Sham marriages scam uncovered in Alicante

Sham marriages scam uncovered in Alicante: "Alicante police have arrested four people for a sham marriages fraud to secure Spanish nationality for foreigners. El País reports this Wednesday that the network charged up to 4,000 € for the fake certificates.

Police began their investigations on discovering a number of fake certificates which had been registered at the Alicante Civil Registry for supposed marriages between Spanish women and men from India."

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Bank robber arrested in Alicante enjoying a drink in a nearby bar after the robbery

Bank robber arrested in Alicante enjoying a drink in a nearby bar after the robbery: "forgetful thief is in custody in Seville province after accidentally leaving his house keys behind in one of the houses he had burgled. His target was an urbanisation in Huévar del Aljarafe, where he stole 22 gas boilers and the electrical installations from 31 of the 32 properties on the development.

36 year old D.G.B., who lives in a property adjacent to the urbanisation, was identified by the Civil Guard when one of the keys on the set he had accidentally left behind him was found to fit his front door. Europa Press reports that he has a previous criminal record."

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Romanian couple sentenced for death of retired Murcia priest

Romanian couple sentenced for death of retired Murcia priest: "Romanian couple accused of the death of a retired Murcia priest have been sentenced to 28 years in prison.

75 year old Salvador Fernández Ciller, who had been a missionary in South America for many years before returning home to Murcia, was found beaten to death in his home in Murcia City on April 11 2007. He had acted as parish priest for two churches before his retirement.

The two suspects convicted for his death are Marius Neacsu, sentenced to 20 years for murder and robbery with violence, and his partner of the time, Ramona Mona Strecke, who will spend 8 years behind bars. EFE reports that the court ruled, in the latter’s case, that she was forced to help in the killing and acted out of fear of her partner."

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Right hand man of Georgian mafia boss to be extradited to Spain from Russia

Right hand man of Georgian mafia boss to be extradited to Spain from Russia: "El País has revealed that Russia has agreed to extradite to Spain a man who acts as a funds manager for Zakhar Kalashov, the Georgian mafia leader who was sentenced by Spain earlier this year to more than seven years for money laundering.

Kalashov is currently awaiting extradition to his native Georgia, where he is wanted in connection with the disappearance of a US citizen."

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WikiLeaks tells why drug kingpin Joaquin 'Chapo' Guzman is still free | Front page | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

WikiLeaks tells why Mexican drug king is still free | Front page | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "elaborate security system has enabled Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin 'Chapo' Guzman to evade capture thus far, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks.
The cable also reveals that the Mexican army has two officers stationed at the El Paso Intelligence Center, and that the army prefers to work closely with U.S. anti-drug agencies because it distrusts its country's civilian law enforcement.
The cable covers a discussion last year between National Intelligence Director Dennis Blair and Mexican Defense Secretary Gen. Guillermo Galvan Galvan.
'(Galvan) noted that they have found 10 to 15 locations where (Guzman) moves, but that 'Chapo' commands the support of a large network of informers and has security circles of up to 300 men that make launching capture operations difficult,' the document said.
Guzman is battling the Carrillo Fuentes drug cartel for control of the Chihuahua state smuggling corridor, which includes border communities like Juarez, Valle de Juarez, Palomas and Ojinaga."

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Gibraltar’s Police suspects Money Laundering through Belize Company

Gibraltar’s Police suspects Money Laundering through Belize Company: "Gibraltar’s Police officers suspect money laundering scheme to be carried out by a British national through Belize-registered company holding a bank account in Gibraltar.

52-year-old Nasser Heikal, a British national born in Lebanon, has been arrested by Royal Gibraltar Police Financial Crime Unit officers because of money laundering suspicion.

Gibraltar’s Police made a statement to announce that this money laundering case is related to the laundering of the proceeds of a ‘boiler room’ operation that had targeted UK victims between November and December 2010.

The financial investigation identified up to GDP 80 000 that have allegedly been laundered by Heikal with the help of a Belize-incorporated company through a bank account in Gibraltar."

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Dermot McArdle Wife-killer finally face prison in Spain as European arrest warrant issued

Dermot McArdle Wife-killer finally face prison in Spain as European arrest warrant issued: "WIFE-killer Dermot McArdle may be arrested and brought back to Spain after a judge threw out his latest bid to escape jail.

A court in Malaga has issued a European arrest warrant instructing gardai to detain the father-of-three at his home in Heynestown, Dundalk.

Spanish officials said the arrest was being delayed by Irish bureaucrats, who have insisted the Department of Justice becomes involved in the execution of the warrant."

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Marbella Times, hold up a rival British gang who had smuggled 1.2 tons of cannabis on to the Spanish coast.

Marbella Times: "James Lindsay, 51, and Englishmen David Tricks, 64, and John Hughes, 40, were lifted in the Catral area of the Costa Blanca.
The three suspects are alleged to have used guns to hold up a rival British gang who had smuggled 1.2 tons of cannabis on to the Spanish coast.
Half of the drugs haul was still missing yesterday.
Police said a group of Brits had been buying huge amounts of cannabis from north African traffickers.
A shipment arrived by boat on a beach at Denia, near Alicante, on the Costa Blanca, on December 13. But the gang were allegedly surprised by five Brits armed with pistols and a rifle, who stole the cannabis.
In a statement released by officials at the Court of Instruction in Denia, a spokesman said: 'After a long investigation, officers from the National Police discovered that the robbers planned to sell the drug to some Britons living in the Catral area.'
The statement added: 'The officers intercepted a vehicle with a British man inside, who was carrying in the boot five large bags which had been used to carry drugs.'"

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Elderly Dutch couple, son found dead in Spain

Elderly Dutch couple, son found dead in Spain (Roundup) - Monsters and Critics: "Spanish divers Saturday recovered the bodies of a Dutch couple from the Fluvia river, hours after police found the body of their 33-year-old son following an apparent family drama.
It was not immediately clear how the Dutchman had died in a country house in Serinya, in north-eastern Spain.
Police found a farewell suicide note from the man's parents next to his body, in which they said they planned to take their own lives in the nearby river.
Investigators regarded the note as authentic and launched a search along the river. The bodies of the parents, both around 70 years old, were found at a depth of two metres."

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Briton arrested following Benidorm hotel fire

Briton arrested following Benidorm hotel fire: "Police have arrested a 50 year old Briton, accused of setting fire to the hotel room where he was staying.

Thirteen people, all of them British tourists, had to be treated for smoke inhalation following the fire which also led to the evacuation of six of the ten floors of the Hotel Ambassador in Calle Girona in the town. El País reports nine people of the 200 evacuated were hurt and needed hospital treatment, taken to the district hospital in La Vila Joiosa. Two of the injured were allowed home shortly afterwards.

The fire is thought to have started at 0749 on Tuesday morning. Forensic police are now investigating the origin of the blaze."

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Three Britons arrested in Catral drugs bust

Three Britons arrested in Catral drugs bust: "National Police have released details to the EFE news agency this Wednesday of the recent arrest of three British residents of Catral in connection with a haul of 600 kilos of cannabis.

It followed investigations into a gang of drug smugglers who had brought a consignment of 1.2 tons of cannabis onto the Costa Blanca from Morocco earlier this month, only to have it stolen from them at gunpoint by another gang when it was unloaded onto a beach in Denia."

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Ballena Blanca money laundering case ready for sentencing

Ballena Blanca money laundering case ready for sentencing: "accused is the Chilean lawyer based in Marbella, Fernando del Valle, who faces a possible 17 years in prison and a fine of 36 million € for the millions of Euros allegedly laundered.

Speaking in the court this Tuesday, del Valle said that in life, ‘I have committed many errors, but I have never committed any crimes’, and spoke of the thousands of hours which he said have been wasted on the case by hundreds of people.

He said he was convinced that the court would recognise his innocence, despite the charges against him which, as EFE reports, he claims to be the result of an agreement between the ‘police as the state’s oppressor, the prosecution service and a judge who many times forgot that his function was subject to the law’.

The Ballena Blanca investigation first hit the news with a raid in March 2005 on Fernando del Valle’s Marbella offices. More than 50 people were taken into custody at the time."

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ARRESTED Dennis O'Brien, from Liverpool, is suspected of leading a gang which plotted to import £166 million of cocaine into the UK from Peru.

One of the UK's most wanted fugitives has been arrested in Spain.
Dennis O'Brien, from Liverpool, is suspected of leading a gang which plotted to import £166 million of cocaine into the UK from Peru.
The 62-year-old was found at a Costa del Sol bar on Saturday after a joint operation by the British Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and Spanish police.
He is one of the fugitives featured in Operation Captura - Crimestoppers' campaign to trace suspected British criminals who are on the run in Spain.
Police caught up with O'Brien at the Trafalgar Bar, in Calahonda, a coastal town between Marbella and Fuengirola.
A spokesman said: "Dennis Patrick O'Brien was arrested on Saturday in Calahonda in the Costa del Sol.
"The arrest was part of an ongoing operation by the Spanish National Police and the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency targeting bars in the region which are known to be regular haunts of criminals."
O'Brien fled the country in 2005 before he could be put on trial for his alleged role in a conspiracy to supply 1.6 tonnes of cocaine.
His son James Kelly, from Garston, Liverpool, was jailed at Liverpool Crown Court for 19 years in March 2007 for his part in the same trafficking plot.
The investigation led police from Peru to England, via Rotterdam, Madrid and Amsterdam, and even saw gang members tailed to Hong Kong and Dubai.DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

French woman to be extradited to Spain in unusual move says she's going into hiding - Winnipeg Free Press

French woman to be extradited to Spain in unusual move says she's going into hiding - Winnipeg Free Press: "French woman who is to be extradited to Spain for her work with a pro-independence Basque movement that is legal here but illegal across the border has announced that she is going into hiding.
Aurore Martin, 31, has told the local newspaper Le Journal du Pays Basque that 'I have no other choice.'
Due to her work with Batasuna, Spain accuses her of 'participation in a terrorist organization.'
Last Wednesday, France's Court of Cassation rejected her appeal of a decision to extradite her to Spain.
Batasuna says the extradition by France of one of its citizens is a first.
France and Spain work closely to eradicate the armed Basque group ETA."

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Canadian denied critical surgery in Spanish jail, says wife | Canada | News | Toronto Sun

Canadian denied critical surgery in Spanish jail, says wife | Canada | News | Toronto Sun: "Sheree Halliday from Digby, N.S., said her husband, Philip, has had a gall-bladder infection since he was arrested a year ago, and if he doesn't have surgery soon, he could die.

“He's deteriorating on a daily basis ... he has constant pain,” said the mother of two and nurse of 36 years. “It's a real possibility at this point that he could die.

“When he eats he gets sick — fever and nauseated, and he gets the shakes.”

Last March, retired fisherman Philip Halliday took his friend up on an offer for a two-week job as a crew member aboard the Destiny Express.

But on Dec. 20, 2009, Spanish authorities boarded the vessel and found 1.5 tonnes of cocaine in the ship's hold. They charged the 54-year-old Canadian with drug trafficking.

His wife maintains he had no idea there were drugs aboard the ship. He's been in custody for a year, and she still has no idea when his trial will be. It could be another three years before he gets a trial date.

Halliday said her husband's been transferred three times, but his medical records were never transferred with him. At each new prison, he had to see a new doctor and get the same tests he'd already had. And each time, he went back to the bottom of the surgery waiting list."

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Twenty-eight art works, including a few by Pablo Picasso, which were stolen last month from near Madrid have been found

Twenty-eight art works, including a few by Pablo Picasso, which were stolen last month from near Madrid have been found, officials said. The art works are valued at 2.7 million euros ($3.5 million). Among the works stolen was a sculpture by Eduardo Chillida worth 800,000 euros ($1 million), as well


as pieces by Fernando Botero, Pablo Picasso, Antoni Tapies and Julio Gonzalez.
The art pieces that were on a truck were stolen on Nov 27 from a warehouse in the Madrid suburb of Getafe, where security cameras filmed three hooded men stealing the vehicle. The truck was found empty a few days later.

The pieces were lent by galleries in Madrid and Barcelona to a gallery in Cologne, Germany.

The art was on its way back to the Spanish galleries at the time of the robbery.DISCLAIMER:Text may be subject to copyright.This blog does not claim copyright to any such text. Copyright remains with the original copyright holder.

Muslim pupil offended by the word 'jamón' in class in Cádiz Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_28388.shtml#ixzz18kEPLKCd denuncia against the teacher for psychological ill-treatment in the context of xenophobia and racism.

Muslim pupil offended by the word 'jamón' in class in Cádiz



They placed a denuncia against the teacher for psychological ill-treatment in the context of xenophobia and racism.

It’s understood that an internal investigation is also underway by the education authority in Cádiz province, although the regional government, The Junta de Andalucía, has said that it supports the teacher as the complaint is ‘out of place’.

The government’s Minister for Presidency, Ramón Jáuregi, was questioned on the incident in an interview on Onda Cero radio this Monday morning. He described the denuncia as ‘unfounded’ and said there was no hope of it going any further.

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National Police operation against a real estate scam for the sale of fictitious properties in Turkey which were sold through offices in Alicante and the Costa del Sol.

Interior Ministry has released details of a National Police operation against a real estate scam for the sale of fictitious properties in Turkey which were sold through offices in Alicante and the Costa del Sol.

The only arrest so far in the case is a suspect from New Zealand, who was taken into custody in Calpe, but it’s understood that other suspects from the UK have been identified and that the organisation worked with British real estate companies.

The Ministry said 400,000 € was defrauded from unsuspecting foreigners resident in Spain who thought they were investing in luxury tourist resorts to be built in Turkey. They were even shown plans of the properties which were drawn up by another victim of the scam, a Belgian architect who was never paid for his work.

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Another vet is reported to have been charged been charged in the Parque Animal case, the animal shelter in Torremolinos

Another vet is reported to have been charged been charged in the Parque Animal case, the animal shelter in Torremolinos which is at the centre of allegations of abuse.

The investigation into the installations by the Civil Guard’s nature protection branch, Seprona, revealed that more than 2,000 animals suffered a slow and agonising death when a lower dosage of the euthanasia medicine was used to save costs.

The news that another vet has been charged in the case was given to El Mundo newspaper on Monday by Antonio Moreno, president of an animal protection association on the Costa del Sol. He told the paper that the suspect is accused of falsifying documents in connection with the case.

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ex Municipal Real Estate Assessor in Marbella is thought to have done a deal with the prosecutor, and appears to be 'spilling the beans'.

The ex Municipal Real Estate Assessor in Marbella is thought to have done a deal with the prosecutor, and appears to be 'spilling the beans'.

A week after first expected by the media, the man at the centre of the Malaya corruption case, the largest ever municipal corruption case ever seen in Spain, Juan Antonio Roca, finally took to the stand in the Málaga court on Monday.

Roca started his declaration after 1pm to the anti-corruption prosecutor, Juan Carlos López Caballero.

The ex Municipal Real Estate Assessor told the court that he paid 741,000 €, ‘some 123 million pesetas’, to Pedro Román, in a real estate backhander based on land sold on in Puerto Banús. Roca said that he had 15% of the company which had been established to purchase and sell the land, and that Roman had 62% of the shares. He even said that the money was paid in four cheques in foreign currency ‘from a previous real estate deal’ and with 50,000 € in cash.

Already there is speculation that Roca is spilling the beans as part of a deal with the anti-corruption prosecutor. His details of such a payment goes directly against the statement made to the court last week by the ex Deputy Mayor, Pedro Román, the right hand man for many years to the late Mayor, Jesús Gil y Gil.

Román claimed that he only found out that Roca took part in the Swiss based company, Lipsag A.G. after he had left it.

Roca contended that it was Jesús Gil who ‘always determined the conditions’, and said that he had instructions from Gil to modify the existing deal. It called on Roman to pay 240 million pesetas for the use of the land, when the previous owner had been charged 60. ‘El Señor Gil told me that as it was Pedro Román, the quantity was higher’.

It’s estimated that Marbella Town Hall lost out to the tune of some 5 million € because of the deal which allegedly achieved a profit for those involved of more than six million €.

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UK government brings in expert property advisor | Olive Press Newspaper | News Spain

UK government brings in expert property advisor Olive Press Newspaper News Spain: "British government has appointed an overseas property advisor following pressure from expat action groups who have lost millions in Spanish property scams.
The move comes after it was recently reported 300 Britons lost 40 million euros in deposits to Estepona Beach and Country Club near Marbella, part of which was never built.
The overseas advisor will advise British victims of property fraud and direct them to the correct Spanish government authorities.
But some pressure groups argue that laws are not tight enough and have too many loopholes allowing bogus property developers to con hundreds of expats.
The British ambassador to Spain has also raised some issues with the Andalucian regional government and the Minister for Public Works and Housing, including illegal permits and the time and cost spent resolving property disputes.
A spokesman for the British Embassy in Madrid said they cannot influence Spanish legislation, but are putting pressure on the authorities to do something about the problems effecting UK citizens and Spain’s reputation abroad."

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Anti-drug chief of Malaga’s Guardia Civil has been arrested | Olive Press Newspaper | News Spain

Anti-drug chief of Malaga’s Guardia Civil has been arrested Olive Press Newspaper News Spain: "anti-drug chief of Malaga’s Guardia Civil has been arrested in an ever-widening operation against drug trafficking in the province.
The arrest of high-ranking officer on Friday follows the detainment of two Guardia Civil officers in Mijas and Cordoba earlier this week.
A former Guardia Civil officer has also been arrested.
Guardia Civil’s internal investigators began tracking the suspects after a big drug seizure near Marbella on September 21.
The seizure pointed to corrupt supporters within Andalucia’s police force."

Britons lose millions on the Costa homes that never existed - Telegraph

Britons lose millions on the Costa homes that never existed - Telegraph: "investigation is now ongoing into Ocean View Properties, based in Birmingham, which was the British representative for Sun Golf Desarrollos Immobiliarios SL in Spain.
The company was formally dissolved in March last year when investigators and liquidators were brought in to try and recoup some of the losses for its creditors.
No charges have been brought, but the official receiver public interest unit in Manchester has until March 2011 to decide whether or not they will launch a civil case.
It is understood a police investigation was also undertaken, but the decision over whether to pursue criminal charges has yet to be made."

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Berger Singerman’s ties to Gibraltar bank | South Florida Business Journal

Berger Singerman’s ties to Gibraltar bank South Florida Business Journal: "Berger Singerman is facing more scrutiny over its ties to Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust and their relevance to convicted Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein, who owned a stake in the bank.
Qtask, one of the players with connections to Rothstein, wants to depose a representative of Gibralter regarding its ties to Miami-based Berger Singerman.
The firm is conducting most of the legal work on the bankruptcy of Rothstein’s defunct law firm, Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler.
Berger filed suit against Qtask, a California-based software firm in which Rothstein also invested. Berger has been locked into a months-long e-discovery dispute with Qtask over requests for data.
Gibraltar holds an interesting position in the Rothstein scandal because most of the dirty money in the scam flowed through its accounts. The bank is fighting allegations by investors that it ignored warning signs of Rothstein’s fraud.
Paul Singerman, a name partner at the Berger Singerman firm, disclosed more than a year ago that he had invested money in Gibraltar."

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British man stops schoolgirl being snatched in Benalmádena

British man stops schoolgirl being snatched in Benalmádena: "Detectives from the National Police are investigating an attempted kidnapping in Benalmádena recently where the victim, an 11 year old schoolgirl, was saved from being snatched by a passerby. Reporting on the incident this Thursday, Diario Sur said the child’s rescuer is believed to have been British.

It happened near La Paloma school in Arroyo de la Miel, after the victim had left the building after out of school activities one afternoon and was approached by a man, aged around 25, who tried to force her into his car. She later told her parents that he was dark-skinned and spoke Spanish with a foreign accent.

She was saved by a passerby who heard her cries for help and pushed her assailant away, with the warning that he would call the police if the kidnapper refused to let the youngster go. Police are now looking for the suspect, together with two other men the 11 year old said were with him in the car."

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Spanish police break up heroin smugglers

Spanish police break up heroin smugglers: "Iranians and Spaniards distributed the drugs hidden in vehicles

National Police have broken up an organisation which distributed heroin across Spain, hidden in vehicles. Eight arrests were made, and nine kilos of the drug impounded. It had been transported to Sevilla hidden in the spare wheel of a vehicle.

The main players in the group were based in Mostoles, Madrid, but with intermediaries in Sevilla and Málaga."

Defence lawyers acting for the Chilean lawyer based in Marbella, Fernando del Valle

, the man at the centre of the Ballena Blanca money laundering case, have called for the case to be declared null and void.

Horacio Oliva said in his final comments to the judge that his client suffered ‘unjustified interference’ of his basic rights during the instruction stage of the case. He said the arrest warrant issued against his client by Judge Miguel Angel Torres had an erroneous motive, and was more appropriate to the fight against terrorism or organised crime. He said they entered the office, destroyed it, and then obtained rickety evidence.

The lawyer argued that Del Valle, accused of setting up companies which allowed the laundering of 12 million € of black money, with that of the taxi driver who drives a client to the shanty town on the outskirts.
‘The taxi driver may be convinced that his passenger is going to buy drugs, but that does not make him an accomplice to the drug traffickers’.

Fernando del Valle faces a possible 17 years in prison and a fine of 36 million €, accused of aiding the laundering of 31 million € from illicit activities.

500 € notes were found by a hotel worker

More than 200,000 € worth of fake 500 € notes have been found in the room of a Málaga hotel. As if in a Hollywood film the notes were found behind the air conditioning grill in one of the rooms by a worker in the Tryp Alameda Hotel in the city centre.

The room supervisor noted that the grill had been forced and found the notes behind, then calling the National Police.

The notes have been set to Madrid to confirm they are counterfeit, and an investigation has been opened as to who could have left them there. Police think it could have been part of a fraud attempt.

The alleged drug trafficker known as the ‘Irish Godfather’, Christopher Kinahan, has been granted bail by the judge

Christopher Kinahan and his two sons, Christy Junior and Daniel walked out of the Albolote Prison in Granada on Friday
Judge María del Carmen Gutiérrez Henares, in Court Number 3 in Estepona. authorised the release from prison for his two sons, Christy Junior and Daniel, with bail set at 60,000 € for each one of the three.
Reports indicate that they all left the Albolote prison in Granada on Friday

They have been held on remand since May when the police arrested them as part of an operation, codenamed Shovel, which extended across five countries.

Kinahan has been ordered to present himself to the court every Monday as part of the bail conditions, and has had his passport withdrawn. He is accused of heading a grand network of organised crime, which distributed drugs across Europe and offered money laundering services to other drug dealers.

Intelligence services from five countries took part in the Shovel operation, which saw some 30 arrests in Spain, Ireland and the UK. Most of the arrests were in Marbella, Estepona and Fuengirola. 60 properties worth 150 million € were impounded and the ownership of some 50 others in Brazil is being investigated.

Kinahan is also linked to the February 2008 shooting of a 28 year old in an Estepona urbanisation.

Police consider him to be highly intelligent and say that is why he has managed to appear distant from the criminal activities, although he has been sentenced in Ireland for both drug trafficking and financial crimes. Irish police say he spent his time in jail perfecting his Dutch and Spanish languages.

Police are investigating the death of a British man found dead floating in Puerto Banus waters

Police are investigating the death of a British man found dead floating in Puerto Banus waters Wednesday.The discovery was made at midnight on Wednesday when a group of people found the dead body floating next to a boat in the Puerto Banus marina.
The people alerted emergency services, who rescued the body. The man was fully clothed.
Marbella’s police have opened an investigation into the circumstances of death, although initial assumptions point to an accident.

Almería fishing boat finds human remains in its nets

Almería fishing boat finds human remains in its nets: "autopsy is to take place at the Forensic Science Institute in El Ejido on human remains which were brought up by the nets of a boat which was fishing off the coast of Guardias Viejas on Wednesday morning. It’s understood that the body was badly decomposed when it was found.

The find came after the crew of another boat had reported spotting another body floating in waters off Cabo de Gata earlier that morning. The Civil Guard search began at 8am and was still continuing on Wednesday evening."

1.5 tons of hashish seized as drug network arrested in Andalucía

1.5 tons of hashish seized as drug network arrested in Andalucía: "National Police have seized 1.5 tons of cannabis resin after breaking up up a drug trafficking network which smuggled cannabis resin into Spain from Morocco and had its main base in Almería province. Twelve arrests have been made in total including the network’s leader, who goes by the name of ‘Lobo Gris’ – ‘Grey Wolf’. His son was amongst the others who were taken into custody.

Trial starts of Ibizan warlock who betwitched minors into sex acts

Trial starts of Ibizan warlock who betwitched minors into sex acts: "trial of Thomas A. R., known as 'El Brujo', a self declared 'mentalist and warlock', has begun at Palma (Ibiza) high court. Thomas is charged with 19 sex crimes allegedly committed on thirteen children between 11 and 16 years of age in Ibiza.
The prosecution requests a total of 138 years imprisonment for the accused, who deceived the teens into believing he had supernatural gifts and that he could 'ensure that their future lives were full of success and happiness.'
Along with Thomas A. R., a friend called Alberto C. C. is also before the court, for whom the prosecution requests 34 years in prison considering that he participated in the first few sexual relationships with minors. The prosecution alleges that the mentalist committed continuous crimes of sexual abuse by abuse of power.
The Public Prosecutor as wants Thomas A. R. to pay compensation to those affected with a total of 630,000 euros, maintains that between 1995 and 2006 he managed to have sex with the thirteen children taking advantage of their immaturity and lack of experience with misleading promises of help and education towards the development of their personality and their relationships with others"

new-fat-freddie-war-erupts

ERU on streets as new Fat Freddie war erupts - City News, National News - Herald.ie: "Thompson and his gangland pal Gary Hutch are currently in hiding in Amsterdam's criminal underworld after European Arrest Warrants were issued for the pair by Spanish police.
Authorities in the Costa Del Sol wish to quiz them over the killing of gun-for-hire Paddy Doyle in 2008 in the Costa Del Sol and their involvement with Christy Kinahan's drugs empire.
Under the terms of the warrant the gangster can be arrested by gardai on sight and deported to Spain.
Spanish authorities believe that the men's accounts of what happened that day could be the key to discovering Doyle's killer.
The pair may face charges for withholding information if and when they are detained.
Doyle was travelling in a jeep along with Thompson and Hutch in Estepona in February 2008 when their vehicle was stopped.
Doyle was shot twice in the head, while his pals narrowly avoided injury in the attack.
Fat Freddie has been travelling between Holland, England and Ireland in recent months and has been carrying out attacks and intimidation tactics on dealers in Dublin."

'Goldfinger' case has set a bond of more than 60 million euros liability to the principal accused in the case

judge investigating the 'Goldfinger' case has set a bond of more than 60 million euros liability to the principal accused in the case, including the actor Sean Connery, his wife and major law firm partners who have the legal representation of the actor.

The Judge of the Court of Instruction No. 1 of Marbella (Málaga) gives processed 10 days to deal with this bond and ordered the seizure of property if they can not respond. In addition, if any are declared insolvent, he has directed the Judicial Police and the Tax Office to investigate whether there may have been operations by the defendants to hide assets since April last year.

Through a written statement, the instructor indicates that the defendants, including former Mayor Julián Muñoz, and former urban advisor to Marbella Juan Antonio Roca, should respond jointly and severally of this bond according to the different urban operations allegedly have made home ownership as the actor was in Marbella, as reported by the SER.


The Scottish actor was called to testify as a defendant before the magistrate on the 15th of October, but did not appear, after submitting a letter, which was signed by him and his wife, in which were alleged health reasons of age for not attending, arguing that he is an older person, and had not had time to organize the trip. The declaration, he added, could be made through notarised letters.

The investigation is into a money laundering ring involving the construction and sale of luxury homes in the town of Marbella and not declaring tax on the proceeds. The Scottish actor is alledged by the Prosecutor to have used the ring to evade tax on the purchase and sale of property in the town.

One conclusion of officials of the AEAT and Money Laundering Section of the National Police is that "part of the benefits", including the amounts of possible fraud being investigated, "are transferred abroad, mostly to Britain and Uruguay, totalling "more than 37 million euros."

SOCA swoops on alleged drug gang and stolen passport ring - Liverpool Local News - News - Liverpool Echo

Liverpool SOCA swoops on alleged drug gang and stolen passport ring - Liverpool Local News - News - Liverpool Echo: "ALLEGED members of a crime ring trading in Class A drugs and stolen passports were rounded up in Liverpool in two days of swoops.
Officers from the Serious Organised Crime Agency and Merseyside police spent yesterday and Wednesday arresting their targets in a massive pre-planned operation.
More than 200 officers were involved in arresting 20 men and two women in Liverpool.
SOCA officers also picked up three more men in London, one in Lancashire and one in Scotland."

Michael ‘Sick Mick’ Farrell could be freed by Spanish authorities along with 12 others after it emrged ectasy pills were fake - Liverpool Local News - News - Liverpool Echo

Michael ‘Sick Mick’ Farrell could be freed by Spanish authorities along with 12 others after it emrged ectasy pills were fake - Liverpool Local News - News - Liverpool Echo: "ONE of Merseyside’s most wanted men who was arrested in Spain on drug trafficking charges could now be freed.
Michael Farrell, 22, was wanted for questioning by Merseyside Police after a string of shootings across north Liverpool.
Farrell, also known as “Sick Mick”, was arrested on September 27 in Torrevieja, near Alicante, when the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the paramilitary Civil Guard targeted a 12 strong gang of Liverpool men and women suspected of supplying designer drugs to clubbers on the Costa Blanca and Ibiza.
But he and the gang could now be freed by the Spanish authorities after it emerged the 53,000 ecstasy pills they were allegedly going to sell were made of caffeine."

Málaga Hoy reports that most of his clients were other Britons who reserved over the internet for a package of a few days rest in the sierra

SEPRONA, the Environmental wing of the Guardia Civil, has impounded 13 motorbikes and arrested a British man who was organising excursions in the Sierra Tejeda Nature Park near Nerja, without being legally constituted to do so, and without paying any tax.SEPRONA say they caught the man, in fraganti during a trip with 13 bikes, which also had foreign registration, and which have now been impounded until they can be released by Spanish customs authorities.

It was the frequent trips by motorbike which alerted the Guardia Civil to the existence of the fraudulent company. The trips continued during the summer when there is a ban on any motor vehicle travelling in the Nature Park because of the risk of forest fires.

A British man and the Director of a Marbella lawyers’ office

are among those arrested in a new National Police operation against money laundering. French and United States citizens have also been detained in the operation, carried out on Tuesday.

Europa Press reports they are all likely to appear shortly in the Marbella court instructing the case.

The investigation started some six months ago and has been carried out by agents from the National Police Money Laundering Unit together with the UDYCO Organised Crime Unit based on the Costa del Sol. It’s understood investigations were based in both Marbella and Fuengirola.
. A large amount of documentation, both paper and computer data, has been removed for study.

National Police have arrested four people for the theft of items of incalculable value which had been pillaged from first and fourth century tombs in

National Police have arrested four people for the theft of items of incalculable value which had been pillaged from first and fourth century tombs in Córdoba.

Some of them come from the necropolis recovered in a private estate in the town of Aguilar de la Frontera, Córdoba, which came to light after the floods of last August. At the time the Junta de Andalucía decided to cover up the site, to better conserve the remains and in an attempt to stop any depredations.

El Mundo reports that the pieces which have now been recovered had been taken from the Provincial Cultural Delegation warehouses belonging to the Junta de Andalucía, where they were being kept while a decision on their future was being taken.

Among those arrested is a Belgian-Lebanese man, who took the base of a column from the Medina Azahara in Córdoba, dating from the Omeya Caliphate out of the country, to then sell it at Christie’s auction house in London for some 150,000 €. It was the sale of that item which led the police to start their investigations. The man was located with the help of Interpol and arrested in Marbella on charges of contraband.

The man who sold the base to the Belgian man, an antique dealer in Ronda, has also been arrested. The dealer knew people who could supply such valuable items.

Other items now recovered include a late Roman mosaic, Neolithic axes, Roman projectiles, an Oniokoe, and more than 300 Arab and Roman coins taken from the necropolis in Aguilar de la Frontera.

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The Civil Guard have intercepted more than three tons of cannabis resin in two separate operations which took place on the western coast of Málaga

The Civil Guard have intercepted more than three tons of cannabis resin in two separate operations which took place on the western coast of Málaga province in recent days. The first haul was on Sunday evening at the marina in Marbella from a yacht which had been under surveillance since the previous day. Two people were taken into custody on that occasion, F.J.A.S. and A.G.M., neither of whose nationalities has been revealed in reports.

The second was in the early hours of Tuesday when a 38 year old Spaniard, E.H.M., was arrested as he was trying to unload his cargo of cannabis onto a van waiting on shore. His boat is understood from the EFE news agency to have been followed to shore, to an area between the Playas del Padrón y de Velerín, by Civil Guard patrol boats.

Three Guardia Civil and two lawyers have been arrested and imprisoned

Three Guardia Civil and two lawyers have been arrested and imprisoned in an anti-drug operation which started with raids in Marbella. A total of ten people are being held in prison on remand.

The case comes as a result of a 1,400 kilo hashish haul found on a Marbella beach back on September 21, and reports indicate that the police operation remains open this (Tuesday) morning.

The Guardia Civil Internal Affairs Unit, based in Madrid has been directing the operation with a court in Málaga province, and Diario Sur reports that there are at least 12 arrest in total since September.

One of the arrested Guardia Civil is reported to be based with the Judicial Police in Málaga, while another is reported to be based in Córdoba.

'Most wanted' arrested in Spain

The Press Association: 'Most wanted' arrested in Spain: "Suspected drug dealer Stephen Pitman was held by local police in Malaga.
Pitman, of Chislehurst, south-east London, was among a list of 10 fugitives thought to be on the run in the region, often dubbed the 'Costa del Crime'.
He is accused of seven offences of conspiracy to supply a class A drug and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.
He is also accused of another seven offences relating to the supply of a class B drug, for which the maximum jail term is 14 years.
A note on the website for the British Embassy in Spain lists his distinctive features as: 'scar on brow; scar on right finger'."

High Tech marihuana bust in Benalmádena basement

High Tech marihuana bust in Benalmádena basement: "900 plants were growing in the basement of a villa owned by a British man.

National Police have discovered a Marihuana plantation with as many as 900 plants in the basement of a luxury detached chalet, complete with swimming pool, in Calle Petunia, Benalmádena.

Police have arrested 15 people of different nationalities, and all except two of them have been sent to the prison in Alhaurín de la Torre. They are accused of trafficking in drugs from Morocco as well as the plants found in Benalmádena.

Police say a British man lived in the villa, but think he was obeying instructions from the gang’s chief who is Dutch.

Police estimate that 70,000 € was spent on the basement of the property making it suitable for production. It was divided into three areas, one for seeding, one for growing the plants upto 2 metres in height, and the third for drying. Special lamps and reflective materials were used, along with instruments to control the humidity. It’s thought the basement was capable of producing four crops a year.

Police recovered 130 kilos of the drug, of which 30 was already prepared ready for sale. Seeds from the different varieties of Marihuana, known as Melon Gum, Spicy White Devil, Blue Rhino, and Cheese were also recovered."

Police release woman who has been held for three years against her will

Police release woman who has been held for three years against her will: "woman who has been held against her will for the past three years by her partner has been freed by National Police in a village in Ciudad Real.

A 33 year old man, Lorenzo M.N. has been arrested and faces charges of illegal detention, and acting against the moral integrity of the woman who was found surrounded by rubbish and decomposing food. It’s thought that she had not eaten for weeks and her health is reported to be critical. She has been admitted to the General Hospital in Ciudad Real.

The alarm was raised by the woman’s brother who lives in Paraguay, after he had lost touch with his sister. He convinced the police to obtain a judge’s warrant to enter the home."

Spain’s biggest ever counterfeit cigarette network dismantled » Breaking News | Wire Update News | News Wires -

Spain’s biggest ever counterfeit cigarette network dismantled » Breaking News | Wire Update News | News Wires -: "Spain's biggest ever counterfeit cigarette network has been dismantled in an operation against that led to the seizure of 90 million fake cigarettes and the arrest of six men, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) said Friday.
The investigation saw the OLAF working closely with Spanish Customs to break up one of the largest tobacco rackets in Europe and prevent the loss of 10 million euros in tax revenue.

Spanish Customs launched Operation BALMAN in February when intelligence about suspicious imports from China was provided by OLAF."

The NHS hired Dr Marcos Ariel Hourmann even though he killed a patient in Spain | Mail Online

The NHS hired Dr Marcos Ariel Hourmann even though he killed a patient in Spain | Mail Online: "Doctor hired by two UK hospitals while awaiting murder trial
'Earned £10,000 a month' as surgeon for Dyfed-Powys Police

A foreign doctor has been working in Britain despite a conviction for killing a patient in Spain.
Dr Marcos Ariel Hourmann was hired by two NHS ­hospitals while awaiting a murder trial.
Incredibly, even when he was found guilty of manslaughter, he was treating patients as a ­surgeon for a British police force, apparently earning £10,000 a month"

Catholic Priest Arrested In Spain For Possession Of Child Pornography

Catholic Priest Arrested In Spain For Possession Of Child Pornography: "The Spanish police have arrested a Catholic priest east of the country after finding about 21,000 computer files of child pornography in the computers at his church, local news reports quoting officials said Friday.
Spanish media reports said the priest, who has not been named, was released on bail by a court in in the eastern town of Vilafames on Friday. The judge has ordered the priest to return to the court in 15 days.
Meanwhile, the El Pais newspaper reported that the Segregate-Castellon diocese has suspended the priest and expressed willingness to clarify the facts in court.
The diocese, which controls the parish church of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion where the files were found, said it would also offer the priest 'the necessary means for a fair defense'." Guardia Civil in Castellón arrested the parish priest of Our Lady of the Assumption of the Castellon town of Vilafamés, which the prosecutor charged with a crime of distributing child pornography.

The arrest was confirmed by the Provincial Prosecutor of Castellon, who ordered a search of his home, conducted in that parish on 10th November, when officers found more than 21,000 files of pedophile material, occupying approximately 600 gigabytes.

After his statement in Court on Friday, the Prosecutor asked that he be held without bail until trial.

However, the magistrate has agreed to provisional release with the obligation to appear every two weeks.

Three arrested as dope seized in one of Spain's biggest drug busts in history | Mail Online

Three arrested as dope seized in one of Spain's biggest drug busts in history | Mail Online: "20-ton consignment of cannabis has been seized by Spanish authorities with three Dutch men arrested in the bust.The massive haul, packed in compressed resin form, was discovered on the Nancy II fishing vessel about 120 miles off the Spanish coast having picked up its cargo in Morocco.Spanish customs said the drug seizure was their biggest at sea for a decade and one of the largest busts in Spanish history. Seizure at sea: Spanish customs agents oversee the unloading of 20 tonnes of cannabis found on a fishing vesselAuthorities had monitored the boat since it docked in northern Spain earlier this month before sailing to Morocco.The vessel was intercepted with the authorisation of the Dutch government after being spotted in international waters and three Dutch nationals on board were all arrested.The men were to appear in court in the southern port of Cadiz, according to a statement from Spanish customs."

Spain seizes 22 tons of hashish - CNN.com

Spain seizes 22 tons of hashish - CNN.com: "Spanish customs police said Friday they have seized 22 tons of hashish and arrested three Dutch sailors in an operation they described as the biggest drug haul in a decade and one of the five biggest in its history.
The government credited an air-surveillance operation for the interception, which was launched after customs officials learned that a 40-meter fishing vessel flying a Dutch flag might try to carry a cargo of hashish to Spain from Morocco, the government said in a posting on its website. On Thursday, the plane alerted a patrol boat, which intercepted and boarded the suspect vessel, called the Nancy II, after getting authorization from Dutch government officials.
Once the alleged contraband was discovered, the boat was taken to the Spanish port of Cadiz"

Former Nationwide boss in Marbella | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain

Euro Weekly News | Former Nationwide boss in Marbella | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "FORMER Irish Nationwide Building Society chief executive being pursued by Ulster Bank over €13.6 million in unpaid loans is staying at a Marbella apartment his creditors cannot touch. Michael ‘Fingers’ Fingleton, aged 72, was reported by the Irish Independent to be staying at one of two apartments, in his wife’s name and another relative, purchased for €1.2 million five years ago at the Hotel del Golf complex in Las Brisas golf club.
Fingleton, was spotted arriving at Malaga airport last week.
He has not yet been investigated for his part in Irish Nationwide’s 2008 collapse, which is calculated will cost the state €5.4 billion .
Former colleagues say he was the person who approved all major loans at the building society."

UBS acquitted over Lehman Brothers lawsuit filed in Marbella | SpanishNews.es

UBS acquitted over Lehman Brothers lawsuit filed in Marbella | SpanishNews.es: "Court of First Instance No. 6 of Marbella has acquitted UBS Bank to pay 12 million euros to a client for an investment in Lehman Brothers bonds. The lawsuit is the biggest Lehman Brothers-related lawsuit in Spain.
The court ruling declared that the client “has not shown the occurrence of any alleged failings” to the entity. The plaintiff was a client of the UBS private banking office in Marbella, who had invested all the profits from the sale of land in Lehman Brothers bonds.
The customer lost his entire investment with the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers on 15th September 2008"

accused of defrauding investors in 258 cases — financing a luxurious lifestyle, largely in the Spanish resort of Marbella

The Canadian Press: Man who fled trial for defrauding investors in Germany arrested in Panama: "Authorities say a man who fled Germany after he was put on trial for allegedly defrauding investors of €16 million ($22 million) has been arrested in Panama.
Investigators in the western state of Saarland said the 72-year-old was handed over to German officials on Monday and is now back in the country. They didn't identify him.
They said Thursday that the man fled last year, apparently fearing his fraud trial had got off to a bad start.
He is accused of defrauding investors in 258 cases — financing a luxurious lifestyle, largely in the Spanish resort of Marbella."

PROSTITUTES who work on the Guadalhorce Industrial Estate in Malaga have made several proposals to the town hall regarding new municipal laws banning

Euro Weekly News | Malaga prostitutes propose solutions to ban | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "PROSTITUTES who work on the Guadalhorce Industrial Estate in Malaga have made several proposals to the town hall regarding new municipal laws banning street prostitution. The representatives are a Romanian, a Latina and an African who inform women who originate from the same areas as them regarding laws and fines.
They have also joined the talks in an attempt to avoid fines and continue to practice prostitution without causing problems for businesses in the area, and therefore are requesting a well-lit, patrolled and safe area where they can continue their activity.
In return, they promise to work only at night and at least 200 metres from urban areas and schools, as well as cleaning up the area and not starting bonfires to keep warm.
Their proposals will now be studied by the town hall.
Fines of up to €1,500 for practicing, requesting or offering sex in residential or business areas will be fined from this month in Malaga."

'We want those fugitives to know they are not safe from justice here and they will be tracked down. British pubs raided on Costa del Sol - Telegraph

British pubs raided on Costa del Sol - Telegraph: "Operation Cardhu targeted pubs and bars in the resorts of Marbella, Fuengirola, Calahonda, Torremolinos, Benalmadena and La Cala. Police arrested four expats with outstanding warrants and a pub owner who was allegedly selling drugs from his premises.
During the raid, hundreds of British expats and holidaymakers were ordered to identify themselves to officers.
Most of the detained Brits were wanted over drugs offences.
'We know there are still many British fugitives hiding out in the Costa del Sol,' a police source said.
'We want those fugitives to know they are not safe from justice here and they will be tracked down and caught.'
The south coast of Spain earned the nickname Costa del Crime in the early 1980s"

Anti-Mafia squad commander Giampaolo Ganzer said the operation had "decapitated" the shadowy Cosa Nostra clans.

Anti-Mafia squad commander Giampaolo Ganzer said the operation had "decapitated" the shadowy Cosa Nostra clans.Italian police detained 47 suspected mobsters in a massive swoop on the Mafia and their supporters.
Yesterday's arrests included Mafia dons, businessmen, civil servants and a member of Sicily's regional council, Fausto Fagone.
Raffaele Lombardo, Sicily's governor, is also under investigation in the probe, which netted about £400million of mob assets.
Anti-Mafia squad commander Giampaolo Ganzer said the operation had "decapitated" the shadowy Cosa Nostra clans.


Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/04/47-arrests-in-mob-swoop-115875-22690978/#ixzz14W9iudmi

Police crackdown on British organised crime on the Costa del Sol

Police crackdown on British organised crime on the Costa del Sol: "Those detained include two fugitives sought for drug trafficking in their countries, one wanted by Spanish authorities, and two others who allegedly were involved in selling small quantities of drugs. Such is the case of the waiter and the owner of a pub in Benalmadena. During the inspection of the premises, the officers involved found various doses of marijuana and hashish hidden behind the bar and in the garbage. In addition to arresting them, Police have recommended suspending the trading license of the establishment.
In the opertion are collaborating agents specializing in the fight against drug trafficking and the Special Response Group Organized Crime (Greco), as well as liasions from the British police posted Spain for this operation. 'We want to draw the attention of the bad guys who think that the Costa del Sol is the perfect hideaway and remind them that we are monitoring them closely' said a police commander.
The operation, named Cardhu, has been ongoing since the 24th October. Although the first phase was aimed specifically at British criminals, the operation is not over. Forthcoming operations focus on meeting places for fugitives from other countries, police said."

Irish gangster who is suspected of being behind an attempted hit in Clondalkin is hiding out in Portugal.

Irish gangster who is suspected of being behind an attempted hit in Clondalkin is hiding out in Portugal.

The major west Dublin drug trafficker is directing his criminal activities from a villa on the outskirts of Lisbon, the Herald understands.

He is suspected of having ordered the hit on the Corbally brothers' associate Robert Ryle (30), who was shot five times as he got out of his car on Sunday afternoon.

bounty

He has been engaged in a bitter gang war with associates of the murdered Corbally brothers since a mass brawl in September 2009, which resulted in the death of British criminal Jason Martin.

The criminal, who is in his mid-30s, has convictions for assault, larceny, dangerous driving and criminal damage, but has managed to avoid any drugs convictions despite his activities. He previously left Ireland in 1998 to avoid being targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau and set up in Portugal.

The gangster has returned to Portugal in recent weeks after a €100k bounty was placed on his head by associates of Paul (35) and Kenneth Corbally (32).

"He has returned to his hideaway in Portugal but is still heavily involved in what's going on in Dublin's criminal underworld," a source told the Herald. Robert Ryle continues to battle for his life following the shooting incident at Foxdene Park in Clondalkin. He remains in a critical condition in the intensive care unit at Tallaght Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery on Sunday evening.

Mr Ryle was hit five times in the chest after he emerged from his car to clear a bicycle which was blocking a driveway.

wriggle

Despite this injuries he was able to speak to paramedics at the scene. The lone gunman emerged from the darkness and began to fire, but he was pinned against a wall by a woman from the car who had jumped into the driver's seat.

He managed to wriggle free but gardai believe that he may have been significantly hurt in the incident. Gardai are keeping an eye on the city's hospitals in case the gunman goes to one of them for medical treatment.

As part of a clampdown on tobacco smuggling, the Guardia Civil is routinely setting up checkpoints on roads leading away from La Linea.

Most people smuggling tobacco from Gibraltar into Spain go to great lengths to conceal their merchandise. Others, however, make no effort at all.

A smuggler detained this week at the border had simply stashed several cases of cigarettes in the boot of his car and driven across.


When he was stopped, the Guardia Civil officers on duty did not even have to search the vehicle.

The brazen smuggler’s colleague, who was following in the car behind, had done exactly the same.

In total, the Guardia Civil seized 400 cartons of Chesterfield.

The men, both from La Linea, were detained for smuggling offences.

CHECKPOINTS

As part of a clampdown on tobacco smuggling, the Guardia Civil is routinely setting up checkpoints on roads leading away from La Linea.

On the CA-34 this week, searches by the Spanish officers resulted in 207 cartons of contraband cigarettes being seized.

In a separate operation on the A-383, a driver refused to stop at the checkpoint and sped away.

He later gave himself up and 132 cartons of cigarettes of various brands were found inside the vehicle.

Spanish crane driver who agreed to import cannabis valued at €143,000 into Ireland

Spanish crane driver who agreed to import cannabis valued at €143,000 into Ireland when he fell into financial problems after losing his job has been given a seven-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Borja Calurano (aged 27) of Calle Urbanizacion, Pamplona, Noain, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on November 14, 2009. He has no previous convictions.

Judge Katherine Delahunt imposed a sentence of seven years but suspended the final two years on strict conditions including that he leave the country within 48 hours of his release and not return for seven years.

Garda Garvan Lennon told Ms Anne Maire Lawlor BL, prosecuting, that customs officer Bruce Heller stopped and searched Calurano in the arrivals hall of the airport because he appeared nervous and in a hurry.

When his suitcase was x-rayed it revealed “inconsistencies” and a search yielded 12 cellophane wrapped bars of cannabis resin. He told gardaí there was “hashish” in the suitcase and was surprised when told it was valued at €143,000.

Gda Lennon agreed with defence counsel, Mr Michael D. Hourigan BL, that Calurano had been directed to go to a certain hotel and said he was to be paid €2,000 for the trip.

Mr Hourigan said Calurano came from a family of “people of good character”, many of whom were in court to support him, and who were “devastated” by the case.

He said Calurano had worked throughout his life, first as a plumber and then as a crane driver, but found himself unemployed and unentitled to social welfare payments in Spain because he had not registered within the required time frame as he had been busy seeking work.

Mr Hourigan said Calurano and his partner had been relying on her wage when an acquaintance suggested this enterprise. He has written a letter of apology to the court and to the people of Ireland.

He asked Judge Delahunt to take into account his early guilty plea, his vulnerability, his remorse and the fact that he will serve his sentence as a non-national with no friends or family in this country.


Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/spaniard-gets-seven-years-for-transporting-cannabis-479549.html#ixzz13j9dtWJW

SPANISH and French police smashed a group that smuggled cocaine and hashish from Morocco into Spain by helicopter

SPANISH and French police smashed a group that smuggled cocaine and hashish from Morocco into Spain by helicopter, arresting six French nationals, Spanish police said Thursday.

The group would pay pilots 1000 euros ($1424) for each kilogram of cocaine which they transported from the north African country to southern Spain, from where it was then shipped by car to the French port of Marseille, police said in a statement.

French police detained three members of the group at the end of September as they were driving on a highway near the French town of Perpignan, north of the Spanish border, with 4.8kg of cocaine in their car.

The other three arrests were carried out in Paris several days later.

Spanish police carried out searches of several properties in the provinces of Cadiz and Seville following the arrests in France, seizing a helicopter used by the group from a farm near the town of Alcala de los Gazules.



Spanish police opened their investigation in July after they received a request for help in dismantling a drug ring based in Spain from their French counterparts.

Spain's proximity to north Africa, a key source of hashish, and its close ties with its former colonies in Latin America, a major cocaine producing region, have made it a major gateway into Europe for drug traffickers

GUARDIA CIVIL officer who was in charge of investigating planning irregularities in Almogia (Malaga) has been charged with owning an illegally built

GUARDIA CIVIL officer who was in charge of investigating planning irregularities in Almogia (Malaga) has been charged with owning an illegally built villa. He has been implicated by the defence of one of the people charged in the Almexia town planning corruption case, which the officer himself was investigating.

He has been called to testify as the defendant claims that the licence for his home was obtained through the same channels as the rest of the accused.

19-YEAR-OLD Moroccan man was admitted to Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga after he was stabbed in a street fight in Fuengirola

19-YEAR-OLD Moroccan man was admitted to Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga after he was stabbed in a street fight in Fuengirola. He suffered head injuries and at the time of going to print, was reported to be in an extremely serious condition, on life support.

His alleged attacker, a Lebanese, was arrested shortly afterwards as a result of descriptions by witnesses.

National Police Economic Crime Unit considers it necessary for the court to ask the authorities in the United Kingdom to locate the purchasers who are

investigation is underway into the sale of the same piece of land twice on the same day

As part of the ‘Astapa’ corruption case based in Estepona Town Hall, the National Police are now investigating the sale of a plot of land for a million € more than what it had been purchased for on the very same day.

The land belonged to the parents of the ex Chief of Staff in the Town Hall, José Flores.

Details of the sale of the land are revealed in the 32nd volume of the case summary which has been seen by the EFE news agency. Flores brother told the investigators he was unaware that the land had been sold the second time.

Reports indicate that in fact the first and second sales took place consecutively with all the people involved in the same notary at the same time.

The National Police Economic Crime Unit considers it necessary for the court to ask the authorities in the United Kingdom to locate the purchasers who are reported to be two British citizens, so that they can make a statement.
The prosecutor considers that tax fraud and money laundering resulted from the sales.

The Astapa case broke in June 2008 in Estepona Town Hall, and there are 70 people indicted in the case, including the ex Mayor, Antonio Barrientos, and his ex Chief of Staff, José Flores.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27683.shtml#ixzz13fML04Me

Human trafficking is serious, current and growing.

Human trafficking is serious, current and growing. Victims are bought and sold, sometimes on a promise of a better life. Instead they are forced to work, to beg, are sexually exploited or worse. Children as young as three are sold like commodities. Victims are being physically abused and even imprisoned. It is estimated that more than one person is trafficked across borders every minute of every day. People selling other people is thought to be worth more than twice the global revenue of Coca-Cola.

Shockingly, Britain is the only EU country other than Denmark to have refused to sign up to the new directive. The Prime Minister claims it, "does not go any further than the law that we have already passed". But that is both wrong and missing the point.

For a start the directive increases our ability to take action where British nationals are involved in crimes committed abroad. Currently, if a British child is kidnapped and taken between European countries, we are limited in our ability to act. We are constrained too in our ability to prosecute British nationals who commit trafficking offences in other EU member states. The directive gives us stronger powers to intervene to help our own citizens.

It increases protection for victims too. Children will have a guardian appointed for them – someone legally responsible for them through the court process and beyond. Given that an estimated 64 per cent of identified child victims go missing from social services, this is not only a new but a necessary step to stop these children being trafficked again.

But even if the Prime Minister were correct and Britain were already leading the way, that would be even more reason to sign up now. British ministers and officials should be involved in drafting the EU law, getting the details right and providing leadership. This is clearly an issue where Europe-wide action can make a difference.

As a great believer in subsidiarity – decisions being made as locally as possible – I don't think the EU should take a view on every issue. But trafficking is transnational. If we fail to work across borders, we make it easier for the criminals and the pimps.

So why then are ministers so opposed? Sadly ministers don't seem capable of rational debate about measures with Europe in the title. Hostility to all things European from a very large part of the Coalition is blinding the whole Government to sensible measures that would help bring dangerous criminals to justice both here and abroad.

For the Conservatives, such knee- jerk scepticism is deep-rooted. But the presence of the Liberal Democrats has clearly done little to temper the government view. Instead, ministers seem to be simply sitting on their hands and hoping European legislation will go away. Euroscepticism seems to have given way to Euro-paralysis. Not pulling out but just pretending Europe isn't there.

Yet by doing so they are betraying our national interest, betraying the vulnerable people forced into slavery, and making it easier for criminal gangs. Over 200 years ago, Conservative William Wilberforce led the fight against trading human beings. Modern Conservatives are letting prejudice prevent them from standing firm against today's traders and traffickers. They need an urgent rethink. It's time to ditch the dogma, and stand up for the victims of modern slavery.

British gang responsible Latest reports claim he had a testicle sliced off.

Tortured Scot's missing body parts may have been mailed to rival gangsters as warning - The Daily Record: "James Ross, 26, suffered horrific injuries during a 13-day kidnap ordeal on the Algarve, Portugal.
The dad-of-two lost an ear, two fingers and three toes over an alleged £10,000 drug debt.
Latest reports claim he also had a testicle sliced off.
Cops believe the British gang responsible for the mutilation sent the bloody pieces to rival gangs in a bid to scare them off.
A police source said: 'These people want to show who is in charge and let others know they are not to be crossed.
'It is likely they planned to kill him slowly but they also wanted to send out a message.
'Receiving a finger in the post shows anyone trying to move on to your patch that you mean business.'
Ross is set to undergo plastic surgery in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon this week following the Reservoir Dogs-style torture.
He was kidnapped at Faro airport on October 5 and tortured at a villa on the Algarve.
But Ross, from Wick, Caithness, escaped after four Brits were held over an alleged cannabis ring.
Cops were already searching for him after his wife received threatening calls from the kidnappers. Ross was found bleeding in the street in the village of Boliqueime last Monday.
Cops, who didn't get a warrant to search the villa where he was held until Friday, spent hours inside the house at the weekend.
They found chunks of flesh and hair, pools of blood and torture tools.
They also brought in ground radar to scour the garden for clues.
The device allows a picture to be built up of what may be buried underground without having to dig up any earth.
UK police used the radar to search for victims of serial killer Peter Tobin."

DETECTIVES fear the mutilated missing body parts of a tortured Scot were mailed to rival drug barons as a Mafia-type warning

DETECTIVES fear the mutilated missing body parts of a tortured Scot were mailed to rival drug barons as a Mafia-type warning.
James Ross, 26, suffered horrific injuries during a 13-day kidnap ordeal on the Algarve, Portugal.
The dad-of-two lost an ear, two fingers and three toes over an alleged £10,000 drug debt.
Latest reports claim he also had a testicle sliced off.
Cops believe the British gang responsible for the mutilation sent the bloody pieces to rival gangs in a bid to scare them off.
A police source said: "These people want to show who is in charge and let others know they are not to be crossed.
"It is likely they planned to kill him slowly but they also wanted to send out a message.
"Receiving a finger in the post shows anyone trying to move on to your patch that you mean business."
Ross is set to undergo plastic surgery in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon this week following the Reservoir Dogs-style torture.
He was kidnapped at Faro airport on October 5 and tortured at a villa on the Algarve.
But Ross, from Wick, Caithness, escaped after four Brits were held over an alleged cannabis ring.
Cops were already searching for him after his wife received threatening calls from the kidnappers. Ross was found bleeding in the street in the village of Boliqueime last Monday.
Cops, who didn't get a warrant to search the villa where he was held until Friday, spent hours inside the house at the weekend.
They found chunks of flesh and hair, pools of blood and torture tools.
They also brought in ground radar to scour the garden for clues.
The device allows a picture to be built up of what may be buried underground without having to dig up any earth.
UK police used the radar to search for victims of serial killer Peter Tobin.
Ross's wife Donna, 26, has claimed the kidnap was not drugs-related and told the Record her husband had been "through hell and back".
John McLean, of Manchester, Terence Macgurk and Ronnie Rose, both of the Midlands, and Calum McLeod, from Scotland, are being held in Lisbon.

James Ross, from Wick in the Scottish Highlands, was allegedly kept captive in a cage after being lured to the Algarve

Briton kidnapped and tortured in Portugal over 'unpaid debts' - Europe, World - The Independent: "James Ross, from Wick in the Scottish Highlands, was allegedly kept captive in a cage after being lured to the Algarve on 5 October. Reports in Portugal suggested that the 26-year-old owed his captors £10,000 and had been told he could pay it off by working for them. But he was kidnapped upon arrival at Faro airport.
According to one local newspaper, Correio da Manha, Mr Ross escaped from his prison – hidden in a villa in the village of Boliqueime, near the town of Loule – on Monday, and was found bleeding in the street by a local man, Carlos Pereira.
Mr Pereira told the newspaper: 'He came staggering towards me asking me to stop, waving his arms in the air. He had no left ear and was missing two fingers on his left hand, one toe from one foot and two from the other. He also had a leg wound"

Staggering tale of corruption and greed, the trial,sees the collapse of a web that included three mayors, 15 councillors

Staggering tale of corruption and greed, the trial,sees the collapse of a web that included three mayors, 15 councillors and up to a dozen foreign investors.
Expected to last at least a year, the prosecution is seeking a total of 500 years for a string of offences including bribery and corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and a misuse of municipal funds.
While its accused include celebrated – and even Sean Connery as a side act – the case centres around a money laundering web that was spun by former chauffeur turned Svengali, Juan Antonio Roca.
Born in Cartagena, Murcia, in 1953, Roca moved to Marbella in 1991 after his property development company Comarsa was declared bankrupt.
Roca is a man who had total control over the town hall
But following a meteoric rise, he went from being the late mayor Jesus Gil y Gil’s chauffeur to becoming the councillor for ‘Urban Planning’ for a staggering 11 years from 1992 until 2003.
Roca and his string of accomplices are accused of accepting bribes in exchange for building licences from a string of real estate promoters.
In just four years alone (from 2002 to 2006) a total of 19 agents are said to have paid more than 33 million euros to Roca and his cohorts.
It is alleged that during his time in office, Roca amassed a fortune worth at least 125 million euros that included a string of properties, a huge collection of exotic animals and a private art portfolio that included a Miro that he kept in the loo.
As judge Miguel Ángel Torres stated in his opening statement: “Roca is a man who had total control over the town hall. The councillors were subordinate to him.
“He is the person who all developers went to in order to see their wishes satisfied. And in over 15 years he went from being on the dole to amassing tens of millions of euros.”
But now the so-called ‘boss’ of Marbella is facing 30 years in prison, with more than 810million euros in fines.
And interestingly, he is the only one of the 95 defendants who is currently behind bars, serving a previous sentence for a separate case.
The Malaya case first came to public attention back in March 2006, when police vans first turned up to raid Marbella Town Hall.
However the extent of corruption first became hinted at during the earlier 2003 Operation Ballena Blanca (or ‘white whale’), which saw 41 people arrested and over 250 million euros recovered in a huge separate money laundering case.
The crackdown saw almost two thirds of Marbella’s councillors pulled in
In what was the largest money laundering operation ever mounted in Europe, Spanish police were allowed to tap the phones of suspects – a number of lawyers and notaries – for up to a year.
Incredibly, investigators discovered that much of the laundering appeared to be going through Marbella town hall itself.
It led Judge Torres to call for a parallel investigation – codenamed ‘Operation Malaya’ – which soon led to a series of high profiles officials arrested.
Included in this list were mayor Marisol Yague, her deputy Isabel García Marcos, the former
chief of Marbella’s police Rafael del Pozo, and former mayor Julián Muñoz.
The crackdown saw almost two thirds of Marbella’s councillors pulled in, as well as a series of well known construction and real estate bosses.
The scale of the corruption proved so pervasive that control of Marbella town hall had to be temporarily handed over to a caretaker administration appointed by the Junta until local elections could take place in 2007.
The first few weeks of the trial have certainly proved eventful.
During the initial proceedings, Roca’s lawyer, Rocio Amigo, (who took up his defence just a month ago, after his previous barrister stood down) tried to get the whole case suspended before it had begun.
In particular she claimed that certain real estate documents were missing and some of the accusations had already been dealt with.

judge in Jaén has dismissed charges against a couple found growing 10 marihuana plants

The judge in Penal Court 3 in Jaén has found a couple who had grown several marihuana plants at the home in Villargordo not guilty of drug trafficking even though the 802 grams weight of the ten dried plants is above that which could be considered for private use.

The couple said they grew the plants for their own use as the drug eased the effects of a brain condition which the woman is suffering from.

The judge noted that the police had failed to present the court with any evidence that the couple sold the drugs on, and that no precision scales or other items which might indicate sale were present.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27589.shtml#ixzz130RqOALM

largest marijuana plantation discovered to date in Spain

Guardia Civil have dismantled in Alicante Province a drugs ring that controlled the largest marijuana plantation discovered to date in Spain. According to sources in the investigation, ‘Operation Wandering’ culminated with four men and two women being arrested, and the seizure of 9,000 plants in various stages of growth. The plantations were spread among different areas of the province.

The detainees (two Dutch and four Spanish) allegedly controlled the marijuana trade between Spain and the Netherlands.

The shipments were made on road trips between the two countries.

Police in Spain have noticed a growing trend to farm ever larger quantities of marijuana with a view to transporting them out by road to markets in the north of Europe.

The absence of any risk in bringing the drug through the outer borders of European customs and the relatively lenient sentences compared to distribution of harder drugs has made this particular mode of drug dealing increasingly popular amongst even organised crime syndicates.

James Ross, 26, has ear, fingers & toes chopped off during drug gang kidnap ordeal in Portugal - The Daily Record

Scot has ear, fingers & toes chopped off during drug gang kidnap ordeal in Portugal - The Daily Record:A Portuguese newspaper claimed Ross owed fellow Brit John Maclean £10,000 over a cannabis deal." "James Ross, 26, was tortured in a villa on the Algarve for 13 days after being lured to Portugal by a gang of Brits.
Dad-of-two Ross, from Wick, Caithness, was found bleeding in the street in the village of Alfontes, near Loule, by Carlos Pereira.
Carlos said: 'He came staggering towards me, asking me to stop, waving his arms in the air.
'He had no left ear and was missing two fingers on his left hand, a toe from one foot and two from the other. He also had a leg wound.'
Ross told him he had been involved in a road accident.
Mr Pereira said: 'He was very white. He said, 'Please, please, telephone'. I decided to put him in my van and drove him to a square, near a cafe, and called the police.'
Alerted Northern Constabulary had ranked Ross as a 'high risk' missing person and alerted the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency and Portuguese cops.
Ross's sister Gayle last night said the family did not wish to comment, adding: 'We actually don't know anything. The police have never been in contact with us so I don't want to say any more.'

timeshare police in Spain have closed down 9 companies in Benalmadena, Costa del Sol and have arrested 4 British Nationals

police in Spain have closed down 9 companies in Benalmadena, Costa del Sol and have arrested 4 British Nationals allegedly behind the companies, including one individual who had been sought by Interpol.

Members of the public who believe they may have been defrauded by any of these companies should contact RDO’s enforcement team on enforcement@rdo.org as a matter of urgency. The enforcement team, which is headed up by a former Spanish police inspector, works closely with the authorities in Spain to protect timeshare owners and to help bring fraudulent operators to justice.
The companies that have been closed down are:

INSIDE EUROPE (DENTRO DE EUROPA)
VIVA CHOICE
VIVA TRAVEL SPAIN S.C.
VIVA INTERNATIONAL VACATION AGENCY S.L.
BLUE CHIP S.L.
EURO INDEPENDENT MARKETING
WESTMISTER CONSULTANTS
AGRICO LTD
CONTINENTS CONNECTIONS S.C

Sonia Iglesias now missing from Pontevedra for two months

Sonia Iglesias now missing from Pontevedra for two months: "Her sister says that the family are taking her disappearance badly

It has been two months since Sonia Iglesias vanished from her home in Pontevedra.

Speaking to El Correo Gallego her sister, María del Carmen Iglesias, said that the family were taking it very badly, and had ruled out any use of private detectives having full confidence in the police.

Sonia, who is mother to a young child, was last seen on August 18 at 1015 by the local cobbler after she had taken some shoes to be repaired, saying she would collect them the following Saturday. She never arrived.

Another demonstration to draw attention to the case is planned to be held at 1030 in the Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago de Compostela on the 24th of the month. The gathering will be followed by a mass"

Falange removed from Supreme Court case against Judge Garzón

Falange removed from Supreme Court case against Judge Garzón: "Supreme Court has confirmed that the accusations presented to it by the far right Falange Española de las Jons party against the currently suspended National Court judge, Baltasar Garzón, have been removed from the case.

Judge Luciano Varela has taken the decision considering that the defects in their initial submission to the court have not been corrected within the time allowed, despite the fact that he advised them of the problem.

The Falange had been one of the parties to complain about the judge investigating the crimes carried out during the Franco years in Spain. Their submission had described Garzón as ‘judging redemptive history and the losing side’."

Spanish police crack suspected FARC money laundering ring - Telegraph

Spanish police crack suspected FARC money laundering ring - Telegraph: "Police said they were alerted when unusually large money transfers were detected going from Spain to Colombia and Ecuador.
The arrests were the result of 'Operación Espejo' (Operation Mirror), headed by judge Pablo Ruz and a team of Spanish, Colombian and Ecuadorean police.
police said that the uprising among forces in Ecuador had complicated the final stages of the investigation, but that their inquiries were continuing.
Spain's Interior Ministry said that since investigations began in August 2008, some €200 million (£174 million) has been transferred, with 12 FARC members among the beneficiaries.
More than 250 agents, some with sniffer dogs specialised in banknote detection, were involved in the arrests that took place in 13 Spanish cities including Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza.
Some 27 addresses were raided and more than €150,000 (£130,000) in cash and 550 pounds of cocaine were seized."

Ex President of the Baleares Parliament on the accused bench

Ex President of the Baleares Parliament on the accused bench: "María Antònia Munar faces six years in prison in the Maquillaje corruption case

The ex President of the Baleares Parliament, María Antònia Munar Riutord, is on the accused bench in the Maquillaje corruption case in Palma de Mallorca as the oral hearings get underway.

The evidence is piling up against the ex leader of the Unió Mallorquina, UM for whom the prosecutor has asked for a six year prison sentence, and a 14 year ban from holding public office.
She has been a key player in the politics of the islands over the past 30 years, sometimes allied to the Partido Popular and sometimes to the Socialists PSOE.

The case relates to the alleged diversion of 240,000 € from the regional government to audiovisual companies owned by Munar and close to the UM party. She is accused of continuous misuse of public funds, falsifying documents, perversion of the course of justice and carrying out businesses prohibited when in office."

Jesús Samper, President of Real Murcia, in court for corruption

Jesús Samper, President of Real Murcia, in court for corruption: "Murcia businessman and President of the Real Murcia football club, Jesús Samper, gave a statement to the Instruction Judge in the High Court of Justice in the city on Friday, where he is facing charges of inciting perversion of the course of justice, money laundering, and fiscal crime, arising from six real estate deals in the north of the city between 2001 and 2005.

He was represented by his lawyer brother, Juan Antonio, who expressed his willingness to collaborate with the judge, who chose not to enforce any bail requirements. Also part of the defence team where lawyers from the Madrid offices of Horacio Oliva, who are also acting for Fernando del Valle, the main accused in the Ballena Blanca money laundering case based in Marbella. Oliva is also defending six of the lawyers who are implicated in the Malaya case, now being heard in Málaga, as well as Antonio Barrientos, who is facing charges in the Astapa case in Estepona where municipal corruption is alleged."