All articles tagged with #organized crime
Brazil’s Supreme Court convicted brothers Domingos and João Brazão of masterminding the 2018 murder of Rio de Janeiro councillor Marielle Franco, sentencing them to more than 76 years each; the ruling linked the crime to political protection and militia ties, underscoring corruption and violence against activists.
Mexico’s most powerful drug lord Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, was killed by Mexican security forces in a military operation in Guadalajara, a major blow to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel that operators say could reshape how the drug war unfolds amid ongoing U.S. pressure to crack down on trafficking.
A study found public trust in the Toronto Police Service was strained due to concerns about misconduct and bias. The arrest of seven serving Toronto officers in a major organized-crime investigation compounds the crisis, prompting questions about credibility of prior testimony and calling for changes including greater accountability and a judicial inquiry to restore public confidence.
Seven Toronto police officers and one retired officer were arrested and charged in an organized-crime probe for bribery, conspiracy to murder, and drug trafficking, allegedly leaking personal information to mobsters who then committed violence; the case began with a murder plot against a corrections employee and expanded as suspects targeted the employee and people in the police databases, with some officers accused of protecting illegal cannabis operations for bribes. Authorities suspended those accused and called for stricter oversight, while officials stressed the need to preserve public trust.
Four men, including an 80-year-old lottery winner, were jailed for almost 50 years after police exposed an ‘industrial-scale’ operation in Wigan to manufacture and distribute counterfeit diazepam; the gang used premises behind the leader’s home and a rented shipping container to churn out tens of thousands of tablets per hour, with firearms seized and the drugs valued at about £288 million on the street.
Britain plans to unify national investigations under a single FBI-style police force to coordinate counterterrorism and criminal-gang probes.
Iraq arrested Kazem ‘Kaz’ Hamad, the alleged mastermind behind Australia’s illicit tobacco trade, described by an Iraqi court as among the world’s most wanted. While the move is a win for Australian law enforcement, experts warn it’s unlikely to end the trade, which persists due to strong nicotine demand and high legal tobacco costs. In the short term, rival groups may clash as leadership changes, and history suggests the market could reconfigure under new leadership rather than disappear.
Corsican ex-separatist Alain Orsoni, who had been living in exile in Nicaragua, was shot dead as his mother’s funeral ended in the village of Vero; a national anti-organised crime unit is leading an investigation into the killing, with motive not yet known but connections to past gang violence linked to his son noted by officials.
A series of vehicle thefts involving a white tow truck have been reported across San Bernardino County, with victims noticing their cars disappearing from driveways and curbs without police awareness, prompting an investigation into possible organized crime.
In 2025, Myanmar's border region of Kokang was the epicenter of a brutal and extensive cyber scam industry run by powerful crime families, which involved torture, trafficking, and illegal activities, leading to significant crackdowns by Chinese authorities who arrested and sentenced key figures, revealing a complex web of crime, politics, and regional instability.
A man extradited from Dubai to Glasgow, Stephen Jamieson, has appeared in court on charges related to serious organized crime, including drug supply and directing offenses. This case marks the first extradition from Dubai to Scotland and he is scheduled to appear at the High Court in 2026.
The FBI is investigating a sophisticated heist in Massachusetts where $400,000 worth of lobster meat was stolen, likely by organized crime, impacting businesses and consumers as costs are passed down.
Isaiah Moses, a Houston man involved in 'jugging' crimes—robberies targeting bank customers in Denver—was sentenced to 19 years in prison after being linked to multiple thefts where he and an accomplice stole over $47,000 from victims by following them from banks and breaking into their vehicles. The crimes occurred in late 2024, and Moses's arrest was supported by cell phone tracking and bank records.
A shipment of $400,000 worth of lobsters en route to Costco stores was hijacked, likely by a theft ring using impersonation tactics, with the FBI involved in the investigation, highlighting ongoing issues with cargo theft impacting businesses and consumers.
A $400,000 shipment of lobster en route to Costco stores was stolen by criminals impersonating legitimate carriers, highlighting increasing organized theft in supply chains and calling for stronger federal enforcement tools.