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News Mega Merged Drug Bust Thread v. "Drug Wars" a Bust

Mexico raids lab producing fentanyl in capital
AP News
December 12th, 2018

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Federal agents said Wednesday that they detained four people in a raid on a clandestine lab that apparently produced the synthetic opioid fentanyl in Mexico City.

Only a few such labs have been detected in Mexico in recent years, though Mexico is one of the main suppliers of the deadly drug.

Much of the illicit fentanyl consumed in the U.S. originates in China, but is often smuggled through Mexico. Mexican cartels have also been known to produce the drug from precursor chemicals mainly imported from China.

Read the full story here.
 
Greek tugboat found packed with cannabis, stimulants
AP News
January 15th, 2018

ATHENS, Greece (AP) -- Greek authorities say they have seized 6.5 tons of cannabis and a large quantity of pills containing the banned stimulant Fenethylline hidden in a tug boat on the south coast of the island of Crete.

Read the full story here.

The "fenethylline" was most likely amphetamine.
 
Fenethylline is a real drug, brand name Captagon. It recently gained fame for being popular with ISIS.

See the the recent UNODC World Drug Reports: these are sold as Captagon but are actually counterfeit pills made with amphetamine.
 
Canada - 3 arrested during raids that netted 'massive amount' of cocaine: police
CityNews
January 25th, 2019

Three Toronto men are facing drug trafficking charges after police allegedly seized 68 kilograms of powdered cocaine, as well as other drugs and cash, during a series of raids on Jan. 9 dubbed Project Sparta.

"The cocaine alone at the kilogram level, that's (worth) $3.4 million," Drug Squad Insp., Steve Watts explained at a morning news conference. "At the street level, it's $6.8 million.

"This is a massive amount of product once it's down to the gram level."

Police also say they seized seven kilograms of ketamine, five kilograms of MDMA, one kilogram of methamphetamine, 120 pounds of marijuana, and $343,759 in cash.

Read the full story here.

NSFW:
projectsparta-jan25.jpg


projectsparta1-jan25.jpg


projectspartajan25.jpg


projectsparta2-jan25.jpg
 
US customs announces largest fentanyl seizure in its history
Geneva Sands and Nadia Kounang
CNN
January 31st, 2019

US Customs and Border Protection made the largest seizure of fentanyl in the agency's history on Saturday at the Nogales port of entry on the US-Mexico border, Port Director Michael Humphries announced Thursday.

Officers uncovered 100 packages of fentanyl weighing nearly 254 pounds and with an estimated value of $3.5 million, Humphries said. The fentanyl was mostly in powder form, with some in pill form.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. Unlike morphine or heroin, which are derived from the opium poppy, synthetics such as oxycodone and the extremely potent fentanyl are manufactured purely from chemicals.

Nearly 650 pounds of illegal drugs were removed from the trailer in total. The drugs, which also included almost 395 pounds of methamphetamine, were concealed within a tractor-trailer transporting produce.

Officers also found 300 packages of methamphetamine, which has an estimated value of $1.18 million. This was the third-largest seizure of meth in Arizona ports of entry.

Read the full story here.
 
Canada - Police arrest 17, seize almost $33M in Montreal-Toronto money-laundering bust
CBC
February 12th, 2019

The RCMP says it has cracked down on an elaborate international money-laundering network operated by organized-crime cells in Montreal and Toronto.

Police arrested 17 people in early morning raids in the two cities Monday, seizing more than $32.8 million in assets.

"It is by depriving criminal groups of their money-laundering networks that we will shake the very structure of organized crime,'' said RCMP Supt. Martine Fontaine Tuesday at a news conference.

The network had the capacity to launder millions of dollars, she said.

...

During the investigation and the searches, police seized drugs including cannabis, cocaine, hashish and methamphetamine, with a market value of close to $2.2 million, the RCMP said.

Read the full story here.

Methamphetamine tablets from the bust:

rcmp-drugs-seized.jpg
 
Malaysian heroin bust. the Lion Double UO Globe brand, commonly known as China White

If this news article is too old a mod can delete it.


https://www.malaymail.com/news/mala...ops-discover-heroin-making-a-comeback/1645171

In busting Johor drug lab, cops discover heroin making a comeback
Published 8 months ago on 25 June 2018

By Ben Tan

Heroin is said to be making a comeback due to its lower cost over the more expensive synthetic drugs. ? Reuters pic
Heroin is said to be making a comeback due to its lower cost over the more expensive synthetic drugs. ? Reuters pic
JOHOR BARU, June 25 ? It was the high purity of their distributed drugs that led a federal police special narcotics strike force to cripple a drug syndicate?s major distribution network in south Johor and Singapore recently.

The high-grade heroin, that was processed by the syndicate for domestic consumption, was the main selling point for the syndicate which is believed to have links to international drug dealers in Thailand and Myanmar.



An informed police source said investigators chanced upon a box filled with high-quality heroin with the Lion Double UO Globe brand, that is commonly referred to as ?China White?, during the 2.40pm raid in a single-story house in Taman Bukit Indah at Iskandar Puteri near here on Saturday.


?The powdered drugs, which are high-grade, are the main component for the illicit processing lab where profits from the finished product can easily be doubled.


?The Lion Double UO Globe brand, which is usually smuggled into Malaysia via Thailand, is highly sought after by local drug lords as they can be easily mixed with caffeine and other chemicals through a process called ?cutting? to maintain its quality and also to maximise profits.



?This will then be made into lower grade heroin, commonly known as heroin No 3, for the streets,? said the source to Malay Mail today on condition of anonymity.

The source said Bukit Aman?s Narcotics Criminal Investigations Department intelligence managed to uncover the clandestine illicit heroin processing laboratory that distributed the drugs based on information.

?Following that, a nine-member NCID strike force was sent down to Johor where the premises was raided after a stakeout by the team,? revealed the source.

The source said the raiding team also arrested two male suspects, aged 36 and 40, found hiding in a room.

?Investigators believe that the suspects were hired to ?cook and cut? the drugs into inhaled-quality heroin or known as Heroin No 3 that is popular among addicts in Malaysia and Singapore.



?The entire house was converted into a makeshift narcotics laboratory filled with cooking gas tanks, metal cooking utensils and also chemicals and electronic weighing scales used to process the drugs before being packed for distribution,? said the source.

Heroin?s comeback

Checks by Malay Mail revealed that the distinctive red Lion Double UO Globe brand of heroin originated in the Indo-China war in Laos. It has since been sold by Myanmar-Chinese opium warlords in the South-east Asian region.

The heroin brand was once infamous throughout the world for its high-purity content in the late 1970s to early 1990s, before the popularity of synthetic drugs overtook heroin as a recreational narcotic of choice.

Lately, heroin is said to be making a comeback due to its lower cost over the more expensive synthetic drugs.

At present, the source revealed that most heroin from the Golden Triangle have different brand names.

?Investigators have come across names such as Lucky Strike, Panda and Dragon. Each has its own reputation for quality, but the Double UO Globe with Chinese characters is considered the best,? said one source, adding that its popularity was due to its accepted quality among foreign drug dealers and Asian gangs.

Another source familiar with the on-going investigations said the total value of the illicit drugs may reach close to RM800,000 in street value.

Investigators are also said to have seized a Toyota Vios car, two high-end Casio Edifice wristwatches, jewellery, RM2,300 in cash in addition to 1,420 Thai Bath and S$190 from the 26-year-old suspect.

?Investigations are still on-going on the total seizure pending another premises that was raided in Batu Pahat that was believed to be linked to the suspects,? said the source.

Bukit Aman NCID director Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh is expected to have a media conference on the raid?s details at the Johor police contingent headquarters in Jalan Tebrau here later today.

The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which used to carry the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

However, the law was amended in Parliament last year and now provides an option for life imprisonment together with whipping of not fewer than 15 strokes if the death sentence is not given.
 
i like the line "Checks by Malay Mail revealed that the distinctive red Lion Double UO Globe brand of heroin originated in the Indo-China war in Laos. It has since been sold by Myanmar-Chinese opium warlords in the South-east Asian region."

And "The heroin brand was once infamous throughout the world for its high-purity content in the late 1970s to early 1990s, before the popularity of synthetic drugs overtook heroin as a recreational narcotic of choice.

Lately, heroin is said to be making a comeback due to its lower cost over the more expensive synthetic drugs.

At present, the source revealed that most heroin from the Golden Triangle have different brand names.

Investigators have come across names such as Lucky Strike, Panda and Dragon. Each has its own reputation for quality, but the Double UO Globe with Chinese characters is considered the best, said one source, adding that its popularity was due to its accepted quality among foreign drug dealers and Asian gangs."

I wonder who are the current 2019 king pins of Myanmar-Chinese opium warlords in the South-east Asian region who grow the opium poppies and process the raw opium into heroin?

From the 1970s to mid 1990s a man called Khun Sa - was one of the world's most dangerous warlords and most powerful drug king-pins, Khun Sa ran a heroin-fuelled empire complete with a 20,000 man private army. known as the Mong Tai Army.

Both Khun Sa and the Mong Tai Army surrendered in 1996 and they were smart, they negotiated a peace deal with the Burmese government to avoid the American authorities and Khun Sa never did hard time in prison. He died in 2007.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji2S_cGFPqc
 
37 arrested for drug abuse after police raid night club in Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia police arrested 37 people, including two Singaporeans, for drug abuse in a raid on a night club in Sun Complex, Bukit Bintang on Sunday (Mar 10) morning.
The suspects comprised 28 men and nine women, who were among the 81 tested for drugs in the operation conducted at about 2.45am, said Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim.

Police used sniffer dogs from its K9 Unit to sniff out bottled drinks laced with drugs at the entertainment centre, which employed foreign guest relations officers to attract guests, he told reporters.
Fifteen of these workers, 10 Chinese and five Vietnamese, were among those arrested.
"Drinks laced with drugs were also found in a room occupied by four men, two of whom were Singaporeans together with four GROs from China," he said.
He said they were taken to Kuala Lumpur police headquarters for further action.

Full article here


Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...-drug-abuse-bukit-bintang-night-club-11329298
 
Senegal seizes 1,650 pounds of cocaine before setting sail to Europe
Katarina Hoije
National Post
June 30th, 2019
(Bloomberg) — Senegal seized 1,650 pounds of cocaine Sunday on a ship traveling from Brazil, hidden inside 15 cars with final destinations that included Europe, in the latest large drug seizure off the West African coast this year.

The cocaine was packed in travel bags in the cars on the ship, which had arrived at the port in the capital Dakar on Saturday, news site Dakaractu reported, citing port authorities. The cars were destined for Germany and Ghana, the website said.

Record cocaine busts in Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau earlier this year indicate West Africa is making a comeback as a transit point for cocaine from South America to Europe.
Read the full story here.
 
Coast Guard Busts Submarine Carrying Over $500 Million Worth of Cocaine, Weed
(they're still trying to push that crappy weed)



(somehow yelling at a closed submarine doesn't elicit a response? Strange..)


Published 13 hours ago on July 12, 2019
A video of a drug bust released Thursday by the United States Coast Guard looks like a scene out of a Hollywood action movie.
The footage shows members of the Coast Guard in pursuit of a semi-submarine—a vessel that was partially underwater, and partially exposed—that had been barreling through the eastern Pacific Ocean while carrying more than 17,000 pounds of cocaine.
“Stop your ship!” a member of the coast guard can be heard yelling in the minute-long footage, as his vessel bears down on the semi-submarine.

Midway through the video is when things get particularly dramatic. With the Coast Guard ship practically touching the target, a member of the crew eventually leaps atop the semi-submersible vessel, which is known as a “narco-sub.” As waves crash against him, the coast guardsman pounds on the top of the vessel before an individual, whose face was obscured by the Coast Guard, emerges from the submarine’s hatch.

The events documented in the video occurred on June 18. It was just one of 14 drug raids over the two months by the Coast Guard, as the U.S. ramps up its efforts to stop smugglers traversing from Central and South America. Since May, the Coast Guard says that it has confiscated roughly $569 million worth of cocaine and marijuana. Vice President Mike Pence was at the Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado on Thursday as 39,000 pounds of cocaine and 933 pounds of marijuana were taken off the island. In addition, 55 accused smugglers were taken into custody.

Cracking down on drugs brought into the United States has been a top priority for the Trump administration, which has advocated hardline immigration and border security policies.
On Thursday, Pence saluted the Coast Guard for seizing $3.6 billion worth of illegal drugs and detaining more than 400 smugglers already this year.
“The courageous service of the [U.S. Coast Guard] is saving lives!” Pence said on Twitter.

He added in a subsequent tweet: “The drugs that are brought across our border bring billions in healthcare expenses, crime & the loss of thousands of Americans lives. The challenges & threats the [U.S. Coast Guard] face underscore why President [Trump] & our administration are determined to SECURE our border!”

The vessel shown in the footage released on Thursday was carrying five individuals, according to CNN. Such semi-submersible vessels are far from commonplace in the world of smugglers, due to their exorbitant costs. But when they are deployed, they can be exceedingly difficult for the Coast Guard to track — unless they’re spotted by an aircraft.
“They blend in,” Lt. Commander Stephen Brickey told CNN. “Most of the vessel is underwater, so it’s hard to pick out. They’re painted blue. They match the water.”
Published by:
hightimes.com
 






  1. News
  2. National


Nearly 400kg of cocaine found hidden in an excavator, two men charged
By 9News Staff
4:43pm Jul 15, 2019




Play Video
Police find 384 kilograms of cocaine in an excavator
Police have seized nearly 400 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $144 million after finding it in an excavator.
Two men have been charged with drug importation offences after the second-hand excavator, which had been imported from South Africa, was intercepted in June.
The excavator was X-rayed at the Sydney Container Examination Facility and anomalies were identified in the image. Upon further inspection, approximately 384 kilograms of cocaine was found to be concealed in it.
An X-ray revealed something was amiss.
An X-ray revealed something was amiss. (9News)

Police then orchestrated a controlled delivery of the machinery this week and arrested two men yesterday in Bungendore, NSW.
Both men were charged with the importation of a commercial quantity of border-controlled drug and attempting to possess a border controlled drug. They appeared in the Queanbeyan Magistrates Court today where they were remanded.
Chief Police Officer for the ACT, Ray Johnson said this joint operation showed the ACT shouldn’t be seen as an easy target for criminal gangs to bring in drugs.
The excavator.
The excavator. (9News)
“It’s clear this group thought that bringing drugs into our district using this machinery would avoid the scrutiny of law enforcement. The seizure of the 384 kilograms of cocaine and the recent arrests shows how wrong they were.
AFP Acting National Manager Organised Crime, Paul Osborne said that this is an excellent result for ACT and NSW Police and commonwealth partners.
The drugs were concealed in the machine.
The drugs were concealed in the machine. (9News)
“The illegal activities of organised criminal syndicates are a real threat to our communities, including here in the ACT. AFP Organised Crime is working closely with all our state partners including ACT Policing and NSW Police to combat the threat posed by these gangs,” said Acting Assistant Commissioner Osborne.
ABF Acting Deputy Commissioner Operations, Sharon Huey, said this significant result was another example of the high levels of cooperation between Australian law enforcement agencies.
“This was an incredibly sophisticated concealment of cocaine, but through our joint efforts, we’ve been able to disrupt this syndicate and stop these harmful substances from infiltrating our borders,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Huey said.
© Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2019
 
Two Melbourne Men arrested in Bali for alledged cocaine trafficking.

I hate to say it but i went to high school with one of these men. I won't name which of the two was from the same Catholic private high school as me and I won't say what school i went to or what part of Melbourne it was located in but i will say this I wasn't a close friend but we knew each other and did sports like cross country running and soccer together. He left my school in year 10 but i still ran into him around the local area. We even played year 11 inter-school soccer against each other

We smoked weed together during year 12 socially outside of school once or twice but I never heard anything like he was dealing weed at is new high school. i Honestly hadn't heard anything about this guy for at least 20 years and I wasn't even facebook friends with him so i had no idea what he was up to. i finished high school a long bloody time ago. He wasn't a junkie at all in high school but he had a repution for being able to drink alcohol hard and handle it.

He was a naturally gifted high school sports jock who was good enough at the 400 metre sprint to compete at both inter-school and under 18's state level competion events in track and field athletics . Being the Athletic type he was always popular with girl's. In the last year of high school he had one of the hottest girlfriend's of any of the boys I went to school with. He even did some paid fashoin modelling. No one in my high school year level used party drugs like cocaine until the first year after gradution. Getting drunk at house parties and having casual sex was way more popular than using party drugs in my pocket of Melbourne.

It doesn't surpise me at all he went on to become invovled in the Melbourne glamour nightclub hospititly scene as last thing i heard about this guy was that he was a bit of a clubland playboy who always was successful at pulling a hot chick whenever he went out on the weekend.

The main reason i lost contect with him was we moved in different crowds, i went to out junkie speed fuelled rave hard trance nightclubs where everyone wore runners and street wear clothes and danced the Melbourne Shuffle where as he was part of the beautiful people set who were into A list glamour nightclubs that were highly selective in who they let in and you had to dress up to get in. I swear you had to be a beautiful person who was well dressed to get into a glamour scene nightclub. These nightclubs were known as glam. Think of the late 1990s Movie Studio 54 and you get some idea on what the glamour scene was like.

Anyway I hope both men do not get the death sentence but seriously how crazy can you be to take up selling cocaine in Bali!!!!!





Two Australians arrested in Bali over alleged links to drug operation

Two Melbourne men have been paraded in front of the media by Indonesian police after being arrested in Bali over an alleged drug operation.

Ally Foster and AAP


news.com.au

July 23, 20192:40p

Police officer escorts two William Cabantog and David Van Iersel (behind) during press conference in Bali. Picture: J.P. Christo


In a statement issued on Monday, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the arrests.

“We stand ready to offer consular assistance … should they request it,” the statement read.

It is understood the police seized CCTV footage from one of the Canggu nightclubs where one of the men worked, along with a set of scales hidden inside a scooter.

Indonesian media reports say that charges are yet to be laid and investigations are continuing.

Mr Cabantog reportedly used to work as a manager at Eve and Boutique nightclub and Crown Casino’s Club 23 and moved to Bali last year.
Will Cabantog his face in his hands during the press conference. Picture: J.P. Christo

Will Cabantog his face in his hands during the press conference. Picture: J.P. ChristoSource:Supplied

David Van Iersel being escorted by police. Picture: J.P. Christo

David Van Iersel being escorted by police. Picture: J.P. ChristoSource:Supplied

Mr Van Iersel previously worked as a manager at Captain Baxter bar in St Kilda and also moved to Bali almost a year ago.
The Agehas reported several other Australians have been linked to the investigation with another Melbourne nightclub figure fleeing to Singapore before police raided his apartment.
Mr Van Iersel was seen escorted at Denpasar police station on Monday, according to the publication.
David van Iersel is one of two men who have been arrested in Bali.

David van Iersel is one of two men who have been arrested in Bali.Source:Supplied

Will Cabantog was also arrested.

Will Cabantog was also arrested.Source:Supplied

This is the station where he and Mr Cabantog are believed to have been held over the weekend.
Indonesia is known for its harsh penalties for drug offences, which were demonstrated when Bali Nine ringleaders Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were executed in 2015.
If Mr Van Iersel and Mr Cabantog are convicted of possession they could face a maximum sentence of 12 years behind bars.
If they are found guilty of drug trafficking they could face the death penalty.
v2



v3
 
Good news it seems both Melbourne men in Bali are not going to face the death sentence for drug trafficking!

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Australian men arrested in Bali to be charged with cocaine possession and use

By Anne Barker and wires
Updated about 7 hours agoWed 24 Jul 2019, 12:43am
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Video: William Cabantog and David Van Iersel were arrested at the Lost City nightclub. (ABC News)

Bali police are preparing to charge two Australians for cocaine use and possession, and are searching for a third suspect, after a series of drug raids in a trendy nightclub area of Canggu.
Key points:

  • It is understood blood tests confirmed William Cabantog and David Van Iersel were cocaine users
  • One of the men was working at the Lost City nightclub where he was arrested
  • It is understood Mr Cabantog and Mr Van Iersel worked as promoters in Melbourne before flying to Bali
William Cabantog, 36, and David Van Iersel, 38, both from Melbourne, were arrested at the Lost City nightclub, where it is understood one of the men was working. Police also raided a home.
Acting on a tip-off, police found 1.12 grams of cocaine in the pockets of one man, and drug equipment including a broken set of scales.

Police say the men had bought about 2 grams of cocaine for 3 million rupiah ($300) from a third person — with the initial N — who may have fled the country.
It is understood blood tests confirmed Mr Cabantog and Mr Van Iersel were cocaine users.
So far police have presented no evidence that the men were also trafficking.
The two men have undergone days of interrogation and tests.
Bali police paraded both men — wearing orange prison suits, handcuffs and leg irons — in front of a large pack of local and foreign media on Tuesday morning.
On a table they also displayed the evidence against them, including a small plastic clip of cocaine and the scales.
Police say one of the men was working in Bali as a hotel consultant and had a work visa. The other man was on a tourist visa and is understood to have been in Indonesia for about a month.
It is understood Mr Cabantog and Mr Van Iersel worked as nightclub promoters in Melbourne before travelling to Bali.
According to police, Mr Cabantog was well-known for circulating cocaine in Canggu. The Lost City Club was managed by Mr Van Iersel.

William Cabantog, in an orange prison jumpsuit, has his head down as Indonesian police lead him around outside. Photo: William Cabantog (centre) was paraded in front of the media by police. (AAP: Lukman S Bintoro)

No other information was immediately available on any court appearance or defence for the two men.
The pair are expected to be charged under Indonesian law 112, which covers drug possession and carries a possible jail term of between 4 and 12 years.
If the men are later accused of trafficking they could face a jail term of up to 20 years or even the death penalty.
Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws, and convicted smugglers are sometimes executed.
More than 150 people are currently on death row, mostly for drug crimes. About one-third of them are foreigners.
Relations between Indonesia and Australia were strained in 2015 when Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were the ringleaders of the Bali Nine drug-smuggling ring, were executed by firing squad.

A Frenchman was sentenced to death on Lombok, an island next to Bali, in May for smuggling 3 kilograms of ecstasy.

 
Good news it seems both Melbourne men in Bali are not going to face the death sentence for drug trafficking!
I'm glad the charges were reduced to possession. It will still be a tough slog but at least they don't have to worry about being executed.
 
Australia - More than 380kg of cocaine worth $144m found inside excavator in NSW
Peter Brewer
The Sydney Morning Herald
July 15th, 2019
Almost 400kg of cocaine likely intended for markets in the Snowy Mountains, South Coast and Canberra has been seized from inside construction machinery in a sleepy NSW town.

Heavily armed tactical police swarmed the back streets of Bungendore in the state's south west on Sunday morning, making two arrests related to the $144 million shipment from South Africa.

The drugs arrived into Australia in a second-hand 20-tonne Caterpillar excavator, shipped out of South Africa and into the Port Botany container terminal.

Border Force officers were suspicious about the origins of the heavy equipment and X-rayed sections of it. "Anomalies" were found and investigated.

The cocaine was concealed within the hollow steel hydraulic lifting arm of the excavator.
52f6c4df05e5fd517db1d14f3b4e100d5cfd4c0d


Read the full story here.
 
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