drug trafficking

Afghanis: beholden to the markets

The UNODC recently released its annual report concerning opium cultivation in Afghanistan. Unsurprisingly, levels of opium production have continued to rise despite more efforts made at eradication. In fact, the amount of area under opium poppy cultivation has risen to some of the highest levels ever seen. So what exactly is driving this rise in production levels? The simple answer is the opium market, which like every other market is driven by supply and demand.

    The shifting cocaine trade

    This year’s UNODC World Drug Report report produced some surprising figures concerning cocaine trafficking. According to the paper, cocaine seizures in Brazil had increased tenfold between the years 2005 to 2009, rising from 25 tons to 260 tons.

    These figures are fairly significant and may signal that Brazil is becoming the new South American transit hub for cocaine bound for Europe. Why is this occurring though? And what does this revelation mean for the war of drugs?

      Journalism in Latin America

      A recent report on the coverage of drug traffiking in Latin America reveals both the dangers journalists face in the Americas and the need for a new approach to covering organised crime. The report summarises the deliberations of nearly 50 journalists and academics, who gathered at the University of Texas this May. This was made possible due to the collaboration of the Open Society Media Programme, the Latin America Programme and the Knight Centre for Journalism. The findings are therefore important and may be surprising.

        The link between African drug trafficking and terrorism

        Drug trade accounts for nearly 1% of the world’s GDP, and over $320 billion generated annually. Africa is one of the world’s largest players in the drug trafficking industry: 50% of non-U.S.-bound cocaine passes through West Africa, accounting for 13% of the global flow. Drug trafficking poses a risk to government and political stability, the rule of law, and the quality of regulation in the country.

          United States agrees to help East Africa fight against drug smuggling

          United States agrees to help East African economy  fight against drug trafficking in Kenya.

             The United States ambassador Michael Rannerberger announced that East Africa (Kenya) will be helped in fighting against drug trafficking in the country. This came after four of Kenyan government officials and a businessman were banned from entering America as they were suspected of smuggling drugs into the country. The officials were not named but were banned from the country as one way of preventing drug smuggling to other countries.

            West Africa: Drugs and Corruption

            "Growing number of organized crime which operates largely with impunity, is breeding corruption, threatening security across region where the value of drugs present is higher than national GDPs of some of the countries". Surprisingly this statement does not refer to Latin and Central America and Asia commonly associated with drug trade. In the last few decades we can observe a drastic increase of illegal activities of this kind in Africa, particularly its western coast.

              Suspected drug traffickers executed

              Continuing reports to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran have indicated widespread secret group executions of hundreds of inmates in Vakilabad prison in Mashad, mostly charged with drug trafficking. It is reported that thirteen inmates were executed on 5 October and ten on 12 October in “Execution Hallway”, located near the visitation room, where they were executed one after the other. The executions were carried out contrary to Islamic law and without any prior notice for the families involved or any the victim’s lawyers being informed.

                Violent street gangs make alliances with drug cartels

                Hispanic gangs that formed in the United States as a way of protecting themselves from racist attacks in the 1980s, are now playing a fundamental part in the drug trade. The gangs – which have expanded in number and territory - are now being employed by large drug trafficking organisations. They are now active in distributing narcotic drugs at a retail level as well as working as violent foot soldiers in the war to control the trafficking routes not only in the US but also throughout Latin America.

                  The DEA most wanted are mainly from Colombia and Mexico

                  Within the list of most wanted fugitives by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are three members of the Arellano Felix cartel (Eduardo Arellano Felix, Manuel Aguirre Galindo and Gustavo Rivera Martinez) and nine other people most of them from Latin America. But the most wanted of all is the famous Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin Guzman Loera, alias “El Chapo”. The US government has offered up to US$5 million for relevant information that leads to his capture.

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