Cartels smuggle a different type of cocaine to new overseas labs
Cartels are offshoring more cocaine production outside of Colombia and exporting lower-grade drugs that are easier to conceal in products such as paints and plastics.
Increasingly, the groups are smuggling coca paste - cheap, unrefined cocaine - to labs as far away as Italy and the Netherlands to be processed into the final powder, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.
"In terms of risk, if a shipment gets intercepted they're losing less," said Leonardo Correa, who heads the UNODC's monitoring and technical analysis in the Andes. "Coca paste is easier to mix with other products, which facilitates smuggling."
Smuggling gangs have succeeded in mixing coca paste into products such as asphalt, vegetable oil and charcoal, according to the UN. Experts with some knowledge of chemistry then extract the product at the destination, Correa said. In Dec, Portuguese police dismantled a major cocaine laboratory. Such laboratories have also been found in Spain, Central America and elsewhere.
Satellite images show the increase in supply is fuelled by a surge in production of coca, the raw material for the drug, in Colombia.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Last DNA match done, 260 bodies handed over: Min
Ahmedabad: A gruelling fortnight-long exercise to identify all victims of AI flight 171 finally ended on Friday, with forensic experts finding a DNA match for 32-year-old passenger Anil Khimani. His was the last sample out of 241 passengers and crew that perished in the tragedy, which the experts were toiling to match. Khimani was a native of Dahisara village near Bhuj. His mortal remains were handed over to the family on Saturday, confirmed Civil Hospital officials. With the update, state health minister Rushikesh Patel, in a release, stated that bodies of 260 victims of the air tragedy, which includes 241 passengers and crew and 19 killed on the ground, have been identified and handed over to their kin. Those on board included 181 Indian nationals, 52 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. Out of the total, 31 were flown for the last rites, whereas the rest were sent by road. "Out of the Indian victims, 73 are from Ahmedabad, 29 from Anand, 24 from Vadodara, 14 from Diu, 13 from Maharashtra, 12 from Surat, and 11 from Kheda among others," the minister stated in the release. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Health department officials said that none of the samples given by relatives remain unmatched. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trading CFD dengan Teknologi dan Kecepatan Lebih Baik IC Markets Mendaftar Undo "In case any remains are found from the crash site, identification will be carried out," said a senior official. Meanwhile, sources saidthat Khimani, who had travelled to other countries for work, was flying to the UK for the first time. His family had been desperately praying for the match. Khimani is survived by his wife and children, the sources said.
NDTV
9 hours ago
- NDTV
DNA Test Identifies Last Victim Of Ahmedabad Crash, Death Count Stands At 260
Ahmedabad: More than two weeks after the Ahmedabad plane crash, the DNA test has ascertained the identity of the last victim, and the death toll in the tragedy now stands at 260, officials said on Saturday. The remains of the last victim were handed over to the family, they said. The medical authorities had earlier pegged the fatality count at 270. A London-bound Air India flight crashed into a hostel complex in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the city on June 12, killing 241 on board and several others on the ground. One passenger miraculously survived. "The DNA matching of the last body of the Air India plane crash victim has been done. The victim's mortal remains have been handed over to relatives," Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Dr Rakesh Joshi said. "With this, the death toll in the plane crash is 260," he said, adding that three patients, who suffered injuries in the air crash, were undergoing treatment in the civil hospital. The bodies of all 260 victims have been handed over to the relatives so far. Of the 241 passengers and crew members who died, the mortal remains of 240 had been identified earlier while one body was pending for match. The matching of the DNA samples confirmed the victim's identity on Friday, the officials said. Apart from 241 passengers and crew members, 19 persons on the ground died, they said. A 40-year-old British national, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, emerged as the lone survivor of the plane crash. Till June 23, officials had confirmed the identity of 259 victims. They had to carry out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or damaged. The 260 victims included 200 Indians, including 181 passengers and 19 ground victims, seven Portuguese nationals, 52 British nationals and one Canadian, the government said in a release. An official release said the DNA matching process was very complicated as a large number of bodies had to be identified since they were beyond recognition. In such cases, the DNA matching of victims with their family members takes months. But in the case of the Air India plane crash, identification of samples was completed in about two weeks, it said.
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- The Hindu
Ahmedabad flight crash: DNA test identifies last victim; death toll stands at 260
More than two weeks after the Ahmedabad plane crash, the DNA test has ascertained the identity of the last victim, and the death toll in the tragedy now stands at 260, officials said on Saturday (June 28, 2025). The mortal remains of the last victim were handed over to the family, they said. Medical authorities had earlier pegged the fatality count at 270. A London-bound Air India flight crashed into a hostel complex in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad moments after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the city on June 12, 2025, killing 241 on board and several others on the ground. One passenger miraculously survived. "The DNA matching of the last body of the Air India plane crash victim has been done. The victim's mortal remains have been handed over to relatives," Superintendent of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Dr. Rakesh Joshi said. "With this, the death toll in the plane crash is 260," he said, adding that three patients, who suffered injuries in the air crash, were undergoing treatment in the civil hospital. The bodies of all 260 victims have been handed over to the relatives so far. Of the 241 passengers and crew members who died, the mortal remains of 240 had been identified earlier while one body was pending for match. The matching of the DNA samples confirmed the victim's identity on Friday (June 27, 2025), the officials said. Apart from 241 passengers and crew members, 19 persons on the ground died, they said. A 40-year-old British national, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, emerged as the lone survivor of the plane crash. Till June 23, officials had confirmed the identity of 259 victims. They had to carry out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition or damaged. The 260 victims included 200 Indians, including 181 passengers and 19 ground victims, seven Portuguese nationals, 52 British nationals and one Canadian, the government said in a release. An official release said the DNA matching process was very complicated as a large number of bodies had to be identified since they were beyond recognition. In such cases, the DNA matching of victims with their family members takes months. But in the case of the Air India plane crash, identification of samples was completed in about two weeks, it said.
