in the municipality of Uribia, in the La Guajira region, where they were stashed. The cocaine was to be smuggled outside Colombia, media reports said, quoting regional police commander General Oscar Gamboa.
The cocaine belonged to drug baron Daniel Rendon, alias 'Don Mario,' Gamboa claimed. No arrests were made. On Tuesday, Colombian authorities arrested 10 people and seized 3.3 tons of cocaine in three operations on the country's Pacific coast.
Colombia is the largest producer of cocaine in the world. Most of it is smuggled into the United States. Despite years of spraying coca fields to destroy the crops, the cultivated area is not believed to have shrunk. Profits from the illegal drug trade fuel the Colombian conflict - pitting the central government with leftist rebels and right-wing paramilitaries.

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Border Patrol agents seize seven million dollars worth of cocaine in downtown Laredo

Border Patrol agents seize seven million dollars worth of cocaine in downtown Laredo Agents from the Laredo north station... patrolling near riverside drive early this morning... noticed a suspicious car.The agents approached the abandoned car.
They noticed duffel bags with bundles of cocaine wrapped in cellophane.
Agents say the front tire was flat and the smugglers probably didn't want to get caught... so left the drugs behind.The drugs weighed in at more than 220-pounds

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Spanish man charged with smuggling more than two kilograms of heroin into Australia.

22 year old man from Spain has appeared in the Perth Magistrate's court charged with smuggling more than two kilograms of heroin into Australia.Customs officers stopped the man for a baggage check at Perth International Airport last night.
He had arrived on a flight from Dubai.An x-ray revealed a possible concealment in the bottom of his suitcase, and he was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled substance.The man has been remanded in custody, to re-appear in court next week.

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CBP officers stationed at a UPS facility in Louisville, Kentucky, discovered $50,000 in heroin stashed in a woman's suit shipped from New Delhi, India

CBP officers stationed at a UPS facility in Louisville, Kentucky, discovered $50,000 in heroin stashed in a woman's suit shipped from New Delhi, India, after it passed through a routine X-ray scan. The parcel was bound for a consignee in Toronto, Canada. No arrests, however, have been made.CBP Director of Field Operations David Murphy praised his officers, saying “I give our officers a lot of credit for finding drugs hidden in every conceivable manner at this facility and not letting them through. This heroin will never make it to a community now thanks to the diligence of CBP.”CBP officers at the UPS facility in Louisville process more than 40,000 parcels a night, according to the CBP.

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Matthew Conte, 24, who was charged with felony drug sale; and 26-year-old Ian Clokey, who was charged with felony possession.

Matthew Conte, 24, who was charged with felony drug sale; and 26-year-old Ian Clokey, who was charged with felony possession.The Sheriff’s Office reported the arrests today.Conte was arraigned and sent to Dutchess County Jail on $25,000 bail, and Clokey was arraigned and jailed on $10,000 bail.Jail officials said both men are due back in court Sept. 11.

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Ireland Twenty kilos of heroin and 10 kilos of herbal cannabis, with an estimated street value of €4m, were recovered.

Twenty kilos of heroin and 10 kilos of herbal cannabis, with an estimated street value of €4m, were recovered.Twenty-seven firearms and a massive haul of drugs were seized today as two men were arrested in an international police operation against a trafficking gang.The man arrested in the North is aged 34 and from the South, the PSNI said. A 42-year-old man was detained in north Dublin and a second man was held in Belfast as a dozen raids were mounted along the east coast.A mini-arsenal of weapons was taken off the streets including four automatic handguns, silencers and pistols. A number of firearms were also recovered in the North.Gardaí, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and Dutch police were all involved in the intelligence and surveillance led operation which has run for several months.Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said the arrests had damaged a powerful European drugs trafficking network.“We believe that this operation has made significant inroads into an international organised crime gang involved on a large scale in the importation of drugs and firearms into Ireland and the United Kingdom,” he said.The PSNI confirmed one man was taken into custody and a number of firearms seized in Belfast. The suspect was being questioned in the serious crime suite in Antrim.Gardaí said the second man was arrested in the Santry area and taken to Blanchardstown Garda station under anti-drugs trafficking law.The Commissioner added: “This extensive operation could not have been successfully concluded without absolute cooperation across all three jurisdictions.“It is an example of what is being achieved in our efforts to provide a safer living environment for all law-abiding members of the community through the removal of guns and drugs from our streets.”Irish, British and Dutch customs officials were also involved.Justice Minister Dermot Ahern praised the success of the operation.He said: “I want to congratulate the Garda Commissioner and his officers, together with international police forces, whose successful intelligence-led approach has resulted in a highly significant capture of a considerable quantity of illegal drugs and firearms.”PSNI Detective Superintendent Essie Adair said the arrests were extremely significant.“This is a significant operation targeting those involved in organised crime in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Europe,” the PSNI officer said.“The investigation has been ongoing for some time and has involved close liaison with colleagues in An Garda Síochána and the Dutch police service as well as HMRC (Revenue and Customs) and Irish Revenue Commissioners.“We believe that this operation has disrupted a major organised crime gang. Those involved in these types of crimes are living off the backs of communities and leaving misery and despair in their wake.”
The operation, codenamed Bench, has been going on for between four and six months.
It is understood the man arrested in the South was detained shortly before 4pm today following a surveillance operation by armed gardaí who followed him as he drove to an undisclosed location in Santry.Officers then swooped on the site as he got out of the vehicle and found the weapons and drugs packed inside.
Gardaí said more arrests could follow.

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Felipe Munoz and Juan Perez Jr arrested

Arrested were Felipe Munoz, 31, and Juan Perez Jr., 21, both of Indio; Francisco Liera, 29, of Cathedral City; and Armando Gallardo, 27, of Reedley, Dyer said. A fifth subject in Mexico was being sought by the DEA.Fresno police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration today announced four arrests and the seizure of 15 pounds of methamphetamine in an investigation that culminated Saturday at Elm and Jensen avenues.Police Chief Jerry Dyer said the month-long investigation began when an informant introduced two drug agents to traffickers in the Mexican town of Algodones. When discovered Saturday, the drugs were concealed in a 2002 Honda Accord's hidden compartment that required an elaborate series of steps to open.Fresno police call this a sophisticated operation to bring drugs into Fresno from Mexico.The suspects did it by revamping an everyday Honda and creating a very sophisticated way of opening the compartment. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said, “The key had to be turned on and once it was on the defroster turned on, the lights of the vehicle turned on and then a magnet had to actually be waved across a cup holder, which then allowed the compartment to open on the passenger side.”
Since January, Fresno police have seized 150 pounds of crystal meth. This bust is the largest, worth at least half-a-million on the street.The suspects face at least 10 years in federal prison.

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Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) executed a search warrant

Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) executed a search warrant at approximately 7:20 PM this evening in the 6600 block of Claxton Drive (Pavilion Township). At the time of entry, eight individuals were present inside the mobile home.Officers discovered various meth lab production components, but not an active lab. A significant quantity of finished meth packaged for sale was seized during the raid; approximately ½ ounce of finished meth product in 14 individual packages. KVET will be seeking charges on two residents of the mobile home, a 50 year old male and a 48 year old female, for the following felony violations: Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine and Manufacturing Methamphetamine. The female has several prior drug convictions and was recently released from prison and is on parole for a meth manufacturing.Two of the six non-residents present were arrested: a 34 year old male Kalamazoo County resident on a Kalamazoo County warrant for Failure to Pay Child Support and a 43 year old female Battle Creek resident for a felony Probation Violation Warrant.

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Cannabis has been found in a lorry-load of furniture at a UK port

Cannabis with a street value of £527,000 has been found in a lorry-load of furniture at a UK port.Officers from the UK Border Agency seized 250kg of the drug at Portsmouth on Friday.It was found on a lorry that had arrived on a ferry from Bilbao in northern Spain. Two men, aged 62 and 33, were arrested.

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man is due in court today in connection with the seizure of cocaine worth an estimated €25,000 in Belfast International Airport.

A man is due in court today in connection with the seizure of cocaine worth an estimated €25,000 in Belfast International Airport.The man (30) , a Nigerian national traveling on an Irish passport, was stopped officers from the UK Border Agency (UKBA) after arriving on a flight from Amsterdam last Wednesday.
A total of 46 small packages were seized, containing what is estimated to be around 500 grammes of cocaine. The man, who has an address in Cork, will appear before Antrim Magistrates Court later today charged with attempting to smuggle cocaine.

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