Mexican cartels turning to bigger labs

Mexican drug cartels are turning to bigger, more productive labs to churn out increasing quantities of synthetic drugs like meth and fentanyl, according to the Defense Department. There has been a shift by Mexican cartels away from naturally grown drugs like opium and marijuana, where seizures have fallen. Seizures of fentanyl soared 525% in the last three years. Mexican cops seized 1,232 pounds (559 kg) of fentanyl in 2016-2018 and 7,710 pounds (3,497 kg) in 2019-2021. The change was reflected in a drop of more than 50% in the amount of opium poppy fields destroyed in the last three years.

Seizures of methamphetamines, meanwhile, more than doubled. Meth seizures rose from 120,100 pounds (54,521 kg) in 2016-2018 to almost 275,000 pounds (124,735 kg) in the last three years, an increase of 128%. Mexico's synthetic drug boom was illustrated when a trucker from Mexico was arrested after trying to smuggle record-breaking amounts of meth and fentanyl into the U.S. More than 17,500 pounds (7,930 kg) of meth and 389 pounds (176 kg) of fentanyl were discovered hidden inside a tractor-trailer at the Otay Mesa border crossing in San Diego in November.

Florida drug suspect denies owning dope wrapped around penis

Florida man Patrick Florence denied ownership of baggies containing cocaine and methamphetamine that cops found “wrapped around his penis”. Florence, 34, was a passenger in a vehicle stopped around 4 AM for traveling without headlights or tail lights. The driver, Darius Owens, 27, was subsequently arrested on DUI. A search of the vehicle turned up a handgun under Florence’s seat, leading to his arrest on a pair of felony weapons charges. Florence denied ownership of the .38 Special. The ex-con’s rap sheet includes dozens of felony convictions, which bars him from possessing firearms and ammunition. Questioned about the drugs, Florence stated the package wrapped around his penis was not his.

Florence, who has multiple cocaine convictions, neglected to identify the purported owner of the drugs wrapped around his penis.

1.2 tonnes of cocaine lassoed in Kent

Cocaine with a street value of £90m has been found in a banana shipment during a raid at a Kent port. Seven men, including a security guard, were arrested after 100 cops swooped at Sheerness port. The 1.2 tonnes of cocaine seized arrived in the UK from Costa Rica. All seven have been charged with conspiring to import class A drugs.

NZ gangster Dean Noble - Going to prison used to be 'my job'

Notorious former Highway 61 gangster Dean Noble appeared in the Christchurch District Court where a judge said she was confident he can “can make a real go of it this time around”. He was given a slap on the wrist for possession of 99g of methamphetamine for supply, and breaching a protection order by having an air pistol. Its 12 months intensive supervision, along with monitoring and 40 hours of community work. Noble, who has more than 60 convictions, has spent much of his life behind bars. He was released on parole in March 2019 at the age of 51.

Noble said he was determined to take a better path from now on. “For a long time, for years, my job was to come to jail, get sentenced and pretty much [go] through the courts. “But I got my daughter now, and I’m married. Things are different, a little harder, but I am enjoying it. My family means more to me now. I am going to make the most of this that I can.”

46 kilos of cocaine found on SA beach

No arrests have been made in any of these cases.

46kg cocaine was found washed up on the main beach in Jeffrey's Bay in the Eastern Cape. Earlier this month, 600kg of cocaine was found in a shipping container at Durban Harbour. In Nov, 541kg of cocaine was stolen from Hawks offices in Port Shepstone. The thieves entered through a window and “tampered” with one of the safes in the office.

That load came from a June bust.

Nathan Townsend nailed for witness tampering - Red Scorpions

Townsend is also known as Nathan Pawluck

Nathan Townsend, 26, is one of five men charged in connection with the Oct 2018 death of Troy Gold. Townsend, from jail, contacted or attempted to contact a witness in the case 64 times. Townsend is linked to the Red Scorpions gang and Konaam Shirzad, who was shot to death outside his Kamloops home in Sept 2017.

There have been no arrests.

Gold’s murder was the first in a series of deadly gang-related incidents in the city over a five month period that saw four people killed.
See ----->Cops have “viable suspects” in Konaam Shirzad hit
See ----->Shirzad murder set stage for violence unfolding in Kamloops

N.J. Pagan leaders indicted after shooting at Hells Angels rival

Larry Ortiz, aka “Savage” 31

Two New Jersey Pagan’s were indicted for an Oct 2020 incident in which prosecutors said they shot at a member of the Hells Angels. Larry Ortiz and Junius Aquino, aka “Jayo,” 38, were leaving a Verona bar when they were attacked by a group with baseball bats. A week later Ortiz and Aquino shot at a member of the HAMC in retaliation.

Ortiz and Aquino each face four charges. They were both indicted on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

U.S. offers $5m each for Los Chapitos — El Chapo's four sons

The U.S. Department of State is offering $5m for information leading to the capture of any of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera’s four sons. Ovidio Guzmán López, Ivan Archivaldo Guzmán Salazar, Jesús Alfredo Guzmán Salazar and Joaquín Guzmán López are known collectively as Los Chapitos. The four are high-ranking members of the Sinaloa Cartel and control large factions of the cartel. They are believed to be involved in bloody turf wars with rival gangs and infighting for control of the organization.

Pasquale Barbaro's murderers unmasked

Four killer bikies have fought for years through their lawyers to keep their names suppressed, even as they were found guilty or pleaded guilty to Pasquale Barbaro's murder. Members of a gang known as 'Sultani's Crew', named after Abuzar 'Afghani Abs' Sultani, killed Barbaro. Siar Munshizada and Abuzar Sultani are described as 'serial killers'. The cohorts in Barbaro's murder are Joshua Baines and Mirwais Danishyar. Their assassination spree that ended the lives of three gangsters took place in Sydney in 2016.

Abuzar Sultani

Barbaro was shot by two men after he got into his Mercedes. Sultani followed Barbaro until he collapsed and fired five shots in the back of his head as he lay on the ground. Nine hours earlier a detective had given evidence at the trial of Brothers For Life gangsters that suggested Barbaro had been involved in the murder of Joe Antoun. Antoun was a close friend of Sultani.

See ----->Oz 'Gangsta Glam' lifestyle littered with corpses
See ----->L’Onorata ­Societa — the Honoured Society

Vyacheslav Ivankov killers jailed

Vyacheslav Ivankov, alias Yaponchik or 'The Little Japanese' was shot in the abdomen by sniper fire as he left a glitzy Thai restaurant in the Russian capital. He died from his wounds several months later, in October 2009, aged 69. Murtazi Shadaniya, Dzhambul Dzhanashiya and Kakha Gazzayev were charged in Ivankov's murder. They carried out the killing at the behest of a rival mob boss. They received between 13 and 16 years at a strict regime penal colony. Mastermind Ilya Simoniya has fled Russia. An international warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Ivankov was a notorious Russian mafia boss and thief in law.

Vyacheslav Ivankov reigned over the Russian community of Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, New York. It was described as 'ground zero for Russian mafia in the United States'. Ivankov was a partner of 'Boss of all Bosses' Semion Mogilevich. After serving a nine-year sentence in a U.S. prison, Ivankov was released in 2004 and deported to Russia. He was said to have connections with Russian state intelligence.

See ----->Semion Mogilevich - 'Boss of Bosses'