Naser Kelmendi, the notorious Balkan drug kingpin, has been arrested by authorities in Kosovo. . Kelmendi is wanted under an Interpol warrant issued by Bosnia and Herzegovina in relation to drug trafficking charges, and is suspected of ordering the murder of a rival, Ramiz “Ćelo” Delaćič.

Five individuals were convicted in Pristina on Monday for their roles in an international organ-trafficking scheme that promised impoverished people large payouts in return for their organs.

Hollywood-style cash-only deliveries to the offices of Afghan President Hamid Karzai were normal occurrences for more than a decade, the New York Times reported on Sunday. Footing the bill? The US Central Intelligence Agency.

Three top government officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the president of the Federation of BiH, were arrested on Friday in a crackdown on organized crime.

The head of Guinea Bissau’s military was indicted for his role in a drugs-for-guns conspiracy that involved the Forzas Armadas Revolucionarios de Colombia (FARC), a paramilitary group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.

The Nordic region's biggest bank, Nordea, received a $4.7 million fine Tuesday from Sweden's financial watchdog agency for breaching money laundering rules, according to a statement from the agency's website.

Montenegrin media this week published excerpts of a Europol report calling the country a major money laundering country and citing concern for its regulation of corrupt practices.

Heroin represents the main opiate problem in East Asia, while methamphetamine popularity is rapidly on the rise in the region, a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said.

Resource related crimes, such as the wildlife trade, illegal logging, and electrical waste produce over $23 billion in illicit proceeds, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment for East Asia and the Pacific. 

A growing middle class and increased demand for luxuries has spurred demand for illegal wildlife for food, pets, medicines, and decoration. China is the largest market for illegal wildlife trade, the report said. Endangered and protected animals and animal products -- including bears, reptiles, and sharks -- are imported. Asian countries also want ivory and have contributed to increased poaching levels in Africa, UNODC said . Wildlife poaching occurs openly in many cases, and has been facilitated by the rise of Internet commerce, the report concluded. 

In contrast to the illegal wildlife trade, which is often conducted in secrecy, consumers who buy wood and wood-based products are often unaware that the products are illegal, the report said. Indonesia and Malaysia are important sources for illegal wood; processing of the wood takes place largely China and Vietnam. The report valued the illegal wood and wood-based products trade at approximately $17 billion. Official corruption plays a “central role” in the illegal logging industry as the success of the illicit trade relies on bribery and the ability to ensure unhindered transport. For this reason, very little illegal wood is seized, the UNODC report said. 

A byproduct of the wireless era, electronic waste (e-waste), is the “fastest growing waste stream in the world,” the report said. The rapid advancement of technology caused a high turnover of electronic goods, especially in the richer countries. To avoid the cost that proper disposal and recycling would require, e-waste is diverted to the black market, where environmentally unsound “so-called” recycling occurs. The report mentions a number of risks, including pollution caused by burnt plastic, lead, and other toxins. China is the largest destination for e-waste; the illegal industry as a whole is worth around $3.75 billion.

The report also touched on the continuing threat posed by the illegal trade in ozone depleting substances (ODS). While harmful to the environment, ODS are highly sought after as cheap coolants for refrigerators and air conditioning. ODS include chlorofluorocarbons, which are controlled under the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement to limit the use of certain types of ODS. Under the Montreal Protocol, developing nations were given longer to phase out the use of ODS than developed nations, which caused a black market to emerge. Attempts to control illegal trade in ODS between developing and developed nations through licensing and registration programs, efforts have been hamstrung by a lack of routine cross-checks between nations of origin and arrival, according to the report. Mis-declaration, hidden shipments and false labeling exacerbate the problem.

Human trafficking and migrant worker exploitation are serious concerns in South and East Asia, and represent hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit revenue, according to the UNODC.