Drugs
Sharks test positive to high levels of cocaine off the coast of Brazil
Marine biologists tested 13 Brazilian sharpnose sharks from coastal waters near Rio de Janeiro and found high levels of cocaine in their systems.
- by Nick Squires
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Crime
Drug kingpin’s role in notorious alleged Sydney cocaine plot
Vaso Ulic allegedly attempted to smuggle 2.5 tonnes of cocaine into Australia, where it commands up to 10 times the European price.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
Criminalising cannabis: How Australia’s war on weed hurts the poor
Most cannabis possession arrests happen in Victoria’s poorest suburbs and towns. A new approach is needed, says the Penington Institute.
- by Clay Lucas
Exclusive
Crime
Australian drug ‘kingpin’ Vaso Ulic arrested in Montenegro
The 65-year-old is alleged to have masterminded an attempt to move almost 2.5 tonnes of cocaine from South America to Australia and Europe.
- by Sally Rawsthorne and Perry Duffin
These bagels are illegal in South Korea
A Trader Joe’s seasoning blend has garnered a cult following around the world. But travellers arriving in Seoul have little chance of getting it past customs.
- by Eve Sampson
The NSW workers who should be searched for drugs
While prison visitors are now routinely scanned for drugs, guards may be the weak link in the system, the NSW inspector of Custodial Services says.
- by Christopher Harris
Colombia is facing a new problem: too much cocaine
Unsold blocks of coca paste are piling up across Colombia and it’s the families that pick the raw coca leaves that are suffering most.
- by Genevieve Glatsky
Dramatic sting at Sydney’s new urban surf pool catches alleged drug importer
The Californian man allegedly thought he was importing millions of dollars worth of drugs into Sydney, before police pounced in front of afternoon wave riders.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
Updated
Tragedy
Synthetic opioid detected in four found dead in Broadmeadows
The director of drug harm reduction charity warned the deaths were “a major wake-up call” as medical professionals fear an opioid crisis could engulf Australia like it has overseas.
- by Lachlan Abbott
Cocaine sold in Melbourne contains opioid 100 times more potent than heroin
Victoria’s Health Department has warned that a white powder sold as cocaine contains a potentially lethal opioid that has caused “recent serious harms in Melbourne”.
- by Lachlan Abbott
Opinion
Political leadership
I know what it’s like to be the politician’s son who makes mistakes. I wouldn’t wish it on Tom Dutton
When a photo of the opposition leader’s 18-year-old son made headlines last week, I immediately felt so sorry for him. Unfortunately, I know exactly what it’s like to go through that.
- by Nick Bracks