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Asia

Asia, North America, Smuggling
Blasts and whimpers from the past
02.10.07 | Permalink | Comment?

As Rob recently noted, it’s been a while since we’ve written material for the site. While the break has been a good opportunity to catch my breath and get on with some other things, it’s about time I got off my all-too-skinny posterior and back into the swing of all things rehabology.com. And I thought that before I got into some more in-depth stories - or rambling ones depending on your point of view - it would be good to do a little update on a few stories I’ve blogged about in the past.

It’s been quite a few month’s since we encountered the case that was making headlines in India, that of drug charges against Rahul Mahajan, the son of a former top BJP official. You may recall that in August of last year a charge sheet had just been filed against him, this after that fateful early morning in June when he and his father’s ex-aide, Vivek Maitra, were rushed to hospital after apparent overdoses of illegal drugs, with the latter dead on arrival. Well, a trial date has finally been set for the 21st of February, when Mahajan, who has pleaded not guilty, will face charges of illegal possession of drugs, along with abetment and criminal conspiracy. His co-accused, Sahil Zaroo, and Mahajan’s assistant, Harish Sharma, also face various drugs charges; two Nigerians who are said to have supplied the drugs in question also face charges.
Asia
Drugs in Punjab
10.01.06 | Permalink | Comment?

A recent article on drugs in Punjab province of India looks into the question of why addiction is widespread seemingly regardless of social class or economic situation. It’s an interesting article from a local perspective.

With a little further research though, you start to realise just how big the issue of the drug trade is for the people of Punjab.

Punjab has a growing heroin problem and trafficking profits have attracted international profiteers from as far away as the UK.
Asia, War on Drugs
Pacific Drug Production Growing
09.10.06 | Permalink | Comment?

According to a recent article in Australia’s Age Newspaper, the small island nations of the South
Pacific are home to a growing drug production problem.

According to Chris Ellison, a politician from Australia, the islands of the South Pacific are an ideal place for criminal syndicates to take advantage of the weak governments in the region.

“Because it is such a vast area, with many small nations and thousands of small islands, it is just an ideal place for transnational criminal syndicates to operate and base their drugs operations,” said Ellison.
Asia
Drug Mules Sentenced to Death
09.07.06 | Permalink | Comment?

Six of the Bali Nine drug mules are now to be executed by firing squad in Indonesia after losing their latest legal appeal.

In addition to Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran who were supposedly the ringleaders of the group, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Si Yi Chen Scott Rush and Matthew Norman are now also to be put on death row.

The only woman in the group, Renae Lawrence did not appeal her 20 year sentence and so escaped the latest round of harsh sentencing.
Asia, People
Apollo Hospital officially a target in Rahul Mahajan drug case
09.02.06 | Permalink | Comment?

Just as events in the Rahul Mahajan drug case seemed to be settling into the lull before the inevitable storm of the 14th of September trial start date in a special court, police have told court in a progress report on the case that they will be bringing charges of criminal conspiracy, tampering with evidence and giving false statements against the Apollo Hospital in Delhi, the hospital where Mahajan was rushed to on the early morning of the second of June.
Asia, Smuggling
Japan Seizures Plummet After N. Korean Bust
08.18.06 | Permalink | Comment?

Japanese newspapers are reporting that the amount of drug seizures in the country has fallen drastically due to the siezure of a North Korean drug smuggling vessel in May.

According to the National Police Agency, there has been over an 85% drop in drug seizures compared to the same time last year.

There are however a few things that should be mentioned here.

For starters, it is no particular secret that the government of North Korea makes some serious coin from drug smuggling - usually heroin. Drug shipments have been intercepted on their way to China, Japan and even Australia where a North Korean official was even arrested on the drug vessel. Being so strapped means that Kim Jong Il and the boys have to get a little inventive with their cash flow situation and smuggling helps fill the gap.
Asia
Rahul Mahajan drug case: charge sheet filed and hearing date set
08.05.06 | Permalink | Comment?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this week, Delhi police were preparing to file a charge sheet against Rahul Mahajan and four others involved in the high profile drug case that saw Mahajan, the son of former slain senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, and his father’s ex-aide, Vivek Maitra, rushed to Apollo Hospital early June, with Maitra dead on arrival.

Police have now done so, although it has been determined that there isn’t enough evidence against Ibririm Ugochukwu Ifeanyi, one of three Nigerians originally in line to be charged. Ifeanyi’s fellow countrymen will remain in prison; all of the other accused are out on bail.
Asia
Community anti-drug policing initiative in Jakarta isn’t a lemon
08.03.06 | Permalink | Comment?

While there probably isn’t any free lemonade being given away, a community policing initiative by Jakarta police aimed at quelling drug dealing and associated violence in a neighbourhood notorious for such activities has some similarities with a scheme in Minneapolis I wrote about last month.

Police in the north of Minnesota’s capital closed off half a street with room for a basketball hoop, allowed passers-by to talk to police and receive free lemonade, all the while being positioned near a major drug-dealing hot spot.

Jakarta police are setting up two tents in the busy area of Kebon Pala in the east of Indonesia’s capital. According to the Jakarta Post, it is “a crowded area and a safe haven for drug dealers, couriers and users” and being close to a highway enables “people to come and go easily.” As a result, residents were understandably scared to hang around outside too long. But not even their houses were necessarily safe, with drug dealers commandeering local homes to get away from police raids. And despite these raids, drug dealing didn’t abate.
Asia, Treatment
Football therapy for Indian drug addicts
07.31.06 | Permalink | Comment?

There’s a nice story from AFP about Sahara, an NGO based in south New Delhi that provides treatment for ex-drug addicts and those with HIV/AIDS. What is interesting is that football - soccer - has been used as a key form of therapy for its men in this cricket-mad country. Its female patients receive vocational training in handcrafts and pig farming, which can lead to self-employment.

Sahara has been around for 28 years and seems to have a reputation for innovative programs designed to give those previously marginalised in general society the confidence and opportunity to become more integrated with the wider community - and hopefully vice versa. It caters for about 200 patients at any one time.
Asia
Charge sheet to be filed in Rahul Mahajan case
07.30.06 | Permalink | Comment?

After a nearly two month investigation into the Rahul Mahajan drug case it looks like Delhi police will finally be filing a charge sheet this week.

Rahul Mahajan, the son of slain former senior BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, was rushed to a Delhi hospital early one morning in June along with his father’s former aide Vivek Maitra, both initially suspected of suffering from food poisoning. Tests later revealed that they both had cocaine and heroin in their systems. While Maitra was dead on arrival, Mahajan recovered and has been in the sights of police ever since.

In addition to charges of drug possession and distribution against Mahajan, the charge sheet will also detail evidence against:

* Sahil Zaroo, an associate of Maitra’s who was said to have ordered the drugs.
* Three Nigerians who allegedly supplied the drugs in question.
* Mahajan’s aide, Harish Sharma, plus his housekeeper Ganesh, both for allegedly destroying evidence at his home.