Abhinav Sharma, CAMS, CAMI on LinkedIn: #crackdown #drugtrafficking #seizure #tons #cocaine #dollars #illicit… (2024)

🎄 Day 17 of 24 in our #AFPAdventCalendar: 49 tonnes of illicit drugs stopped from entering Australia.The AFP and international law enforcement partners have prevented billions of dollars worth of illicit drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin from reaching Australia during joint operations and investigations in the past financial year. About 29 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursors seized were recorded as being directly linked to an Australian crime group or likely to be sent to Australia.The AFP cannot overstate the amount of harm that 29 tonnes of methamphetamine could have caused to the community if it had not been intercepted by law enforcement. On average, close to 12,000 Australians are hospitalised from methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin use every year.We want to assure the public we are working tirelessly offshore to keep Australians safe at home. Through a strong network of more 200 personnel located in 34 countries, the AFP disrupts the manufacture and exportation of illicit drugs offshore to prevent shipments from reaching Australia.

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#CocaineRoundup | Although #Brazil🇧🇷 remains the most important transit country for #cocaine trafficking on #SouthAmerica's east coast, #Ecuador🇪🇨 took the lead on the west coast last year, seizing more cocaine than #Peru🇵🇪 and #Bolivia🇧🇴 combined. Increased seizures in #Belgium, the #Netherlands, and #Spain indicate that these European entry points remain popular with traffickers. Meanwhile, increased drug production and continued demand pushed drug traffickers to look for alternative routes in 2023. At the end of March, police in Norway seized 800 kilograms of cocaine, the largest shipment in the country’s history. Less than a month later, in #Russia, authorities seized 699 kilograms of cocaine destined for other European countries. In April, customs agents in Sweden seized 460 kilograms of cocaine from Ecuador for distribution to other countries. https://bit.ly/43F7TAB

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A bold article by the mayor of Amsterdam for legalisation and decriminalisation of #drugs, a new drug policy that steers away profits to #organisedcrime polluting the economy. https://lnkd.in/dHgftxWUOn an analytical level 👇🏽…1) with Yarin Eski we wrote on ethnic profiling - mafiacation of #organisedcrime in the Netherlands with current anti-drug and violence panic - this distracts from other issues, eg. Youth in #cocaine trade | it leads to post-colonial racial tensionshttps://lnkd.in/dXM4BiKC2) legalisation and decriminalisation are the way forward but in the meanwhile better police coordination across borders in ports esp. for #cocaine trade and in Europe is needed: “let cocaine go” was the argument.https://lnkd.in/dJ-tgNk2

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Biden Slammed for Inaction As Feds Raid Licensed Marijuana Businesses: Rep. Blumenauer Urges Swift Response, read more on the latest from Benzinga by Rolando García Bernado.Features U.S. Customs and Border Protection.#Cannabis #CannabisNews #JoeBiden #NewMexico #BZCannabis.

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It is welll past time for the Federal Government to take a real stance on marijuana. No more lip service. We have border patrol agents seizing legal product in New Mexico, TSA reminding flyers that cannabis is Federally illegal and the FAA doing this 👇to a pilot in Alaska. Get some guidance out at a minimum Feds. #legalizeit #cannabisindustry

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https://lnkd.in/eMz4Sm_3A good result by the Garda Síochána. However the following article illustrates a number of factors important to Port Security Management:1. Ports and freight units continue to be critical for the needs of organised crime to transport their illicit goods. Although this article highlights drug trafficking, trafficking routes are used for other causes including trafficking of humans, weapons, money etc.2. Spain and mainland Europe continue to remain major routes for crime groups trafficking into the Republic of Ireland by using freight units including trailers, shipping containers or other tactics such as landing loads along Ireland’s deserted coastline or exchanging loads at rendezvous locations at sea.3. The Republic of Ireland is and remains a major route for organised crime trafficking throughout Ireland as well as into the UK via Northern Ireland.Empower your people through effective awareness training in identifying and countering trafficking and how to report suspicious activities.Ports can support and enable greater collaboration between public and private sectors in combating crime including sharing of information to enhance intelligence.By countering organised crime in ports, ports can help reduce risk from insider threats and increase risk of violence from crime groups.#invisibletraffick#makingtheinvisiblevisibleNever underestimate the power of collaboration #NUTPOC

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I agree Timoci Natuva .Thank you for highlighting this. The Pacific continues to pay the price for not only Australia and New Zealand's profitable drug market but also China's trafficking of precursors to the Americas and Oceania. The impact on the Pacific region affects all levels of Pacific society and nations directly or indirectly responsible for the fallout to the region must be held accountable. This has to be through Pacific-led partner- supported initiatives which strengthen the regional security architecture and ensure that transnational organised criminal syndicates are stopped and disrupted before their activities reach and corrupt Pacific states. The Pacific region can no longer afford to be treated as a strategic buffer for and by its traditional partners. #TNOC #Pacific

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With each new operation, we uncover more of the complex scenario of maritime drug trafficking...The large storage capacity of bulk carriers is one of the main choices of drug smugglers in Brazilian port regions. The possibility of hiding bags and other containers in the ship's hold, for example, is a decisive factor in the illegal activities that take place on these giants. In addition, cranes and containers are still common places for attempts to hide these substances, which immediately triggers the keen sense of smell of our dogs.In our history of operations, we have already encountered several situations that give us even more technical leeway. For example, an already sealed container with legalized goods can be removed from the port without the knowledge of the carriers, and part of the cargo replaced with drugs; drugs were placed in the engine compartment of an empty container; seals were cloned, and so on.It’s mesmerizing how far these groups can go trying to surpass our efforts and technical methods.It can be seen that with each new operation, our dogs are challenged to search in unusual places and to inform our team about the different possibilities that criminals explore to try to continue the international trafficking. These are relentless attempts, but they are thwarted by our even more relentless efforts to disrupt these operations. Count on DBK9 for the timely safety and legality of your cargo!

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Get your seeds and get your clones prohibition has not ended🙄💚😔Here are some recent cannabis-related news items from **Politico**:1. **"‘Seize all cannabis’: Inside the surprising federal crackdown on New Mexico weed farmers"**: - U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been seizing cannabis in the southern part of New Mexico, which has sparked tensions with Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Despite some states legalizing marijuana, federal law still considers it illegal, leading to this crackdown¹. 2. **"Biden administration poised to weaken weed restrictions, a seismic shift from decades of harsh policies"**: - The Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering reclassifying marijuana as a "less dangerous drug." While this move is not yet confirmed, it represents a significant shift away from previous strict policies². 3. **"New Mexico governor criticizes Homeland Security secretary over cannabis seizures in secret recording"**: - Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham expressed criticism over the seizures of cannabis by Homeland Security in a secret recording⁴.Source: Conversation with Bing, 5/14/2024(1) ‘Seize all cannabis’: Inside the surprising federal crackdown on New Mexico weed farmers. https://lnkd.in/g2M4-TjQ.(2) Biden administration poised to weaken weed restrictions, a seismic shift from decades of harsh policies. https://lnkd.in/geXR4ahr.(3) Cannabis: Latest News, Top Stories & Analysis - POLITICO. https://lnkd.in/gEr5ghQP.(4) Biden admin will move to reclassify marijuana as 'less dangerous drug' in historic shift. https://lnkd.in/gcxcFjzk.(5) Marijuana Legalization: Latest News, Top Stories & Analysis - POLITICO. https://lnkd.in/giSmEvVJ.

🚢 With a surge in #cocaine seizures, the #EuropeanUnion faces a major security challenge. #Antwerp port, a key hub in these operations, underscores the threat from sophisticated drug gangs.2023 marked a record year with 116 tonnes of cocaine seized in Belgium alone, indicating a significant rise in #DrugTrafficking activities. This situation not only strains the capabilities of customs and law enforcement but also poses a grave threat to public safety.To counter this, the EU has formed the #EuropeanPortsAlliance, enhancing cooperation among member states and involving the private sector to combat drug trafficking effectively. It's a clear signal that the EU is stepping up its efforts to tackle this complex and dangerous challenge head-on.🔗 Explore more in "How drug gangs took over Antwerp’s port" from The Brussels Times https://lnkd.in/eT-QDyii

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