SEACOP VI’s Post

Hamburg's port authorities are warning workers against involvement in drug smuggling due to the port's role as a key entry point for cocaine into Europe. Employees are advised to report suspicious behavior and avoid criminal activities to protect themselves, the port, and the community. The crackdown on corruption includes efforts to investigate corrupt employees and raise awareness through projects like INOK. Despite the lucrative cocaine trade, Hamburg is taking steps to prevent the overflow of drug trafficking from other ports and safeguard its operations. #MarinerNews #MaritimeIndustry #ShippingNews #Shipping #Maritime

OPERATION SWEETNESS: Paraguay Discovers 4 Tons of Cocaine Hidden in Sugar in Its Largest Drug Bust Yet. Authorities in Paraguay announced on Tuesday, July 16th, the largest cocaine seizure in the country’s history. They found more than 4 tons of cocaine hidden in a shipment of sugar bound for Belgium. President Santiago Peña called this record discovery “Operation Sweetness,” and expressed hope that the seizure, valued at roughly $240 million, would disrupt the cocaine trade. He also stated that the authorities were determined to pursue those responsible and to boost port security to prevent organized gangs from using Paraguay as a transit point for illegal activities. Agents from Paraguay’s anti-drug agency began unpacking the shipping containers filled with 40-kilogram (88-pound) sacks of sugar at Puerto Caacupemi, a river port in the capital, Asunción. It wasn’t immediately clear where the drugs originated, but Paraguay has been used as a smuggling haven for various illicit goods due to its strategic geographical location. Francisco Ayala, the spokesperson of Senad, highlighted the country's geographically strategic position for organized crime due to its proximity to major cocaine producers in the world and its globally recognized river traffic system. This seizure is part of a broader struggle against drug trafficking that has plagued Paraguay in recent years, transforming it into a key drug trafficking hub in the region. The authorities see this operation as a significant signal to organized gangs that they are determined to interrupt illegal activities and prevent further incidents. Marcon Logística PortuáriaPortos do Paraná

Australia needs more deterrents against the sale of vapes and illegal tobacco. This business model needs to be eliminated. Last week I witnessed a supermarket worker lighting up a cigarette from an illegal tobacco pack, it brought such disappointment. Travel through some suburbs in Australia and the foothold of Vape stores at neighbourhood shopping centres is confronting. These should not exist. At a personal level avoiding connections with enablers of tobacco and vape sales is something that can be pursued by: •checking that superannuation is not invested in any businesses that sell tobacco (Coles, Woolworths, Metcash, Ampol, ect) •checking that your bank is not investing in and any shareholding are not in a business that leases to vape sellers, for example Stockland is leasing to vape sellers. Research finds that intensive deterrents and border security are required to control the import of dangerous vapes and illegal tobacco. Non-citizens found to have imported or sold illegal sourced tobacco, and vapes in Australia should be deported with a lifetime exclusion period from re-entry to Australia.

#CocaineRoundup | Although #Brazil🇧🇷 remains the most important transit country for #cocaine trafficking on #SouthAmerica's east coast, #Ecuador🇪🇨 took the lead on the west coast last year, seizing more cocaine than #Peru🇵🇪 and #Bolivia🇧🇴 combined. Increased seizures in #Belgium, the #Netherlands, and #Spain indicate that these European entry points remain popular with traffickers. Meanwhile, increased drug production and continued demand pushed drug traffickers to look for alternative routes in 2023. At the end of March, police in Norway seized 800 kilograms of cocaine, the largest shipment in the country’s history. Less than a month later, in #Russia, authorities seized 699 kilograms of cocaine destined for other European countries. In April, customs agents in Sweden seized 460 kilograms of cocaine from Ecuador for distribution to other countries. https://bit.ly/43F7TAB

💬 When we think of the global drug trade, countries like Colombia and Mexico often come to mind. 🇵🇾 But according to the Global Organized Crime Index, #Paraguay ranks 4th globally for criminality, just behind those two. With a score of 7.52/10, Paraguay faces significant challenges in illicit markets such as arms trafficking, counterfeit goods, cocaine, and cannabis, all of which score near the top of the scale. Its Criminal Actor score is equally concerning, with state-embedded and foreign criminal actors scoring 9/10. Overall, since 2021, Paraguay has seen an alarming increase in criminality (+0.82), climbing 12 places to 4th globally, while resilience remains low at 3.42/10. Tune in to the latest The Index podcast episode, where Professor Alba Maria González Rolón, former judge for Paraguay's only court handling Organized Crime, sheds light on the country's ongoing struggles with organized crime. 🎧 https://buff.ly/3PqCH1R

In South America, tunnels are used to smuggle narcotics, but in #CentralAsia, they're used for #smuggling #medicines 😅. A 310-meter underground tunnel has been discovered on the Uzbek-Kazakh border by the State Security Service of #Uzbekistan. A cross-border organized crime group illegally imported dubious drugs into Uzbekistan from India through #Kazakhstan. The medicines were transported on the Delhi-Tashkent-Almaty flight. Afterwards, the smuggling proceeded through a tunnel from the Saryagash district of the Turkestan region of Kazakhstan to the Tashkent district of the Tashkent region. The tunnel came out of the house of a Urikzor mahalla resident. According to reports, it has ventilation and lighting, as well as trolleys and ropes for transporting goods. 17,048 packages of Indian-made #drugs of 107 names, including Albumin, Remdesivir, Meropenem and others, were seized from alleged criminal group members. Their total cost is estimated at more than one billion soums (about 80 thousand dollars). The smugglers were arrested and a pre-trial investigation was launched. I wonder if the Uzbekistan Ministry of #Health sees a correlation between smuggling and the lengthy and costly #registration process for drugs. I was shocked when I first heard Uzbekistan's drug registration prices. Even without the associated costs, the official cost of GMP inspection alone are higher than in Europe. I never justify criminals, but perhaps if access to legal, high-quality medicines was easier, the scale of smuggling would be smaller.  

The estimated total number of drug overdoses for 2023 was 107,543, down from 111,029 in 2022 – a 3 per cent decline. Describing the bilateral relationship as “complex” and “complicated”, a senior American government official on Tuesday said the US was “encouraged by the continued commitment and conversations”. One of the goals for the Global #SupplyChainDiplomacy Initiative is to facilitate more dialogue and cooperative behavior focused on eliminating the illegal #fentanyl #supplychain.

Quote of the week 💬 The U.S. Customs and Border Protection has decided to stop the importation of illicit, knockoff tirzepatide products. This ruling exposes a dangerous global network of fraudsters selling fake drugs—and many consumers have no idea they may be taking unsafe and unregulated substances. 🚨 ⚠️ Seven entities across China, Spain, Texas, Florida, and Iowa have been found violating federal law, deceiving people with claims that their products were clinically trialed, FDA-approved, and contained genuine tirzepatide… when in fact they didn’t! 😲 Patrik Jonsson of Eli Lilly and Company emphasizes the risks of knockoff medicines, which often come from unregulated foreign sources and uninspected facilities. Some shipments from China were even hidden in dog food, tea, and facial masks—can you imagine? 🍵🎭 💊 Know what you’re taking. Your health is too IMPORTANT to leave to chance. Stay tuned for more at 👉🏻 https://bit.ly/3WOeNSe #Tirzepatide #FakeDrugs #HealthcareFraud #PatientSafety #Lilly #FDA #GlobalHealth #ConsumerAwareness #DrugSafety #IllicitDrugs #RegulatoryRisks