Germans make massive cocaine drug busts in Hamburg

Cops in Hamburg announced a series of massive drug busts. The most recent was made in early November, when officers found 300 kilograms (661 pounds) of cocaine hidden behind a large shipment of dental floss. The discovery was made after x-raying the container, which had been shipped from the Dominican Republic.

Customs officials said the cocaine was worth around €63 million ($71.6 million).

Cops found another 100 kilograms of "ultra-pure" cocaine that was stashed in an imported Volkswagen (VW) T2 camper van. Earlier, police announced they uncovered over one ton of the drug in a truck located on the site of a freight forwarding company. Shortly before that find, customs officers found 200 kilograms of cocaine in a shipping container loaded with coffee. The northern German port is the largest and busiest in the country.

The drugs were found a lime-green, 1974 VW camper van that had been shipped to Hamburg in a container from Brazil. Traffickers welded a false bottom in place beneath the rear seat, stowing the drugs in the hidden compartment beneath the floor of the vehicle.

German police have seized more than 7 metric tons of cocaine this year. Germany had been inundated by a "flood of cocaine" from South America, said a senior law enforcement agent.

Paul King Jin - Transnational Crime Kingpin

A review of civil forfeiture cases, and numerous individual car accident and ICBC claims cases, points to a network of individuals with connections to Paul King Jin, the suspect at the center of RCMP’s investigation into money laundering in B.C. casinos.

Property at 7611 No. 5 Rd. in Richmond is registered to Guo Tai Shi, a VIP Chinese gambler and 'client' of Paul King Jin. BCLC documents allege that 36 VIP gamblers, mostly from China, were linked to massive cash drops from Jin’s network. In 2014, one high-roller was able to take $645,000 in small bills and buy gambling chips at River Rock Casino. Land title records show the man has a $14-million house near the Point Grey Country Club.

Anthony Getschel pleads guilty in death of former UFC fighter Ryan Jimmo

On November 26th, Anthony Getschel pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his involvement in the June 26, 2016, hit-and-run that resulted in the death of former UFC fighter Ryan Jimmo. Jordan Wagner, was charged with being an accessory after the fact as investigators believe he may have been in the passenger seat of the truck that struck Jimmo. Anthony Getschel, 23, was charged with second-degree murder, negligence causing death, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. Jimmo was involved in a verbal altercation before he was hit by the vehicle. The men in the truck, Anthony Getschel and Jordan Wagner, fled but were arrested less than a week later.

Anthony Getschel, right, Jordan Wagner center

Ryan Jimmo proposed to his girlfriend Roxie Reece, hours before he was fatally struck by two assailants in a truck at a parking lot in Edmonton. Reece said they came from the movies where Jimmo had proposed to her, and were on their way home when the truck began tailgating them. "So we took a left to let them go by. They followed Ryan even more close. And so now he and I were both like 'OK what's going on?' And then he took the first right into that parking lot … I had no clue where we were at," Reece recalled. "So these guys pulled up real close right behind Ryan, almost as if they were going to hit us, and we both felt nervous. And Ryan felt the need to do something because we didn't want them following us out of there. It was kind of scary. There was something not right there and I didn't know what was going on."

After a conversation, the two men hit Jimmo, then sped off. Jimmo was rushed to a hospital, but was pronounced dead hours later due to blunt force trauma.

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Anthony Getschel

Police in Edmonton have charged two people in the hit-and-run death of former UFC fighter Ryan Jimmo. Jimmo was fatally injured early Sunday following a verbal argument that escalated into a fight in the parking lot of a bar. Jimmo died from blunt force trauma after being run over by a vehicle. Anthony Getschel, 23, faces several charges, including second-degree murder and criminal negligence causing death. Jordan Wagner, 21, is charged with accessory after the fact to murder.

Ryan Jimmo with his mother Linda in July 2010

Edmonton police are investigating the hit-and-run death of former UFC fighter Ryan Jimmo. Investigators say Jimmo, 34, was fatally injured early Sunday morning following an altercation in a parking lot. Police say he had approached the driver of a vehicle and was walking back to his own car when he was struck by a truck, which then fled the scene.

Jimmo was pronounced dead in hospital. Jimmo went 19-5 in his MMA career, with a 3-4 record in seven UFC fights

Police agent Plante still a pain to Hells Angels

Plante wears HA support gear.

Micheal Plante is testifying at the civil forfeiture trial of 3 Hells Angels clubhouses in B.C. The Court heard recordings he had with Hells Angels more than 14 years ago. Plante was paid $1 million for his undercover work in project E-Pandora and for testifying at a series of criminal trials. He pulled in another $80k to testify in the civil proceedings against the Hells Angels.

Mexican drug lord, Beltran Leyva, dead at 56 of cardiac arrest

Hector Beltran Leyva, a Mexican drug lord whose cartel earned a reputation as one of the country’s most ruthless, died late on Sunday in hospital of cardiac arrest after being transferred from jail with chest pain. Beltran Leyva had been incarcerated since March 2, 2016 in Federal Prison Number 1, a maximum security facility in central Altiplano, Mexico. The Beltran Leyva cartel’s boss became infamous for the bloody turf war waged with their former ally, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Gangster Jody Archie York walks on brutal golf club assault

Independent Soldier Jody Archie York, 43, was facing one count of aggravated assault following an August incident near Monte Lake in which he allegedly beat another man with a golf club. The victim was sent to hospital with serious injuries.

Rampant Mexican Corruption exposed at El Chapo trial

Jesus Zambada alleged Guzman bribed former Mexican public security minister, Genaro Garcia Luna with millions stuffed into suitcases. The DEA says corruption among local authorities is common. One of the best known is Mario Villanueva, governor of Quintana Roo state from 1993-99, who is serving a long prison sentence for drug trafficking.

Tomas Yarrington, the former governor of Tamaulipas state was extradited to the US on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and banking fraud. His successor, Eugenio Hernandez, is being held in a Tamaulipas cell, accused of embezzlement and illicit enrichment. Guzman's lawyer claimed that ex-president Felipe Calderon (2006-2012) and his successor, Enrique Pena Nieto, took bribes from the Sinaloa cartel, accusations both deny.

Crown seeks 11 years for crack killer Ryan Armstrong

Ryan Jack Armstrong killed Victoria Norma Heppner on March 29, 2016 with what he said was a single blow to the back of her head with a hammer while she was sitting on his bed. She was 28 years old. Armstrong was busted by police at the scene of her burning body the next day. He was originally charged with second-degree murder. He later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and one count of improperly or indecently offering an indignity to human remains.

When the judge asked why charges were downgraded the crown replied that Armstrong’s crack cocaine use might have caused “a form of induced psychosis” – meaning the death met the test for the lesser charge.

Hells Angels at homicide scene - Chad John Wilson dead - Update II

Cops are warning the public of potential turmoil in the Lower Mainland underworld. Those in the gang lifestyle are at risk of becoming targets. It is fair to say cops will receive no cooperation whatsoever from the Hells Angels MC. The club handles matters like these internally. In the case of the murder of Nomad Bob Green, the corpse of Shaun Clary, who brought the gun to the murder scene, was found dismembered in a ditch 10 days after the slaying.

See ----->HA Bob Green killer Jason Wallace - 856 Gang
See ----->Jason Francis Wallace pleads Guilty in Robert Green Murder
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Full patch Chad Wilson of the Hardside chapter has been identified as the dead man. He was reported missing the day before he was found. Wilson was charged in Spain with B.C. HA Jason Arkinstall in 2013 after police seized half a tonne of cocaine. Cops said the drug conspiracy was linked to the San Diego chapter of the Hells Angels, the same chapter Wilson first joined as a prospect in 2005. The murder of a popular and well known HA is bound to have consequences.

A group of men wearing Hells Angels colours showed up at a homicide scene in Maple Ridge. The corpse was found covered in blood beneath the Golden Ears Bridge on Sunday morning. 45 minutes after cops arrived, they were confronted by several men in Hells Angels garb who crossed police tape to get closer to the crime scene. The victim was found with blood on his hands and face. Police said the deceased was known to them. These men are Hells Angels. How do we know this? NO civilian would dare wear HA colours in public.

See ----->New HA Chapter in B.C. - Hardside

Diamond encrusted pistol at 'El Chapo' trial

Zambada testified one man was killed for failing to shake El Chapo's hand after a meeting.

El Chapo's diamond laden pistol was entered into evidence at his trial. Former top lieutenant for his cartel, Jesus 'El Rey' Zambada testified that cash payoffs and murder were key components of the Sinaloa cartel's business model. Jesus Zambada Garcia was captured after a gun battle in Mexico City. He commanded one of four branches of the Sinaloa cartel and is the brother of leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada.

See ----->Trial begins tomorrow for El Chapo

New cryptocurrencies - the pre-eminent Ponzi Scheme

Ponzi schemes all have the same basic features. Original suckers are lured in with the promise of getting rich quick. They get a payout funded by the contributions of later suckers. More people, seeing the impressive profits earned by the first, rush to get involved themselves. Eventually there aren't enough newcomers and the entire pyramid collapses. The pattern with new crytocurrencies or 'tokens' is exactly the same.

A conman announces a new digital currency, piggybacking on the intense media hype around bitcoin. They pay a celebrity to endorse their 'initial coin offering' (ICO). The price of the new cryptocurrency spikes as people rush in and the founders cash out. The fraudsters of Centra Tech used boxer Floyd Mayweather to promote their “centra token” in 2017. They were all arrested for securities fraud. Mayweather himself is now being sued by those who got fleeced.

An ICO itself is not illegal. Such schemes have raised billions. The problem is inherent. Cryptocurrencies are not a store of value due to their volatility. They are not a unit of account or a medium of exchange. Digital tokens have none of the fundamental attributes of a currency.

13 arrested in Montreal Hells Angels linked bust - Update

A total of 34 arrests have been made since the beginning of an investigation launched in 2017 as a result of fentanyl overdoses in Montreal. Montreal police worked with the police services in Granby, Quebec City and Laval and the Sûreté du Québec to conduct the raids. Cops seized 600,000 methamphetamine tablets, 5 kilograms of MDA, 50 pounds of pot, weapons and more than $120,000 in cash.

Four Quebec police forces targeted a criminal biker gang linked to the Hells Angels. 13 arrests were made in a series of raids. Reports say the operation is related to a string of fentanyl overdose deaths in Montreal. 11 raids were carried out in Montreal with two in Laval. The Minotaures Ouest-Montreal is a puppet club of the Hells Angels. The connection of fentanyl trafficking to the Hells Angels doesn't sync with the club's apparent public stand against fentanyls.

Cocaine in the News

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter James offloaded about 18.5 tons of cocaine Thursday at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale. The cocaine was seized in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean in 15 separate drug smuggling interdictions by multiple U.S. Coast Guard cutters. The cocaine is said to be worth $500m.

In Belize, 480kg of cocaine went up in smoke today. It was seized in a bust Nov 1. Peru and Bolivia have fallen in their attempts to eradicate cocaine production. Peru's production reached a 25-year high with about 500  tons produced in the country, a 20% increase. In 2008 Bolivian President Evo Morales expelled the DEA, saying it did more harm than good. Cocaine production there is also rising.

35 years for Ponzi fraud artist Brandon Walter Stewart

Newport Beach man Brandon Walter Stewart, 33, was sentenced to 35 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a Ponzi scheme that defrauded victims of about $13.5m. He pleaded guilty to 125 counts of money laundering, burglary and financial elder abuse, among dozens of others. Stewart used their money for extravagant personal expenses including casino trips and flying to Las Vegas on a private jet. To carry out the elaborate Ponzi scheme, Stewart even burglarized the home of two of his victims. He wrote nearly $3m in bad checks. He also forgot to file tax returns and preyed on his elderly relatives.

Big year for US Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard has been seizing record amounts of cocaine, bringing in more than 458,000 pounds during fiscal year 2018, which ended in September. That was down slightly from the record 493,000 pounds seized in fiscal year 2017 but more than the 443,000 pounds intercepted in fiscal year 2016, which was a record at the time. According to the DEA, an increasing portion of that smuggling is going around the Galapagos Islands. A large ship like a freighter or a commercial fishing boat, the "mothership," approaches the Galapagos with a load of drugs. It would then be moved to smaller vessels heading north. Cocaine production in Colombia, the world's largest producer, has more than quadrupled since 2012, according to the DEA.