All news on the topic: Cocaine

660
Rasquiña’s revolution: How the Choneros took control of Ecuador’s prisons.
It took Ecuador’s police nine months to track down the country’s most wanted fugitive. But when they found him outside an apartment complex in Bogotá, Colombia, the leader of the Choneros gang...
574
Fito’s fortress: Ecuador prison becomes criminal hub
In the early hours of the morning of January 7, 2024, a police and military task force stormed La Regional, one of two major prisons in Guayaquil.
653
The rise and fall of Washo, Durán’s criminal puppetmaster
In the early hours of August 14, Ecuador’s police and prosecutors deployed one of the most significant security operations...
638
Drugs mule sentenced to prison for smuggling £11k worth of cocaine
A man who smuggled £11,000 worth of cocaine into the Isle of Man on the ferry has been jailed for five years and eight months.
437
’Thor’ and his gang smuggled £140m of cocaine into the UK from Sierra Leone
Members of the organised crime group have been locked up for a combined total of more than 75 years
492
The rise and fall of El Negro Willy, the prison-guard mafia boss of Ecuador
The first sign that armed gang members had invaded a TV station in Guayaquil came when two masked youths appeared in the corner of the screen during a live news broadcast.
405
British woman accused in £15 million cocaine plot claims she believed she was carrying cash
A British beautician facing decades behind bars after being accused of smuggling cocaine into the US from Mexico has insisted she believed she was only carrying bags of cash across the border.
652
‘Russian roulette’ drug sold to Liverpool teens on Snapchat
A dangerous drug with unpredictable effects is being sold to Liverpool teenagers, say city experts.
603
Spanish police seize record cocaine haul hidden in banana shipment; woman arrested, two suspects still at large
Spanish police said Wednesday that they had seized 13 tons of cocaine -- the country’s largest-ever haul of the drug -- and made one arrest.
587
Mexican Navy intercepts "narco-sub" in the Pacific with 8,000 pounds of cocaine onboard
The Mexican Navy said Tuesday it has seized 3.6 tons (about 8,000 pounds) of cocaine aboard a "narco sub" off the Pacific coast which was spotted earlier this week about 153 miles off the resort of Acapulco.
579
Spain has regained its status as the main gateway for cocaine into Europe
A record 13-ton seizure of cocaine in Spain in mid-October is more evidence that the country has returned as the main entry point into Europe for the drug after Belgium and the Netherlands significantly improved security at their ports.
652
Italy’s Camorra is expanding its operations into Colombia’s cocaine capital
Two high-ranking members of Italy’s Camorra mafia were arrested in Medellín, Colombia, in a multinational operation against cocaine trafficking.
529
Colombia’s coca crops increased, but cocaine production surged, latest figures reveal
Coca crops and cocaine production in Colombia increased during 2023, as the government has stopped forced eradication efforts and concentrated on seizures to fight drug trafficking.
510
Bride-to-be avoids jail for aiding fiancé in cocaine ring after announcing pregnancy
Sasha Ellis-Johnson claimed she was helping her partner after he ran up a £2,000 drug debt
426
Former detective sentenced to 19 years for stealing 4kg of cocaine from work to sell in Manchester
Andrew Talbot, 54, took almost £400,000 worth of cocaine from evidence stores before searching police systems for dealers to help him sell the drug.
567
Drug smugglers convicted for shipping large cocaine haul hidden in banana boxes through Portsmouth port
Organised criminals that smuggled a large amount of cocaine in a shipment of bananas through Portsmouth port have been convicted.
584
Narco-Subs Sail the Caribbean
The Caribbean, historically a key region for drug trafficking, has once again become the center of attention with the seizure of a narco-submarine, signaling the use of these types of vessels is potentially becoming a more common tactic for drug shipments in this smuggling route.
501
Men charged with drug smuggling remanded in custody
Four men accused of trying to smuggle £200m worth of cocaine into the UK have been remanded in custody.
451
Spain and Colombia dismantle cocaine processing lab; 28 arrested
A joint Spanish and Colombian operation has dismantled a cocaine processing lab, resulting in dozens of arrests and the seizure of thousands of litres of chemical precursors, Europol said Monday in an official statement.
436
A notorious drug kingpin established shell companies in the British Virgin Islands and Dubai to hire suspected cartel members, according to documents
Sarajevo-native Edin “Tito” Gacanin registered the companies in the secrecy havens as he continued to ship cocaine globally, despite being convicted by Dutch courts for narcotics trafficking.
383
Men behind $51 million cocaine haul convicted after failed escape attempt
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) stated that Border Force officers intercepted Bruce Knowles, 55, and Ferhat Gumrukcuoglu, 31, near East Benacre Broads in Suffolk in late June, as they tried to swim away from a rigid-hulled inflatable boat loaded with drugs.
444
Former prime minister of the British Virgin Islands jailed in cocaine case
A U.S. court has sentenced former British Virgin Islands (BVI) Prime Minister Andrew Alturo Fahie to more than 11 years in prison for his role in a major cocaine smuggling operation.
616
UK: Ringleader of banana-filled cocaine smuggling gang convicted
The ringleader of an organized crime group that tried to smuggle millions of dollars worth of cocaine into the U.K. via a container of bananas was convicted Wednesday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) reported.
637
Montenegrin ’Pirate of the Unknown’ arraigned in the US for cocaine trafficking
A Montenegrin dubbed the ‘Pirate of the Unknown’ is set to be arraigned Monday in U.S. federal court for allegedly trafficking several tons of Latin American cocaine all over the world onboard container vessels.
566
Ten Brits arrested as £96million global cocaine smuggling operation smashed
The operation began back in 2020 and among others has seen about 1.2 tonnes of cocaine being found on board of a yacht, with an estimated street value of £96 million