An Interpol-coordinated operation targeting drug trafficking across Asia and the Pacific has identified emerging smuggling routes and ...
An Interpol-coordinated operation targeting drug trafficking across
Asia and the Pacific has identified emerging smuggling routes and
concealment methods.
Operation Lionfish – ASEAN, which involved more than 2,000 police
and customs officials across 14 countries, revealed a network of West
African and Asian organized crime groups behind trafficking in
methamphetamine – one of the most smuggled drugs in the region.
Of the 59 seizures reported so far, nearly a quarter were
methamphetamine – totalling approximately 121kg, of which 94 kg was
crystalline, known as ‘Ice’.
In total some 350 kg, 50 litres and 2,175 tablets of illicit drugs
including cocaine, cannabis, heroin and amphetamine-type stimulants
(ATS) worth an estimated USD 18 million were seized during the two-week
operation.
In one case, following the discovery of nearly 9 kg of
methamphetamine hidden inside a consignment of soft toys, a controlled
delivery coordinated by law enforcement in the two countries resulted in
the arrest of 13 individuals – seven from various African countries,
two Mongolian nationals and four Chinese nationals.
During the first week of the operation, authorities in the United
Arab Emirates (UAE) identified an increasing trend of liquid cocaine
being trafficked.
Smugglers would swallow condoms packed with liquid cocaine but
unlike other drugs, this type of concealment is harder to detect by
traditional x-ray or computed tomography imagery.
At the request of the UAE, an Interpol Purple Notice has been
issued to all 190 member countries outlining this modus operandi and
methods for detection.
Many of the arrests made during Operation Lionfish – ASEAN resulted
from specific intelligence-sharing, which helped identify a cocaine
trafficking route via Ethiopia to destinations in the Middle East, Asia
and Pacific.
“Operation Lionfish – ASEAN marks a new beginning in our
approach to combating illicit drug smuggling through airports in the
region. It shows the importance of timely information exchange and it is
through such a platform that participating countries come together as
one strong force, acting in unison,” said Abdul Halim Rahman, Senior Officer-In-Charge of the Central Narcotics Bureau at Changi Airport in Singapore.
-International Criminal Police (Interpol)
