Cocaine

Death of teacher who swallowed bag of cocaine 'accidental'

Victoria Buchanan is thought to have ingested the drug after realising it was in her possession while waiting to fly home to Dubai in March last year.

Moments later she collapsed and was taken to hospital where she died.

Assistant coroner Andrew Bridge concluded her death was by misadventure.

Mrs Buchanan, 42, originally from Kilmarnock, Scotland, had moved to Dubai in 2010 and worked as a teacher in the United Arab Emirates, Manchester Coroner's Court heard.

Australian drug smuggler jailed for 23 years in Fiji

He and wife Yvette were arrested after Fijian authorities discovered more than $US14 million dollars’ worth of drugs, along with two guns, on their vessel, Shenanigans, as it arrived in Port Denarau in June.

While Ms Nikolic was acquitted on all charges, Mr Nikolic was last week found guilty of drug importation, possession, and failure to declare arms and ammunitions to a customs officer following a trial at the High Court in Suva.

Fiji Village reports that Justice Daniel Goundar on Friday handed down a sentence of 23 years' jail with no parole for 18 years.

     

Colombia cocaine production acreage at 'record level'

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the acreage under coca cultivation rose to 171,000 hectares in 2017, a 17% increase from 2016.

The agency warned production could harm recent peace-building efforts.

Colombia is the world's largest producer of cocaine, much of which ends up in the US - which is the world's largest consumer.

Gloria María Borrero Restrepo, Colombia's justice minister, reportedly called the data "really very worrying".

US woman jailed for smuggling cocaine in high heels

Denise Marie Woodrum, 51, was arrested at Sydney Airport last year after border officials found cocaine stuffed inside high heels and other belongings in her luggage.

In January, she pleaded guilty to the illegal import but told the court she was a victim of an online romance scam.

A judge found she had willingly participated in the operation.

On Thursday, the New South Wales District Court sentenced Woodrum, from Missouri, to a maximum of seven-and-a-half years in jail.

Language glitch imperils Tahiti cocaine trial

Media reports say upon arrest last year the three men - two Dutchmen and a Pole - were not given advice on how to challenge the search of their yacht in their native languages.

The lawyers say failing to have done so nullifies the case.

However, according to Radio1 the prosecution claimed that customs staff could search any docked vessel and any challenge could only be filed within 72 hours.

A decision is expected in three weeks.

The three suspects claimed they didn't know about the cocaine on their yacht when they were caught in the Marquesas Islands.

Two arrested after Tonga cocaine bust

In a statement Tonga police said two local men, aged 26 and 28, had been arrested and were in police custody following the drug seizure.

Police Commissioner Stephen Caldwell said police would protect the country's borders and its people with everything that it takes.

Mr Caldwell said the fight against drugs was a challenge for the whole country - not just police.

He said Tonga's youth need to be protected from these criminals who are destroying their futures by addicting them to drugs.

     

Trio have cocaine sentences lengthened in New Caledonia

The captain, who is a 70-year old from the Netherlands, has been jailed for nine years, which is two years more than the sentence in the criminal court earlier this year.

The other two, a 54-year-old from Peru and a 39-year-old from Poland, have each been given seven-year jail terms.

According to Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes, the trio had earlier also been fined more than $US25 million.

The street value of the drugs was estimated to be about $US450 million.

Rugby stars charged in Paris over cocaine

The pair were arrested outside a nightclub near the Champs Elysees on Saturday and spent a night in jail.

Williams, 35, will appear in court at a later date having accepted a charge of buying cocaine, judicial sources say.

O'Connor, 26, faces a charge of possession. They were found with 2.4 grams of the drug.

Police, quoted by AFP, alleged Williams was seen in a car with two suspected drug dealers. O'Connor was allegedly spotted outside the car acting as a lookout.

Williams plays for the French team Racing 92 and O'Connor is at Toulon.

Former All Black arrested on suspicion of buying cocaine

Police apprehended Williams and former Australian international James O'Connor after they were allegedly caught handing over cash to a drug dealer outside a night-club in the French capital at about 3am Saturday morning (local time).

An official said both players were drunk at the time of their arrest and were not carrying identification papers.

The official added that they were attempting to buy drugs worth about $200 euros and that the two sellers were also arrested.

Australian police seize more than a ton of cocaine in record-breaking bust

The December 25 bust, along with a seizure of 1336 pounds (606 kilograms) of cocaine from the same syndicate earlier this year, was worth about $259 million (AUD$360 million) and is Australia's largest ever haul from a single cartel.

Police said it was among their ten largest seizures ever.

The investigation, codenamed Operation Okesi, was a joint effort between Australian Federal Police, New South Wales Police and Australia's Border Force.