going after the rude boys and the bad boys and the bling culture Life for convicted gang leaders | The Trinidad Guardian

Life for convicted gang leaders | The Trinidad Guardian: "Life in jail for convicted gang leaders. That’s the sentence under the Government’s anti-gang legislation designed to clamp down on the 110 gangs which now exist in T&T, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan said yesterday. Ramlogan spoke about the situation in piloting the legislation in the Lower House. “We’re going after the rude boys and the bad boys and the bling culture,” he said. Ramlogan said gang members buy fancy cellphones and cars and lead women astray to join them in crime with their “bling” lifestyle.
The bill featuring big fines plus jail terms and wide powers for police requires a three-fifths special majority vote for passage. A number of Government and Opposition members were absent yesterday. Debate continues tomorrow. Ramlogan said the bill was a flagship in the Government’s artillery of legislation against rising crime. “...A daily diet of death, despair and destruction are seen on the front pages of the newspapers every day...urgent surgical attention is required,” he added. Saying gangs deal in drugs, gun-running, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, assault and rape, Ramlogan noted that former National Security minister Martin Joseph once said T&T had 66 gangs and 500 violent members who would “be hunted down.”"

Police smash Coffs crime gang | Coffs Coast News | Local News in Coffs Coast | Coffs Coast Advocate

Police smash Coffs crime gang | Coffs Coast News | Local News in Coffs Coast | Coffs Coast Advocate: "WAR medals, antique jewellery and drugs have been seized in a major crackdown on criminal activity in Coffs Harbour.
Police say the seizures, and arrests of three people, have broken the back of a network allegedly responsible for a wave of break, enter and steal offences on the Coffs Coast.
“We believe these are significant arrests by the Target Action Group and Coffs Harbour detectives,” said Coffs/Clarence crime manager, Detective Inspector Cameron Lindsay.
Extensive investigations and a tip-off led police to two homes in Coffs Harbour on Wednesday and yesterday.
The officers hit the jackpot in the raids, uncovering eight surfboards, more than 80 pieces of jewellery, five war medals, a pushbike and electronics equipment, including cameras.
Police said some of the jewellery was antique and some had precious stones, including opals.
Officers also seized more than 150 ecstasy tablets, and a large amount of cannabis and LSD.
A Coffs Harbour man, 27, and a Coffs Harbour woman, 22, were arrested and were last night helping police with their inquiries."

three gangs have struck deals to fly drugs to West Africa and from there to Europe,

three gangs have struck deals to fly drugs to West Africa and from there to Europe, according to US prosecutors.

"The sky's the limit," one Sierra Leone trafficker boasted to a Drug Enforcement Administration informant, according to court documents.

Most of the cocaine flown to Africa is bound for Europe, where demand has been rising over the last decade. South American gangs are turning to aircraft because European navies have been intercepting more boat shipments along the African coast, trafficking experts say.

Police in Italy have seized more than a ton of pure cocaine worth

Police in Italy have seized more than a ton of pure cocaine worth as much as $340 million from a shipping container carrying farm equipment from Brazil.

Police in the city of Gioia Tauro, near the southwestern tip of Italy, were tipped off about the 2,200-pound load by officials from Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency.



Rome's Carabinieri, the country’s national police, said it was the largest drug seizure in Italy in 15 years.

Salvatore Cagnazzo, the commander in charge of the investigation, said at a press conference in Rome that the cocaine had been stashed in the cavity of some tractors stored in the shipping container, Sky News reported.

Gioia Tauro is a port city in the region of Calabria, home to the notorious 'Ndrangheta organized crime syndicate, which has been expanding its grip on drug trafficking in Europe.

Cagnazzo said Italian officials believe that the cocaine came from Colombian drug cartels with ties to the 'Ndrangheta.

The size of the shipment signaled that Gioia Tauro had developed into a major hub for drug traffickers from South America and Asia, the BBC reported.

"It was a historical seizure. One of the biggest ever in Italy," said Giancarlo Capaldo of the anti-mafia investigative team in Rome that made the bust. No suspects have been identified by investigators, who believe that Colombian drug traffickers may be involved.

"We hope it is the beginning of the uncovering of an international drug ring," Capaldo said.

Keira Knightley left shaken after burglars ransack her £1.3m flat in London | Mail Online

Keira Knightley left shaken after burglars ransack her £1.3m flat in London | Mail Online: "Fiercely private Keira Knightley was left shaken after her London home was ransacked by burglars.
The Atonement star's £1.3million central London flat was broken into by thieves, who went through her belongings and stole two laptops worth £2,000.Detectives are concerned the thieves may try to sell personal contents from the computers."

Croatian court convicts 6 people for the 2008 killing of a well-known journalist | Markets | Market News | Canadian Business Online

Croatian court convicts 6 people for the 2008 killing of a well-known journalist | Markets | Market News | Canadian Business Online: "Six alleged members of a crime gang were convicted on Wednesday of conspiring to assassinate of a well-known journalist and a fellow worker — killings in downtown Zagreb that shocked Croatia as it was recovering from a war.
A prosecutor said the car bombing that killed Ivo Pukanic, editor-in-chief of a political weekly Nacional, and his marketing director, Niko Franjic, may have been motivated by Pukanic's writing about organized crime.
The Zagreb district court sentenced the main suspect, Zeljko Milovanovic — who was tried in absentia — to the maximum 40 years in prison. The court ruled that Milovanovic planted the bomb that exploded under Pukanic's car on Oct. 23, 2008.
The five other defendants were sentenced to 15 to 33 years in prison."

Israel's deputy PM cancels UK trip fearing 'war crimes' arrest | Mail Online

Israel's deputy PM cancels UK trip fearing 'war crimes' arrest | Mail Online: "Israel's deputy prime minister Dan Meridor was forced to cancel a visit to London this week following warnings he could be arrested for alleged war crimes.Mr Meridor, the Israeli minister for intelligence and atomic energy, pulled out of an event in London on Monday night after the British Foreign Office and Ministry of Justice warned him he could face an arrest warrant from pro-Palestinian activists.The incident is an embarrassment for Foreign Secretary William Hague, who was due to arrive in Israel tonight for talks with president Shimon Peres.Mr Meridor, 63, is the latest high-profile Israeli politician to cancel a visit to London because of concerns about possible arrest."

IDF intelligence chief: Israel's next war will see heavy casualties - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News

IDF intelligence chief: Israel's next war will see heavy casualties - Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News: "final meeting at the Knesset, outgoing Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin warned on Tuesday that Israel's next war would be fought on several fronts - causing far heavier damage and casualties than other recent conflicts.
Israel was currently enjoying a period of relative quiet, Yadlin said. But its enemies were rearming and now posed the greatest threat to the country since the 1970s. A new war would be far deadlier than Israel's last two, relatively short, conficts in Lebanon in 2006 and Gaza in 2008"

Fugitive search turns up nothing | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Fugitive search turns up nothing | freep.com | Detroit Free Press: "Serbian authorities conducted another unsuccessful hunt for Europe's most-wanted war crimes fugitive Tuesday, pledging to meet a European Union demand to arrest Ratko Mladic.Heavily armed special policemen sealed off a mountain tourism center in central Serbia and searched a restaurant and an apartment in the capital, Belgrade.Bruno Vekaric, Serbia's deputy war crimes prosecutor, said the action focused on finding clues that could lead to the arrest of the wartime Bosnian Serb army commander who has been evading justice since 1995, when a United Nations tribunal indicted him with genocide."

Church minister tells of past crime

The Press Association: Church minister tells of past crime: "Scottish church minister has revealed how he found religion from his prison cell after killing a school friend.
Reverend Keith Johnston, of Dalkeith Baptist Church in Midlothian, said he turned to Christianity when in jail for the stabbing of a classmate when he was 16.
Rev Johnston spent five years behind bars for killing Steven Hughes in Bonnyrigg in 1990."

The Associated Press: Gunman shoots dead Frenchman in Yemen

The Associated Press: Gunman shoots dead Frenchman in Yemen: "Yemeni security official says that a gunman shot and killed the French manager of Austrian oil and gas company OMV outside the capital.
The official said the attacker was believed to be a security guard at the company's compound outside San'a, but the motive was not immediately known.
The Frenchman died shortly after being transferred to a hospital for treatment, he added.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
The shooting took place the same day a British diplomatic motorcade was attacked in the capital."

Bout’s defense fight to delay extradition - RT Top Stories

Bout’s defense fight to delay extradition - RT Top Stories: "Thai court ruling clears the way for Viktor’s Bout possible extradition to the US, his relatives and lawyers fear for his life and say they will file an appeal that is likely to delay the process.
Earlier a Thai court has denied an application for the extradition of Russian citizen Viktor Bout to the United States within the second criminal case against him.
The court cited that the documents submitted by the United States were insufficient to continue proceedings and ruled not to extradite Bout to the USA.
This, however, paves way for his extradition within the first case, which has been stalled due to the second set of charges being considered"

several lions attacked their trainers at a Ukraine circus have been caught on camera and posted on the internet.

shocking moments when several lions attacked their trainers at a Ukraine circus have been caught on camera and posted on the internet.

In scenes reminiscent more of a gladiatorial contest than a circus, lion tamer Oleksie Pinko is shown attempting to keep a lion at a distance, using a rod, in an arena in the city of Lviv.

At the start of the video Pinko is already visibly limping, having already been attacked by a lion, but as he continues to jab the animal, it lunges.

A voice from the crowd appears to reassure another as the audience grows increasingly concerned, moments before the lion attacks again and is joined by another of the five adult males.

Amid loud screams from the audience and roars from the lions, three other animal trainers then attempt to put off the animals with rods.

But as the scenes continue, the trainers are rounded up by the lions while two further trainers outside the arena attempt to stop the fight, one with water cannon.

2 accused of hate crime at historic gay bar - CNN.com

2 accused of hate crime at historic gay bar - CNN.com: "Two men have been charged with a hate crime after an attack on a gay man in the bathroom of a historic gay bar in downtown Manhattan early Sunday morning, according to Erin Duggan of the New York district attorney's office.
The 34-year old victim, whose name is not being released, was at a urinal inside the Stonewall Inn when one of the defendants allegedly asked him if he was gay, according a news release from the district attorney's"

Kate and Gerry McCann join protests against Ceop merger plan - Telegraph

Kate and Gerry McCann join protests against Ceop merger plan - Telegraph: "parents of Madeleine McCann joined police chiefs and Sara Payne in voicing concerns over the plans for the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop).
Jim Gamble, the centre's head, this week announced he was quitting in protest at the merger, which he believes would leave children more vulnerable."

Heartbeat is axed after 18 years « Leader Television – TV for the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, and Costa Almeria

Heartbeat is axed after 18 years « Leader Television – TV for the Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, and Costa Almeria: "Long-running police drama Heartbeat is to be dropped, and next month’s series will be the last, ITV has announced.
The nostalgic drama, which is set in North Yorkshire, has been on the air for 18 years.
An ITV spokesman said: “We are overhauling our schedule to reflect the changing demands of our audience [and] refreshing the mix of programming we commission and broadcast.”
Last January, ITV said production of the show had been suspended.
At the time, the broadcaster said it wanted to clear a stockpile of unbroadcast episodes before filming resumed.
On Friday, ITV said the decision to cancel the series was not based on saving money, but was part of boss Peter Fincham’s plans to overhaul the channel’s output.
“We will continue to maintain our significant investment in the genre, the biggest of any commercial broadcaster, but ITV1′s future focus will be on new and varied drama commissions,” said the spokesman.
“Heartbeat has been an important part of the television landscape over the last 18 years and we are incredibly proud of what it achieved in its heyday as one of ITV1′s top rated dramas,” the spokesman said.
Set in the 1960s, Heartbeat was based on the books of Peter Walker, who wrote under the pen name Nicholas Rhea.
The story followed police constable Joe Mason, played by Joe McFadden, who patrolled the streets of Aidensfield.
The series drew up to seven million viewers in its Sunday night slot, about half as many as the first series in 1992.
In those days, the central character was PC Nick Rowan, played by former EastEnders star Nick Berry."

Pilot, passenger in plane loaded with cocaine sentenced for drug trafficking

Pilot, passenger in plane loaded with cocaine sentenced for drug trafficking: "The pilot, Dean Bryan Moya, 40, of Hemet, Calif., was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison. The passenger, Richard Allen Vickery, 31, of Hemet, Calif., was sentenced to 72 months. Both men pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine.
According to court documents, Moya was piloting a Cessna 210 aircraft that landed on Oct. 22 at the airport in Liberal, Kan. Moya had picked up Vickery and the cocaine in California and was taking the drugs to Ohio for distribution. In his plea, Vickery admitted he was on board to shepherd the cocaine to Ohio for distribution."

BZP smuggler sentenced to 5 years in prison

BZP smuggler sentenced to 5 years in prison: "Nen Angel Cruces, 23, of Daly City, Calif., was arrested by ICE agents in June 2009 at a Bellingham, Wash., storage facility where thousands of the BZP tablets he helped smuggle from Canada were temporarily stored. Cruces pleaded guilty in November 2009 to possession of BZP with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Cruces made a dozen trips between the United States and Canada during a nine-month period starting in August 2008. ICE’s investigation into his activity revealed that he was storing BZP and Ecstasy tablets in a storage unit until he was able to transport them to Chicago by train.
Cruces relied on others to illegally smuggle the tablets into the United States. However, he would cross the border at the same time, in a separate vehicle, and meet the smuggler at the storage unit.
When the quantity of tablets reached 100,000, Cruces would board an Amtrak train destined for Chicago. Once in Chicago, he hired a limousine and traveled to Detroit where the drugs were distributed for sale.
“Today’s prison sentence is a reminder of the serious consequences drug traffickers face for trying to bring illicit drugs into our communities,” said Leigh Winchell, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Seattle. “ICE remains committed to dismantling the international drug trade while ensuring that those who are involved don’t benefit financially.”"

BBC News - Spain seizes fake Dakar rally lorry loaded with cocaine

BBC News - Spain seizes fake Dakar rally lorry loaded with cocaine: "Spanish police say they have seized more than 800kg (1,760lbs) of cocaine from a lorry disguised as an official backup vehicle for the Dakar rally.
The lorry was infiltrated into the race, which now takes place in South America, and loaded with cocaine before being shipped to Spain, police said.
The final destination for the drugs was the Spanish island of Ibiza, home to a major drugs trafficking ring.
Police said the cocaine was cleverly hidden in false bottoms in the lorry."

police have arrested two men who shot at an alleged male prostitute who was dressed as a woman.

police have arrested two men who shot at an alleged male prostitute who was dressed as a woman.The Alexandria Town Talk reports that the alleged prostitute told police on Wednesday that he had performed oral sex on the men and that they became angry after discovering that he was a man and not a woman.The victim was not injured.
Police say 21-year-old Jeffery Ray Allen and 25-year-old Troherro Keith Batiste, both of Alexandria, were booked with assault by drive-by shooting.It wasn't immediately clear if Allen or Batiste have attorneys.

serious and persistent breaches of Gibraltar’s financial services legislation.

Financial Services Commission has today, pursuant to Section 11 of the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) Act cancelled the licences of the following licensed firms and persons ;
Gibland Secretarial Services Limited ; Licence No FSC00171B
Gibland Nominees Limited ; Licence No FSC00175B
Equity Nominees Limited ; Licence No FSC00174B
Equitar Management Limited ; Licence No FSC00172B
Gibter Management Limited ; Licence No FSC00173B
Cabor Trustees Limited ; Licence No FSC00430B
Meridian Trustees Limited ; Licence No FSC00890B
Marrache, Benjamin John Samuel ; Licence No FSC00736I
Marrache, Solomon S ; Licence No FSC00176I
The decision has been taken following an investigation into the affairs of the licensed entities and persons which in the opinion of the Commission have disclosed serious and persistent breaches of Gibraltar’s financial services legislation.
The Commission,while investigations continue, has taken immediate measures to safeguard the interests of the existing clients of these firms and has appointed Mr Frederick White Managing Director of Grant Thornton (Gibraltar) Limited of 6a Queensway, Gibraltar (Tel. 200 45502) as Authorised Administrator of all the above companies pursuant to the provisions of the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) (Temporary Administration of Companies) Regulations 2010.

The Authorised Administrator will work closely with the clients of these firms in assisting them to transfer their business to other licensed entities at the earliest opportunity having regard to the particular needs of individual clients.

Marrache & Co Gibraltar bank account supposed to hold the company’s cash in fact had a balance of less than nine Euros and no credit facility.

Two senior executives at a prominent Gibraltar law firm, brothers Benjamin and Solomon Marrache, appeared before the Magistrates Court yesterday charged with false accounting in respect of E1.8m of client money.The two men were arrested on Tuesday and spent the night in police cells before being ferried to court in a police van.The two Marrache brothers were ushered by police through a side entrance to Central Police station just before 10am and appeared before the magistrate in a crowded courthouse a short while later.Attorney General Ricky Rhoda, appearing for the Crown, urged the magistrate to impose stringent bail conditions for fear that the two men might flee the jurisdiction.Keith Azopardi, the defence lawyer representing the Marrache brothers together with Samantha Sacramento, said there was no risk of them leaving Gibraltar because both were of previous good character and had strong family ties here.Stipendiary Magistrate Charles Pitto granted bail but set tough conditions on each defendant, in the form of two sureties to the value of £300,000 for each brother. The court also set a further financial condition of £150,000 in their own recognizance for each defendant.In simple terms, failure to appear at future court hearings could cost the defendants and their guarantors up to £900,000 in total.Both men also had to hand in their travel documents and agree to reside at their respective family homes, as well as report twice weekly to police.By the end of the day yesterday, a number of persons had stepped up to provide £600,000 in sureties for the release of the two men.At an hour-long hearing in the evening, Mr Pitto questioned the guarantors closely but accepted the sureties. The two brothers were released from custody later that evening.Yesterday’s developments in court were the opening shots in what will undoubtedly develop into a lengthy and complex case.Mr Rhoda said the sums of money involved “could be quite substantial”.He said the two men were currently facing “holding charges” and that more charges could follow at a later stage. The Attorney General also said there could be further arrests as a result of an ongoing police investigation.Earlier this week police raided several commercial and residential properties linked to Marrache & Co and seized documents and computers.Prosecutors allege that in January this year, the brothers falsified documents to conceal a shortfall of E1.8m of funds belonging to a company called Portino Comercio Internacional. One document, a letter signed by Solomon Marrache, purported to show that the money was held by the brothers on the client’s behalf. Another document, a letter signed by Benjamin Marrache, purported to give authority to Natwest bank to transfer the client’s money to a bank in Ireland.But prosecutors said that the Gibraltar bank account supposed to hold the company’s cash in fact had a balance of less than nine Euros and no credit facility.

1,000 British nationals are imprisoned overseas on drugs charges, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said.

1,000 British nationals are imprisoned overseas on drugs charges, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said.Hundreds of travelling Britons are being caught out by strict foreign laws against drug trafficking, the Government warned.The majority are held in Spain (207), followed by the United States (141), Thailand and France (both 79).
Minister Chris Bryant said travellers should be "extremely wary" of getting sucked into drugs because they face long jail terms in harsh conditions.He said: "The message is clear - we can't get people out of jail in other countries, so if you don't want to waste your life away in a tough foreign jail, be sensible and keep clean."
His comments came after a British drugs smuggler was executed in China last December despite widespread criticism of his treatment.Mentally ill Akmal Shaikh, 53, a father-of-three from London, was killed by lethal injection after being caught carrying 8.8lb (4kg) of heroin into the country in 2007.Of 2,582 Britons held overseas, 1,057 are held on drugs charges, according to figures released by the Government.Many countries take an extremely hard-line with drug smugglers, with the death sentence used in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.Other countries, including Cyprus, India, Venezuela, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates, can impose long sentences, even for small quantities of drugs.

arrested a 40-year-old man from Arriate, near Ronda, for a crime against public health when he was found to be in possession of 10 grams of cocaine

arrested a 40-year-old man from Arriate, near Ronda, for a crime against public health when he was found to be in possession of 10 grams of cocaine. Further to the arrest, charges have been pressed against the owner of the pub where the man was arrested. Upon search of the bar police found the establishment had no opening licence and found drugs and different weapons. It is also thought the owner permitted patrons to consume drugs freely in his bar.

arrested a 54-year-old man from Velez Blanco charged with a crime against public health after dismantling a drugs sale point

arrested a 54-year-old man from Velez Blanco charged with a crime against public health after dismantling a drugs sale point and seizing 49 grams of cocaine. The operation began after police observed unusual activity of people coming and going from an establishment in Velez after commercial hours. The clients were seen leaving the establishment putting small items in their pockets, making police suspect that drugs were being sold. They confirmed their suspicions and raided the establishment finding extremely pure rock cocaine as well as utensils and substances used for cutting and preparing drugs.

sentences of between two and nine years for three men charged with planning to kill a National Police officer

sentences of between two and nine years for three men charged with planning to kill a National Police officer who had previously arrested one of them for drug dealing. One of the accused, who owned the premises where the drugs were being distributed, is believed to have paid almost 300,000 euros to one of the others to carry out the murder. The hired killer then obtained a weapon and requested help from the third man accused, giving him the weapon. The plan never materialized and the men denied in Alicante Provincial Court ever having planned to kill the officer.

wearing blue overalls and armed with a gun stole 150 euros from a shop

wearing blue overalls and armed with a gun stole 150 euros from a shop in Ciudad Quesada, Rojales. Police are investigating and believe he may not have acted alone

arrested four people believed to have perpetrated a robbery on December 13 at an Orange mobile phone shop near the train station

arrested four people believed to have perpetrated a robbery on December 13 at an Orange mobile phone shop near the train station in the centre of Malaga in which 30,000 euros worth of latest generation mobile phones and laptop computers were stolen over the weekend. They entered the shop via an adjoining empty warehouse. This time, they were caught red-handed by the police after a citizen alerted that they had entered the office of a promoter. Two were caught inside with tools and wearing socks on their hands so they would not leave fingerprints. Outside, two other people were waiting in a car which contained some of the stolen mobile phones.

Man who died in hospital following an argument on the CV-905 road in Rojales, had been stabbed several times in the head.

Man who died in hospital following an argument on the CV-905 road in Rojales, had been stabbed several times in the head. The victim was from Madrid but lived in Torrevieja. The other man involved in the events, a 26-year-old resident of Rojales, is also in a serious condition in hospital as he was stabbed in the lung. He is under police guard and will be arrested by the Guardia Civil as soon as he is well enough and charged with manslaughter.It appears the two drivers had an altercation on the road and began to chase each other along the A-37 until they reached the roundabout in Rojales. Here, they got out of their cars and the deceased allegedly took out a knife and stabbed the other driver in the face and chest, leaving the knife in him. The killer grabbed the knife from his own body and stabbed his attacker, allegedly in self defence.

17 years in prison for a Guardia Civil officer who with the help of a friend who is facing the same sentence, allegedly killed a drug dealer

17 years in prison for a Guardia Civil officer who with the help of a friend who is facing the same sentence, allegedly killed a drug dealer who regularly supplied them with cocaine and who they owed 3,000 euros in 2006. The body was found abandoned in an olive grove in the town of Biar. Also on trial are the officer’s wife, his friend’s brother and a Local Police officer, all of whom are facing two years in prison.The two men used to take drugs together, but in October 2006, they killed their supplier. Now, at trial, each one is accusing the other.The officer admitted to taking cocaine and smoking marijuana, but denied he had any debts and said the deceased dealer always gave him the drugs as a gift. He said they had met when he was doing breathalyser tests and become so friendly that one lent the other more than 1,000 euros for his daughter’s communion. He claims his friend owed the victim money and told him to come to a petrol station in Montesa and he heard shots. Fearing he too might be shot, he claims he dragged the body into the boot of the car and after taking all the dealer’s belongings, they hid the body.His friend, who was a driver of the municipal tow-truck, on the other hand, says the Guardia Civil asked him to come to the meeting with the dealer because he owed him money, and gave him a loaded weapon. He claims they fought with the dealer and the gun went off, but he hid behind the car and heard several more shots.Both agree that they disposed of the body.