Norden Mot Narkotik

Nordic Countries Aganst Drugs

News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2007
Contact: Erin McKenzie-Mulvey
212 337-2906

Four Members of International Khat Trafficking Ring Found Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court

DEC 14 -- (New York) JOHN P. GILBRIDE, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division Drug Enforcement Administration and MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced that DAHIR ABDULLE SHIRE, a/k/a “Jarato,” MOHAMED JAMA, a/k/a “Jibouti,” MUHIDIN MOHAMED, a/k/a “Muqabelow,” and AHMED MOHAMOUD EGAL, a/k/a “Arabey,” were found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy charges stemming from their roles in an international drug trafficking organization that imported khat from Africa, through Western Europe, to New York City. According to the Indictment and evidence at trial in Manhattan federal court: Khat is a plant cultivated in Kenya and Ethiopia. Among the active ingredients in khat are cathinone, a central nervous stimulant classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under United States law. Users of khat chew the leaves and young shoots of the plant, swallowing the juice and storing the residue in the side of the mouth until the cheek bulges. The primary effects of chewing khat are euphoria and stimulation, and side effects include psychotic reactions, paranoia, and aggression.

Special Agent in Charge John Gilbride stated, “Today’s verdicts prove that the American public will not tolerate drug trafficking – be it cocaine or khat. This investigation unearthed awareness that khat is a highly addictive stimulant that is illegal in our country. The DEA will continue to identify, investigate and ultimately indict those members of khat trafficking organizations responsible for bringing khat into the United States for distribution.” SAC Gilbride commended the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force and the United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of New York for their diligent work.

The vast international drug network, in which SHIRE, JAMA, MOHAMED, and EGAL were members, moved khat from the Horn of Africa -- where khat plants are grown -- through Western Europe, to New York, from where the khat plants were distributed throughout the United States. Ultimately, the khat plants were sold in various cities, including Minneapolis, Minnesota; Columbus, Ohio; Boston, Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia; and Washington, D.C. The drug organization regularly smuggled large scale shipments of khat -- by human courier and mislabeled express mail packages -- from early 2005 until the nationwide arrests of approximately forty members of the organization in July and August 2006.

SHIRE, JAMA, MOHAMED, and EGAL, along with their co-conspirators, generated thousands of dollars from their illicit drug business, large portions of which were remitted overseas to pay foreign suppliers of khat in Western Europe. SHIRE, JAMA, MOHAMED and EGAL were found guilty of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute khat plants containing cathinone, a Schedule I controlled substance. SHIRE, JAMA, and MOHAMED were also found guilty of conspiring to import khat plants containing cathinone. Each of those charges carries a maximum prison term of twenty years. Sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. before United States District Judge DENISE L. COTE.

Mr. GARCIA praised the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force" (Strike Force) which is comprised of agents and officers of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York City Police Department, the United States Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Homeland Security Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York State Police, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Mr. GARCIA also acknowledged the critical contributions to the investigation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, and the Nassau County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys DANIEL L. STEIN, ANJAN SAHNI, and RITA M. GLAVIN are in charge of the prosecution.

Invitation to the 1^st World Forum Against Drugs


Dear Sir/Madame,

The first ever World Forum Against Drugs, WFAD, will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, September 8-10 2008.

The aim is to create an opportunity for people from all around the world working against illicit drugs to exchange ideas and share experiences on how we all can develop our methods and move in the direction of the visionary goal of a world free from drug abuse.

Our ambition is to attract especially those that work at grass root level with the problem of drug abuse – in NGOs, at treatment centres, police officers, self help groups etc. – but also decision makers like politicians and government officials.

The main theme for WFAD is One hundred years of drug prevention. Some of the sub-themes that will be discussed are Drugs for war, The Role of Public Opinion, Drug-free Treatment and The Environment and Drugs.

Speakers at WFAD will be some of the most prominent people in the world in the field of anti-drug work, as well as people working practically with local projects and people with personal experiences of great interest.

We expect some 1000 delegates to attend WFAD in Stockholm and we hope that you will be one of them!

Please visit our web site www.wfad08.org for further information.


On behalf of the Organising Committee,

Bob Bergvall
President WFAD 2008

Norden Mot Narkotika Reportage fra Bergen

Les hele reportagen her. Trykk på linken over.

Om Sverige mot narkotika Sveriges största manifestation mot narkotika Boka in onsdagen 13 maj och torsdagen 14 maj 2009 i din kalender. Då är det äntligen dags för konferensen och mässan Sverige mot narkotika som också denna gång arrangeras i Örebro. En framgångsrik narkotikapolitik kräver insatser av och samarbete mellan alla ansvariga organisationer på central, regional och lokal nivå. Konferensen och mässan Sverige mot narkotika är den största återkommande manifestationen för svensk narkotikapolitik. Vartannat år sedan 1993 har konferensen och mässan genomförts med olika tema som utgångspunkt för arrangemangen. Här träffas de som arbetar mot narkotika och dess fatala effekter på människor och samhälle för att dela med sig och ta del av erfarenheter, nya fakta och forskningsrön. Bakgrunden till konferensen och mässan var bland annat det förestående svenska inträdet i EU och de farhågor som fanns inför att öppna gränserna mot Europa. Arrangörer av mässan är centrala myndigheter och organisationer som företräder förebyggande insatser, vård, behandling och kontrollinsatser inom drog- och narkotikaområdet. Tema denna gång är "Tillbaka till helheten". Prevention, tillgångsbegränsning samt vård och behandling är länkar i en och samma kedja. 2009 års konferens och mässa ser till helheten, vilket kommer att synas i konferensprogrammet. I helhetsbegreppet ingår också sambandet mellan lokal, nationell och interntionell narkotikapolitik.       Konferensprogram  Onsdag 13 maj 2009   8:00-9:30, Registrering och kaffe på Conventum Hitta till Conventum 9:30-11:00, Plenum - Invigning av Sverige mot narkotika 2009! Maria Larsson, äldre- och folkhälsominister. Generaldirektörer från arrangerande myndigheter. Dr. Robert DuPont, psykiater och före detta drugtsar i USA och chef för NIDA, National Institute on Drug Abuse. Rasmus Persson, kommunalråd Örebro kommun. 11:15-12:15, Seminarieblock A Se seminarieprogram. Du väljer vilket seminarium du vill gå på när du anmäler dig till mässan/konferensen. 12:15-13:45, Lunch Lunchen serveras i Convetum arena, Fabriksgatan. 13:45-14:45, Seminarieblock B Se seminarieprogram. Du väljer vilket seminarium du vill gå på när du anmäler dig till mässan/konferensen. 14:45-15:15, Kaffe 15:15-17:00, Plenum Kidnappad hjärna: Droger och hjärnans belöningssystem Jörgen Engel, professor, sektionen för farmakologi, neurovetenskap och fysiologi, Göteborgs universitet. Missbruksrehabilitering en social investering med utomordentlig lönsamhet Ingvar Nilsson, national ekonom, SEEAB. 19:30, Festkväll i Conventum arena! Mingel från 18:30. Festkvällen ingår i konferensavgiften (ej studenter).      Torsdag 14 maj 2009   8:30-10:00, Plenum Nationella riktlinjer inom missbruks- och beroendevården Claudia Fahlke, professor, psykologiska institutionen, Göteborgs universitet. Drogernas betydelse för de kriminella gängen. Kemi, mod, bedövningsmedel och inkomstkälla Lars Wierup, författare till ”Svensk maffia”, reporter DN. 10:00-10:45, Kaffe 10:45-11:45, Seminarieblock C Se seminarieprogram. Du väljer vilket seminarium du vill gå på när du anmäler dig till mässan/konferensen. 11:45-13:15, Lunch Lunchen serveras i Conventum arena, Fabriksgatan. 13:15-15:00, Plenum Tullverkets arbete mot smuggling av nya och traditionella missbruksmedel Lars Hansson, nationell narkotikaspecialist, Tullverket. Narkotikan i Sverige, metoder för ett förebyggande arbete Sven Andréasson, docent, överläkare, avdelningschef på FHI. Ignoranternas revolution – tankar om riskerna när det blir viktigare att tycka än att tänka Bengt Göransson, f.d. statsråd Avslutning Efter avslutningen serveras kaffe.     Norden Mot Narkotika okt. 2009 Les hele saken i anhørig, der er hele reportagen fra Finland: http://www.fmn.se/

Kontakta oss: E-post: sverigemotnarkotika@orebro.se