Scientists Smuggled for Cocaine Extraction

0:00On March 17, drugs mugglers are flying scientists into the United Kingdom to pull cocaine out of everyday materials like charcoal, cardboard, plastic, and glue. The National Crime Agency says traffickers chemically bond the drugs in South America, ship them over and extract them here to dodge scanners and sniffer dogs. These advanced tricks make detection tough, and officials warn the drug trade is getting smarter. Synthetic opioids called nittazines now top the list of threats linked to 1,000 deaths in just two and a half years since they hit the streets. In June 2023, the impact runs deep, fueling half of all homicides, thefts, and robberies across the country. NCA Director General Graeme Bigger called the death toll extraordinary and stressed that law enforcement is pushing back with tools like naloxone to. Reverse overdoses helping cut fatalities slightly this year. Meanwhile, ketamine use is surging, with hospital visits for adults up 10 fold over the last decade and tripling for under 18s and 3 years.

1:03Tech is supercharging organized crime too, from cyber attacks to online spaces radicalizing teens and to hackers, sex offenders, and worse, while. Migration from places like the Horn of Africa is on the rise. As threats evolve, the government is merging the NCA with other agencies into a new national police service to tackle drugs, border crime, and digital. Danger's head on, keeping frontline officers equipped for the fight ahead. Made in AI