Latest news with #illegaldrugs
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Portsmouth Royal Navy warship seizes £30m of drugs in Middle East
A Royal Navy warship has swooped in on a vessel which was carrying £30m worth of illegal Lancaster, which is based in Portsmouth when not on active service, seized the one and a half tonne load of narcotics while at sea in the Middle secretly shadowed the suspect through the Arabian Sea for more than 24 hours before it is the second bust in three months for the British frigate, which is currently in Bahrain. A Royal Marines sniper circled overhead in a wildcat helicopter, while a boarding team of 42 Commando closed in on the drug runner in the water, in what the Royal Navy described as a pincer drones were also deployed, providing live footage to the Lancaster's operations room. When onboard the dhow the team discovered 80 packages containing illicit narcotics, in a haul that came to 1,000kg of heroin, 660kg of hashish and 6kg of amphetamine. Commanding Officer Commander Chris Chew said the success was down to the work of the 210 men and women in HMS Lancaster's for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard thanked the sailors and Royal Marines for their success."I congratulate the crew of HMS Lancaster on this significant seizure, which is keeping dangerous and illegal drugs off our streets," he said."This operation highlights the unique role our Royal Navy contributes, working to disrupt criminal operations around the world, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad."HMS Lancaster is a Type 23 frigate deployed to the Middle East region on a long-term mission as part of wider efforts by the UK to provide regional maritime security and team has even had time to rescue orphaned kittens that were found under a shipping container. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
3 RCMP traffic stops lead to over $1M in contraband seized
RCMP seized over $1M in illegal drugs and cigarettes in three traffic stops in northern and southern Alberta in early May. (Supplied) RCMP Roving Traffic Units (RTU) in Vermillion and Chestermere made three major drug seizures this month amounting to more than $1M in illegal drugs and cigarettes. A statement released Thursday said Vermillion RCMP pulled a vehicle over to verify license and vehicle registration on May 4. Police suspected possible narcotics involvement and searched the vehicle. As a result of the investigation, 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and two kilograms of cocaine were seized, the equivalent of $920,000. A 33-year-old B.C. man was charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking. He is to appear before the Alberta Court of Justice in Vermillion on July 7. RCMP pulled over another person for a vehicle equipment violation on May 6. Police noticed unstamped tobacco in the vehicle during the stop, leading to a vehicle search. Ninety-thousand cigarettes were seized, valuing approximately $44,000. A 53 year-old woman from Alberta Beach was charged with possession of unstamped tobacco, possession of unstamped tobacco for the purpose of trafficking and fraud over $5,000. The woman is to appear in court in Vermillion on July 7. Chestermere RCMP stopped a potential intoxicated person on May 8. Police dog 'Mando' searched the vehicle, as the officer suspected narcotics involvement. The search revealed 260 grams of fentanyl and 10 grams of cocaine with a combined estimated street value of $53,000. A 21 year-old from Saskatoon was charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, one count of obstructing a police officer and one count of identity fraud. The individual is to appear before the Alberta Court of Justice in Calgary on June 20. A statement from RCMP Sgt. Darrell Dickinson said that RTU teams target areas that are transportation routes where there is a likelihood of intercepting people trafficking illegal goods. 'The success of these specialized units highlights their importance as well as their efficiency in targeting criminals and reducing illicit drugs from reaching the streets,' said Dickinson.
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Illegal or fake weight-loss drugs seized by medicines watchdog this month almost five times 2024 total
The number of illegal or fake weight loss drugs seized by the medicines watchdog this month is almost five times that seized in all of last year, new figures show. On Thursday, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) issued an 'urgent warning' about online advertisements making 'spurious claims' about illegal or falsified medicines, many of which purport to be endorsed by the regulator. The HPRA said it seized 7,815 fake or illegal weight-loss drugs between May 1st and 28th. This compares to 1,582 in all of 2024. Sites and social media posts are using the HPRA logo to claim the featured products are 'endorsed' by it, the body said. However, the HPRA is an independent regulator, so it does not endorse any medication. READ MORE 'The unacceptable use of the HPRA logo and name in this way is clearly designed to deceive and mislead consumers,' the regulator said. [ Rise in seizure of illegal muscle-boosting and weight-loss drugs Opens in new window ] It said that in May alone, there has been a surge in misleading website activity. The websites, which are hosted outside of Ireland by the ecommerce platform Shopify, are being directly promoted to consumers via fake Facebook profiles and ads, the HPRA said. So far in May, 155 product listings on Shopify, 124 profiles on Facebook and 414 advertisements on Facebook have been identified making false claims, according to the HPRA. The HPRA said it has advised Shopify and Meta, which owns Facebook, of the activity and of the public health risks associated with illegal prescription medicines and other unregulated health products sold online. It said it has requested that they 'intercede to proactively identify and remove product listings, fake profiles and adverts from their platforms'. Grainne Power, director of compliance at the HPRA, said these products are made outside Ireland, and people are 'being duped' into purchasing them. Working with Revenue, she said, the organisation has seized a 'significant number of products at point of entry to the country'. Some of these 'purport to be genuine prescription medicines when in fact the products as presented do not exist as an authorised product in any market', she said. Ms Power said a 'notable' seizure was a delivery of microneedle patches that claimed to have the active ingredients semaglutide and tirzepatide, which are used to treat obesity. The packaging featured an Irish flag and purported to be made in the State. 'In addition to references to the HPRA, there are also claims these products are endorsed nationally by charities, hospitals and individual healthcare professionals. All these claims are untrue,' said Ms Power. Microneedle patches containing semaglutide, tirzepatide or any GLP-1 type medicine are 'not available as approved medical treatments', she said. The HPRA wants consumers to be aware that the HPRA 'never endorses individual brands' or allows its logo to be used in promoting health products, she said. If online sources feature the HPRA logo or suggest endorsement by the regulator, this is 'actually a clear sign' of a 'dubious' seller, she said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Thousands of pounds in cash gave away his involvement in drug trafficking
A man has been jailed after thousands of pounds in cash gave away his involvement in drug trafficking. Officers were led to the property of Conor Holt, 26, in January after the arrests of two other individuals which led police to believe he was involved in supplying cocaine. When a search of Holt's home was conducted officers discovered a significant amount of illegal drugs, cash, and paraphernalia indicative of drug distribution. Nearly £7,000 in cash was found at the property, along with other valuables, further suggested his involvement in drug trafficking. Items recovered from the home included various plastic wrappings and grip seal bags containing white powder, believed to be drugs, alongside a large quantity of dried mushrooms and cannabis. READ MORE: Horrific 40C plus temperatures forecast by Met Office for Spain and Portugal with 25C at night READ MORE: M4 closure live updates as emergency incident sees third day of traffic misery Approximately £6,850 in cash was also found. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here Holt's vehicle was searched and another £250 was recovered from the passenger door. On Friday, May 23, Holt, of Heol Undeb, Beddau was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court to five years and three months for the following offences: • Possess with intent to supply a controlled drug of Class A – Cocaine• Possess a controlled drug of Class A – Cocaine• Acquire/use/possess criminal property• Concerned in supply of cocaine• Possess a controlled drug of Class B - Cannabis/Cannabis Resin Detective Inspector Ian Jones said: "This case highlights the organised nature of drug supply operations and our efforts to combat such criminal activities in the Pontypridd area." Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
‘Trips Ahoy!': Transit police warn of illicit edibles that resemble popular snack brands
Two men caught with illegal cannabis products, including edibles packaged to resemble popular snack food brands, have pleaded guilty to criminal charges, according to Metro Vancouver Transit Police. The pair were arrested outside of Main Street-Science World SkyTrain Station in 2023 after officers observed what they believed to be street-level drug transactions. A search of the men yielded six kilograms of 'marijuana and various marijuana products' as well as smaller quantities of hard drugs, dozens of packs of contraband cigarettes and roughly $2,000 in cash, a statement from MVTP said. 'Among the marijuana products seized by Transit Police were edibles that were packaged to look like popular candy brands that may, at first glance, be mistaken for the benign confection,' the statement continued. Photos of the seized edibles show names like 'Double Stuff Stoneo,' 'Stoney Patch Kids,' and 'Trips Ahoy!' 'Unregulated cannabis that mimics candy is particularly dangerous and can cause serious harm to an unknowing consumer,' an MVTP spokesperson said. Stephen McLellan, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of possession for the purpose of selling cannabis. Jayson Hoang, 34, was found guilty of the same offence.
