The Press Association: Briton held over Spain bank raids: "middle-aged British man has been arrested in Spain on suspicion of a string of armed bank robberies across the Costa del Sol and elsewhere, police have said.
The 49-year-old, who has not been named, is thought to be behind 15 hold-ups in the provinces of Malaga and Alicante, accompanied by a 31-year-old Russian woman.
Spanish police believe the pair could have stolen about 115,000 euros (£98,345) in the raids.
They are suspected of working together to carry out the crimes, a police spokesman said.
Detectives believe their modus operandi involved the woman first ringing the bell of the bank and when a member of staff opened the door she would be flanked by the man, who was armed with a pistol. He would then enter and rob the bank.
In some cases the man threatened staff by holding the pistol to their heads, detectives said.
When the pair were arrested, officers seized a car, a pistol, a laptop case, two wigs, a fake beard and moustache and a purse containing stolen money.
Officers from Spain's Civil Guard swooped following a five-month investigation beginning in mid-April and codenamed Operation Flanders.
The probe was launched after a bank robbery in the Malaga town of Mijas on April 16. This was followed by another one in the Alfaz del Pi area of Alicante.
The man and woman arrested are believed to have been responsible for both."
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Sunday, 26 September 2010
criminal gangs in eastern Europe are targeting British online bank customers
Bank customers are being urged to be more vigilant than ever after a surge in identity fraud. Almost 300 people a day fell victim to the crime in the first half of the year.
It has emerged that criminal gangs in eastern Europe are targeting British online bank customers, using computer viruses to hack into bank systems and steal from accounts.
Jemma Smith of UK Payments, which represents the payments industry, says: ‘Fraudsters are often one step ahead. But consumers can take steps to protect themselves and reduce the risks.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1315142/Identity-theft-booming-sure-youre-clone.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz10eVSVCav
It has emerged that criminal gangs in eastern Europe are targeting British online bank customers, using computer viruses to hack into bank systems and steal from accounts.
Jemma Smith of UK Payments, which represents the payments industry, says: ‘Fraudsters are often one step ahead. But consumers can take steps to protect themselves and reduce the risks.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1315142/Identity-theft-booming-sure-youre-clone.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz10eVSVCav
Rapist Murphy moves to France
Rapist Murphy moves to France - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie: "rapist and suspected killer Larry Murphy is now believed to be living in France and does not intend to return to Ireland.
Despite persistent rumours that he has returned, Murphy, 45, spent only a week in Dublin after his release from prison, apart from a brief visit to Cork.
Reports that he had relocated to the Costa del Sol in Spain sparked near panic in the region after local media took up the story. Reported sightings of Murphy in his native Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, where he was supposed to be visiting a sick relative, were dismissed by gardai.
However, it is understood an arrangement has now been worked out with French police for Murphy to live there under close supervision. Murphy will have to comply with the same procedures applied under the Sex Offenders Register, where he has to inform police of his whereabouts.
Gardai are in touch with the French police over his conditions of release. He does not have to make regular contact or sign on at a police station."
Despite persistent rumours that he has returned, Murphy, 45, spent only a week in Dublin after his release from prison, apart from a brief visit to Cork.
Reports that he had relocated to the Costa del Sol in Spain sparked near panic in the region after local media took up the story. Reported sightings of Murphy in his native Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, where he was supposed to be visiting a sick relative, were dismissed by gardai.
However, it is understood an arrangement has now been worked out with French police for Murphy to live there under close supervision. Murphy will have to comply with the same procedures applied under the Sex Offenders Register, where he has to inform police of his whereabouts.
Gardai are in touch with the French police over his conditions of release. He does not have to make regular contact or sign on at a police station."
alleged ringleader Raymond John Whelehan, 55, an Irish national, was arrested in a Spanish jail where he is already serving a sentence for trafficking
Seven Britons have been arrested after a raid on a boat sailing to the UK from Spain loaded with cannabis worth £10million.
The catamaran was boarded in the Straits of Gibraltar and 3.2 tonnes of hashish discovered.
Two men and two women were seized by Spanish police on the Costa Del Sol while three men were arrested in Britain after £500,000 in cash was found in house raids.
The alleged ringleader Raymond John Whelehan, 55, an Irish national, was arrested in a Spanish jail where he is already serving a sentence for trafficking.
Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/09/26/drugs-boat-brits-held-115875-22588630/#ixzz10eUWBUkf
The catamaran was boarded in the Straits of Gibraltar and 3.2 tonnes of hashish discovered.
Two men and two women were seized by Spanish police on the Costa Del Sol while three men were arrested in Britain after £500,000 in cash was found in house raids.
The alleged ringleader Raymond John Whelehan, 55, an Irish national, was arrested in a Spanish jail where he is already serving a sentence for trafficking.
Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/09/26/drugs-boat-brits-held-115875-22588630/#ixzz10eUWBUkf
Saturday, 25 September 2010
"Beast of Baltinglass" and described as the biggest single threat to the lives and safety of young women in Spain
"Beast of Baltinglass" and described as the biggest single threat to the lives and safety of young women in the Republic of Ireland.Larry Murphy has relocated to the Costa del Sol after serving only 10 years of a 15-year sentence for the attempted murder and repeated rape of a businesswoman in 2000.
The 45-year-old, who successfully applied for a passport and driver’s licence while still behind bars, is reported to have refused offers of rehabilitation and counselling when in prison.
He is also suspected to have connections with the disappearance of six other women.
But while Spanish police insist they are going to keep the violent rapist under surveillance, Spain does not have a sex-offenders’ register.
As a result he only has to tell the Irish police of any change in address allowing him to live here in relative
freedom."
Larry Murphy a convicted rapist and attempted murderer, pleaded guilty to the rape of a woman whose life was saved only by the chance arrival of passers-by. Now he has walked free from a Dublin prison.
But the belief is that he is a particularly dangerous man since for a decade he has refused to answer all questions about the mysterious disappearances of other young women from his part of the country. This means the public, and many police officers, view him as the prime suspect for a string of presumed murders.
And because the 45-year-old carpenter has served 10 years of his 15-year sentence he is now legally at large. Police have responded to a wave of fear and anger by issuing assurances that they are watching him carefully.
The case has given rise to almost frenzied coverage in some sections of the Irish media, with widespread public concern about where he will now live. One of his first acts after his release was to visit a police station, apparently to lodge a complaint about newspaper coverage.
His release has generated protests including a heated meeting near his home village, and the gathering at a Dublin home for released prisoners of a 200-strong crowd who wrongly believed he was inside.
The public sense of menace was increased by the manner of his departure from jail. He strode purposefully from Dublin's Arbour Hill prison on Thursday, a healthy-looking figure wearing a baseball cap and dark glasses, ignoring cameramen and reporters as he entered a waiting taxi.
As he was driven away, spectators shouted words such as "rapist", "beast" and "bastard", and worse at him. One woman said: "I can't believe how cool and casual he was as he walked out. I can't believe a taxi took him away. I just hope they throw him in the Liffey."
From Baltinglass in Co Wicklow, Murphy is the subject of a book entitled The Beast of Baltinglass. He pleaded guilty at his trial but has never apologised or expressed remorse for his crimes. In prison he refused the counselling which is offered to sex offenders.
His apparent lack of emotion has helped build a public persona of an unfeeling monster who could strike again. His wife and family have disowned him, his brother Tom declaring: "All I can say is that I will not be having him here."
Murphy was jailed after he abducted a young businesswoman in 2000, subjected her to a terrifying ordeal which lasted for hours and included repeated rapes and an attempt to suffocate her. He admitted both rape and attempted murder.
The incident showed features of premeditation and planning which have added to the belief that this may not have been his first attack.
The question is whether he was also connected to the disappearances of six young women between 1993 and 1998 – mysteries which gripped Ireland at the time, and which have never been solved. A police "cold-case" investigation called Operation Trace reviewed the disappearances of the women, Fiona Sinnott, Deirdre Jacob, Jo Jo Dullard, Ciara Breen, Annie McCarrick and Fiona Pender.
Murphy was interviewed and police found no specific evidence linking him to the cases. But the disappearances stopped when he was arrested. In a television interview last month, Tom Murphy said that he had suspicions his brother was responsible.
"There's nobody gone missing since and I find it difficult now to believe that he wasn't involved," he said.
This point was echoed by a retired detective superintendent, P J Browne, who said: "Police interviewed Larry Murphy and he failed to co-operate. The question I would ask is why the disappearances stopped when Larry Murphy went to prison".
Police Sergeant Seamus Rothwell of Newbridge police station said of the disappearance of 18-year-old Deirdre Jacob near the town in 1998: "Larry Murphy could have been working in Newbridge at the time but it has never been proved that he was.
"We are not sure where he was that day – we are keeping an open mind."
Tensions have been raised by internet postings claiming that Murphy has been spotted in various locations around Dublin. Police have been at pains to indicate they know exactly where he is, classing him as a high-risk offender.
They said a management plan was in place to monitor his movements and his whereabouts. He must formally register an address with them within seven days and must be in contact with an officer at least once a month.
More stringent measures have been put in place in recent years for the management of more than a thousand sex offenders in the Irish Republic, but they do not apply to Murphy since he was imprisoned before their introduction.
A local councillor who addressed a protest meeting said: "There's a lot of fear, a lot of people scared. No one wants to see an individual like that landing in their community."
The Justice Minister, Dermot Ahern, rejected suggestions that he could interfere in the decision to release Murphy, who was granted the normal 25 per cent remission for good behaviour. Any suggestion that he could change a sentence was "absolute nonsense", he said.
An opposition spokesman, Charlie Flanagan, retorted: "It is intolerable that a convicted rapist such as Larry Murphy can be released having served only 10 years of a 15-year prison sentence for the savage rape and attempted murder of a woman.
"Remission is tied into the process of rehabilitation, but in this case all and any attempts at rehabilitation were dismissed."
Friday, 24 September 2010
Thompson and his gangland pal Gary Hutch are currently in hiding in Amsterdam's criminal underworld after European Arrest Warrants were issued
Bloodbath is averted in Freddie raid - National News, Frontpage - 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 them by Spanish police.
Empire
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.
Gardai have not yet established how long the Ingram machine guns had been in the country.
They are likely to have been supplied to the gang as “sweeteners” with drug shipments.
The weapons cache contained four Ingram 9mm rapidfiring machine guns, four silencers, four loaded magazines each, 16 rounds of 9mm parabellum bullets and another bag of loose ammunition.
Detectives found the guns when they swooped on a lockup at Damastown industrial estate in Mulhuddart in west Dublin."
Empire
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.
Gardai have not yet established how long the Ingram machine guns had been in the country.
They are likely to have been supplied to the gang as “sweeteners” with drug shipments.
The weapons cache contained four Ingram 9mm rapidfiring machine guns, four silencers, four loaded magazines each, 16 rounds of 9mm parabellum bullets and another bag of loose ammunition.
Detectives found the guns when they swooped on a lockup at Damastown industrial estate in Mulhuddart in west Dublin."
Authorities in the Costa Del Sol wish to quiz Freddie Thompson’s gang over the killing of gun-for-hire Paddy Doyle in 2008
murder plot has been foiled after machine guns belonging to Freddie Thompson’s gang were seized by gardai.
The deadly pistols, fitted with silencers and 300 rounds of ammunition, were to be used to target Thompson’s enemies.
‘Fat’ Freddie’s cache was found in a raid by detectives at Damastown Industrial Estate, Mulhuddart.
A man in his mid-30s, believed to be a ‘clean front', was arrested.
“We prevented a bloodbath,” revealed a senior garda source today. Detectives believe that Thompson has a number of reasons for getting tooled up:
- His gang has been targeted for a “crime tax” by the INLA/Real IRA racketeers who are trying to control Dublin’s pub door security business and protection rackets.
- Fat Freddie is owed serious amounts of money by drug dealers and sent two cronies from Spain in recent days to collect.
- He is determined to wipe out the remainder of his rival drugs gang in Crumlin. His desire to do this was proven several months ago when officers found two rocket launchers.
The strongest theory today was that ‘Fat’ Freddie’s gang were going to use the weapons cache to mount an ambush on his Crumlin rivals.
A source told the Herald: “We believe he was going target rival gangsters as they drank in a pub. This seizure has prevented a massacre.”
Thompson, who was in Amsterdam today, was reportedly incandescent with rage following the haul by South Central Division detectives.
The seizure at 5.15pm yesterday was made by officers at Kevin Street and Pearse Street stations, who feared that the a major underworld attack was just days away.
Despite the risk of arrest, gardai are understood to have been aware that Thompson and some of his associates have been moving between here and the Netherlands in recent weeks.
Thompson and his gangland pal Gary Hutch are currently in hiding in Amsterdam's criminal underworld after European Arrest Warrants were issued for them by Spanish police.
Empire
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.
Gardai have not yet established how long the Ingram machine guns had been in the country.
They are likely to have been supplied to the gang as “sweeteners” with drug shipments.
The weapons cache contained four Ingram 9mm rapidfiring machine guns, four silencers, four loaded magazines each, 16 rounds of 9mm parabellum bullets and another bag of loose ammunition.
Detectives found the guns when they swooped on a lockup at Damastown industrial estate in Mulhuddart in west Dublin.
Rocket
The discovery follows the discovery of two rocket launchers, an AK-47 and €700,000 worth of cocaine belonging to ‘Fat’ Freddie, at a lockup outside the village of Clane, Co Kildare.
The Thompson gang had been planning to use the rocket- propelled grenades (RPGs) to annihilate the rival Crumlin gang in a ‘spectacular'.
A source told the Herald: “A peace talks and drug deal meet was being set up.
“The intelligence was that two RPG rocket launchers would be fired at the building once the rivals were inside the room there.
“The seizure put an end to that. But the Ingram job appears to have been the gang’s plan B.”
The raid was part of Operation Lamp, which has been targeting members of Thompson's drug trafficking gang, based in the Crumlin area.
‘Fat’ Freddie's Irish drug operation has been dealt serious blows this summer.
Almost €11 million worth of cocaine has been seized and a number of cocaine factories and safe houses have been raided.
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Court orders drug dealers money from Spanish Villa to be repaid
Naheem Nazir, 43, of Stonecross Close, Accrington, was jailed in November 2007 after admitting conspiracy to supply the drug and was hit with the confiscation bill in August of last year.
He challenged the sum at the Court of Appeal in London, but had his ‘merit-less’ complaints rejected by top judges, Lord Justice Leveson, Mr Justice Davis and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones.
Nazir was convicted after police smashed his million-pound drug-dealing operation, which flooded the streets of Blackburn and surrounding areas with deadly crack cocaine.
The conspiracy, which ran from July 2005 to November 2006, was said to have involved £1.6million worth of cocaine, with Nazir at the very top of the chain.
He organised the gang and employed couriers, street-level dealers and drivers, making substantial profits from his criminal enterprise.
At his confiscation hearing, prosecutors said that more than £500,000 in cash had not been accounted for, but said only £151,940 was available to pay back, most likely having been used to buy a villa in Spain.
But Nazir claimed he had no interest in any property in Spain, and said his own expensive drug habit accounted for the missing money.
His lawyers were back in court in London yesterday where they argued that the confiscation judge was wrong to find against them and order that the sum be handed over.
Fresh evidence suggested that the villa in question was owned by another man and that he had had it for the last 10 years, the court was told.
But Lord Justice Leveson rejected the argument, saying it had been up to Nazir at the crown court to prove that he did not have the £151,940 sought by the prosecution.
“The judge was perfectly entitled to conclude that he had not discharged the burden of proof in establishing that he did not have that sum,” he said.
“In our judgment, there is no merit in this appeal and it is dismissed.”
If he fails to pay up, Nazir faces serving an extra two years and four months’ imprisonment, consecutive to his 12-year term.
He challenged the sum at the Court of Appeal in London, but had his ‘merit-less’ complaints rejected by top judges, Lord Justice Leveson, Mr Justice Davis and Mr Justice Lloyd Jones.
Nazir was convicted after police smashed his million-pound drug-dealing operation, which flooded the streets of Blackburn and surrounding areas with deadly crack cocaine.
The conspiracy, which ran from July 2005 to November 2006, was said to have involved £1.6million worth of cocaine, with Nazir at the very top of the chain.
He organised the gang and employed couriers, street-level dealers and drivers, making substantial profits from his criminal enterprise.
At his confiscation hearing, prosecutors said that more than £500,000 in cash had not been accounted for, but said only £151,940 was available to pay back, most likely having been used to buy a villa in Spain.
But Nazir claimed he had no interest in any property in Spain, and said his own expensive drug habit accounted for the missing money.
His lawyers were back in court in London yesterday where they argued that the confiscation judge was wrong to find against them and order that the sum be handed over.
Fresh evidence suggested that the villa in question was owned by another man and that he had had it for the last 10 years, the court was told.
But Lord Justice Leveson rejected the argument, saying it had been up to Nazir at the crown court to prove that he did not have the £151,940 sought by the prosecution.
“The judge was perfectly entitled to conclude that he had not discharged the burden of proof in establishing that he did not have that sum,” he said.
“In our judgment, there is no merit in this appeal and it is dismissed.”
If he fails to pay up, Nazir faces serving an extra two years and four months’ imprisonment, consecutive to his 12-year term.
Armed officers swooped on catamaran Cariro II heading for Britain
Armed officers swooped on catamaran Cariro II heading for Britain via Morocco and found 3.2 tonnes of the drug. Ten people were held in Spain and three in Britain.
Murder link to the Christy Kinahan international drug cartel in Spain.
Two men and a woman remain in custody this morning in connection with the murder of gang leader Eamon Dunne.Dunne was shot dead in the Faussagh House pub in Cabra in Dublin last April.The three, who are all in their 20s, were detained at two addresses in Dublin following five searches on Monday yesterday morning in the city and in Bettystown, Co Meath.The two men are being detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 and the woman is being held under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act 1939.Two addresses were searched in the city centre, one in Blanchardstown, one in Dublin 7 and one in Bettystown. As well as making the arrests, gardaí from Mountjoy station also found cocaine valued at €70,000 and two handguns.
The two men arrested are aligned to an organised crime gang operating in the north inner city run by two local criminals, one of whom is a sex offender.
The pair have links to the Christy Kinahan international drug cartel in Spain.
The two gang leaders, in their 30s, are well known to gardaí and now form part of the investigation into the murder of Eamon Dunne.
Dunne (34), Dunsoghly Drive, Finglas, was the leader of Dublin’s main drugs gang. He assumed control of the Finglas-based gang when its then leader, Martin “Marlo” Hyland, was shot dead by the gang in December 2006.
The two men arrested are aligned to an organised crime gang operating in the north inner city run by two local criminals, one of whom is a sex offender.
The pair have links to the Christy Kinahan international drug cartel in Spain.
The two gang leaders, in their 30s, are well known to gardaí and now form part of the investigation into the murder of Eamon Dunne.
Dunne (34), Dunsoghly Drive, Finglas, was the leader of Dublin’s main drugs gang. He assumed control of the Finglas-based gang when its then leader, Martin “Marlo” Hyland, was shot dead by the gang in December 2006.
Spanish man drinks in bar with girlfriend's head in a bag in Cordoba, southern Spain
Spanish man drinks in bar with girlfriend's head in a bag in Cordoba, southern Spain
A Spanish man calmly drank beer with his mates in a bar with his murdered girlfriend's head in a bag, press reports said Tuesday.
After leaving the bar on Sunday, the 34-year-old climbed an electrical tower, was hit by a shock and plunged 30 metres (100 feet) to the ground, dying that evening in hospital, they said.
According to a report in the ABC daily newspaper, citing witnesses, the man told friends in the bar in Cordoba, southern Spain, that he had decapitated his 30-year-old partner.
"A while later when several customers left the bar and saw a pool of blood in the road, they immediately realized this was not a macabre joke. Horrified, they discovered a bag near the bar, inside of which was the victim's head," the ABC daily said.
Police confirmed they had found the woman's body with knife wounds, and that her suspected killer, identified only by his initials MRTR, had fallen from the electrical tower, later dying in a Cordoba hospital.
Near the tower they found a knife believed to be the murder weapon, said a Cordoba region spokeswoman for the national police, Rosa Ortiz.
A Spanish man calmly drank beer with his mates in a bar with his murdered girlfriend's head in a bag, press reports said Tuesday.
After leaving the bar on Sunday, the 34-year-old climbed an electrical tower, was hit by a shock and plunged 30 metres (100 feet) to the ground, dying that evening in hospital, they said.
According to a report in the ABC daily newspaper, citing witnesses, the man told friends in the bar in Cordoba, southern Spain, that he had decapitated his 30-year-old partner.
"A while later when several customers left the bar and saw a pool of blood in the road, they immediately realized this was not a macabre joke. Horrified, they discovered a bag near the bar, inside of which was the victim's head," the ABC daily said.
Police confirmed they had found the woman's body with knife wounds, and that her suspected killer, identified only by his initials MRTR, had fallen from the electrical tower, later dying in a Cordoba hospital.
Near the tower they found a knife believed to be the murder weapon, said a Cordoba region spokeswoman for the national police, Rosa Ortiz.
Police want to question Shashi Dhar Sahnan about a conspiracy to import high-grade heroin worth millions of pounds from Turkey to Leicester.
Mr Sahnan, who has links to the West Midlands and London and is not from Leicestershire, is thought to be overseas.
At one point, officers thought he might have fled to Spain, possibly in the Alicante region.
His photograph was circulated in the area two years ago in the hope that holidaymakers or expatriates would recognise him.
However, the 51-year-old, who wears a hearing aid in his right ear, remains at large.
Det Con Hames, of the force's special operations department, said officers had spent three years tracking down hidden cash and assets linked to the Sarasia brothers.
The pair, of New Parks, Leicester, were jailed in December last year after they were convicted of heroin importation.
They appeared at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday for a hearing under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The legislation enables law enforcement agencies to strip criminals of their ill-gotten gains.
Police told the court that Babu Sarasia, formerly of Brunel Avenue, earned in the region of £1.2 million for his role in the conspiracy.
A three-year investigation identified he had hidden cash and assets worth £769,000.
A judge ordered him to pay £769,000 within six months or he would serve a further four years in jail – and if he serves the sentence he will still owe the money to the court.
Police believe Bharat Sarasia, formerly of Darlington Road, benefited to the tune of £664,000. However, the search for any hidden cash is continuing.
Det Con Hames said criminals went to great lengths to hide their money and assets.
"In this case, the financial investigation has lasted longer than the criminal investigation," he said.
"My colleagues have spent many hours tracing the money, poring over documents.
"Perhaps members of the public don't realise how long and complex these cases can be. Results such as this hopefully show people how worthwhile these investigations are."
The Sarasia brothers were caught when the class A drug was found in hollowed-out pallets bound for a car showroom in the city centre.
Police have seized 3.2 tonnes of Moroccan hashish from a catamaran on the high seas off the southern coast of Spain
Police have seized 3.2 tonnes of Moroccan hashish from a catamaran on the high seas off the southern coast of Spain that was bound for Britain, the interior ministry said Wednesday.
The operation led to the arrests of ten people in Spain and three in Britain who were part of a drug trafficking group made up of British nationals based on Spain's Costa del Sol, it said in a statememt.
The announcement comes one day after Spanish police announced they had arrested three people and seized 1.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a false roof of a British-flagged yacht off the coast of Portugal.
The catamaran sailed from the Spanish island of Majorca in the Mediterranean for Morocco, where it picked up the hashish and was on its way to the southern coast of England when police intercepted the boat near Cadiz.
The operation, carried out with the aid of British police and French customs agents, also seized 420,000 British pounds, 100,000 euros and 20,000 dollars from several homes in Britain.
During the past two years Spanish police in cooperation with Britain's Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) have carried out 14 joint operations against drug traffickers that have resulted in more than 170 arrests and the seizure of 17 tonnes of narcotics, the interior ministry said.
Spain's proximity to Morocco, 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.
The operation led to the arrests of ten people in Spain and three in Britain who were part of a drug trafficking group made up of British nationals based on Spain's Costa del Sol, it said in a statememt.
The announcement comes one day after Spanish police announced they had arrested three people and seized 1.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a false roof of a British-flagged yacht off the coast of Portugal.
The catamaran sailed from the Spanish island of Majorca in the Mediterranean for Morocco, where it picked up the hashish and was on its way to the southern coast of England when police intercepted the boat near Cadiz.
The operation, carried out with the aid of British police and French customs agents, also seized 420,000 British pounds, 100,000 euros and 20,000 dollars from several homes in Britain.
During the past two years Spanish police in cooperation with Britain's Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) have carried out 14 joint operations against drug traffickers that have resulted in more than 170 arrests and the seizure of 17 tonnes of narcotics, the interior ministry said.
Spain's proximity to Morocco, 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.
John Knudsen had confessed to the murder just days after being apprehended by police in Spain last November.
According to his own testimony during the trial, he played Yahtzee with Andersen during her 30-hour captivity on his boat in Haderslev Fjord in southern Jutland where he beat and raped her before finally strangling her.
Police submitted a video camera for evidence as part of the prosecution’s case, it showed Knudsen had also recorded his raping of Andersen.
Knudsen broke down in the courtroom after the sentencing, saying he was truly sorry for his crime.
‘You can’t excuse what I did. I’ve tried to explain to myself how things could have gone so wrong,’ said Knudsen, who earlier told the court that at some point he came to the conclusion he ‘had to kill’ Andersen.
Knudsen and his lawyers now have 14 days to appeal the lower court verdict to the High Court.
Police submitted a video camera for evidence as part of the prosecution’s case, it showed Knudsen had also recorded his raping of Andersen.
Knudsen broke down in the courtroom after the sentencing, saying he was truly sorry for his crime.
‘You can’t excuse what I did. I’ve tried to explain to myself how things could have gone so wrong,’ said Knudsen, who earlier told the court that at some point he came to the conclusion he ‘had to kill’ Andersen.
Knudsen and his lawyers now have 14 days to appeal the lower court verdict to the High Court.
Britain's biggest ecstasy dealers has been held in Spain after working as an undertaker there for five years.
man believed to have been one of Britain's biggest ecstasy dealers has been held in Spain after working as an undertaker there for five years. David Stuart, 35, who was detained in Castelldefels, near Barcelona, allegedly skipped bail before his trial in 2005 accused of possessing 19,000 ecstasy pills.
Stuart, from Accrington, Lancs is in jail pending a decision on his extradition.Police began hunting for David Stuart, from Accrington, after he failed to attend his trial at Preston Crown Court in June 2005.
He had originally been arrested in July 2004 when he was found with 20,000 ecstasy tablets in his possession.
Stuart was subsequently charged with both conspiracy to supply and possession with intent to supply the Class A drug, earning him a place on the most wanted list.
He was caught in Spain on Tuesday and becomes the 36th person to be arrested from 50 appeals under Operation Captura.
The operation, led by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and Crimestoppers, identifies serious criminals wanted by UK law enforcement agencies for crimes committed in the UK.
Soca's director general Trevor Pearce hailed the arrest as "another excellent result for our partnership with Spain".
"Plenty of British fugitives and criminals still haven't worked out that basing themselves in Spain is not a particularly smart move," Mr Pearce said.
"We won't stop coming after them - and the Spanish Police are more than happy to arrest them and get them sent back to the UK."
Stuart, from Accrington, Lancs is in jail pending a decision on his extradition.Police began hunting for David Stuart, from Accrington, after he failed to attend his trial at Preston Crown Court in June 2005.
He had originally been arrested in July 2004 when he was found with 20,000 ecstasy tablets in his possession.
Stuart was subsequently charged with both conspiracy to supply and possession with intent to supply the Class A drug, earning him a place on the most wanted list.
He was caught in Spain on Tuesday and becomes the 36th person to be arrested from 50 appeals under Operation Captura.
The operation, led by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and Crimestoppers, identifies serious criminals wanted by UK law enforcement agencies for crimes committed in the UK.
Soca's director general Trevor Pearce hailed the arrest as "another excellent result for our partnership with Spain".
"Plenty of British fugitives and criminals still haven't worked out that basing themselves in Spain is not a particularly smart move," Mr Pearce said.
"We won't stop coming after them - and the Spanish Police are more than happy to arrest them and get them sent back to the UK."
catamaran, the Cariro 2, had been hired by a British-organised crime group based in Malaga.
During the operation, the crew members were arrested, while additional arrests were made in Marbella.
Three British men and one British woman are now being questioned by Spanish police, along with three Moroccan men and one Moroccan woman.
The drugs haul was made up of 2.71 tonnes of cannabis resin and 100 kilos of high-grade skunk cannabis.
Three British men and one British woman are now being questioned by Spanish police, along with three Moroccan men and one Moroccan woman.
The drugs haul was made up of 2.71 tonnes of cannabis resin and 100 kilos of high-grade skunk cannabis.
Marbella Town Hall has also added its own requests to those of the prosecutor, and called for a 7.5 year prison sentence for ex Mayor, Julián Muñoz,
ex municipal real estate assessor, Juan Antonio Roca, has again rejected the allegations against him, and has demanded that the court accept the admission of dozens more items of evidence.
In a 68 sheet submission, Roca calls for ‘dozens’ more items of evidence. Both Roca and his daughter Maria, who is also among the accused, have been given extra time to assemble their defence already, given that their lawyer, Aníbal Álvarez, left the case in March 2006 as she could not be paid from his embargoed bank accounts.
Some 250 journalists are accredited to follow the case in Málaga Ciudad de la Justicia from Monday. It’s the largest corruption case ever in Spain, with a total of 96 accused.
It will start with a study of the ‘previous questions’, and for the first month or so the defence lawyers will be able to make requests, call for phone tap evidence or house searches to be declared void, or to claim that the time some of the accused were held in prison on remand was excessive, or even to claim that the Málaga Provincial Court is not the competent body to hear the trial, given that the prosecution alleges crimes carried out across the geography of the country.
Meanwhile Marbella Town Hall has estimated that the amount of money diverted from the town’s coffers by the Malaya and two smaller Saqueo cases totals more than 500 million €. Roca has already, on one occasion, declared that his assets were worth more than 120 million €.
Marbella Town Hall has also added its own requests to those of the prosecutor, and called for a 7.5 year prison sentence for ex Mayor, Julián Muñoz, and 3.5 years for the diva, Isabel Pantoja.
Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27257.shtml#ixzz10Gh4go9O
In a 68 sheet submission, Roca calls for ‘dozens’ more items of evidence. Both Roca and his daughter Maria, who is also among the accused, have been given extra time to assemble their defence already, given that their lawyer, Aníbal Álvarez, left the case in March 2006 as she could not be paid from his embargoed bank accounts.
Some 250 journalists are accredited to follow the case in Málaga Ciudad de la Justicia from Monday. It’s the largest corruption case ever in Spain, with a total of 96 accused.
It will start with a study of the ‘previous questions’, and for the first month or so the defence lawyers will be able to make requests, call for phone tap evidence or house searches to be declared void, or to claim that the time some of the accused were held in prison on remand was excessive, or even to claim that the Málaga Provincial Court is not the competent body to hear the trial, given that the prosecution alleges crimes carried out across the geography of the country.
Meanwhile Marbella Town Hall has estimated that the amount of money diverted from the town’s coffers by the Malaya and two smaller Saqueo cases totals more than 500 million €. Roca has already, on one occasion, declared that his assets were worth more than 120 million €.
Marbella Town Hall has also added its own requests to those of the prosecutor, and called for a 7.5 year prison sentence for ex Mayor, Julián Muñoz, and 3.5 years for the diva, Isabel Pantoja.
Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27257.shtml#ixzz10Gh4go9O
Crime Iceman Alexander Surin, who was arrested in Spain quite recently
Crime Kingpin Alexander Surin, who was arrested in Spain quite recently, it seems was a frequent victim of malicious words from disbelieving individuals on Internet forums.
What kind of forums, you might ask? Car forums, of course. What else would a crime and drug boss do with all his money apart from living the good life? Of course, flaunt them all over the Web.
A Bugatti Veyron, an Enzo Ferrari, a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Ferrari 599 GTB, a Ferrari California and a Porsche 911 GT3 just to name a few. And these uber-exotic cars are just a glimpse of what Surin has in his stable. Believe it or not, the man stashed some $1.1 million in these cars. Talk about loose change.
Police in Europe have all the evidence linking him to these cars, including photos and forum posts that reveal Surin’s passion for engines and four wheels. Too bad, he won’t be able to drive in prison.
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Alleged Colombian assassins thought to be behind 200 murders are held | The Sun |News
Alleged Colombian assassins thought to be behind 200 murders are held | The Sun |News: "TWO suspected hitmen wanted for the murders of at least 200 people were cornered by armed cops yesterday.
They swooped on dangermen Henry Marin and Mauricio Sepulveda in Spain.
Last night cops were probing possible links between the alleged Colombian assassins and British 'Costa Del Crime' gangs smuggling cocaine into the UK.
The pair are said to have fled to Valencia in eastern Spain after unleashing a reign of terror ordered by drug godfathers in their own country.
Marin, 36, was nicked in the port city, while Sepulveda, 44, was captured at nearby La Eliana.
Both men are believed to have sought refuge in Spain after the break-up of the so-called Self-Defence Units of Colombia - a gang of hitmen working for cocaine cartels.
They are also wanted for kidnappings and torture in Colombia.
Their alleged victims include Colombian footballer Albeiro Usuriaga Lopez, who was gunned down in February 2004.
A Spanish source said last night: 'Police will be looking at possible links between these men and the European criminal underworld, including British drug traffickers.'"
People smuggled into UK via Victoria coach station | News
People smuggled into UK via Victoria coach station | News: "Drugs, weapons and people are being smuggled into Britain by crime gangs using Victoria Coach Station, police revealed today.
Random checks on coaches arriving in London have revealed an extraordinary hotbed of crime ranging from people trafficking to drug running.
A Scotland Yard operation has led to 72 arrests — including wanted people-traffickers and paedophiles — in the past six months.
The checks have also revealed a worrying number of defects and safety problems on coaches arriving from the Continent.
Police in Westminster are using tactics normally employed by border officials to screen passengers arriving in London. Coaches are picked at random and their passengers and luggage are searched and screened for drugs and weapons. Sniffer dogs are also used to check for contraband and specialist officers employed to scour coaches for hidden caches of drugs."
Random checks on coaches arriving in London have revealed an extraordinary hotbed of crime ranging from people trafficking to drug running.
A Scotland Yard operation has led to 72 arrests — including wanted people-traffickers and paedophiles — in the past six months.
The checks have also revealed a worrying number of defects and safety problems on coaches arriving from the Continent.
Police in Westminster are using tactics normally employed by border officials to screen passengers arriving in London. Coaches are picked at random and their passengers and luggage are searched and screened for drugs and weapons. Sniffer dogs are also used to check for contraband and specialist officers employed to scour coaches for hidden caches of drugs."
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
Ricky Hatton was photographed looking bloated and sweaty as he struggled to stay upright while pals carried him from a bar after an all-day bender.
British professional boxer Ricky Hatton was photographed looking bloated and sweaty as he struggled to stay upright while pals carried him from a bar after an all-day bender.
Hatton, 31, was in Marbella's Puerto Banus, Spain, when a horrified fan took the picture.
"It was really sad to see. He was such a mess, sweating and hugely overweight," the Sun quoted the fan as saying.
"He was obviously wired on something. It might have been just booze but I doubt it.
"By the end he couldn't stand up. He was clinging to his pals as they disappeared into the night," the fan added.
The picture had been taken a few weeks before the revelation that the boxer had been filmed snorting cocaine while on yet another marathon binge.
Hatton's friends said he has been trapped in a cocaine and booze-fuelled haze for months.
"His coke problem has been getting ridiculous. This wasn't just one party night out on the town. The fact he's being doing cocaine was an open secret among those close to him," a source said.
"In a way we're almost relieved he's been caught out because something had to be done. He couldn't go on like that," the source added.
Hatton, who was secretly filmed as he snorted cocaine through a rolled-up 20-pound note, acknowledged he needed professional help for a problem that had spiralled out of control.
"I've been in a bad place for some time. It's all down to me. I feel I have let everyone down especially all my fans in the country who have always supported me," he said.
Hatton, 31, was in Marbella's Puerto Banus, Spain, when a horrified fan took the picture.
"It was really sad to see. He was such a mess, sweating and hugely overweight," the Sun quoted the fan as saying.
"He was obviously wired on something. It might have been just booze but I doubt it.
"By the end he couldn't stand up. He was clinging to his pals as they disappeared into the night," the fan added.
The picture had been taken a few weeks before the revelation that the boxer had been filmed snorting cocaine while on yet another marathon binge.
Hatton's friends said he has been trapped in a cocaine and booze-fuelled haze for months.
"His coke problem has been getting ridiculous. This wasn't just one party night out on the town. The fact he's being doing cocaine was an open secret among those close to him," a source said.
"In a way we're almost relieved he's been caught out because something had to be done. He couldn't go on like that," the source added.
Hatton, who was secretly filmed as he snorted cocaine through a rolled-up 20-pound note, acknowledged he needed professional help for a problem that had spiralled out of control.
"I've been in a bad place for some time. It's all down to me. I feel I have let everyone down especially all my fans in the country who have always supported me," he said.
Colombian hitmen wanted for the cold-blooded murder of at least 200 people were arrested by armed police in Spain today.
Colombian hitmen wanted for the cold-blooded murder of at least 200 people were arrested by armed police in Spain today.
Sharpshooter cops swooped on danger men Henry Marin, alias "The Chicken", and Mauricio Sepulveda, known as "Husky", in separate hideouts in the eastern city of Valencia.
Police commanders later described the pair as the most dangerous Colombians ever arrested in Spain, where they fled after unleashing a reign of terror ordered by drug godfathers.
Marin, 36, was arrested in the Mediterranean port city while his alleged accomplice Sepulveda, 44, was captured at nearby La Eliana.
Both men are alleged to have fled to Spain after the break-up of the so-called Self Defence Units of Colombia - a vicious gang of hitmen working for cocaine cartels.
They were being sought over more than 200 murders, kidnappings and torture in Colombia.
Spanish authorities acted amid concerns they had exported their bloody trade to Europe following a wave of contract killings, extortion, kidnapping and drug crime.
Their alleged victims include Colombian footballer, Albeiro Usuriago Lopez, known as the Cock Pigeon, who was gunned down in February 2004.
World Cup qualifier star Lopez helped his national side qualify for the Italia 90 tournament and played club football in Colombia, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela.
But he was suspended for two years by the Argentine Football Association for testing positive for cocaine before being gunned down in a nightclub in the Colombian city of Santiago de Cali.
Other notorious hits included the killings of two intelligence agents and a woman whose body was left in a suitcase outside a Colombian zoo.
No shots were fired in the raids in which police surrounded the pair, who have both been handed over to the National Criminal Court in Madrid to await extradition.
Sharpshooter cops swooped on danger men Henry Marin, alias "The Chicken", and Mauricio Sepulveda, known as "Husky", in separate hideouts in the eastern city of Valencia.
Police commanders later described the pair as the most dangerous Colombians ever arrested in Spain, where they fled after unleashing a reign of terror ordered by drug godfathers.
Marin, 36, was arrested in the Mediterranean port city while his alleged accomplice Sepulveda, 44, was captured at nearby La Eliana.
Both men are alleged to have fled to Spain after the break-up of the so-called Self Defence Units of Colombia - a vicious gang of hitmen working for cocaine cartels.
They were being sought over more than 200 murders, kidnappings and torture in Colombia.
Spanish authorities acted amid concerns they had exported their bloody trade to Europe following a wave of contract killings, extortion, kidnapping and drug crime.
Their alleged victims include Colombian footballer, Albeiro Usuriago Lopez, known as the Cock Pigeon, who was gunned down in February 2004.
World Cup qualifier star Lopez helped his national side qualify for the Italia 90 tournament and played club football in Colombia, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela.
But he was suspended for two years by the Argentine Football Association for testing positive for cocaine before being gunned down in a nightclub in the Colombian city of Santiago de Cali.
Other notorious hits included the killings of two intelligence agents and a woman whose body was left in a suitcase outside a Colombian zoo.
No shots were fired in the raids in which police surrounded the pair, who have both been handed over to the National Criminal Court in Madrid to await extradition.
Monday, 13 September 2010
Briton stabbed in Marbella bar fight
Briton stabbed in Marbella bar fight: "National Police are investigating the stabbing of a young British man in a bar in Nueva Andalucía, Marbella. He was stabbed in an arm and leg as he tried to defend himself, according to reports in Diario Sur, and was taken by his friends to the Costa del Sol Hospital by car. He was admitted for treatment.
It happened around 6pm on Wednesday, when for some reason, an argument got started which turned into a fight outside the establishment.
National Police investigations continue and several people who saw what happened were called by the police to give statements during Thursday.
It happened in the same area where a 24 year old was left in a coma after a fight last month, and there were two other cases last weekend in Estepona, including one when a 17 year old was injured after being attacked with a harpoon."
It happened around 6pm on Wednesday, when for some reason, an argument got started which turned into a fight outside the establishment.
National Police investigations continue and several people who saw what happened were called by the police to give statements during Thursday.
It happened in the same area where a 24 year old was left in a coma after a fight last month, and there were two other cases last weekend in Estepona, including one when a 17 year old was injured after being attacked with a harpoon."
Fugitive 'godfather' captured in Spain - CNN.com
Fugitive 'godfather' captured in Spain - CNN.com: "Adrian Rascu -- also known as 'El Padrino,' or 'the godfather' -- was captured as he exited a gym in Madrid on Friday, Spain's national police said in a statement.
Rascu fled France five years ago after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for human trafficking and sexual exploitation, authorities said.
According to police, Rascu was accused of recruiting Gypsy women in Romania and promising them jobs in France. Once in Paris, the women's passports were taken, and the women were forced into prostitution. Those who objected were physically abused and raped.
Police said 'El Padrino' had been using a false identity, and the gym where he was arrested was also the place where he met with other organized crime groups."
Rascu fled France five years ago after being sentenced to 10 years in prison for human trafficking and sexual exploitation, authorities said.
According to police, Rascu was accused of recruiting Gypsy women in Romania and promising them jobs in France. Once in Paris, the women's passports were taken, and the women were forced into prostitution. Those who objected were physically abused and raped.
Police said 'El Padrino' had been using a false identity, and the gym where he was arrested was also the place where he met with other organized crime groups."
Thursday, 9 September 2010
Malaga to Outlaw street prostitution imposing fines for sexual practices carried out in public areas of up to €1,500.
MALAGA City Hall is set to ban street prostitution imposing fines for sexual practices carried out in public areas of up to €1,500.
Local business associations and residents in Malaga City demand street prostitution be banned completely, especially on the industrial estates where it is commonplace.
Residents and businesses claim they don’t want to ban prostitution as everyone has a right to do what they desire with their body, but they do want to make sure that it is transferred to a more “suitable” area.
Prostitution in Spain is not illegal and the council has found a way around this by proposing a local bylaw not referring to prostitution, but sanctioning sexual activity in public. If all goes ahead as planned, it could be introduced by October.
Lighting fires on the street will also be banned, something which is linked to prostitution, as many of the women who work on industrial estates light fires to keep warm in the winter.
The industrial estates are also being encouraged to offer jobs for women who want to find a way out of prostitution, and an association is carrying out a programme in which the street girls will be able to visit huts to rest, get a hot drink and be given help and advice.
This follows last month’s decision by Benalmadena Town Hall to speed up the process of putting rules in place which will allow police to fine clients found with prostitutes.
The Benalmadena bylaw is expected to come into effect some time this month.
30 year old local man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 49 year old woman from the United States in Sevilla.
30 year old local man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 49 year old woman from the United States in Sevilla. She was reported missing on September 4 and her body was recovered from the Guadalquivir River by National Police in the city on Tuesday.
The detained man has been named with the initials A.G.S. and is said to be in the victim’s circle of friends. His home was searched on Monday afternoon and the Scientific Police have found ‘sufficient reason’ to consider ‘he took part in the death of the woman’. Later reports indicate that he has confessed to the crime.
A police search of the part of the river indicated by the man, by the Puente de las Delicias, resulted in the head and an arm of the victim being found inside a bag, along with some of her personal effects.
The man continues in police custody as questioning continues. They consider he killed her in his home in the Tiro de Línea area of the city, broke up the body, and put it into a suitcase and plastic bag which he later threw in the river.
Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27120.shtml#ixzz0z1dZ8fju
The detained man has been named with the initials A.G.S. and is said to be in the victim’s circle of friends. His home was searched on Monday afternoon and the Scientific Police have found ‘sufficient reason’ to consider ‘he took part in the death of the woman’. Later reports indicate that he has confessed to the crime.
A police search of the part of the river indicated by the man, by the Puente de las Delicias, resulted in the head and an arm of the victim being found inside a bag, along with some of her personal effects.
The man continues in police custody as questioning continues. They consider he killed her in his home in the Tiro de Línea area of the city, broke up the body, and put it into a suitcase and plastic bag which he later threw in the river.
Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27120.shtml#ixzz0z1dZ8fju
Twenty four British citizens have been arrested by Spanish police
Twenty four British citizens have been arrested by Spanish police in Ibiza after making a drugs raid on the island. The police seized cocaine, ecstasy pills, MDMA and other recreational drugs in the gang members' San Antonio homes, on the West coast of Ibiza, a short boat ride away from Barcelona and one of Spain's most popular holiday destinations.
A spokesperson for the Spanish police said: "This operation is still going on and we cannot give any details at this stage," whilst the British Foreign Office has acknowledged the arrest saying: "We are aware of a number of arrests in Ibiza involving British nationals and are offering consular assistance."
Drugs in Ibiza have been a real bugbear for Spanish police for decades with the island emerging as one of the centres of dance music worldwide and a notorious spot for all night (and day) raves and hedonism. A similar raid took place last September, the end of the clubbing season, in which Spanish police arrested 25 Britons in gangs from Manchester and Liverpool.
A spokesperson for the Spanish police said: "This operation is still going on and we cannot give any details at this stage," whilst the British Foreign Office has acknowledged the arrest saying: "We are aware of a number of arrests in Ibiza involving British nationals and are offering consular assistance."
Drugs in Ibiza have been a real bugbear for Spanish police for decades with the island emerging as one of the centres of dance music worldwide and a notorious spot for all night (and day) raves and hedonism. A similar raid took place last September, the end of the clubbing season, in which Spanish police arrested 25 Britons in gangs from Manchester and Liverpool.
Laundering 60 million euros through 800 fake companies.
Laundering 60 million euros through 800 fake companies.
These are the findings as the three year Marbella accounting and tax evasion investigation came to an end last week.
In total, 20 people – including three notaries – are now facing charges over the investigation which centred around the Cordoba legal firm of Rafael Cruz-Conde.
Both the boss and his son Mauro, have already been jailed for failing to pay 410,000 euros of income tax.
Another four lawyers from the firm are also facing charges that surround various shady dealings of the hotels Marbella Club and the Puente Romano.
According to the judge investigating the case, the owner of the hotels David Shamoon was found to have laundered 52.4 million euros through the firm.
This included 21 million euros of unpaid taxes between 2001 and 2005.
Shamoon, who owns various other properties on the Costa del Sol, as well as in the UK, Israel and the USA, was also accused of trying to bribe a judge presiding over the case.
It later emerged that Judge Francisco Javier de Urquia, who had initially taken on the Hidalgo case, had also tried to blackmail Shamoon. He was jailed for the offence.
During Operation Hidalgo, which started in April 2007, 632 bank accounts were frozen while police investigated numerous counts of money-laundering.
These are the findings as the three year Marbella accounting and tax evasion investigation came to an end last week.
In total, 20 people – including three notaries – are now facing charges over the investigation which centred around the Cordoba legal firm of Rafael Cruz-Conde.
Both the boss and his son Mauro, have already been jailed for failing to pay 410,000 euros of income tax.
Another four lawyers from the firm are also facing charges that surround various shady dealings of the hotels Marbella Club and the Puente Romano.
According to the judge investigating the case, the owner of the hotels David Shamoon was found to have laundered 52.4 million euros through the firm.
This included 21 million euros of unpaid taxes between 2001 and 2005.
Shamoon, who owns various other properties on the Costa del Sol, as well as in the UK, Israel and the USA, was also accused of trying to bribe a judge presiding over the case.
It later emerged that Judge Francisco Javier de Urquia, who had initially taken on the Hidalgo case, had also tried to blackmail Shamoon. He was jailed for the offence.
During Operation Hidalgo, which started in April 2007, 632 bank accounts were frozen while police investigated numerous counts of money-laundering.
Friday, 3 September 2010
Male sex workers were recruited in Brazil, with their travel costs to Spain initially covered by the trafficking network’ organizers
Male sex workers were recruited in Brazil, with their travel costs to Spain initially covered by the trafficking network’ organizers in return for a pledge to work subsequently for them, according to a police statement. Most of the recruits, however, expected to work as models or nightclub dancers, although some allegedly knew that they were coming to Spain to offer sex.
The police estimated that between 60 and 80 men were brought to Spain by the network, most of them in their 20s and originating from Brazil’s northern state of Maranhão. They reached Spain by passing through third countries.
The network covered the whole of Spain, with the sex workers placed in, and then switched regularly between, apartments whose landlords received half of the money earned by them, as well as €200, or about $255, to cover food and lodging, officials said.
The police released a video of one of the apartments in which some of the arrests were made, with bunk beds and mattresses cramped into neon-lit rooms. The gang, meanwhile, advertised pictures of the men on Web sites as well as in classified newspaper ads. The sex workers were allegedly provided with Viagra, cocaine and other stimulants to help keep them available for sex 24 hours a day. Most of their customers are suspected to have been men.
The bulk of the arrests occurred on the island of Majorca, including that of the Brazilian accused of being the ringleader, whose identity was not disclosed by the police. The prostitutes ended up owing the network as much as €4,000 each and were sometimes threatened with death if they refused to pay the debt, according to the Spanish police.
Although it is the first time that police officers have broken up a professional male prostitution trafficking network, five people were arrested in 2006 in Spain’s western region of Extremadura for their involvement in an illegal Brazilian prostitution business. More recently, the police have dismantled several gangs exploiting female sex workers, generally from Eastern Europe or Africa. In July, 105 people were arrested for their involvement in a dozen prostitution centers around Madrid in one of the largest clampdowns to date.
A police spokeswoman who asked not to be identified said that Brazilian officials had been involved. Some of the prostitutes were also placed in custody for working illegally in Spain.
Ana Palacio, a former Spanish foreign minister, said that Spanish police officials were benefiting considerably from greater cross-border cooperation in their efforts to combat human trafficking. Cooperation, particularly with the French police, has also been crucial recently in the arrests of several leaders of ETA, the Basque separatist group.
“We have to continue fighting against these networks because there is a terrible human rights dimension to their activities and this does require better police coordination,” Ms. Palacio said. “Thankfully what we are seeing, also in the context of counterterrorism, is much greater willingness to share data and other information” among police forces.
The police estimated that between 60 and 80 men were brought to Spain by the network, most of them in their 20s and originating from Brazil’s northern state of Maranhão. They reached Spain by passing through third countries.
The network covered the whole of Spain, with the sex workers placed in, and then switched regularly between, apartments whose landlords received half of the money earned by them, as well as €200, or about $255, to cover food and lodging, officials said.
The police released a video of one of the apartments in which some of the arrests were made, with bunk beds and mattresses cramped into neon-lit rooms. The gang, meanwhile, advertised pictures of the men on Web sites as well as in classified newspaper ads. The sex workers were allegedly provided with Viagra, cocaine and other stimulants to help keep them available for sex 24 hours a day. Most of their customers are suspected to have been men.
The bulk of the arrests occurred on the island of Majorca, including that of the Brazilian accused of being the ringleader, whose identity was not disclosed by the police. The prostitutes ended up owing the network as much as €4,000 each and were sometimes threatened with death if they refused to pay the debt, according to the Spanish police.
Although it is the first time that police officers have broken up a professional male prostitution trafficking network, five people were arrested in 2006 in Spain’s western region of Extremadura for their involvement in an illegal Brazilian prostitution business. More recently, the police have dismantled several gangs exploiting female sex workers, generally from Eastern Europe or Africa. In July, 105 people were arrested for their involvement in a dozen prostitution centers around Madrid in one of the largest clampdowns to date.
A police spokeswoman who asked not to be identified said that Brazilian officials had been involved. Some of the prostitutes were also placed in custody for working illegally in Spain.
Ana Palacio, a former Spanish foreign minister, said that Spanish police officials were benefiting considerably from greater cross-border cooperation in their efforts to combat human trafficking. Cooperation, particularly with the French police, has also been crucial recently in the arrests of several leaders of ETA, the Basque separatist group.
“We have to continue fighting against these networks because there is a terrible human rights dimension to their activities and this does require better police coordination,” Ms. Palacio said. “Thankfully what we are seeing, also in the context of counterterrorism, is much greater willingness to share data and other information” among police forces.
Juan Antonio Gomez Alarcon was last seen on July 20th at the bus station in Fuengirola
Juan Antonio Gomez Alarcon was last seen on July 20th at the bus station in Fuengirola
According to reports in the press the search for hiker Juan Antonio Gomez Alarcon who went missing on July 20th is contining
It is understood from the reports that his family have not given up hope in finding him and their search area has been extended to include Marbella, Istan, Sierra de las Nieves and even Villaluenga del Rosario in the province of Cadiz.
It is reported that the family have launched pages and groups on various social networks like Facebook and Tuenti and flyers have been placed across the province.
There is also a email address set up for people to send any information which is desaparecido_juanantonio@hotmail.com
According to reports in the press the search for hiker Juan Antonio Gomez Alarcon who went missing on July 20th is contining
It is understood from the reports that his family have not given up hope in finding him and their search area has been extended to include Marbella, Istan, Sierra de las Nieves and even Villaluenga del Rosario in the province of Cadiz.
It is reported that the family have launched pages and groups on various social networks like Facebook and Tuenti and flyers have been placed across the province.
There is also a email address set up for people to send any information which is desaparecido_juanantonio@hotmail.com
seizure of 1.9 tons of Hashish in Estepona and Motril in April and August has led to the arrests of 15 people across Spain
seizure of 1.9 tons of Hashish in Estepona and Motril in April and August has led to the arrests of 15 people across Spain
It is reported that one of those arrested has been named as Abdellaziz Z.M who is thought to be the head of the gang. It is understood that he was arrested in Barcelona
Another of those arrested has been named as Antonio S.S. who has contacts in Málaga, Ceuta and Barcelona and is thought to be resposible for the gangs logistics.
According to the reports the gang moved the drugs to Spain from Morocco . The drugs were then smuggled to other countries such as Holland and Italy.
The gang was split into three groups , It is understood that many of those arrested were living in the western areas of the Province of Almeria
It is reported that one of those arrested has been named as Abdellaziz Z.M who is thought to be the head of the gang. It is understood that he was arrested in Barcelona
Another of those arrested has been named as Antonio S.S. who has contacts in Málaga, Ceuta and Barcelona and is thought to be resposible for the gangs logistics.
According to the reports the gang moved the drugs to Spain from Morocco . The drugs were then smuggled to other countries such as Holland and Italy.
The gang was split into three groups , It is understood that many of those arrested were living in the western areas of the Province of Almeria
woman who was been allegedly held against her will by her partner was freed
woman who was been allegedly held against her will by her partner was freed by National Police in Torre Del Mar near Velez-Malaga.
It is understood that the woman was held at knife point in the family home for nearly 6 hours.
It is reported that emergency services were called to the scene at around 22.00 after a call was made by the woman saying she was been held against her will and that ger partner has threatened to kill her
According to reports after investigating the claim and deciding that the woman was in danger the Police launched an operation to enter the home
The woman was rescued at around 4am and a 46 year old man was taking into custody as the alleged aggressor
It is reported that there was a restraining orfer against the alleged aggressor in Place
It is understood that the woman was held at knife point in the family home for nearly 6 hours.
It is reported that emergency services were called to the scene at around 22.00 after a call was made by the woman saying she was been held against her will and that ger partner has threatened to kill her
According to reports after investigating the claim and deciding that the woman was in danger the Police launched an operation to enter the home
The woman was rescued at around 4am and a 46 year old man was taking into custody as the alleged aggressor
It is reported that there was a restraining orfer against the alleged aggressor in Place
Spanish Nationals Of Moroccan origin were arrested after their boat was intercepted of the Estepona coast
Two boats carrying hashish have been intercepted off the coast by the Guardia Civil
It is understood from the reports officers intercepted one boat on the 27 August of the coast of Estepona after following the boat towards the port at Duquesa.
It is reported that two men who have been identified as a 26 year old Spanish National with the initials MAG and a 53 year old Spanish National with the initials JLJR were arrested after they tried to dump the hashish at sea
Then on the 30th August Guardia Civil officers arrested two men BMR {19} and UHM {25} who are Spanish Nationals Of Moroccan origin were arrested after their boat was intercepted of the Estepona coast
It is understood from the reports officers intercepted one boat on the 27 August of the coast of Estepona after following the boat towards the port at Duquesa.
It is reported that two men who have been identified as a 26 year old Spanish National with the initials MAG and a 53 year old Spanish National with the initials JLJR were arrested after they tried to dump the hashish at sea
Then on the 30th August Guardia Civil officers arrested two men BMR {19} and UHM {25} who are Spanish Nationals Of Moroccan origin were arrested after their boat was intercepted of the Estepona coast
Konstantin Mrykhin is wanted in his native Russia on charges of involuntary manslaughter
Konstantin Mrykhin is wanted in his native Russia on charges of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a blaze that tore through the Lame Horse night club in Perm 700 miles east of Moscow.
The fire was sparked by an indoor fireworks display that went wrong killing 156 people and leaving a further 65 with serious injuries.Illegal building work inside the club and flagrant breaches of fire safety regulations meant that revellers could not evacuate quickly enough and died of smoke inhalation or were burnt alive.
The Russian police believe that Mr Mrykhin, the club’s co-founder, was criminally negligent in sanctioning the fireworks show and want to try him in Russia along with eight other people.
A court in Barcelona where Mr Mrykhin was arrested will now consider a Russian extradition request.
Fire safety is notoriously lax in Russia and there were more than 6,711 fire-related deaths registered in the first half of this year alone.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to ten years in jail.
The fire was sparked by an indoor fireworks display that went wrong killing 156 people and leaving a further 65 with serious injuries.Illegal building work inside the club and flagrant breaches of fire safety regulations meant that revellers could not evacuate quickly enough and died of smoke inhalation or were burnt alive.
The Russian police believe that Mr Mrykhin, the club’s co-founder, was criminally negligent in sanctioning the fireworks show and want to try him in Russia along with eight other people.
A court in Barcelona where Mr Mrykhin was arrested will now consider a Russian extradition request.
Fire safety is notoriously lax in Russia and there were more than 6,711 fire-related deaths registered in the first half of this year alone.
If convicted, he could be sentenced to ten years in jail.
Simon Cowell’s luxury Marbella holiday villa has been trashed
Simon Cowell’s luxury Marbella holiday villa has been trashed by this years X-Factor hopefuls after twenty contestants enjoyed a wild party whilst staying in the Costa del Sol.
The contestants are currently staying at Cowell’s luxury holiday home whilst they receive coaching as part of the hit ITV show. However it seems that the excitement was a bit too much for some to handle as they ran rampage drinking expensive champagne and damaging exclusive furniture.
The carnage started on Sunday evening when contestants raided the bar and downed champagne and Sapporo beer that had been imported from Japan.
The wild wannabes then swam in the sea before stumbling back to the villa in a drunken state causing damage to furniture and destroying a £5,000 Persian rug.
Cowell, who was woken up by the excessive noise, spoke about the incident but seemed to be in a forgiving mood “Any damage will have to be paid out of their first royalty cheque if they make it - to teach them a lesson.”
Exactly who was involved in the partying is yet to be confirmed however it will soon be revealed as the show moves into the knock-out stages in the coming weeks.
The contestants are currently staying at Cowell’s luxury holiday home whilst they receive coaching as part of the hit ITV show. However it seems that the excitement was a bit too much for some to handle as they ran rampage drinking expensive champagne and damaging exclusive furniture.
The carnage started on Sunday evening when contestants raided the bar and downed champagne and Sapporo beer that had been imported from Japan.
The wild wannabes then swam in the sea before stumbling back to the villa in a drunken state causing damage to furniture and destroying a £5,000 Persian rug.
Cowell, who was woken up by the excessive noise, spoke about the incident but seemed to be in a forgiving mood “Any damage will have to be paid out of their first royalty cheque if they make it - to teach them a lesson.”
Exactly who was involved in the partying is yet to be confirmed however it will soon be revealed as the show moves into the knock-out stages in the coming weeks.
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