Shipping Lines
December 26, 2022 3:43 AM Subscribe
How a Cocaine-Smuggling Cartel Infiltrated the World’s Biggest Shipping Company [Bloomberg; ungated]
More on drugs from Bloomberg:
The Golden Age of Cocaine Is Happening Right Now [ungated]
A Fruit Company Found Cocaine In Its Banana Shipment. This Dutch Town Paid the Price [ungated]
More on drugs from Bloomberg:
The Golden Age of Cocaine Is Happening Right Now [ungated]
A Fruit Company Found Cocaine In Its Banana Shipment. This Dutch Town Paid the Price [ungated]
According to the articles, demand has been steady in the US, but up in Europe and other areas.
The main suspect, a 37-year-old who can only be identified as Ali G. under Dutch law, ordered several of the attacks from a Rotterdam prison after his arrest in January 2021, passing instructions via fellow inmates to collaborators on the outside, according to the court sentence.
Booyakasha.
posted by snofoam at 4:49 AM on December 26, 2022 [13 favorites]
The main suspect, a 37-year-old who can only be identified as Ali G. under Dutch law, ordered several of the attacks from a Rotterdam prison after his arrest in January 2021, passing instructions via fellow inmates to collaborators on the outside, according to the court sentence.
Booyakasha.
posted by snofoam at 4:49 AM on December 26, 2022 [13 favorites]
Impressive seamanship with the speedboats. Damn.
posted by lalochezia at 5:18 AM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by lalochezia at 5:18 AM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Zero Zero Zero on Amazon Prime is an action series about a shipment of cocaine from inception to delivery and is very good (and quite beautiful). Like a drug shipment it seems to have slipped under the radar and most people haven't heard of it.
posted by srboisvert at 6:33 AM on December 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 6:33 AM on December 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
I saw Zero Zero Zero! its pretty strange but yes a fascinating story told in a compelling way
posted by supermedusa at 9:43 AM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by supermedusa at 9:43 AM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
This article was fascinating, thank you for posting.
posted by Toddles at 12:05 PM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Toddles at 12:05 PM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Nice title for the FPP!
posted by TedW at 12:59 PM on December 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by TedW at 12:59 PM on December 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
When your tunnel is done, and you want to sail on
posted by clavdivs at 3:20 PM on December 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by clavdivs at 3:20 PM on December 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
While I enjoyed the article, I can't help but wonder what the point of spending so much money on failed drug policy. Legalize it all and spend this money on other, more important things.
posted by Thrakburzug at 4:31 PM on December 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Thrakburzug at 4:31 PM on December 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
Right? It can be a cringe feeling having to wait in line at a chichi drug spa for legal cannabis, but maybe the cocaine ones would be different.
If legalization undercut the drug smuggling trade, would those organized crime groups shift to moving weapons around or something? Hard to imagine anything with the profit margin something like cocaine can bring to the table. All the same, doubtful those groups will just go legit, so is there a serious concern that things would be somehow worse without the illicit drug trade?
posted by otsebyatina at 4:40 PM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
If legalization undercut the drug smuggling trade, would those organized crime groups shift to moving weapons around or something? Hard to imagine anything with the profit margin something like cocaine can bring to the table. All the same, doubtful those groups will just go legit, so is there a serious concern that things would be somehow worse without the illicit drug trade?
posted by otsebyatina at 4:40 PM on December 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
the point of spending so much money on failed drug policy.
The money towards drug policy was never intended to achieve cessation of drug trade. There are many drug-trade opponents whose livelihood depends on the drug trade continuing apace in perpetuity.
posted by armoir from antproof case at 4:44 PM on December 26, 2022 [9 favorites]
The money towards drug policy was never intended to achieve cessation of drug trade. There are many drug-trade opponents whose livelihood depends on the drug trade continuing apace in perpetuity.
posted by armoir from antproof case at 4:44 PM on December 26, 2022 [9 favorites]
(Not that i think that’s a good thing. It’s disgusting. But a valid observation, i believe)
posted by armoir from antproof case at 4:49 PM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by armoir from antproof case at 4:49 PM on December 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Customs officials spent days weighing the drugs, counting the bricks and logging it all into evidence. At one point, as the agents rushed to finish their task, they looked around and saw white dust everywhere, Martella recalls. One of the agents realized it wasn’t ordinary dust and instructed everybody to mask up.I thought they were in a hurry...
posted by otsebyatina at 4:50 PM on December 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
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Also of interest, "How Cocaine Trafficking Actually Works".
posted by BWA at 4:39 AM on December 26, 2022 [5 favorites]