Latest news with #UNOfficeonDrugsandCrime
Daily Mirror
13 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Hitman who shot beauty queen dead had grim tattoo of her burned face on his arm
The killer is alleged to have shot Bruna Zucco Segatin alongside her 30-year-old boyfriend Valdir de Brito Feitosa in 2018 and went on to tattoo her face onto his arm A hitman who shot dead a beauty queen was arrested by police after they identified him via a gruesome tattoo of her burned face on his arm. The killer, not named by local media in Altonia, in the state of Parana, Brazil, was seized on June 7 after seven years on the run. Victim Bruna Zucco Segatin, 21, was found shot dead alongside her 30-year-old boyfriend Valdir de Brito Feitosa in the back of a burned out pick-up truck in 2018. Bruna's face had been hideously disfigured by the flames. But police believe that Feitosa was the main target and the former Miss Altonia just happened to be with him. Officers say they seized the gunman after linking the killings to local drugs and contraband trafficking rivals. Police photos show the suspected killer had inked a grim souvenir of Bruna's execution with a new tattoo of a woman's head engulfed in flames on his left hand. Police chief Reginaldo Caetano said: "The tattoo on the suspect depicts a woman with part of her face on fire. Bruna's body was located burned and charred in the back of a pick-up truck." The 39-year-old trafficking boss, named only as A.D.S., said to have ordered the execution was arrested earlier this month with two other suspects. Their identities have not been released by Brazilian law enforcement. According to local reports, police used explosives in order to enter the location where the main suspect was holed up. A recent report by UN Women and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime found some 85,000 women and girls were intentionally killed by men in 2023. It was estimated that 60 per cent of these deaths were committed by someone close to the victim. Earlier this year two sisters were shot dead on a beach in front of their horrified friends as attackers fled the scene. Maria Beatriz dos Santos, 20, and Bianca dos Santos, 15, had been with their friends in Brazil on May 1. They were standing by the edge of the beach when a group of men stormed the area and gunned down the pair. The gang members then fled the scene on jet skis, according to reports. Maria died at the beach while Bianca was raced to a nearby hospital. Despite the medics' best efforts, she died from her injuries. Police started investigating the shooting and determined it was carried out by members of the Red Command, a Brazilian criminal organisation. It remains unclear what the motive was behind the shooting.
GMA Network
29-05-2025
- GMA Network
Meth seizures in East, Southeast Asia at record high — UN
BANGKOK, Thailand - Seizures of methamphetamine in East and Southeast Asia were at record highs last year, a UN agency said Wednesday, with a "combination of conflict and stability" in Myanmar driving illicit drug production. Seizures of methamphetamine across the region totalled 236 tons in 2024, marking an "exponential" increase of 24 percent compared to 2023, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a statement citing a new report. The number represents "only the amount seized, and just so much methamphetamine is actually reaching the market", Benedikt Hofmann, UNODC acting representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific region, said in the statement. The largest quantities of methamphetamine seized in the region were recorded in Thailand, the biggest destination and transit hub for the synthetic drug. In neighboring Myanmar, a "degree of stability" in areas of the country known for large-scale synthetic drug production combined with an ongoing crisis following a 2021 military coup had driven the "unprecedented" growth, Hofmann said. The spread of ketamine production sites to most of the lower Mekong countries showed the agility of transnational drug trafficking groups in evading law enforcement, UNODC said in the statement. "The trafficking route connecting Cambodia with Myanmar, primarily through Lao PDR, has been rapidly expanding," said Inshik Sim, lead analyst at the UNODC regional office, adding that maritime routes linking Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines had become another significant trafficking corridor. — Agence France-Presse
Scoop
27-05-2025
- Scoop
Exponential Rise In Synthetic Drug Production And Trafficking In The Golden Triangle
27 May 2025 According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the production and trafficking of methamphetamine – an illegal synthetic stimulant – have risen sharply since 2021, particularly in Myanmar's Shan State. UNODC emphasised that both the scale of production and the flow of trafficking in Shan State have 'significantly' increased over the past few years. Record seizures A record 236 tons of methamphetamine (commonly known as meth) was seized in East and Southeast Asia in 2024, a 24 per cent increase from 2023. However, 'the 236 tons represent only the amount seized' and it's likely that much more is reaching the streets and illicit market, said Benedikt Hofmann from UNODC, describing the amount as 'unprecedented.' Seizures in Southeast Asia represent 85 per cent of the total, with Thailand alone seizing one billion meth tablets. Conducive conditions While Thailand remains the main transit and destination point, the drug is mostly produced in Myanmar's Shan State. Amid the ongoing civil war involving multiple armed groups, Myanmar's military regime is experiencing instability and governance challenges that are fuelling the illicit production of synthetic and other drugs. Although certain areas of Myanmar have been spared from the ongoing conflict and remain stable, 'the ongoing crisis in Myanmar is further increasing the need for proceeds from the drug trade,' said Mr. Hofmann. 'This combination of conflict and stability has created favourable conditions for the expansion of drug production impacting countries across the region and beyond,' he said. Expanding trafficking routes One of the fastest-growing meth trafficking routes in East and Southeast Asia stretches from Myanmar's Shan State to Cambodia. Cambodian authorities notably reported seizing nearly 10 tons of methamphetamine in 2024, representing 'by far the largest methamphetamine seizure in history,' said UNODC. 'The trafficking route connecting Cambodia with Myanmar, primarily through Lao People's Democratic Republic, has been rapidly expanding,' said Inshik Sim, an analyst with UNODC. As transnational drug trafficking groups continue to exploit new routes to avoid law enforcement, the trafficking corridors connecting Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are becoming another 'increasingly significant corridor,' Mr. Sim added.
The Star
26-05-2025
- The Star
Two-tonne meth shipment busted off Sumatra
Local authorities seized about two tonnes of methamphetamine off Sumatra island in the biggest seizure of drugs in the country's history, its narcotics agency said. The agency linked the drugs to a syndicate in the Golden Triangle – an area where northeastern Myanmar meets parts of Thailand and Laos, which has a long history of producing drugs for distribution as far as Japan and New Zealand. Marthinus Hukom, chief of Indonesia's narcotics agency, told reporters yesterday that after five months of surveillance authorities last week sent ships to stop a vessel called 'Sea Dragon Tarawa' and discovered the methamphetamine in boxes. Hukom said the drugs were thought to have come from a syndicate in the Golden Triangle and were destined for Indonesia as well as other South-East Asian countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines. Four Indonesians and two Thai nationals were apprehended on the ship, he said. 'This seizure is the biggest drug discovery in the history of drug eradication in Indonesia,' he said. The latest seizure comes after Indonesia's navy seized a ship carrying nearly two tons of methamphetamine and cocaine worth US$425mil (RM1.8bil) around the same area in the west of the archipelago earlier this month. One Thai national and four Myanmar nationals were also detained. A record 190 tonnes of methamphetamine was seized in East and South-East Asia in 2023 as organised crime groups exploited weak law enforcement to traffic drugs, mainly via the Gulf of Thailand, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said in a 2024 report. — Reuters
Shafaq News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq fights back against synthetic drug flood engulfing the Middle East
Shafaq News/ A silent war is raging across the Middle East—not with bullets, but with pills and powders. Synthetic drugs like captagon and crystal meth are flooding regional markets, their trade driven by conflict, corruption, and criminal networks. A Regional Nexus of Drug Trafficking According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Iraq is increasingly integrated into both the Balkan and Southern trafficking routes, which link producers in Afghanistan and Syria with markets across the Gulf, Africa, and Europe. The region's primary trafficking corridors, the UNODC said, converge in Iraq via three key routes: the northern path through the Kurdistan Region, the central route via Al-Anbar—particularly the Al-Qaim border crossing with Syria—and the southern corridor through Basra. Methamphetamine is largely trafficked through the south, while captagon is concentrated along the central corridor. These corridors remain vulnerable due to both weak governance in border areas and the cross-border operations of armed criminal groups. In Iran, while authorities have stepped up interdictions, traffickers continue to exploit lesser-patrolled desert regions. Afghanistan's narcotics economy, especially following the Taliban's return to power, has also driven more sophisticated trafficking tactics using courier networks and transit states such as Iraq. Iraq's National Challenge Iraq has also become a target market and emerging production hub. In 2023, authorities dismantled a captagon production lab in Al-Muthanna province near the Saudi border. Security sources suspect the existence of additional clandestine labs near Erbil, Al-Sulaymaniyah, and Kirkuk. These developments mark a shift from Iraq's earlier role as merely a transit country, the UNODC pointed out. Iraq's geographical location, economic disparities, and legacy of conflict have made it especially vulnerable. Security expert Ali Al-Maamari told Shafaq News that trafficking thrived amid open 'borders and Iraq's relatively stronger economy. Drugs manufactured in Syria and Lebanon using raw materials from Afghanistan and Iran were easily funneled into Iraq's market.' However, regional shifts—such as the collapse of the Syrian economy, instability in southern Lebanon, and tensions between Afghanistan and Iran since 2022—have disrupted traditional trafficking routes. 'These changes coincided with the appointment of Interior Minister Abdul Amir Al-Shammari, a veteran military figure credited with implementing more strategic and coordinated counter-narcotics policies,' Al-Mamaari explained. Escalating Seizures and Global Recognition UNODC reports that Iraq's seizures of captagon surged by nearly 3,380% between 2019 and 2023. In 2023 alone, Iraqi authorities seized over 4.1 tons of the drug. Methamphetamine seizures in the Kurdistan Region jumped from 24.6 kg in 2019 to 745.6 kg in 2023. Captagon seizures in the region increased from 119.3 kg to more than 1.3 tons during the same period. UNODC also highlights that domestic drug use is rising rapidly. The number of Iraqis treated for drug use disorders more than doubled between 2017 and 2021, and by 2022, over two-thirds of patients were addicted to amphetamine-type stimulants. This trend has placed growing pressure on Iraq's public health system. Clinics and psychiatric services are under strain, especially in underserved provinces where rehabilitation centers are few. Civil society groups warn that untreated addiction is fueling family breakdown, youth unemployment, and a rise in petty crimes. The UN agency attributes Iraq's persistent drug challenge to corruption, instability, and armed group involvement in cross-border criminal economies. It recommends stronger regional coordination, improved data sharing, and expanded treatment programs. As a result of Iraq's growing institutional response, the country's Anti-NarcoticsDirectorate was ranked third at the 2024 World Police Summit in Dubai, following India and Montenegro. This milestone reflects the growing international recognition of Iraq's evolving drug control framework. Enforcement Gains and Judicial Outcomes The Iraqi government has intensified its counter-narcotics efforts through a combination of enforcement, legislative reform, and regional cooperation. In the first quarter of 2025, the General Directorate for Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances reported 3,006 arrests and 973 judicial convictions. Authorities seized over 2.166 tons of illicit substances, including 1.538 tons obtained under judicial orders from the Central Investigative Court in Al-Rusafa. Operations were not without confrontation. Two fatalities and 13 injuries were recorded during raids involving armed resistance. No details were provided on the nationalities of those arrested or the specific types of drugs seized. Additionally, Brigadier General Muqdad Miri, head of the Ministry of Interior's Relations and Media Department, announced on April 21 the dismantling of 79 local and 67 international drug networks. Iraq also issued 12 international arrest warrants and secured the extradition of 12 suspects, primarily from Kuwait. 'Border security has significantly improved, with the introduction of radar systems and enhanced coordination with neighboring countries,' Miri revealed, adding that Iraq's current border control is the most effective in the country's history. Preventive Measures But officials and experts warn that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. While enforcement remains central to Iraq's anti-narcotics strategy, authorities stress that long-term success depends equally on prevention, rehabilitation, and institutional reform. Officials and civil society leaders alike point to public education, healthcare infrastructure, and inter-agency coordination as key pillars in reducing drug demand and reintegrating affected individuals. Colonel Abbas Al-Bahadli, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, emphasized the need for continuous public education campaigns to sustain momentum, especially targeting youth, schools, and families. To address addiction, 'Iraq has established 15 rehabilitation centers across its provinces,' Al-Bahadli said, noting that individuals who voluntarily surrender to authorities are offered confidential, non-penal treatment that includes both medical and psychological care, enabling reintegration into society. For his part, the member of Iraq's National Narcotics Control Team and the Future of the Child organization Haider Al-Quraishi indicated that civil society organizations have played a vital role in awareness initiatives, including seminars in schools and public venues to reduce drug use among vulnerable populations. 'To further strengthen institutional capacity, Iraq deployed advanced drug detection equipment at all border crossings and postal centers. The Iraqi Food and Drug Authority was also established to regulate pharmaceutical imports and reduce diversion to illicit markets.'
