$153 million of cocaine found hidden in banana shipment in Russia
Russia's customs service, working jointly with the FSB security service, said it had uncovered a batch worth "more than 12 billion rubles ($153 million)" stashed in banana containers.
The cocaine packages — disguised in briquettes bearing the label of a French luxury fashion brand — were discovered in a "hidden cavity" under the bananas, it added. In a post on social media, the Federal Customs Service of Russia released images of the cocaine and said service dogs helped sniff out the hidden drugs.
Customs officials said they carried out the bust after a tip-off from "foreign colleagues about the intention of a South American criminal group to organize a smuggling channel for cocaine supplies to Russia."
It said an investigation had been opened into large-scale drug trafficking, a charge that in Russia carries maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Russia has a zero-tolerance policy towards drug use and smuggling, handing heavy sentences to those convicted of trafficking small amounts of narcotics -- including foreigners.
Cocaine smuggling into Russia has surged over the past two years, according to Russia's Izvestia newspaper.
Drug traffickers are increasingly looking to the country as a transit hub, in part because the Ukrainian port of Odesa has become inaccessible due to the war in Ukraine, the paper said.
Cocaine has been found hidden in banana shipments across the globe in recent months.
In May, employees at a Norwegian fruit distributor discovered a packet of cocaine in a box of bananas, alerting customs officials who found a stash of 147 kilos.
Last December, authorities in the Dominican Republic confiscated nearly 9.5 tons of cocaine from a banana shipment at the country's most important seaport.
In August 2024, customs agents seized more than 200 pounds of cocaine at the port in Greece from a ship carrying the fruit. The month before that, police dogs in Ecuador helped find more than six tons of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment headed to Germany.
In March last year, Bulgarian customs officials confiscated about 170 kilograms of cocaine from a ship transporting bananas from Ecuador.
The month before that, British authorities said they found more than 12,500 pounds of cocaine hidden in a shipment of the fruit, breaking the record for the biggest single seizure of hard drugs in the country.
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Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
How high-tech tools, and pigs, could help in the search for Mexican drug cartel victims
ZAPOPAN, Mexico — First the scientists dress dead swine in clothes, then they dispose of the carcasses. Some they wrap in packing tape, others they chop up. They stuff the animals into plastic bags or wrap them in blankets. They cover them in lime or burn them. Some are buried alone, others in groups. Then they watch. The pigs are playing an unlikely role as proxies for humans in research to help find the staggering number of people who have gone missing in Mexico during decades of drug cartel violence. Families of the missing are usually left to look for their loved ones with little support from authorities. But now, government scientists are testing the newest satellite, geophysical and biological mapping techniques — along with the pigs — to offer clues that they hope could lead to the discovery of at least some of the bodies. The ranks of Mexico's missing exploded in the years following the launch of then-President Felipe Calderón's war against drug cartels in 2006. A strategy that targeted the leaders of a handful of powerful cartels led to a splintering of organized crime and the multiplication of violence to control territory. With near complete impunity, owing to the complicity or inaction of the authorities, cartels found that making anyone they think is in their way disappear was better than leaving bodies in the street. Mexican administrations have sometimes been unwilling to recognize the problem and at other times are staggered by the scale of violence their justice system is unprepared to address. Mexico's disappeared could populate a small city. Official data in 2013 tallied 26,000 missing, but the count now surpasses 130,000 — more than any other Latin American nation. The United Nations has said there are indications that the disappearances are 'generalized or systematic.' If the missing people are found — dead or alive — it is usually by their loved ones. Guided by information from witnesses, parents and siblings search for graves by walking through cartel territory, plunging a metal rod into the earth and sniffing for the scent of death. Around 6,000 clandestine graves have been found since 2007, and new discoveries are made all the time. Tens of thousands of remains have yet to be identified. Jalisco, which is home to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has the largest number of people reported missing in Mexico: 15,500. In March, human bone fragments and hundreds of items of clothing were discovered at a cartel ranch in the state. Authorities denied it was the site of a mass grave . José Luis Silván, a coordinator of the mapping project and scientist at CentroGeo, a federal research institute focused on geospacial information, said Jalisco's disappeared are 'why we're here.' The mapping project, launched in 2023, is a collaboration by Guadalajara University, Mexico's National Autonomous University and the University of Oxford in England, alongside the Jalisco Search Commission, a state agency that organizes local searches with relatives. 'No other country is pushing so strongly, so creatively' to test and combine new techniques, said Derek Congram, a Canadian forensic anthropologist, whose expertise in geographic information systems inspired the Mexican project. Still, Congram warns, technology 'is not a panacea.' 'Ninety percent of searches are resolved with a good witness and digging,' he said. Silván walks by a site where scientists buried 14 pigs about two years ago. He says they may not know how well the technology works, where and when it can be used, or under what conditions, for at least three years. 'Flowers came up because of the phosphorous at the surface, we didn't see that last year,' he said as he took measurements at one of the gravesites. 'The mothers who search say that that little yellow flower always blooms over the tombs and they use them as a guide.' Pigs and humans are closely related, famously sharing about 98% of DNA. But for the mapping project, the physical similarities also matter. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, pigs resemble humans in size, fat distribution and the structure and thickness of skin. A big Colombian drone mounted with a hyperspectral camera flies over the pig burial site. Generally used by mining companies, the camera measures light reflected by substances in the soil, including nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and shows how they vary as the pigs decompose. The colorful image it produces offers clues of what to look for in the hunt for graves. 'This isn't pure science,' Silván said. 'It is science and action. Everything learned has to be applied immediately, rather than wait for it to mature, because there's urgency.' Researchers also employ thermal drones, laser scanners and other gadgets to register anomalies, underground movements and electrical currents. One set of graves is encased behind a pane of transparent acrylic, providing a window for scientists to observe the pigs' decomposition in real time. The Jalisco commission compares and analyzes flies, beetles, plants and soil recovered from the human and pig graves. Each grave is a living 'micro ecosystem,' said Tunuari Chávez, the commission's director of context analysis. Triggered by the disappearance of 43 students in 2014 , Silván and his colleagues started gathering information about ground-penetrating radar, electric resistivity and satellite imagery from around the world. They studied University of Tennessee research on human corpses buried at a 'body farm.' They looked at grave-mapping techniques used in the Balkans, Colombia and Ukraine. 'What good is science or technology if it doesn't solve problems?' he said. They learned new applications of satellite analysis, then began their first experiments burying pigs and studying the substances criminals use to dispose of bodies. They found lime is easily detected, but hydrocarbons, hydrochloric acid and burned flesh are not. Chávez's team worked to combine the science with what they knew about how the cartels operate. For example, they determined that disappearances in Jalisco commonly happened along cartel routes between Pacific ports, drug manufacturing facilities and the U.S. border, and that most of the missing are found in the same municipality where they disappeared. The experience of the families of the missing also informs the research. Some observed that graves are often found under trees whose roots grow vertically, so those digging the graves can remain in the shade. Mothers of missing loved ones invited by researchers to visit one of the pig burial sites were able to identify most of the unmarked graves by sight alone, because of the plants and soil placement, Silván said. 'The knowledge flows in both directions,' he said. Maribel Cedeño, who has been looking for her missing brother for four years, said she believes the drones and other technology will be helpful. 'I never imagined being in this situation, finding bodies, becoming such an expert,' she said of her quest. Héctor Flores has been searching for his son since 2021. He questions why so much time and effort has been invested in methods that have not led to concrete discoveries, when the families have proven track records with little official support. Although the research has not yet concluded, the Jalisco Search Commission is already using a thermal drone, a laser scanner and a multispectral camera to help families look for their missing relatives in some cases. But it is unclear whether authorities across Mexico will ever be willing to use, or able to afford, the high-tech aides. Congram, the forensic scientist, said researchers are aware of the limitations of technology, but that 'you always have to try, fail, fail again and keep trying.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dealer has £2k debt paid off by gran - now he's been jailed
Debt-ridden Sean Burton sold three drugs to reduce the money he owed his dealer. The 22-year-old was just 16 when he was introduced to drugs and ran up a £13,000 debt. He was pressured to sell heroin, cocaine and cannabis to reduce the debt. But police busted the operation after investigating two drugs lines. Now Burton has been jailed for 31 months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. READ MORE: Student entrepreneur running business from bedroom makes £788k made-up VAT claim READ MORE: Shein shopper buys handbag - and can't believe what was inside Police arrested Burton on January 9. They seized his phone and attended his address. They recovered a blue wrap containing 2.3 grams of cocaine; 4.78 grams of heroin; digital scales with traces of heroin, cocaine and caffeine; 9.47 grams of cannabis; an iPhone; and £45. The iPhone was registered to the defendant's then partner. Prosecutor Danny Smith said: "Drug users contacted the phone and asked how much they owed. The user agreed a payment time and date for the debt." The court heard Burton has a previous conviction for conspiracy to supply class A drugs. Burton, of Arbour Street, Hanley, pleaded guilty to two charges of being concerned in the supply of a class A drug and one charge of being concerned in the supply of a class B drug. Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said Burton was 'employed to pay off a debt'. He said: "He clearly did not have an operational or management function in the chain. He had some awareness of the scale of the operation. He was performing a limited role under direction. He was being controlled by others to whom he owed the debt. He has no influence on those above him in the chain. "At 16 he was introduced to drugs by people significantly older than him. He got into debt as a result of his drug use. He was offered the opportunity to get out of debt by supplying drugs. At 16, he saw those older individuals making money. He accepts he stupidly looked up to them and the lifestyle that they were living." Mr Muldoon said Burton has not offended since his arrest and has taken steps to move away from his association with the individuals who were controlling him. His gran paid them £2,000 and they appear to have accepted that as an end to his involvement. Mr Muldoon added: "He is adamant this will be his last time before the court. He wants to obtain gainful full-time employment and he wants to have a family." Mrs Justice Tipples said: "You submitted a basis of plea which said you accepted taking part in the supply of drugs. The reason was due to having a debt. It amounted to £13,000. You were worried for the safety of your family. The people involved were aware of their addresses. You were receiving calls to remind you that you had an outstanding debt that needed to be paid. You say you had no other way to pay the debt back." Get all the latest news from court here
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
How high-tech tools, and pigs, could help in the search for Mexican drug cartel victims
ZAPOPAN, Mexico (AP) — First the scientists dress dead swine in clothes, then they dispose of the carcasses. Some they wrap in packing tape, others they chop up. They stuff the animals into plastic bags or wrap them in blankets. They cover them in lime or burn them. Some are buried alone, others in groups. Then they watch. The pigs are playing an unlikely role as proxies for humans in research to help find the staggering number of people who have gone missing in Mexico during decades of drug cartel violence. Families of the missing are usually left to look for their loved ones with little support from authorities. But now, government scientists are testing the newest satellite, geophysical and biological mapping techniques — along with the pigs — to offer clues that they hope could lead to the discovery of at least some of the bodies. 130,000 missing and counting The ranks of Mexico's missing exploded in the years following the launch of then-President Felipe Calderón's war against drug cartels in 2006. A strategy that targeted the leaders of a handful of powerful cartels led to a splintering of organized crime and the multiplication of violence to control territory. With near complete impunity, owing to the complicity or inaction of the authorities, cartels found that making anyone they think is in their way disappear was better than leaving bodies in the street. Mexican administrations have sometimes been unwilling to recognize the problem and at other times are staggered by the scale of violence their justice system is unprepared to address. Mexico's disappeared could populate a small city. Official data in 2013 tallied 26,000 missing, but the count now surpasses 130,000 — more than any other Latin American nation. The United Nations has said there are indications that the disappearances are 'generalized or systematic.' If the missing people are found — dead or alive — it is usually by their loved ones. Guided by information from witnesses, parents and siblings search for graves by walking through cartel territory, plunging a metal rod into the earth and sniffing for the scent of death. Around 6,000 clandestine graves have been found since 2007, and new discoveries are made all the time. Tens of thousands of remains have yet to be identified. Testing creative solutions Jalisco, which is home to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, has the largest number of people reported missing in Mexico: 15,500. In March, human bone fragments and hundreds of items of clothing were discovered at a cartel ranch in the state. Authorities denied it was the site of a mass grave. José Luis Silván, a coordinator of the mapping project and scientist at CentroGeo, a federal research institute focused on geospacial information, said Jalisco's disappeared are 'why we're here.' The mapping project, launched in 2023, is a collaboration by Guadalajara University, Mexico's National Autonomous University and the University of Oxford in England, alongside the Jalisco Search Commission, a state agency that organizes local searches with relatives. 'No other country is pushing so strongly, so creatively" to test and combine new techniques, said Derek Congram, a Canadian forensic anthropologist, whose expertise in geographic information systems inspired the Mexican project. Still, Congram warns, technology 'is not a panacea.' 'Ninety percent of searches are resolved with a good witness and digging,' he said. Plants, insects and decomposing pigs Silván walks by a site where scientists buried 14 pigs about two years ago. He says they may not know how well the technology works, where and when it can be used, or under what conditions, for at least three years. 'Flowers came up because of the phosphorous at the surface, we didn't see that last year,' he said as he took measurements at one of the gravesites. 'The mothers who search say that that little yellow flower always blooms over the tombs and they use them as a guide.' Pigs and humans are closely related, famously sharing about 98% of DNA. But for the mapping project, the physical similarities also matter. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, pigs resemble humans in size, fat distribution and the structure and thickness of skin. A big Colombian drone mounted with a hyperspectral camera flies over the pig burial site. Generally used by mining companies, the camera measures light reflected by substances in the soil, including nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and shows how they vary as the pigs decompose. The colorful image it produces offers clues of what to look for in the hunt for graves. 'This isn't pure science,' Silván said. 'It is science and action. Everything learned has to be applied immediately, rather than wait for it to mature, because there's urgency.' Researchers also employ thermal drones, laser scanners and other gadgets to register anomalies, underground movements and electrical currents. One set of graves is encased behind a pane of transparent acrylic, providing a window for scientists to observe the pigs' decomposition in real time. The Jalisco commission compares and analyzes flies, beetles, plants and soil recovered from the human and pig graves. Each grave is a living 'micro ecosystem,' said Tunuari Chávez, the commission's director of context analysis. Science to serve society Triggered by the disappearance of 43 students in 2014, Silván and his colleagues started gathering information about ground-penetrating radar, electric resistivity and satellite imagery from around the world. They studied University of Tennessee research on human corpses buried at a 'body farm.' They looked at grave-mapping techniques used in the Balkans, Colombia and Ukraine. 'What good is science or technology if it doesn't solve problems?' he said. They learned new applications of satellite analysis, then began their first experiments burying pigs and studying the substances criminals use to dispose of bodies. They found lime is easily detected, but hydrocarbons, hydrochloric acid and burned flesh are not. Chávez's team worked to combine the science with what they knew about how the cartels operate. For example, they determined that disappearances in Jalisco commonly happened along cartel routes between Pacific ports, drug manufacturing facilities and the U.S. border, and that most of the missing are found in the same municipality where they disappeared. Expert relatives The experience of the families of the missing also informs the research. Some observed that graves are often found under trees whose roots grow vertically, so those digging the graves can remain in the shade. Mothers of missing loved ones invited by researchers to visit one of the pig burial sites were able to identify most of the unmarked graves by sight alone, because of the plants and soil placement, Silván said. 'The knowledge flows in both directions,' he said. Maribel Cedeño, who has been looking for her missing brother for four years, said she believes the drones and other technology will be helpful. 'I never imagined being in this situation, finding bodies, becoming such an expert,' she said of her quest. Héctor Flores has been searching for his son since 2021. He questions why so much time and effort has been invested in methods that have not led to concrete discoveries, when the families have proven track records with little official support. Although the research has not yet concluded, the Jalisco Search Commission is already using a thermal drone, a laser scanner and a multispectral camera to help families look for their missing relatives in some cases. But it is unclear whether authorities across Mexico will ever be willing to use, or able to afford, the high-tech aides. Congram, the forensic scientist, said researchers are aware of the limitations of technology, but that 'you always have to try, fail, fail again and keep trying.' María Verza, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
