Displaying items by tag: criminal activity

Customs officers at Brussels airport were stunned when crates expected to contain ketamine were actually full of salt. Authorities believe the drug was diverted into the black market during its complex journey from India, exploiting loopholes in Europe’s varied regulations. Ketamine, classified as a medicine in some nations, is shipped legally through multiple borders, making tracking difficult. Criminals forge documents, use front companies, and manipulate legal supply chains to mask their operations. Since 2023, Belgian investigators have uncovered 28 similar cases involving an estimated 28 tonnes of ketamine. The drug’s illegal trade is growing so fast that gangs now profit more from ketamine than from cocaine. In the UK, ketamine use surged 85% in one year, linked to 53 deaths in 2023. Its legal use in hospitals complicates enforcement. European police forces are now coordinating with Indian authorities to stem the flow.

In the Niger Delta, rampant oil theft continues to threaten local livelihoods and the national economy. Armed groups siphon crude oil from pipelines in the region, often operating with impunity and even security cover. These activities cause environmental devastation, health crises, and economic losses. In 2022, Nigeria lost $23 billion to oil theft, so that it lost its position as Africa's top oil exporter. The authorities are committed to fighting this problem by deploying gunboats, engaging vigilantes, and supporting the navy. Increased oil production, now averaging 1.8 million barrels per day, has been attributed to these efforts. However, poverty and unemployment continue to drive pipeline vandalism. Nigeria's inflation rate, worsened by a devalued naira, remains high, but there is official optimism that rising oil output will stabilise the economy.

Gun crime in London has surged by nearly 30%, impacting areas once considered safe. The recent shooting of an eight-year-old girl in Ladbroke Grove highlights the escalating violence linked to gang rivalries. Community leaders attribute the rise to recently released prisoners returning to their communities with unresolved conflicts.  High-crime areas are seeing younger individuals recruited into gang activities, including carrying weapons. The surge in gun-related incidents has placed immense pressure on Scotland Yard, which faces severe budget cuts of £450 million, potentially reducing the police force by two thousand officers. Mayor Sadiq Khan emphasises efforts like the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), which has funded 350,000 opportunities for youth and contributed to a reduction in homicides and stabbings. Initiatives such as youth worker programmes in hospitals and police custody aim to prevent reoffending and exploitation. Organisations like The Children’s Society are working to protect vulnerable children through education, awareness campaigns, and collaborative efforts to tackle the root causes of violence, offering hope for a safer future.

The authorities have arrested fourteen individuals, including a wounded teenage boy, after they emerged from an illegal gold mine in Stilfontein, where hundreds of miners remain trapped underground. The miners, called zama zamas, search abandoned mines for gold, often risking arrest, deportation, or violence. Operating in over six thousand defunct mines, they endure dangerous conditions, relying on contractors for food and supplies. This underground economy is dominated by criminal syndicates which exploit the miners, sometimes forcing them to work under threat. Efforts to remove the miners include blocking shafts and restricting supplies. Officials estimate 350-400 miners remain underground, but some reports put the number at as much as four thousand. The government is looking at ways of getting the miners out, but fears of  poisonous gases and armed syndicates are complicating rescue plans.

An Indonesian woman known as Suzy has reportedly lost over RM4 million (£700,000) to a Malaysian-based foreign currency investment scheme. She began investing in 2020, and received a 20% annual return in 2021 and 2022. However, the company cited licensing issues last year and ceased dividend payments, leaving her unable to access her funds. She has now filed a police report, joining 69 others from Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei. An expert said that the scheme had resulted in estimated losses of RM100 million (£17.5 million) for over 500 Malaysian locals. He urged authorities to take this cross-border case seriously and take action to protect the country's good name from being seen as a fraud syndicate hub.

Jamie Stevenson, one of the UK's most wanted men, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for masterminding a plot to smuggle nearly a tonne of cocaine from Ecuador to Scotland, hidden in a banana shipment. Known as 'Iceman,' Stevenson pleaded guilty to directing the drug operation, which was intercepted by Border Force at Dover in 2020. The cocaine, valued between £76 million and £100 million, was addressed to a Glasgow fruit merchant. Stevenson was also involved in producing and supplying the drug etizolam. His arrest was part of Operation Pepperoni, which targeted criminal activities on the encrypted communication platform EncroChat. Stevenson fled the UK but was arrested in the Netherlands in 2022 and extradited. Authorities praised the investigation that brought him to justice, emphasising the harmful impact of his criminal activities on communities. His conviction highlights the ongoing battle against organised crime in the UK: others involved in the crime were also sentenced.

An Indian ‘fixer’, Tara Chand Tanwar, is likely to face indictment for a long history of criminal activity. One example concerns Sandeep, from Rajasthan, who was working in Italy but lost his job in 2015. He paid €5,000 to Tanwar for a new job in logistics. However, the job exposed him to exploitative conditions, including twelve-hour workdays, lack of a contract, and overcrowded living arrangements. Sandeep’s fear of losing his residency kept him compliant. From 2012 to 2022, Tanwar used weaknesses in Italy’s migration and procurement laws to implement a system of bribery, blackmail, and mafia-like tactics. His operation funnelled millions through bank accounts linked to forced labour. Tanwar’s influence in Rajasthan, a region with high unemployment, had made him a pivotal figure in arranging jobs for hundreds of hopeful migrants, though he lacked the required licences. Workers were unaware of his illegal status and became trapped in debt.

Sajid Ali, 56, from Hall Green, Birmingham, has been convicted of leading a criminal gang in a £11 million drug smuggling operation. With four accomplices, he orchestrated a plan to import Class A drugs concealed in a shipment of bananas from Ecuador. The cocaine was hidden inside the roof of a shipping container, which was to be moved from London to an industrial estate in Coventry for extraction and distribution. The National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested the men in April 2022, and seized a total of 139 kilograms of cocaine, valued at up to £11,120,000. Ali was considered too senior to handle the drugs directly and fled to Türkiye when he couldn't reach his associates. He was later arrested at Heathrow Airport when attempting to return to the UK. He denied involvement, but evidence, including burner phone communications, proved otherwise. A successful collaboration between the CPS and the NCA brought him to justice. Proceedings to confiscate the gang's illegal profits have now commenced.

On 21 February, In a coordinated effort across four German states, with cooperation from France and Belgium, law enforcement agencies launched a targeted operation against a suspected human-smuggling gang at dawn. This response to illegal trafficking reflects growing concerns over such activities in Europe. It aimed not just to make arrests but to dismantle the entire network. The raid sheds light on the human suffering behind smuggling, emphasising the need for international collaboration to address its root causes. It underscores the importance of comprehensive strategies prioritising human dignity and safety. While there are questions about its long-term impact, the move represents a pivotal moment in the struggle against trafficking. It serves as a beacon of hope for a future where exploitation does not thrive on the vulnerabilities of the desperate.

Asghar Gheshalghian, a 48-year-old from Iran, has been jailed for eight years for money laundering in connection with people smuggling gangs involved in Channel crossings. He operated an unregistered money transfer business in North London, serving as a middleman for migrants and their families. He collected payments and, upon the migrants' safe arrival in the UK, passed the money to the gangs, earning a commission. His illicit activities were masked by a front business in rug dealing. Arrested in 2021 after a two-year investigation, Gheshalghian's premises were searched, resulting in the seizure of around £50,000. Phone evidence linked him to many Iranian migrants who claimed asylum in the UK. In total, he channelled about £1.6 million through his bank accounts. Evidence in his trial included covert recordings where Gheshalghian boasted about his criminal business. In sentencing him, Mr Justice Griffith emphasised his significant role in facilitating illegal immigration. The case highlights ongoing efforts to combat organised immigration crime.