Latest news with #AngelaMe
Scoop
20-07-2025
- Scoop
As War Rages On In Ukraine, Organised Crime Is Taking New Forms
Since February 2022, both legal and illegal economies in Ukraine have been severely disrupted by the war. The report examines the evolution of organised crime structures in the country and focuses on six distinct areas: drug trafficking and production, online scams and fraud, arms trafficking, economic crime, trafficking in persons, and the facilitation of illegal exit and draft evasion. 'The war has not only inflicted untold suffering on the Ukrainian people, but has also triggered a marked evolution in organised crime – which can have profound implications for the country's journey towards recovery and reconstruction,' said Angela Me, Chief of Research and Analysis at UNODC. Drug trafficking While the trafficking of cocaine and heroin through Ukraine has decreased drastically since 2022, the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs such as cathinones and methadone have increased. The expansion of cathinone trafficking in recent years has been facilitated by the darknet, notably through market platforms such as Hydra, which was dismantled in April 2022. Regarding methadone, the report noted that most of the Ukrainian production is trafficked within the country and not abroad, as domestic demand for the drug is on the rise. Arms trafficking The war has also increased the availability of weapons in the country, notably due to a massive influx of arms from the battlefield. This surplus is resulting in a rise in arms seizures and violence among civilians, marked notably by an increase in domestic and intimate partner violence. Although there is no evidence to suggest large-scale arms trafficking outside Ukraine, UNODC highlighted the importance of monitoring the situation in light of the sheer number of weapons available and the historic regional presence of criminal actors specialising in arms trafficking. While there is, as of now, no evidence of drones being used in a non-military context, civilian drones and 3D-printed components for frontline attacks could fuel new illicit markets, the report found. Trafficking in persons As roughly 14 million people have been displaced by the war, some criminal groups have exploited these populations by luring them into shelters or accommodations disguised as humanitarian assistance providers, where they are subjected to forced labour. While intensified patrolling of the borders, paired with the near-complete closure of the eastern and north-eastern borders, has limited the smuggling of migrants through Ukraine, traffickers have instead turned to facilitating draft evasion by Ukrainian men. 'Curtailing organised crime is a key requirement for achieving sustainable peace, justice, national security and the protection of human rights,' said Matthias Schmale, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, as the global body stands ready to support the country in this critical work.
Sharjah 24
12-07-2025
- Sharjah 24
Global cocaine market hit new record highs
Illegal production jumped to 3,708 tons, nearly 34 percent more than in 2022, and more than four times higher than 10 years earlier, when it was at a low, the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its annual report. The current surge is mainly due to an increase in the size of the area under illicit coca bush cultivation in Colombia and updated yield data, it added. Global cocaine seizures, too, recorded a high of 2,275 tons, marking a 68 percent rise in the four years to 2023. The number of cocaine users also grew to 25 million in 2023, up from 17 million ten years earlier. "Cocaine has become fashionable for the more affluent society," UNODC chief researcher Angela Me said, noting a "vicious cycle" of increased use and production. While Colombia remains the key producer, cocaine traffickers are breaking into new markets across Asia and Africa, according to the report, with organised crime groups from the Western Balkans increasing their influence.
Miami Herald
26-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Maps Reveal Cocaine Trafficking Routes Across the Americas
Latest United Nations figures have revealed a spike in the world's production, seizure and use of cocaine, and maps show how North America is a hub for the global trade. The Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released a report on Thursday, which said that in 2023, illegal production of cocaine increased by around one-third from the previous year. Newsweek has contacted the UNODC for further comment. The figures are for 2023 and, as of Thursday, have not been broken down into sub-national data, but offer a snapshot of how entrenched the cocaine market is in North America and the U.S. after years of efforts to clamp down on the trade. The UN released its World Drug Report 2025 on Thursday, which provided data about the narcotics trade over the course of 2023. It said global illegal production of cocaine reached 3,708 tons in 2023, or 34 percent more than the previous year's level of 2,757 tons. Columbia was the source for most of the drugs that eventually crossed the U.S.–Mexico border, according to the report. This was because the size of the area under illicit coca bush cultivation in Colombia had yielded 50 percent more product than the previous year. Production had stabilized in Bolivia and declined slightly in Peru. The UNODC maps show how Columbia, Peru and Bolivia are the hubs for the transport of the drug throughout the continent by land, sea and air. The main cocaine trafficking flows remain from the Andean countries in South America to North America, but also from the Andean countries to Europe, either directly or sometimes through West and Central Africa. The number of cocaine users globally has also kept growing, reaching 25 million people in 2023, up from 17 million a decade earlier. However, global cocaine seizures also reached a record high in 2023 across all regions, and between 2019 and 2023, there was a 68 percent rise in the amount of the drug seized worldwide. Australia and New Zealand are now the world's biggest per-capita users of the drug, with 3 percent of people aged 15 to 64 in the two countries using the drug in 2023, nearly double the figure in the Americas and almost three times that of Europe. UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) chief of research Angela Me: "The global cocaine market is breaking records with productions, seizures, and consumption all reaching new highs in 2023." The Trump administration has repeatedly said it would target drug cartels, and earlier this month, alleged drug traffickers accused of using "narco subs" and aircraft to transport large quantities of cocaine were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Following the order, Treasury Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender said in a statement on June 6 that it would "bring our unique tools and authorities to the fight against cartels and their affiliates." Related Articles FBI To Reopen Biden White House Cocaine Find, SCOTUS Abortion Opinion LeakNosy Housemate's Attempt To Steal 'Drugs' Leads to Six-Month Sensory LossInternational Drug Policy Should Put Health First. That Means Discouraging Use | OpinionDrug Smuggler Arrested for Hiding 200g of Cocaine Under Toupee 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
NDTV
26-06-2025
- NDTV
Global Drugs Production At 3,708 Tonnes, 34% Jump From 2022: UN
Cocaine production, seizures and use all hit record highs in 2023, the UN drug agency said on Thursday, with the illicit drug's market the world's fastest-growing. Illegal production jumped to 3,708 tonnes, nearly 34 per cent more than in 2022, and more than four times higher than 10 years earlier, when it was at a low, the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its annual report. The current surge is mainly due to an increase in the size of the area under illicit coca bush cultivation in Colombia and updated yield data, it added. Global cocaine seizures, too, recorded a high of 2,275 tonnes, marking a 68 per cent rise in the four years to 2023. The number of cocaine users also grew to 25 million in 2023, up from 17 million ten years earlier. "Cocaine has become fashionable for the more affluent society," UNODC chief researcher Angela Me said, noting a "vicious cycle" of increased use and production. While Colombia remains the key producer, cocaine traffickers are breaking into new markets across Asia and Africa, according to the report, with organised crime groups from the Western Balkans increasing their influence. Captagon "A new era of global instability has intensified challenges in addressing the world drug problem, empowering organised crime groups and pushing drug use to historically high levels," UNODC noted. In 2023, six per cent of the population aged between 15 and 64 are estimated to have used a drug, compared to 5.2 per cent of the population in 2013. Cannabis remains the most widely used drug. Seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants also reached a record high in 2023, making up almost half of all global seizures of synthetic drugs, followed by synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, UNODC said. The fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad in Syria last December has "created uncertainty around the future of the captagon trade", UNODC added. Earlier this month, Syria said authorities had seized all production facilities of the illicit stimulant, which became Syria's largest export under Assad. "The latest seizure data from 2024 and 2025 confirm that captagon is continuing to flow -- primarily to countries of the Arabian peninsula -- possibly indicating the release of previously-accumulated stockpiles or continued production in different locations," UNODC said.
Free Malaysia Today
26-06-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Global cocaine market hit new record highs
Global cocaine seizures marked a 68% rise in the four years to 2023. (EPA Images pic) VIENNA : Cocaine production, seizures and use all hit record highs in 2023, the UN drug agency said today, with the illicit drug's market the world's fastest-growing. Illegal production jumped to 3,708 tonnes, nearly 34% more than in 2022, and more than four times higher than 10 years earlier, when it was at a low, the Vienna-based UN office on drugs and crime (UNODC) said in its annual report. The current surge is mainly due to an increase in the size of the area under illicit coca bush cultivation in Colombia and updated yield data, it added. Global cocaine seizures, too, recorded a high of 2,275 tonnes, marking a 68% rise in the four years to 2023. The number of cocaine users also grew to 25 million in 2023, up from 17 million ten years earlier. 'Cocaine has become fashionable for the more affluent society,' UNODC chief researcher Angela Me said, noting a 'vicious cycle' of increased use and production. While Colombia remains the key producer, cocaine traffickers are breaking into new markets across Asia and Africa, according to the report, with organised crime groups from the Western Balkans increasing their influence. Captagon 'A new era of global instability has intensified challenges in addressing the world drug problem, empowering organised crime groups and pushing drug use to historically high levels,' UNODC noted. In 2023, 6% of the population aged between 15 and 64 are estimated to have used a drug, compared to 5.2% of the population in 2013. Cannabis remains the most widely used drug. Seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants also reached a record high in 2023, making up almost half of all global seizures of synthetic drugs, followed by synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, UNODC said. The fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad in Syria last December has 'created uncertainty around the future of the captagon trade', UNODC added. Earlier this month, Syria said authorities had seized all production facilities of the illicit stimulant, which became Syria's largest export under Assad. 'The latest seizure data from 2024 and 2025 confirm that captagon is continuing to flow – primarily to countries of the Arabian peninsula – possibly indicating the release of previously-accumulated stockpiles or continued production in different locations,' UNODC said.
