Venezuelan, French authorities seize 3.6 tons of cocaine in joint raid on vessel in Caribbean

The Canadian Press: Venezuelan, French authorities seize 3.6 tons of cocaine in joint raid on vessel in Caribbean: "Venezuelan and French authorities have seized 3.6 metric tons of cocaine aboard a vessel in the Caribbean Sea.
Venezuelan Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami says seven suspects were arrested during the anti-drug operation off Venezuela's coast.
Venezuela is a major hub for gangs that smuggle Colombian cocaine to the United States and Europe.
El Aissami said Wednesday that Venezuela is co-operating with foreign governments to fight drug smuggling. He called Tuesday's bust 'a tough blow' to traffickers.
U.S. officials have accused President Hugo Chavez's government of lax anti-drug efforts.
Chavez counters that his government is doing everything possible to stem the flow of drugs through Venezuela."

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Airplane Trolley Used to Smuggle Cocaine Off United Plane

Airplane Trolley Used to Smuggle Cocaine Off United Plane - AOL Travel News: "Details of a food trolley used to smuggle cocaine off an United Airlines plane at Sydney International Airport in Australia came out at a drug import conspiracy trial today.


Reports from news outlet AAP detail how packages had been planted in a toilet cubicle trash can by a passenger during a flight from Los Angeles for a catering employee to retrieve.

The Australian court alleges that Matthew Robert Hay, 44, was helping restock the United Airlines aircraft when a colleague, 56-year-old Wayne Williams, retrieved the packages from the trash can, put them on the trolley, then wheeled the trolley to a catering truck.

About 1 kilogram of white powder, containing 250.7 grams of pure cocaine, was uncovered in the vehicle during a police search.

Evidence against the two men included a series of phone and text messages using code words such as 'Big brother's watching,' the news source reports.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to conspiring with others to import a marketable quantity of cocaine in Sydney between October 2008 and September 2009."

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Mother of backpacker jailed for drug smuggling in India tells of ordeal

DARTFORD: Mother of backpacker jailed for drug smuggling in India tells of ordeal (From News Shopper): "THE mother of a backpacker who was recently transferred to a UK jail from India has spoken of her lowest points in her seven year fight to get her son released.

Teresa Malluzzo, of Upper Heath Lane, Dartford, told News Shopper she and her husband, Salvatore, are thrilled Patrick is back on British soil but they have still not come to terms with the ordeal.

Mr Malluzzo arrived in the UK on February 1 after being transferred from Prison Kota in Rajasthan, where he was imprisoned since 2004 following his arrest for smuggling cannabis in Mumbai.

He was found guilty in 2006 and jailed for 10 years, but has always maintained his innocence.

Mrs Malluzzo, who had not seen her son for seven years and four months before the reunion, said: “It’s been very difficult."

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York firearms dealer denies smuggling AK-47 magazines

York firearms dealer denies smuggling AK-47 magazines (From York Press): "YORK gun dealer accused of illegally smuggling AK-47 magazines into the United States will be free on bail as he awaits trial.

For now firearms dealer, Gary Hyde, managing director of York Guns in Dunnington, must remain in Western New York on GPS monitoring.

He pleaded not guilty and posted $50,000 cash bail yesterday.

However, U.S. District Judge Charles Siragusa is expected to decide in a week whether Hyde can return to England as he awaits trial."

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Smuggling dirty money high-stakes game of hide-and-seek

Smuggling dirty money high-stakes game of hide-and-seek | kens5.com | San Antonio News, Weather, Sports, Traffic, Entertainment, Video and Photos: "The U.S. government wants to cripple powerful drug cartels by going after their cash. Billions of drug dollars smuggled out of this country pay for weapons, bribes and other criminal expenses.
It's high stakes game of hide and seek.
Victor Torres Cruz and his canine partner Akim  search for bundles of cash bound for Mexico.
'The drugs come in and the money goes out' says Jose Uribe, director of the Customs and Border Protection's Laredo Port.
Now more drug money goes out in the form of cold, hard cash.
Tighter financial controls after 911 that targeted funding for terrorists made it harder for cartels to use wire transfers and other methods to move their money.
The U.S. confiscated more than $282 million at the border the past two years - thanks to increased southbound checks. But it's still only a fraction of the estimated $40 billion in U.S. drug sales."

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Tale of failing fortunes: New Westminster senior's guilty plea for drug smuggling

Tale of failing fortunes: New Westminster senior's guilty plea for drug smuggling: "New Westminster senior Silvano Cicuto may have already spent a year behind bars in New York on drug smuggling charges, but the 72-year-old has no shortage of passionate defenders.

'Silvano Cicuto was a respected and hard-working business leader in his community, recognized for his honesty, integrity, industry and generosity,' Vancouver lawyer Mark Cacchioni says in a letter of support. 'It came as a complete shock that Silvano had been charged with a drug offence in the United States and that he had pleaded guilty to the same.

'From what I have learned, Silvano fell in with an unscrupulous crowd and they may have exploited his naive nature by bringing him in on their illegal activity.'"

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one infamous seizure in Spain the counterfeit cigarettes were found to be packed not with tobacco, but with rabbit feces.

It's a crime that costs California taxpayers $182 million every year- the illegal sales of counterfeit cigarettes. And it affects everyone, even non-smokers.

Stacks upon stacks of counterfeit cigarettes. Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department's "Cops Bureau" raided two downtown L.A. locations. Four people were arrested, including a man who says he got the black market smokes in Mexico.

Counterfeit cigarettes are a multi-billion dollar a year worldwide criminal enterprise, and one that's costing California big.

"It puts a strain on the economy when somebody buys something cheaper versus the authentic stuff," said Dep. Guillermo Martinez from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department. "And it also creates a problem for the business owners who are trying to run legitimate businesses, versus the guy selling stuff on the street."

California loses an estimated $182 million in taxes every year to contraband cigarettes. Each and every counterfeit pack is another 87-cents lost to the cash-strapped state. And then there are the ties to organized crime.

"There are large syndicates that are involved in this, it's not just crime," said Michael Thorne-Degland from Phillip Morris. "It's not just small time. The proceeds that come from counterfeiting can be used, and are used, in other illicit activity- guns, drugs, human trafficking. They have been linked to organized groups as well as terrorist groups."

Deputies seized three guns Wednesday. The cigarettes are coming into the Port of Los Angeles, where less than one percent of all shipping containers can be inspected.

And most are being smuggled in from China. While cigarettes may never be safe, counterfeit smokes can be even more dangerous.

"They're made in a completely unregulated environment," said Degland. "We've seen instances where they are actually made or packed on pig farms, in unsanitary conditions. It's impossible to know what exactly is put into those cigarettes."

In fact, in one infamous seizure in Spain the counterfeit cigarettes were found to be packed not with tobacco, but with rabbit feces.

In all, 450 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes were seized Wednesday. One of those arrested is an admitted gang member who is out on parole.

If convicted, he and the others are facing up to three years in state prison.DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

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