cocaine

Heavy Sentences Handed Down in Iceland’s Biggest Cocaine Bust

Published

1 year ago

April 6, 2023

admin

The four defendants apprehended following Iceland’s biggest cocaine bust received heavy sentences this morning, Mbl.is reports. Only one of the defendants appeared in the courtroom for sentencing.

100 kg of cocaine hidden within a timber shipment

In August of last year, the police confiscated 100 kg of cocaine, which had been hidden inside seven logs included within a timber shipment to Iceland. The drugs were planted inside the logs in Brazil before being shipped to Iceland via the Netherlands.

As reported previously by Vísir, the Icelandic police got wind of the shipment in connection to an investigation into organised crime and subsequently notified police authorities in Rotterdam. The Rotterdam police replaced the cocaine with a fake substance before the container was shipped to Iceland. The estimated street value of the drugs is ISK 2 billion [$14 million/€13 million].

The container was shipped from customs to Borgartún in Reykjavík where it stood unmoved for two days. The container was then transported to Hafnarfjörður, where the cocaine was removed, packaged, and delivered to a third party for distribution and sale. The police subsequently seized the cocaine inside a vehicle on Vefarastræti in Mosfellsbær.

The four suspects in the case, none of which possess a criminal record of note, were subsequently charged with engaging in organised criminal activity, attempted large-scale narcotics offences, and money laundering. The case was filed before the Reykjavík District Court in November of last year.

Heavy sentences handed out

This morning, the District Court of Reykjavík handed out sentences to the four defendants. As noted by Mbl.is, Páll Jónsson received a ten-year prison sentence; Birgir Halldórsson received an eight-year prison sentence; Daði Björnsson received a six-year and six-month prison sentence; and Jóhannes Páll Durr, the only defendant to appear in the courtroom for sentencing, received a six-year prison sentence.

In addition to the prison sentences, the defendants must pay more than ISK 11 million [$81,000/€74,000] in legal fees each, and more than ISK 1 million [$7,000/€7,000] each in court costs (i.e. málskostnaður).

Source: https://www.icelandreview.com/news/heavy-sentences-given-in-icelands-biggest-cocaine-bust/

Source link

cocaine

Lebanese authorities seize 8kg of cocaine at Beirut airport

Published

4 months ago

December 31, 2023

admin

Officials detain suspect who had previously served a six-year sentence for drug smuggling

Lebanese authorities said they had detained a man caught with about 8kg of cocaine at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport.

The man, a Brazilian national with Lebanese origins, had sought to conceal the drugs in a hidden compartment in his suitcase.

He had previously served a six-year sentence in a Lebanese prison on drug trafficking charges and was released in 2022.

Drug busts are relatively common at Lebanon’s only international airport, with authorities stepping up efforts to crack down on the trade in recent years amid pressure from countries in the Gulf.

In January, airport authorities stopped two Brazilian travellers who had ingested 2kg of cocaine in more than 150 capsules.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/lebanon/2023/12/30/lebanese-authorities-seize-8kg-of-cocaine-at-beirut-airport/

Source link

cocaine

Malta: Racehorse tests positive for cocaine and other drugs after winning Marsa race

Published

5 months ago

November 13, 2023

admin

A racehorse tested positive for cocaine and other drugs after it won a race last month.

Six-year-old mare Halina Jibay was found with cocaine in its body when it outperformed nine other horses on the Marsa racecourse on October 1, tests carried out in a French doping laboratory revealed.

In a decision issued by the Malta Racing Club this week, the mare’s owner was suspended from all races for two years and fined €350.

A doping test result issued by the Laboratoire des Courses Hippiques and seen by Times of Malta confirms a urine sample taken from the horse on the day of the race contained cocaine, stanozolol (a synthetic steroid), ketamine (a form of tranquilliser), and methamphetamine (a stimulating drug), among other similar substances.

At least two of the substances – including cocaine – constitute among the most serious rule breaks according to the Malta Racing Club’s regulations, and the rules state such cases must also be reported to the police since the possession of these substances is illegal.

The Malta Racing Club last night said the horse owner was given until today to contest the findings and present a counter-analysis.

Should the owner not contest the findings, then the case will be reported to the police.

https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/racehorse-tests-positive-cocaine-drugs-winning-marsa-race.1066917

Source link

cocaine

East Boston man arrested after police find 240 grams of fentanyl in home

Published

6 months ago

November 8, 2023

admin

An East Boston man is facing a slew of drug charges after police found a stockpile of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms and thousands of dollars in his home, Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden announced Sunday.

“Fentanyl is a death drug, plain and simple,” Hayden said in a release. “The amount seized here — 240 grams of fentanyl, plus sizeable quantities of other drugs — represents a tremendous amount of potential human devastation.”

After months of investigating, police executed a search warrant for the apartment of Robert Ciampi, 63, on Orleans Street in East Boston on Nov. 1, according to the release.

Read the rest of this story on BostonHerald.com.

Source link