Latest news with #cocaine
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Seven men charged after cops bust alleged plot to bring in more than 300kg of drugs from overseas - and the shocking discovery in a shipment from Canada
Seven men have been charged after allegedly plotting to bring more than 300kg of illicit drugs into Australia. Since September 2023, detectives were investigating a 42-year-old man and his associates for allegedly importing and supplying large amounts of prohibited drugs and illicit tobacco. The men were allegedly claiming to have the ability to circumvent border controls with shipments coming in from Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Panama. Police allege the 42-year-old man was using a freight forwarding company in Punchbowl, south west of Sydney, to import the drugs. More than 280kg of liquid methamphetamine was located in an industrial cooler imported from Vancouver, Canada, in July 2024, allegedly organised by the man. Police continued their investigation into the man who allegedly continued to use the freight forwarding company. Over three separate consignments, the man allegedly imported more than 20 million cigarettes from the United Arab Emirates. In May, investigators established the man was planning to import 50kg of cocaine concealed in cement bags loaded in a shopping container from Panama. Police allege the man asked two other men - who flew to Australia from Canada - to help retrieve the cocaine from the cement bags and to help supply it to organised crime groups in NSW. Investigators arrested four men at about 2pm on Friday after executing six search warrants in Moorebank, Punchbowl, Smithfield, Doonside and Mt Annan.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Party-loving motorist banned from driving after being caught high on cocaine and cannabis from earlier binge
A party-loving motorist has been banned from driving after being caught behind the wheel while high on cocaine and cannabis. Hannah Brookhouse, 27, tested more than twice the limit for a breakdown product of cocaine after police pulled her Q3 vehicle over at lunchtime in her hometown of Warrington, Cheshire. When quizzed, Brookhouse insisted she was not under the influence of drugs at the time of her arrest and claimed she had consumed them several days earlier. She said she had not realised the substances would still be in her blood. Brookhouse, who has posted glamorous selfies of her nights out and trips to Ibiza, was fined £461 at Warrington Magistrates' Court. She was also ordered to pay £269 in costs and surcharge while being banned from driving for 12 months, after the defendant had admitted drug driving. The incident occurred on Museum Street in central Warrington on March 10 at 1pm. Chloe Durose, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant was sighted by officers driving an Audi Q3. The officers stopped the defendant. She stated she had consumed cocaine and cannabis a few days earlier. 'A roadside drug wipe was positive for cocaine. The defendant was arrested and conveyed to custody where a blood test was taken. 'That too provided a positive reading. She has got no previous convictions.' Blood tests showed Brookhouse, from Warrington, had 109 micrograms of benzoylecgonine per litre of blood. BZE is a breakdown product of cocaine and the legal limit is 50mcg/l. Representing herself, Brookhouse said: 'I was not on drugs behind the wheel of the car. I was not actually doing that at the time - it was days earlier but it was still in my system. I know it's not an excuse anyway. 'I work in Manchester but I know that this is not going to make any difference. 'I just got finance £600 per month on the car and I have now got to sort that all out. 'I know it was all my own fault. I have got to find other ways to get to work.' When asked by JPs whether she knew how long the drugs stayed in her system, Brookhouse replied: 'I do not know exactly how long.
CBS News
18 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Record haul of cocaine found inside plush toys at Sri Lanka airport; woman arrested
Sri Lanka's customs authorities arrested on Friday a woman and seized the largest haul of cocaine ever detected at the country's main international airport, an official said. The unnamed 38-year-old Thai woman was carrying nearly 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of cocaine stuffed into three plush toys, Customs Additional Director-General Seevali Arukgoda said. "This is the biggest attempt at cocaine smuggling stopped by Sri Lanka Customs at the airport," Arukgoda said in a statement. Customs officials at Bandaranaike International Airport posed for photos with the cocaine, which had been neatly stuffed into just over 500 plastic capsules, with an estimated street value of $1.72 million. The seizure follows three other hauls this month totaling nearly 60 kilograms of synthetic cannabis. Three foreign nationals -- from Britain, India, and Thailand -- were arrested in separate cases. The Briton, identified as Charlotte May Lee, 21, a former cabin crew member from London, was produced before a magistrate on Friday and further remanded until June 13, court officials said. She was arrested on May 12 when officials discovered that her two suitcases were packed with 46 kilograms of kush, a synthetic drug. Lee told the BBC she had travelled from Bangkok to Sri Lanka's capital Colombo to renew her Thai visa. She described her living conditions at a prison in Negombo, a city just north of the capital, saying she spends most of her day inside, although she does get to go outside for fresh air. "I have never been to prison and I've never been to Sri Lanka," she told the BBC. "This heat and just sitting on a concrete floor all of the time." British woman accused of drug offences appears in Sri Lanka court — BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 30, 2025 All four suspects, including the Thai woman arrested on Friday, could face life imprisonment if convicted. Sri Lankan authorities have previously seized large quantities of heroin off the country's shores, suggesting the island is being used as a transit hub for narcotics destined for other locations. In October, a Sri Lankan court sentenced 10 Iranian men to life imprisonment after they pleaded guilty to smuggling more than 111 kilograms of heroin. In 2023, nine Iranians received life sentences in a separate drug smuggling case. Sri Lanka's largest single seizure of narcotics occurred in December 2016, when Customs found 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of cocaine in a shipment container of timber addressed to a company in neighboring India.
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Aussie drug smuggling accused swaps life of luxury for a Bali jail cell - as his family descend on the island and with a high-powered 'fixer' known as the 'prison whisperer'
The family of an Australian man facing the death penalty in Bali accused of smuggling cocaine onto the holiday island has enlisted the help of a high-powered 'fixer'. Business manager Lamar Ahchee, 43, originally from Cairns, was arrested last week accused of received two drug deliveries from the UK while living in Bali. The cocaine was allegedly concealed inside two gold Lindt chocolate boxes, each containing 54 individual packets of the drug, with 8.3 grams wrapped inside each. On Monday morning, Ahchee's mother and sister arrived in Bali moments after he was escorted in handcuffs to the Australian embassy. Prior to their arrival, a high-profile 'fixer' who worked to help free Schapelle Corby from jail was spotted arriving at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Monday. 'Prison whisperer' and former police officer John McLeod runs consultancy firm Tora Solutions, which helps Australians in legal troubles overseas. He previously helped get Corby out of Bali's notorious Kerobokan jail, where Ahchee could spend a lot of time if convicted. Outside the Australian embassy, Mr McLeod described the situation as very confronting and distressing for Ahchee's family and didn't provide further comment. Ahchee faces a death sentence after Bali Police Chief Inspector General Daniel Adityajaya alleged the drugs arrived in Indonesia on May 12. When the packages arrived at the Renon Main Post Office, customs officers at Ngurah Rai Airport scanned them using X-ray equipment and suspected they contained narcotics. Customs officers then worked with the Bali Regional Police Narcotics Directorate to conduct a controlled delivery as part of their ongoing investigation. Investigators allege the first package came from the Essex village of Runwell, east of London, and was addressed to 'Alex and Julie' in Kuta Utara, near Canggu. The second was allegedly sent from Braintree, 35km north of Runwell, to 'Dave Jones' in the same Balinese region. The following day, police allege Ahchee asked a driver to collect the packages from the post office. They met at a restaurant on May 22, and the Australian businessman allegedly took the packages back to Canggu. Ahchee was then arrested by the Bali drug squad and allegedly suffered several injuries while resisting arrest. Police allegedly seized 1.8kg of cocaine, with an estimated street value of $1.1million The quantity is enough is enough to warrant the death penalty under Indonesian law The quantity is enough is enough to warrant the death penalty under Indonesian law. Police allege he received 50m Indonesian rupiah, about A$4700, to receive and distribute the drugs. The quantity of cocaine Ahchee is accused of trying to smuggle into Indonesia, Ahchee grew up playing soccer in Cairns but moved to Sydney's well-heeled east, living in a $1.5million unit in Bellevue Hill and working as VIP manager at Marquee and later Casablanca nightclubs. He had moved to Bali by 2019, where his online professional profiles reveal he worked as the director and co-founder of technology groups. Previously, he had worked for marketing companies with strong ties to the nightlife scene in both Sydney and Bali. In 2015, he was the director of marketing and events at Sydney Seadeck, a $5 million party boat popular among glamorous Sydney socialites and organised crime figures. According to his LinkedIn profile, he also co-founded Behind the Rope. It was an invitation-only 'private lifestyle platform for high achievers, affluent in-demand individuals, influencers and high profile personalities in business, politics, culture, entertainment and sport'. The firm added: 'BTR takes immense pride in extending our service to only a select few, which ensures that we come to know members not just by name, but also by their distinct personality, preferences, likes and tastes.' There is no record of Behind the Rope in ASIC. He would later work for Omnia beachclub a popular club in Uluwatu for two years before finding hospitality work in Canggu at Brick Lane. He stepped down as the general manager of Canggu restaurant Brick Lane Bali last November after eight months in the role. 'As I step away from general manager at Brick Lane to embark on new adventures, I want to take a moment to reflect on this incredible journey,' he wrote on Facebook at the time. 'From a slab of concrete to conceptualising a new vision, redesigning, and eventually transforming this space into a true spaceship, it's been a ride that I will always be proud of. 'It has been an honour to be part of something so transformative, and I am truly proud of all that we've accomplished together. 'Thank you to the incredible team I had the privilege of building at Brick Lane - your dedication and hard work made all the difference.' Resurfaced social media photographs show Ahchee smiling alongside buxom Bachelor contestant turned Bali influencer Kiki Morris. Morris rose to fame on the Richie Strahan season of The Bachelor in 2016, and returned to the franchise on Bachelor in Paradise in 2020. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed it is offering consular assistance to an Australian in Bali. One of Ahchee's lawyers told reporters last week his client was 'very upset and stressed' at the prospect he could face the death penalty if he is found guilty. He called on police to track down the person who allegedly set up his client. Another of his lawyers Sieny Karmana said that he was 'okay' behind bars despite being shocked about the possibility of the death penalty. 'The family knows now that he is in Bali police headquarters and about the situation that happened to him,' Ms Karmana said. Ms Karmana denied Ahchee was a drug dealer, but said he was a drug user. 'There is no statement that he is a drug dealer, but he is a user,' she said. Ahchee's arrest comes five months after the remaining members of the Bali Nine returned to Australia following their conviction for smuggling heroin in 2005. Matthew Norman, Martin Stephens, Si Yi Chen, Scott Rush and Michael Czugaj flew back to Australia on a Jetstar commercial flight in December last year. The Aussies were arrested alongside Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen and Renae Lawrence in Bali in April 2005. Ringleaders Chan and Sukumaran were executed by firing squad in April 2015. Stephens' former cellmate Nguyen died in a Jakarta hospital in 2018 following a battle with cancer. Lawrence, who was the only member not to get a death sentence or life behind bars, was released in 2018 after her sentence was reduced to 20 years on appeal. The group attempted to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin strapped to their bodies from the holiday island.
BreakingNews.ie
19 hours ago
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
'Taking cocaine is completely normalised now', recovering addict warns
A recovering addict who was once spending up to €500 a night on cocaine has warned that its use is now 'completely normalised." Dylan Curran says he now has peace of mind since seeking help for his addiction over three years ago. Advertisement The young man's drug use spiralled during Covid-19 when "everything was turned on its head and you found yourself with three others in a backyard shed with a lamp in the corner, a bag of cans and cocaine." The 23-year-old was just 15 when he took his first drink and 17 when he tried cocaine, but he is now three and a half years in recovery. "It was when Covid-19 kicked in that things got worse. I felt isolated and I'd often spend up to two days just sitting in my room and using," he said. "My progression into addiction was rapid. The addiction took everything away from me. It was when I had nothing left to give that I made the phone call for help." Advertisement Dylan, from Drogheda, Co Louth, began treatment in Smarmore Castle Rehabilitation Centre on November 30th, 2021, and hasn't picked up a drink or used drugs since. "All the problems I had were still waiting for me outside the centre but I just had to learn the coping mechanisms to deal with them. "Addiction is a very powerful thing and a little thought can turn into a craving if you let it. One drink was too many and 1,000 was never enough for me. During his addiction, Dylan went from spending €50 a week on cocaine to up to €500 a night and was a master of juggling loans and finances to afford the cocaine. Advertisement "I had people lined up so I'd always have someone to get the drugs off. "You could walk into any pub and not be too far from getting a bag of cocaine. It is so normalised now that if you are going out without drugs in your pocket, then you're doing something wrong." "Cocaine was a quick and easy fix, it's up your nose and it's done. "I think drink and drugs go hand in hand and alcohol is a gateway to drugs. Towards the end, I'd go to the pub and buy a diluted juice for the night. I just wanted to go to the pub to use drugs." Advertisement Ireland Tributes paid to woman (24) who died following Cor... Read More Even during his addiction, Dylan's family tried to persuade him to get help and made numerous calls on his behalf but ultimately, nothing worked until he decided himself to seek help. "My family tried multiple times to get me help and they were amazing but you can't get sober and clean for others. You need to decide for yourself. "I'd just say to families out there living with an addict that as much as we can hurt you and let you down over and over again, stick with us because there is a heart in there somewhere that needs to be loved." " I'm living my life to the fullest now. I don't have a flashy car or loads of money but I have peace of mind, happiness and people respect me - all the things I took for granted."
