'Ghost Boat' yields 649 kg of cocaine in Marshall Islands

Marshall Islands found their largest-ever haul of cocaine in 2020 in an abandoned boat that washed up on an atoll after drifting on the high seas, likely for years. The 5.5-metre (18-foot) vessel was found at Ailuk atoll with 649 kg (1,430 lbs) of cocaine on board. It's speculated the boat's crew hit a Pacific storm and perished. Ailuk Atoll is a remote atoll with about 400 people.

The vessel likely drifted across the Pacific from South America. Debris from the Americas often washes up in the Marshalls after years at sea, driven by Pacific Ocean currents. Researchers conducted 16 computer simulations of drift patterns from the Mexico coast and found nearly all eventually arrived in the Marshall Islands.

Joel the K9 lands 2.7 tonnes of cocaine

Cops in southern Italy have seized 2,700kg of cocaine hidden in banana crates shipped from Ecuador. The drugs were discovered with the help of sniffer dog Joel. The cocaine, which cops described as of the finest quality, could have brought traffickers more than $900 million in street sales if it had reached its ultimate destination in Armenia. The port of Gioia Tauro, in the “toe” of the Italian peninsula is a stronghold of ’ndrangheta. Days before the seizure, customs at the same port found some 600 kilos of cocaine in six container trucks laden with exotic fruit from Ecuador. Those shipments were destined for Croatia, Greece and Georgia.

Since 2021, and including the latest seizure, customs cops at the port have intercepted and seized 37 tons of cocaine.

Oz Hells Angels Peter 'Skitzo' Hewat son guilty in Jack Daniels heist - update

Beau Peter Hewat, 34, has walked free after a booze heist. He was sentenced to time served. A psychiatrist told the court his offending was driven “primarily” by his meth use and problematic relationship with his father.

The son of notorious Hells Angels bikie Peter 'Skitzo' Hewat hasn't fallen far from the tree. The bikie’s son Beau pleaded guilty in a $200k booze heist. Peter 'Skitzo' Hewat

The younger Hewat is a debt collector for the club. He and others hijacked a truck containing Jack Daniels whiskey in a brazen robbery.

The elder Hewat was sentenced to 12 months' prison after he pleaded guilty to dealing in $250k worth of stolen truck parts. The court noted the HAMC sergeant-at-arms had been committing crimes for more than 40 years. One of his more infamous convictions was for assaulting a kind-hearted grandmother who had taken in Hewat's lost shih-tzu terrier. The woman had put out posters of the dog after she found it near Hewat's Craigieburn home in 2013. When Hewat claimed ownership, she demanded proof before she handed the dog over. Hewat forced his way through her front door and punched her when she blocked his way.

In September 2015 a former employee of Hewat falsely confessed to stealing a truck because he was afraid of the Hells Angels boss. He claimed to owe $10k to Hewat and was terrified he would be shot if he didn’t make the false confession.

Chicago mob hit man Nicholas Calabrese dead

Nicholas Calabrese, one of the Chicago's most notorious mobsters and the most important mafia rat in Chicago mob history, is dead. He was 80. Details aren't available for a reason. Calabrese entered witness protection after he began cooperating with prosecutors before the Family Secrets trial in 2007. Calabrese testified against top mobsters that included his brother, Frank Calabrese Sr., who he claimed committed the majority of the murders with him. Despite killing 14, Calabrese, who was 64 at the time, balked at being called a serial killer. “I am a killer,” Calabrese said on the stand. “I am not a serial killer.” For turning rat, Nicholas Calabrese was spared life in prison, but he did serve a 12 years under special federal protection. Nicholas Calabrese wasn’t the only family member to testify against his own at the trial. Frank Calabrese Jr., not only testified but wore a wire to record his hitman father.

See ----->Chicago mob boss John 'No Nose' DiFronzo dead at 89

Two arrested after cocaine falls out of rubber pregnancy belly

Cops in South Carolina got a surprise when they pulled over driver Anthony Miller and Cemeka Mitchem. Nosey cops noticed the first "red flag" when the two gave conflicting information regarding Mitchem's due date. As it became more apparent that deputies were becoming more suspicious, Mitchem took off running and "very quickly drugs fell from the fake rubber stomach." Cops collected more than 1,500 grams of cocaine. Miller and Mitchem are facing trafficking cocaine charges.

Phuket Thailand - Hells Angels' paradise lost

Night is painted with flashing neon in Phuket. This is a party place - a vacation escape of the everyday.

Along with cheap prices and the ability to blend in with other "farangs" - foreigners, Phuket has much to offer. It is also a global haven for criminals. The list is long ... fraudsters, murderers, pedophiles, fugitives on the run, many call Phuket home. Corruption and slow computerization of records has long made Thailand safe from the long arm of the law. Bikers wear flip flops and drive mopeds. Harleys are impractical in the narrow streets.

The HA clubhouse overlooks Patong beach. The clubhouse is closed after recent unrest. A shooting in August 2022 brought great heat from Thai cops. Oz bikies have been feuding with Thai locals since 2015. Cops also closed the Bankok clubhouse after introducing new laws to deal with imported bikies and and their crime. The bikers must now keep a low profile and need to keep the peace or they will be deported. "We build playgrounds for orphans" says 'Dennis' when asked if the HA receive money through drugs, weapons, prostitution or extortion.

The HA Nomads celebrated their 20th anniversary in Phuket. They like it here.

HA Luke Anderson got sent packing back to Australia from Thailand. He's wanted for drug trafficking. Anderson made headlines in 2016 for bashing a Thai man. The 3 HA bikers avoided consequences by paying restitution.

Drug run ends poorly in Belize

On April 16, cops visited the remote area where the burnt remains of the drug plane were located near a landing strip. While there was a cleared landing strip, the plane had apparently missed it and crashed into nearby bushes, catching fire. Reports that 2 bodies were found were denied by cops. The initial sighting of the plane was on a Tuesday and the arrival of cops at the crash site took 5 days.

Canada to Oz drug ring busted after meth found in bakery mixers

Dealers where undone when stashes of meth were found hidden in air cargo being sent from Toronto. Cops also landed a tonne of methylamine, a precursor used to make both meth and MDMA. The first man convicted on the Australian end and named as the mastermind was Yuan Long Yang, 37. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

Largest ever Colombian narco sub intercepted

The largest Colombian narco sub ever, 30m long and 3m wide, has been busted with three tons of cocaine on board. The crew of Colombians claimed to have been "forced by a drug trafficking organization" to pilot the vessel. In three decades, the Colombian navy has seized 228 such semi-submersibles.

Richard Meloche buys 7 years

The federal prosecutor and Richard Meloche’s lawyer had just agreed he would likely have to serve three years in prison after being caught by Sarnia cops with large amounts of cocaine and crystal meth twice in two months. That deal was scuttled when Meloche, 34, was caught selling those drugs again. This time, though, the tard also had nearly 34 grams of fentanyl. That meant an extra 5 years.