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Drugs

Drugs
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Drugs. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
In Japan, smuggling cannabis for the purpose of making profit carries up to 10 years in prison. Photo: Shutterstock
Japan

‘I could go to Japan for free’, says US woman caught with smuggled cannabis

The suspect and her accomplice face up to 10 years in prison under Japan’s strict drug laws.

US-Venezuela conflict

Maduro’s wife seeks release from US jail, citing worsening heart condition

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United States

Rubio defends US strikes on boats, warns of drug cartel ‘cancer’

Malaysia

Malaysia arrests second pilot linked to Jakarta Ecstasy pills smuggling

Police said the suspect was in charge of handling the proceeds of the drug sales.

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Indonesian customs officials display the uniform of a Malaysian pilot and drugs he smuggled as evidence during a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 31. Photo: AFP
Technology

As China embraces AI, few US pharmaceutical execs bet on it for innovation

Survey finds drug companies planned to scale AI or had already done so, but few anticipated a ‘wholesale revolution’ from the tech.

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China’s private sector

China needs monkeys: lab animal shortage could hinder biotech growth

As fundraising and out-licensing deals in China grow, so does demand for monkeys and other primates for testing.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Thousands of Ecuadorians flee their homes as gang violence worsens

Ecuador recorded 9,216 violent deaths last year, a homicide rate of 51 per 100,000 inhabitants.

A woman displaced by gang violence poses for a photo during an interview in Guayaquil, Ecuador, in July. Photo: Reuters
Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong seizes HK$1.4b suspected drugs over summer as cartels target students

Customs says 150 people aged between 18 and 68 arrested and 6.1 tonnes of suspected drugs seized between May and August.

Africa

Egypt sentences TV presenter, 11 others to death in drugs case

Sarah Khalifa and 11 others were sentenced to ‘death by hanging on charges of forming an organised criminal gang’, state news reported.

Malaysia

Malaysia arrests 6 over drugs supplied to pilot caught with Ecstasy in Jakarta

Police said the suspects were taken into custody during a special operation conducted last month.

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Indonesian customs officials display drugs smuggled by a Malaysian pilot as evidence during a press conference at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 31. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Malaysian police smash drug ring, seize US$1 million of meth disguised as tea

The bust resulted from intelligence sharing between Malaysian and Thai police after a man is caught with suspected drugs in Hua Hin.

Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth. Police in Malaysia and Thailand have seized a total of 252.2kg of methamphetamine through a joint operation. Photo: Shutterstock
China-Latin America relations

Chile fines Chinese mafia inmate after cocaine found at maximum-security prison

Prosecutors link the inmate to a Chinese criminal network targeted in a major police operation last year and a second raid in June.

Vietnam

Vietnam’s move to end executions for drug trafficking sparks debate in region

The proposal has put a spotlight on the different legal approaches against drug trafficking offences in the region.

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Hong Kong stock market

China’s Akeso says cancer drug beat AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi in phase 3 trial

The biliary tract cancer trial is the latest breakthrough for Akeso’s ivonescimab, which has also shown promise in treating some lung cancers.

China’s biopharmaceutical firms are increasingly looking to compete directly on the global market. Photo: Shutterstock
Crime

Colombia mulls locking up dangerous criminals on prison ships

Humanitarian watchdogs warn that this form of incarceration breaches human rights.

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
Americas and the Caribbean

US military kills 2 in eastern Pacific boat strike in first attack in months

Lethal attack on low profile vessel ends two-month pause, bringing total campaign death toll to 223 across 67 strikes.

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ATP

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios admits ‘huge mistake’ after failing test for cocaine

Wimbledon finalist, provisionally suspended after testing positive after an ATP 250 event in Mallorca in June, takes ‘full responsibility’.

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Indonesia

Indonesia seizes 2.6 tonnes of liquid meth in record drug bust

This is the second raid involving a Tanzanian-flagged vessel in two weeks. Almost all the crew are from Myanmar.

Crew members from Tanzanian-flagged MV Rain Maker (seated) are photographed after their arrest on Monday. Photo: National Narcotics Agency
Crime in Hong Kong

Customs arrests 10 over HK$56 million cannabis haul bound for Europe, Africa

About 240kg of suspected cannabis buds seized in month-long operation targeting a syndicate that used the city as a transit hub.

Thailand

Thailand to review pardon rules after release of drug lord, 85, brings backlash

Laota Saenlee, a former anti-communist guerrilla turned drug runner, is freed after serving less than a decade of a life sentence.

Malaysia

Malaysia holds off on pilot extradition request pending Indonesian drug probe

The goal now is to obtain information to see if the Malaysian Airlines pilot acted alone or was part of a network, the home minister says.

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A Malaysia Airlines pilot is seen on CCTV wheeling two bags, later found to contain drugs, at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on July 28. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

All Malaysia Airlines pilots pass drug tests following Jakarta arrest

The mandatory screening process was ⁠ordered after a Malaysian Airlines pilot was arrested in Indonesia on drug trafficking charges.

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Malaysia Airlines planes are parked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Doctor and friend jailed for taking drugs at Singapore villa party

A judge rejected the pair’s claims that their drinks had been spiked with Ecstasy pills.

China’s private sector

China’s drug firms set to compete on the world stage, analysts say

Amid systemic efficiency and a wave of innovation, the country’s biotech sector is expanding at a pace that has caught the market off guard.

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Crime

Alleged Irish crime boss charged in Dublin after extradition from Dubai

Daniel Kinahan remanded in custody over charges of directing an international crime group following handover by UAE authorities.

Armed military officers stand guard at Casement Aerodrome, where extradited alleged crime boss Daniel Kinahan landed in Ireland. Photo: EPA
Americas and the Caribbean

Trump ally Abelardo de la Espriella sworn in as Colombia president

The right-wing ex-lawyer who calls himself ‘The Tiger’ vowed to bomb cocaine labs, build mega prisons and usher in closer ties with the US.

Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella salutes after taking the oath of office in Cali, Colombia, on Friday. Photo: AP
China’s private sector

Sugar for the pill: US$8b fund boosts Hong Kong’s biotech hub ambitions

Hong Kong Investment Corporation is stepping up its efforts to position itself amid Beijing’s challenge to US pharmaceutical dominance.

Malaysia

How crime syndicates are exploiting Malaysia’s connectivity to move drugs

The country’s proximity to major drug-producing areas and porous borders make it an attractive transit point for traffickers, analysts say.

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