Heroin 'Mr Bigs' targeted in Turkey

The Press Association: Heroin 'Mr Bigs' targeted in Turkey: "Joint operations with Turkish police have allowed Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency to target the 'Mr Bigs' in Turkey who control the bulk of the UK heroin trade, MPs have heard.
Soca's deputy director Steve Coates said the disruption of organised Turkish gangs on their home territory helped cause a heroin 'drought' on the streets of Britain which is driving up the wholesale price of the drug.
Turkish gangs traffic around 70% of the 18-23 tonnes of heroin smuggled into the UK each year, Mr Coates told the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee.
But he played down suggestions that Turkish accession to the European Union would increase the supply of the drug by making it easier for gang members to move in and out of the UK.
Turkish EU membership would allow 'more streamlined, structured and faster' intelligence sharing between police forces and would deliver advantages in tackling the drug trade at its source, he said.
Soca currently has eight officers based in Istanbul and Ankara, co-operating with Turkish National Police and other law enforcement agencies in tackling the five major crime gangs which dominate the heroin trade."

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seven Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, members in Washington, are named on charges of murder, murder conspiracy, racketeering conspiracy, narcotics trafficking,

Nationwide sweep of gangs nets more than 30 - Washington Times: "The gang members, including seven Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, members in Washington, are named on charges of murder, murder conspiracy, racketeering conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, robbery and gun trafficking. Led by the FBI, teams of law enforcement officers began the sweep after the indictments and complaints were unsealed Wednesday.

“Although these cases are in different parts of the country, they illustrate the common threats gang members pose to our communities,” said FBI Assistant Director Kevin Perkins, who heads the bureau’s Criminal Investigative Division.

“Gangs were once found in big cities, but their operations are now migrating to rural areas,” he said. “The types of offenses gang members commit are also changing, from drug-running and petty crimes to home invasions and health care fraud.”"

Northern Montana Border Subject to Drug/People Smuggling via Airplane - Billings Economy | Examiner.com

Northern Montana Border Subject to Drug/People Smuggling via Airplane - Billings Economy | Examiner.com: "Top members of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee released a new report Tuesday that found alarming security vulnerabilities on the 4,000 mile long northern border between the United States and Canada where, according to the Department of Homeland Security (or DHS), illegal crossings by terrorists are more likely than they are across the southern border.

The report evaluating northern border security was produced by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) upon the request of Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman. Senator Jon Tester is a member of the committee.

According to the report, the Border Patrol was aware of all illegal border crossings on only 25 percent of the border, or 1,007 out of 4,000 miles. The Border Patrol was aware of all illegal crossings and was able to make an immediate arrest on less than 1 percent or 32 miles of the 4,000 mile border. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) views the likelihood of terrorist crossing to be higher than they are at the southern border given the large expanse of area with limited law enforcement coverage and the presence of Islamist extremists in Canada."