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Friday, 11 March 2011

Former television hypnotist Martin Smith, 45, who used violence to groom and sexually abuse a young girl

A paedophile whose partner is accused of murdering their two children in a Spanish hotel was jailed for 16 years today.

Former television hypnotist Martin Smith, 45, who used violence to groom and sexually abuse a young girl, carried out the attacks over a nine-year period.

While he waited to go on trial his partner Lianne Smith suffocated their two young children just days after he had been extradited back to Britain.

She has admitted asphyxiating the youngsters with a plastic bag and is due to go on trial for murder.

Her partner's victim, who is now in her 20s, told the jury during his case how he would try to hypnotise her and hit and bully her to ensure she complied with his demands.

He was found guilty of 11 specimen charges of rape, attempted rape, indecency with a child and indecent assault, spanning nine years from May 1995 to May 2004, in December.

As he waited to go before the judge, his daughter Rebecca, five, and Daniel, 11 months, were found lifeless on the bed in the Hotel Miramar in Lloret de Mar on May 18 last year.

Hilary Manley, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court today that Martin Smith began the abuse by forcing the girl to touch him intimately.

On occasion he would turn violent, act in a 'domineering and bullying manner' and use hypnotism in an effort to bend her to his will, the court heard.

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Tuesday, 15 February 2011

Egyptian officials' assets to be traced by Serious Organised Crime Agency

Charlie Rose - Hosni Mubarak, President of Egypt (August 17, 2009)Egyptian officials' assets to be traced by Serious Organised Crime Agency | World news | The Guardian: "Officers from Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency are expected to begin tracing the bank accounts of Hosni Mubarak's cabinet after the Egyptian government made a formal request for a freeze on the assets of the ousted president and his former colleagues.

The foreign secretary, William Hague, said Soca would take charge of the hunt for accounts in London, although the timing and extent of the investigation would be decided by EU finance ministers following discussions in Brussels. Hague said UK rules prevented the police from freezing bank accounts without 'evidence of illegality or misuse of state assets'. He said if evidence became available, the government would take 'firm and prompt action'.

Egypt's state prosecutor meanwhile launched corruption investigations against three former government ministers and a member of parliament from Egypt's ruling National Democratic party. They are the former minister of commerce, Muhammad Rachid, the former tourism minister, Zoheir Garranah, the former housing minister Ahmed Maghrabi, and member of parliament Ahmed Ezz."
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Crime gangs may be fighting with guns on Sydney's streets


Crime gangs may be fighting with guns on Sydney's streets but the city isn't a crime capital like New York or Los Angeles, NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says.
Speaking after two shootings in western Sydney, Mr Scipione said it was important to remember that gun crime trends in the state had been falling.
"This isn't a place like Los Angeles or New York, if you look at the gun crimes, the number of homicides in those place," Mr Scipione told reporters on Tuesday.
He cited figures showing there were 513 crimes involving any type of gun in the year to September 2010, down from 1,128 offences in 2004.
Most events were related to drugs, personal matters or organised crime.
Wideview See Thru Scope - Side Mount for the Winchester 94 and 96 firearms"My greatest concern is the propensity of organised crime to rely on the use of a firearm to resolve an issue seems to be increasing," Mr Scipione said.
A search of AAP news archives shows that in the six months to February 15 this year, there were 24 shootings - an average of one a week - and mainly in western Sydney.
Many of the shootings resulted in leg wounds and this week there have been two separate shootings in western Sydney, putting four men in hospital.
The issue became political on Tuesday, as the coalition promised an extra $20 million for hi-tech equipment for police, if it wins the March 26 state election.
Premier Kristina Keneally said gun crime was falling and vowed police would clamp down on bad behaviour by a small number of individuals.
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WOMAN had a gun pulled on her and was told she would be killed as thieves carjacked her Maserati in broad daylight

Concerns that gun crime in Sydney is on the rise: "WOMAN had a gun pulled on her and was told she would be killed as thieves carjacked her Maserati in broad daylight yesterday, just hours after police sought to allay concerns about gun crime being rife in Sydney.

Two men in a red Holden swerved in front of the 35-year-old mother's car at 1.30pm after she turned off the City West Link at Haberfield, forcing her to stop.

MASERATI PARKING ONLY sport car street signOne man armed with a gun then walked up to her silver 2009 Maserati Quattroporte, which cost $300,000, and told her: ''Get out or I will kill you.''"
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Friday, 4 February 2011

No funds for coastal train expansion | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain

Euro Weekly News | No funds for coastal train expansion | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "Costa del Sol residents have waited for a train service that would one day be provided from Malaga to Marbella and Estepona. For the first time the Junta de Andalucia has admitted that it is having problems finding money to fund the project, estimated at €4 billion.

Councillor for Public Works, Josefina Cruz, said that more private investors are needed, as well as the creation of a joint society which can present the project and request funding, from bodies such as the European Investment Bank.

Cruz said the authorities were well aware of the importance of creating the rail connection."
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Tuesday, 1 February 2011

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Likes to Make Banks 'Squirm' - Deal Journal - WSJ

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Likes to Make Banks 'Squirm' - Deal Journal - WSJ: "Last night, a “60 Minutes” interview with Julian Assange, the man behind WikiLeaks, tackled the question of whether the anti-secrecy organization is turning its Klieg light to Wall Street.

Assange was asked about the speculation that WikiLeaks has a cache of internal Bank of America documents.

“I won’t make any comment in relation to that upcoming publication,” Assange said.

There would be a “process of elimination” if we “denied some [banks] and admitted others,” he said. “I think it’s great to have all these banks squirming thinking maybe it’s them,” Assange said."
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Four Spanish Savings Banks To Transfer Financial Operations - WSJ.com

Four Spanish Savings Banks To Transfer Financial Operations - WSJ.com: "Four Spanish savings banks said Monday they have decided to transfer their financial operations to Banco Mare Nostrum"
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Monday, 24 January 2011

Tottie Goldsmith Busted At BBQ

Undercover News: Tottie Goldsmith Busted At BBQ: "Chantoozies singer and Neighbours star Tottie Goldsmith is alleged to have been busted in a drug operation at the Hot BBQ music festival outside Melbourne on Saturday.

Goldsmith was in the VIP Beach Club marquee during the festival when police swooped with drug sniffer dogs and nabbed the singer/actress.

Tottie Goldsmith is alleged to have been caught with cocaine."
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Beauty Queens | Mexican Drug Trafficking | ARRESTED | Styleite

Beauty Queens | Mexican Drug Trafficking | ARRESTED | Styleite: "Juliana Sossa (pictured) is the latest stunner to be arrested in connection to the Mexican drug trade. She won several Colombian beauty pageants before relocating to Mexico City and shacking up with alleged drug lord Jorge Balderas Garza.
This comes a few months after Colombian model Juliana Lopez Aguirre was arrested along with her narcotics gang member boyfriend Harold Mauricio Poveda, which came a few months after Venezuelan Miss Universe Alicia Machado was linked to drug kingpin/potential baby daddy Gerardo Alvarez Vazquez and Colombian beauty pageant winner Angie Sanclemente was arrested for managing “young women ferrying cocaine to Europe via Mexico” in Argentina. Sanclemente is married to Mexican drug lord “El Monstruo” (yes, “The Monster”). And the list goes on.
According to the Mexican National Institute of Women, the number of women arrested for trafficking-related charges has increased four-fold in the last three years alone."
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High court affirms life term for 6 Chinese in shabu case -- 2011/january/24

 High court affirms life term for 6 Chinese in shabu case -- 2011/january/24: "THE Supreme Court has affirmed the life sentence a lower court imposed on six Chinese nationals for drug trafficking.

The court found the Chinese in possession of 364 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, with an estimated value of P1.6 billion.

In an en banc decision, the high tribunal, through Associate Justice Presbitero J. Velasco Jr., upheld the judgment of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court finding Ng Yik Bun, Kwok Wai Cheng, Chang Chaun Shi, Chua Shilou Hwan, Kan Shun Min, and Raymond S. Tan guilty beyond reasonable doubt of possession of illegal drugs.

The six Chinese nationals were also ordered to pay a total of P30 million.

They were arrested by police while preparing their drug shipment at a resort in Sariaya, Quezon on Aug. 24, 2000.

A total of 25 heat-sealed transparent plastic bags containing 364 kilos of the illegal substance were recovered from the group on board a white Mitsubishi L-300 van.

The accused said their arrest and the search of the shipment were"
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ZAMBIAN businesswoman arrested in Ethiopia for drug trafficking | UKZAMBIANS MAGAZINE, WEBSITE, VIDEOS, TV

ZAMBIAN businesswoman arrested in Ethiopia for drug trafficking | UKZAMBIANS MAGAZINE, WEBSITE, VIDEOS, TV: "ZAMBIAN businesswoman has been arrested in Ethiopia for alleged drug trafficking. Izalo Kalenda, 31, was arrested at Addis Abba international airport on her way from Pakistan via Dubai to Zimbabwe.


Woman Arrested
This is according to a statement released on January 22 by Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) public relations officer, John Nyawali.

Mr Nyawali said Ms Kalenda allegedly swallowed the heroin weighing over half a kilogramme.

She is detained in Ethiopia awaiting trial.

Meanwhile, the DEC has arrested a 24-year-old man of John Laing Township in Lusaka for allegedly trafficking in pure grade cocaine.

Joseph Mwamba was allegedly found with 16 sachets of cocaine powder after a DEC search at his house.

And 94 people were arrested in the last seven days for trafficking in different quantities of cannabis weighing a total of 428kgs.

Among them are two Somali nationals resident in Ndola who were found in possession of 34 bundles of Mirra, weighing over 12kgs.

Meanwhile, Police in Kitwe have arrested three suspected conmen, including a foreigner, for allegedly swindling businessmen out of huge sums of money on the pretext that they supplied pharmaceutical seeds.

Copperbelt Police commanding officer Martin named the suspects as Keith Musonda, 36, Lameck Katongo, 18 and Person Brian Gordon, a foreigner from unknown country."
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10 dead after a clash between military and drug traffickers in Mexico

10 dead after a clash between military and drug traffickers in Mexico: "10 suspected drug traffickers killed after encountering with the government forces in the state of Tamaulipas in Mexico.Mexico Defense Department have announced, that soldiers were patrolling when they found the camp of armed men.A shot had been fired on the soldiers which have caused the said encounter.The authorities have also confiscated a rocket launcher, 20 grenades, two grenade launchers and 24 guns from the said camp.It was found out that there's a chronic drug trafficking in Tamaulipas due to competition of two drug cartels namely Zeta and Gulf Cartel."
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Late cyclist's father on drug charges - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Late cyclist's father on drug charges - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "The father of the late world champion cyclist Jobie Dajka has faced the Adelaide District Court accused of being involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

Stanley Bruce Dajka pleaded not guilty to six counts of laundering money and two of trafficking cannabis in February and March last year.

Jobie Dajka's uncle, Frank Peter Dajka, and another accused man, Wayne Bruce Edwards, also pleaded not guilty to the same charges.

Jobie Dajka, 27, died in April 2009. The former kierin world champion spoke publicly about his battle with alcoholism and depression before his death.

A cause of death has never been stated publicly.

A courts official said the coroner released a finding of 'medical cause of death' to the family and did not hold an inquest.

Tags: law-crim"
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Monday, 10 January 2011

International swoop on drug traffickers nets three in Dubai

International swoop on drug traffickers nets three in Dubai: "The Dubai Police on Monday announced the arrest of three alleged drug traffickers, including the leader of an international drug gang whose members were nabbed in South Africa, the UK and the Netherlands.
A South African and two Asians were arrested from the emirate after almost a year of coordination with several countries, including where the other arrests took place, Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, said at a press conference here. The coordination started after the Dubai Police received information that an international gang of drug traffickers was operating in the UAE too, besides South Africa, the UK and the Netherlands."
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Niger kidnappings show terror's spread

 Niger kidnappings show terror's spread: "With stunned diners looking on, the turbaned attackers burst through the metal door of the open-air restaurant and went straight for their targets: two Frenchmen whom they brazenly dragged at gunpoint into a vehicle waiting outside.
The kidnapping, blamed by French authorities on al-Qaida's North Africa branch, ended with the pair's tragic deaths during a failed French-led rescue attempt over the weekend. The bold hostage-taking showed in the most chilling way that abductions like these are no longer limited to the distant, lawless deserts of northwestern Africa where smugglers and bandits have long held sway.
This abduction on Friday happened right in Niger's capital, Niamey.
David Zounmenou, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa, said it shows the kidnappers 'have the capacity to operate freely wherever they want.'
'They are no longer limited to looking for victims in places without state authority,' he observed. 'They can go anywhere.'"
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Eta ceasefire: 'A step forward but a slow one' | World news | The Guardian

Eta ceasefire: 'A step forward but a slow one' | World news | The Guardian: "The words of peace uttered by three Eta leaders hiding behind white silken masks sounded promising, but hopes that they would turn into anything concrete were dim today.

'It is a step forward, but a slow one,' said Kepa Aulestia, an Eta expert at the Vocento media group. 'Eta's end is inevitable. It is now trying to justify its own place in history.'

The key words used by the men with the raised fists were that they now considered the ceasefire to be 'permanent' and 'general', while also offering a vague promise it would be 'verifiable'.

Spain has been down this road before. The ceasefire Eta called in 2006 was also deemed 'permanent'. Carlos Palate and Diego Estacio disovered that December that the description was not literal when Eta planted a bomb at Madrid's Barajas airport.

Both men died. Not only were hopes of peace buried in the rubble, so was much of Eta's credibility."
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Tunisia closes schools and universities over unrest | Reuters

Tunisia closes schools and universities over unrest | Reuters: "Tunisia's government on Monday ordered the indefinite closure of all schools and universities in response to a wave of unrest, the official news agency reported.

'Following violence in universities and lycees, and while awaiting an investigation to establish who was responsible for inciting students, we have decided to stop all the lessons in all educational establishments ... from tomorrow, Tuesday, until further notice,"
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Iran: 'Mossad assassin' reveals training methods - Israel News, Ynetnews

Iran: 'Mossad assassin' reveals training methods - Israel News, Ynetnews: "A man suspected of spying for Israel and assassinating an Iranian nuclear scientist was exposed on Iranian television Monday.

The suspect, Majid Jamali Fesh (28), said he had visited Tel Aviv and met with senior Israeli security officials. He also said he was trained in explosives.

The man, who Iran claims is a Mossad agent, did not say in the television interview when he visited Tel Aviv. 'I was taught how to follow people, avoid being followed myself, and how to plant bombs on the bottom of under cars,' he said.

The suspect, who was referred to as a 'terrorist' by Iranian TV, said, 'We traveled from Tel Aviv along the fast highway to Jerusalem, and a half-hour later we reached the headquarters.'

The suspect described the facility as being surrounded by a 3-4 kilometer (1.9-2.5 mile) wall with numerous cameras installed on it. He did not specifically mention Mossad during the interview.
"
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Iran: 'Mossad assassin' reveals training methods - Israel News, Ynetnews

Iran: 'Mossad assassin' reveals training methods - Israel News, Ynetnews: "A man suspected of spying for Israel and assassinating an Iranian nuclear scientist was exposed on Iranian television Monday.

The suspect, Majid Jamali Fesh (28), said he had visited Tel Aviv and met with senior Israeli security officials. He also said he was trained in explosives.

The man, who Iran claims is a Mossad agent, did not say in the television interview when he visited Tel Aviv. 'I was taught how to follow people, avoid being followed myself, and how to plant bombs on the bottom of under cars,' he said.

The suspect, who was referred to as a 'terrorist' by Iranian TV, said, 'We traveled from Tel Aviv along the fast highway to Jerusalem, and a half-hour later we reached the headquarters.'

The suspect described the facility as being surrounded by a 3-4 kilometer (1.9-2.5 mile) wall with numerous cameras installed on it. He did not specifically mention Mossad during the interview.
"
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Fresh clashes break out in Tunisia amid EU criticism

AFP: Fresh clashes break out in Tunisia amid EU criticism: "Fresh clashes broke out in Tunisia Monday as the European Union condemned a government crackdown on weekend protests over food and jobs that killed at least 14 people.
Police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators in Kasserine, Thala and Regueb, while security forces were on alert in the capital after the weekend violence, the deadliest since protests erupted mid-December.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in Brussels she was concerned about events in Tunisia and called for the release of detained protesters.
A union member died Monday in a hospital in Kasserine, 290 kilometres (180 miles) south of Tunis, after being shot in protests on Sunday, said Sadok Mahmoudi from the regional branch of the UGTT workers union.
A 'great number' of people wounded in the unrest were being treated in the hospital, which was put under army control, he said."
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France Blames Al-Qaida for Killings of French Hostages in Niger | Europe | English

VOA | France Blames Al-Qaida for Killings of French Hostages in Niger | Europe | English: "The French government says al-Qaida was probably behind the kidnapping and killing of two young French men in the Sahel. The pair were found dead Saturday near Niger's border with Mali following a failed rescue attempt by French and Nigerian forces.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called the incident a 'barbaric and cowardly act.'

After his arrival in Niger, France's defense minister warned French living there to be vigilant.

In a TV interview Sunday, Juppe said the estimated 1,700 French expatriates in Niger should take precautions and French tourists should refrain from traveling to the West African country.

The killing of the two young men has shocked France. It is especially poignant since one of them, an aid worker, was about to be married. The other man was to have been his best man."
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Dogs maul Irish tourist to death in Malaysia | News

Dogs maul Irish tourist to death in Malaysia | News: "Two dogs mauled an Irish tourist to death at an organic farm on the Malaysian island of Penang.

Maurice Sullivan, 50, was reportedly staying at the farm with a Polish friend to take photos.

The farmer kept the dogs to protect his property from wild boars and pythons.

State veterinary department director Wan Mohamad Kamil Wan Nik said it was the first fatal dog attack in the region."
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Friday, 19 November 2010

60 million bond set for Sean Connery and associates in Marbella urban corruption case

60 million bond set for Sean Connery and associates in Marbella urban corruption 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."
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Saturday, 2 October 2010

While visiting Simon Cowell's villa in the exotic resort of Marbella, singer Louis Tomlinson is taken to hospital

X Factor Group hopefuls 1Direction have their Judges' Houses performance thrown into chaos after a band member cuts his foot on a sea urchin.

While visiting Simon Cowell's villa in the exotic resort of Marbella, singer Louis Tomlinson is taken to hospital after his foot swells up from an encounter with the local sealife.

1Direction member Zain Malik says: "We’re all panicking a little bit 'cause we’re not sure what’s going to happen or when he’s going to get here."

Fellow singer Liam Payne adds: "For us that’s really bad as we haven’t had that much time to practice as we’ve only just got together as a group. I hope he’s back as we really do need him."

Following Louis's return to the group, they bravely battle on with a version of Natalie Imbruglia's 'Torn', earning praise from Simon as a "cool" band.

Other highlights from the Group category include Diva Fever's version of 'Love Machine' by Girls Aloud, FYD's performance of 'Beggin' by Madcon, and Princes & Rogues' 'Video Killed The Radio Star'.
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Royal Gibraltar Police has asked for help from Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to help investigate the alleged multi-million pound fraud

Royal Gibraltar Police has asked for help from Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to help investigate the alleged multi-million pound fraud at Marrache & Co. A team including a case manager and a forensic accountant is expected to arrive on the Rock next month. The RGP's decision to call in the SFO stems from complications in unravelling the case in preparation for prosecution, and the agency's considerable resources and expertise.>
While the Serious Fraud Office is no longer part of the British police, it is nevertheless a government agency that investigates and prosecutes complex fraud and corruption in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Working closely with law enforcement agencies, it has teams of specialists that include forensic accountants, investigators, lawyers and IT experts in its ranks and works closely with law enforcement agencies.
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HM Queen's Bankers RBS Coutts Bank "created" dummy Carroll Trust Bank Accounts in this one billion dollars offshore tax evasion fraud case.

HM Queen's Bankers RBS Coutts Bank "created" dummy Carroll Trust Bank Accounts in this one billion dollars offshore tax evasion fraud case. It is understood that Coutts Bank officials N R Jackson and Robin Bennet have been "named" in the compelling criminal evidence dossiers which are held in custody by the FBI Washington DC field office and Scotland Yard concerning the ongoing criminal investigation surrounding the Carroll Trust Global Corporation's rapid break up and co-ordinated criminal liquidation and seizure operations executed by HSBC Holdings "in concert" with Britains most dangerous white collar crime syndicate.

The criminal allegations explicitly state that the Coutts banking institution incorporated fraudulent "Dummy Carroll Trust Bank Accounts" with the "named" crime syndicate to impulse the criminal liquidation and embezzlement of over $1,000,000,000 (one billion dollars) of Carroll Foundation Charitable Trust world wide assets and funds which included the criminal seizure of the HM Ministry of Defence Carroll Trust civilian and military aviation establishment interests at the Farnborough Airport Hampshire together with over $600,000,000 (six hundred million dollars) of commercial real estate and military-industrial complex stock holdings world wide"linked" to the criminal seizure break-ins and burglary operations of the Carroll Trust multi million dollar residences in Belgravia and Westminster London.
Lord Home the Chairman of Coutts Bank is also implicated in this major criminal conspiracy case with further serious allegations of conspiracy to defraud racketeering money laundering offshore tax evasion and obstruction offences.


The Carroll Foundation Trust $1,000,000,000, (one billion dollars) "cross-border" international criminal syndicate case is currently being retained within a complete - LOCKDOWN - at the US Department of Justice FBI Washington DC field office "in concert" with the Metropolitan Police Scotland Yard Specialist Operations Directorate Westminster London under the supervision of the Assistant Commissioner John Yates who it is understood has an intimate knowledge of this affai
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monopolies have come under threat from Web sites based in offshore locations like Gibraltar

highest court in the European Union ruled Wednesday that Germany’s efforts to protect state-run gambling monopolies violated E.U. laws. The ruling gives a boost to private betting companies that are eager to break into the lucrative German market.

Germany, like a number of other European countries, has been trying to keep sports betting, lotteries and some other kinds of gambling under the control of state-run operators, saying this protects consumers from fraud and addiction. But lately these monopolies have come under threat from Web sites based in offshore locations like Gibraltar and from hundreds of sports betting shops that have taken advantage of gray areas in the law to open their doors in cities across Germany.

The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg said Wednesday that Germany had undermined its consumer-protection argument by letting state-run operators engage in “intensive advertising campaigns” and by permitting a proliferation of automated gambling machines, which the court said were highly addictive.

“In such circumstances, the preventive objective of that monopoly can no longer be pursued, so that the monopoly ceases to be justifiable,” the court said.
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Madoff judge asks Gibraltar to hand over $73.1 mln | Reuters

Madoff judge asks Gibraltar to hand over $73.1 mln | Reuters: "U.S. judge overseeing the liquidation of Bernard Madoff's investment firm has asked Gibraltar's supreme court to transfer $73.1 million so it may be used to compensate victims of the imprisoned Ponzi schemer.
In a letter dated Monday, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Burton Lifland said the money would be used to partially satisfy a $180 million default judgment entered on Aug. 3 against the Vizcaya Partners Ltd hedge fund and other defendants.
In an April 2009 lawsuit, Irving Picard, the trustee liquidating Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, accused Vizcaya of profiting improperly from Madoff's fraud.
Lifland entered the judgment against Vizcaya after the British Virgin Islands-based fund failed to plead its case or otherwise respond properly to Picard's complaint.
The judgment also applies to three other entities: Asphalia Fund Ltd, Siam capital Management and Zeus Partners Ltd."
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Gibraltar have called in experts from Britain’s Serious Fraud Office [SFO] to help investigate the alleged multi-million pound fraud at Marrache

Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801: "Police in Gibraltar have called in experts from Britain’s Serious Fraud Office [SFO] to help investigate the alleged multi-million pound fraud at Marrache & Co.

A team from the SFO will arrive in Gibraltar next month to assist detectives here to examine documents and accounting records seized as part of the investigation.

The two-man team will include a case manager and a forensic accountant.

The Royal Gibraltar Police, which has its own specialist Financial Crimes Unit, approached the SFO to tap into its extensive skills base and resources.


The SFO is not part of the UK police but rather an independent British government agency that investigates and prosecutes complex fraud and corruption in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It has specialist forensic accountants, investigators, lawyers and IT experts in its ranks and works closely with law enforcement agencies.

The allegations surrounding Marrache & Co. rocked Gibraltar’s legal and financial community earlier this year. Although the initial shock has now subsided, the criminal investigation remains open.

Prosecutors believe senior executives at Marrache & Co., formerly one of Gibraltar’s most prominent law firms, plundered funds from the firm’s client accounts."
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Gibraltar Court of Appeal will decide next week whether $1m of disputed funds linked to the Madoff financial scandal

Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801: "Court of Appeal will decide next week whether $1m of disputed funds linked to the Madoff financial scandal should be used to cover costs in a legal row over the fate of a larger $73m pot held in Gibraltar.

Irving Picard, the US trustee tasked with recovering the assets of disgraced financier Bernard Madoff, wants to claw back the money and use it to compensate victims of Madoff’s fraud.

But the action in Gibraltar is being contested by four firms which also lay claim to the funds.


Two of those firms – Vizcaya Partners and Zeus Partners – secured a ruling from the Supreme Court earlier this year to release a total of $1m to cover their legal costs.

It is this decision that lawyers for Mr Picard will appeal next week.

The $73m is what is left in Gibraltar of a $150m wire transfer made by Bernard Madoff Investment Securities to a local bank in 2008.

The money is now under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court while lawyers argue who gets to keep it. That question has yet to be resolved before the Gibraltar court."
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Superintendent; a Chief Inspector; a Detective Inspector; two Detective Sergeants and three Detective Constables

"Superintendent; a Chief Inspector; a Detective Inspector; two Detective Sergeants and three Detective Constables.

We know the names but we are not publishing them at this stage.

All the above have been moved from the positions they held at the time of the search in Spain. And we can further disclose that the Gibraltar Police Authority is overseeing the investigation, with an acting Deputy Commissioner heading the investigation.When the news broke out last weekend regarding an unauthorised search, only two RGP officers were mentioned as having been involved in the search of the house. But it would appear that others may have links of one sort or another with the dramatic developments that unfolded then.

As we have mentioned above, the internal police investigation initiated earlier in the week on the instructions of Louis Wink,the Commissioner of Police, has already taken serious action against a number of officers, this includes senior ranking officers.

As many as 8 officers of various ranks have been served with disciplinary investigation notices informing them that they are under investigation regarding the internal inquiry in hand."
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Real-life Hustle conman faces jail for 2012 fraud | News

Real-life Hustle conman faces jail for 2012 fraud | News: "millionaire retired advertising executive who helped a gang based on the TV drama Hustle to swindle dozens of pensioners out of their life savings was facing jail today.
Derek Voysey, 63, was nicknamed Albert Stroller by his fellow fraudsters, after the conman played by Robert Vaughn in the hit BBC series.
Voysey played a central role in the crime, a Southwark crown court jury heard. Teams of cold callers rang victims and offered them a chance to invest in what they claimed was a lucrative property portfolio near the 2012 Olympic Games site. The gang backed up their promises of high returns with glossy brochures and fake share certificates, making £286,000 during 2006 and 2007."
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Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801

Gibraltar Chronicle - The Independent Daily First Published 1801: "La Linea’s controversial mayor Alejandro Sánchez has reworked his frontier toll plans to try and get round the growing reality that he would breach EU and Spanish national law. And he is seeking both Spanish and Gibraltar government participation for a radical series of works which he claims will ease the flow in and out of Gibraltar.

The near to bankrupt municipality yesterday declared that it would not have a compulsory toll but instead provide alternate routes one of which would be toll free.

The statement declared that the move will improve traffic flow, including into Gibraltar, and have a beneficial impact on the environment. He also said this new idea will meet the requirements of free movement of people and goods and that the charge will not be discriminatory."
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Thursday, 9 September 2010

‘The Cold Light of Day’ Shooting has started for the latest Bruce Willis action film on the Alicante coast.


Shooting has started for the latest Bruce Willis action film on the Alicante coast.

The thriller has the title ‘The Cold Light of Day’ and also stars Henry Cavill from The Tudors, and Sigourney Weaver.

It tells the story of an American whose family is kidnapped when on holiday in Spain. Bruce Willis only has a few hours to find them, and discover the connection between their disappearance and the secrets of his father.

The film will be shot entirely in Spain and is produced by Galavis Film, Summit Entertainment and Intrepid Pictures. It is directed by Mabrouk El-Mechri, and based on an original screenplay by Scott Wiper and John Petro, with revisions by Richard Price. Much of the production team is Spanish in what is a joint Spanish/United States project.

Ten weeks filming is expected in the Valencia region, as well as in Madrid and in the Ciudad de la Luz studios in Alicante.

Shooting started on Monday this week in Dénia, and continued Tuesday on the Cala de la Granadella beach in Jávea where some of the action scenes were shot.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27121.shtml#ixzz0z1f4faYc
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Thursday, 17 June 2010

Porn star claims to have had Tiger Woods' son

Porn star claims to have had Tiger Woods' son: "29-year-old prostitute turned adult film star has claimed that she had golfer Tiger Woods' baby when she was 19 years old.
Porn actress Devon James, the last of 14 alleged mistresses to be linked to the golfer, has come forward to claim that Woods is the father of her nine-year-old son.
James, who earned thousands of pounds selling her story about alleged sex with Woods, named the boy Austin T and said the initial 'T' is a tribute to his father, Daily Mail reported.
She said Woods hired her again for a $2,000 night of sex six years later, and when she told him about the boy, he said he did not want to meet his son.
'She showed him pictures of Austin, and told him he was his son. He didn't want to meet the boy, but he did send gifts for the child,' a friend of James told the New York Daily News.
James, however, has never had a DNA test to prove her claim. But she is the second woman to have claimed to have had a child with the 34-year-old golfer after a television channel showed a documentary on claims by 47-year-old Theresa Rogers having Woods' baby in 2004."
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Go after the gunrunners | Gus John | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Go after the gunrunners | Gus John | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk: "Operation Trident, the Metropolitan Police's unit for tackling street violence and gun and knife enabled crime within the African/Caribbean community, reports frequently on the levels and types of gun and knife activity within that community. One hears much less from the Met about the number of suppliers of illegal guns whom they arrest and prosecute.
Even if, as a result of Cumbria, the government were to make it virtually impossible for farmers and other rural folk to own guns, it would have no impact whatsoever on our efforts to tackle gun crime in urban areas. We would succeed in widening the divide between the two societies, but we would fail in keeping more of our young people alive. And we would only lend credence to those who suggest that the gang members who make guns their weapon of choice are simply congenitally prone to commit violent crime.
Grief has no bias: the sudden, violent death of a friend or relative is deeply traumatic to families and communities whoever they are and wherever they live. To me, the question of whether or not more measures are introduced to regulate the ownership of guns in rural areas is a distraction. It is the failure to deal with the illegal supply of guns that the government should focus upon."
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B92 - News - Crime & War crimes - Extradition of K. Albanian gangster requested from Belgrade

B92 - News - Crime & War crimes - Extradition of K. Albanian gangster requested from Belgrade: "Slovakia's Justice Ministry has asked Belgrade to extradite a suspected leader of the Kosovo Albanian mafia in Slovakia.

Baki Sadiki is believed to be in Kosovo, and his extradition was requested from Belgrade rather than from the EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, said reports.

A spokesman for the Slovakian Justice Ministry said the request went to Belgrade since Bratislava country does not recognize the unilateral independence declaration made by Kosovo's Albanians two years ago.

But Slovakia's Foreign Affairs Ministry warned that the extradition request should have been sent to EULEX instead.

Slovakian police, said reports, have no reliable information that Sadiki is still in Kosovo, “where he did not worry that he might be arrested because the extradition request was sent only to Serbia, and where he moved freely although Kosovo police knew exactly where he was”."
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marbella- glamerous to ruthless! | Costa del Gangster

marbella- glamerous to ruthless! | Costa del Gangster: "230 British criminals on the run out their, never mind crooks with no record in the U.K the place is a gold mind to fly away too, and continue a life of crime.
There is an ongoing war between the Spanish and the British and I don’t just mean over “ Franco’s rock”! Since the introduction of linkers bar, owned by Brits, they allow British in to drink for free, but charge the Spanish 10 euros‘, and same the other way round.In away it could be looked upon as a racist war going on where two different culture just cant stand each other, that will probably be frowned upon, but believe me its happening.
Its not just British criminals that earn a living out their, the majority of the place is run by mafia’s mainly Russian, people who are not to be messed with, believed to even have the police under their belt.'"
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Tuesday, 8 June 2010

'Dapper Don' Arrested On Spain's Costa Del Sol: British Gangsters Targeted In Armed Police Raid | World News | Sky News

'Dapper Don' Arrested On Spain's Costa Del Sol: British Gangsters Targeted In Armed Police Raid | World News | Sky News: "Police hunting British criminals on the Costa del Sol are hoping to make more arrests after capturing the alleged leader of an international drugs and guns empire known as the Dapper Don."
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The gamblers betting on Britain going bust - Telegraph

The gamblers betting on Britain going bust - Telegraph: "A small band of hedge funds is now building up a series of sizeable bets on Britain defaulting. In the past few weeks, they have placed more than $3 billion worth of bets on that precise outcome in the credit default swap market. History – three centuries without default – suggests that they will be proved wrong. But these are unprecedented times. Had Britain joined the euro, it would certainly have shared Greece's fate, and would have been too big to be bailed out.
Avoiding euro membership, however, will not guarantee that Britain avoids default. We cannot afford to be smug for ever."
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Spanish funeral for two British children killed by mother - Telegraph

Spanish funeral for two British children killed by mother - Telegraph: "bodies of Rebecca Smith, five, and her 11-month-old brother Daniel, were found three weeks ago in a hotel in Lloret de Mar on Spain's Costa Brava.
Lianne Smith, 43, admitted suffocating them with a plastic bag because she feared they would be taken into care by social services.
In a letter written before the murders, Mrs Smith said there had been an attempt to take her children away.
'Fortunately I got out of the city with them and gave them a short and wonderful holiday before the events you will start to hear about in the press,' she wrote.
She is currently on remand in Girona prison awaiting trial for the double murder and it is not thought that she will be allowed to attend the funeral at the Sant Roma church in Lloret de Mar.
It is thought that the two bodies will then be transferred to a cemetery on the outskirts of the resort for cremation."
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Brussels, Civilized E.U. Capital, Rattled by Crime Wave - TIME

Brussels, Civilized E.U. Capital, Rattled by Crime Wave - TIME: "local Brussels police arrested the alleged killer, Abdollazim Fathi Valmi, a 47-year-old homeless man, originally from Iran, who promptly confessed that he was taking revenge because the judge, Isabelle Brandon, evicted him three years ago. And though Belgians may be tempted to dismiss the episode as an isolated case involving a disturbed individual, it has further dramatized a run of violent incidents that have Belgians and non-Belgians alike concerned about a collapse of law and order in both Brussels and Belgium."
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Sunday, 4 April 2010

Cross-Border Drug Gang Turns Into Sophisticated Paramilitary Killing Machine | Tickle The Wire


Cross-Border Drug Gang Turns Into Sophisticated Paramilitary Killing Machine | Tickle The Wire: "Cross-Border Drug Gang Turns Into Sophisticated Paramilitary Killing Machine
The Barrio Azteca gained added notoriety when it was named as the culprit behind the recent killings of three people tied to the U.S. Consulate in the Mexican border town of Ciudad Juarez. They’ve been going at it quite some time. With drug money behind them, the U.S. and Mexico have a very daunting task before them. Are both countries up to the task?

CIUDAD JUAREZ, MEXICO — A cross-border drug gang born in the prison cells of Texas has evolved into a sophisticated paramilitary killing machine that U.S. and Mexican officials suspect is responsible for thousands of assassinations here, including the recent ambush and slaying of three people linked to the U.S. consulate.
The heavily tattooed Barrio Azteca gang members have long operated across the border in El Paso, dealing drugs and stealing cars. But in Ciudad Juarez, the organization now specializes in contract killing for the Juarez drug cartel. According to U.S. law enforcement officers, it may have been involved in as many as half of the 2,660 killings in the city in the past year.
El Paso/istock photo Officials on both sides of the border have watched as the Aztecas honed their ability to locate targets, stalk them and finally strike in brazen ambushes involving multiple chase cars, coded radio communications, coordinated blocking maneuvers and disciplined firepower by masked gunmen in body armor. Afterward, the assassins vanish, back to safe houses in the Juarez barrios or across the bridge to El Paso."
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Iranian Arrested in Thailand Smuggling Bt13 Million of Ya-Ice - TeakDoor.com - The Thailand Forum

Iranian Arrested in Thailand Smuggling Bt13 Million of Ya-Ice - TeakDoor.com - The Thailand Forum: "Iranian national was arrested recently attempting to smuggle over 3kg of the class-1 restricted drug Ya-Ice into the Kingdom. The man was apprehended at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport following an unidentified tipoff.



Bangkok, the 3rd of April 2010 [PDN]: Director General of Customs Mr. Somchai Sujjaponse confirmed at the press conference that Iranian national Mr. Mohammad Khoshkelikoundoghdi [36] was arrested at the international arrivals terminal in Suvarnabhumi Airport in possession of over 3kg of the illegal drug Ya-Ice.

Mr. Khoshkelikoundoghdi was travelling from his native country of Iran en-route to Thailand onboard a Turkish Airlines flight. Customs officers, acting on a tipoff, seized Mr. Khoshkelikoundoghdi’s luggage in which they found approximately 3.2kg of crystal methamphetamine concealed within a specially designed compartment of his baggage. The massive haul has an estimated street value of over 13 million baht.

The man confessed that he was hired for an amount of US$1,000 to send drugs to a middleman in Bangkok’s Ratchadaphisek area.

In another smuggling incident, Suvarnabhumi Custom’s officials impounded 15kg worth of t-shirts that had been posted to Thailand from a neighbouring country.

The t-shirts had been coated in opium with a street value of approximately 2.5 million baht. The consignment was intended to be redirected into Europe and the USA."
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Friday, 12 February 2010

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

Financial Services Commission has today, pursuant to Section 11 of the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) Act cancelled the licences of the following licensed firms and persons ;
Gibland Secretarial Services Limited ; Licence No FSC00171B
Gibland Nominees Limited ; Licence No FSC00175B
Equity Nominees Limited ; Licence No FSC00174B
Equitar Management Limited ; Licence No FSC00172B
Gibter Management Limited ; Licence No FSC00173B
Cabor Trustees Limited ; Licence No FSC00430B
Meridian Trustees Limited ; Licence No FSC00890B
Marrache, Benjamin John Samuel ; Licence No FSC00736I
Marrache, Solomon S ; Licence No FSC00176I
The decision has been taken following an investigation into the affairs of the licensed entities and persons which in the opinion of the Commission have disclosed serious and persistent breaches of Gibraltar’s financial services legislation.
The Commission,while investigations continue, has taken immediate measures to safeguard the interests of the existing clients of these firms and has appointed Mr Frederick White Managing Director of Grant Thornton (Gibraltar) Limited of 6a Queensway, Gibraltar (Tel. 200 45502) as Authorised Administrator of all the above companies pursuant to the provisions of the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) (Temporary Administration of Companies) Regulations 2010.
The Authorised Administrator will work closely with the clients of these firms in assisting them to transfer their business to other licensed entities at the earliest opportunity having regard to the particular needs of individual clients.
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Marrache & Co Gibraltar bank account supposed to hold the company’s cash in fact had a balance of less than nine Euros and no credit facility.


Two senior executives at a prominent Gibraltar law firm, brothers Benjamin and Solomon Marrache, appeared before the Magistrates Court yesterday charged with false accounting in respect of E1.8m of client money.The two men were arrested on Tuesday and spent the night in police cells before being ferried to court in a police van.The two Marrache brothers were ushered by police through a side entrance to Central Police station just before 10am and appeared before the magistrate in a crowded courthouse a short while later.Attorney General Ricky Rhoda, appearing for the Crown, urged the magistrate to impose stringent bail conditions for fear that the two men might flee the jurisdiction.Keith Azopardi, the defence lawyer representing the Marrache brothers together with Samantha Sacramento, said there was no risk of them leaving Gibraltar because both were of previous good character and had strong family ties here.Stipendiary Magistrate Charles Pitto granted bail but set tough conditions on each defendant, in the form of two sureties to the value of £300,000 for each brother. The court also set a further financial condition of £150,000 in their own recognizance for each defendant.In simple terms, failure to appear at future court hearings could cost the defendants and their guarantors up to £900,000 in total.Both men also had to hand in their travel documents and agree to reside at their respective family homes, as well as report twice weekly to police.By the end of the day yesterday, a number of persons had stepped up to provide £600,000 in sureties for the release of the two men.At an hour-long hearing in the evening, Mr Pitto questioned the guarantors closely but accepted the sureties. The two brothers were released from custody later that evening.Yesterday’s developments in court were the opening shots in what will undoubtedly develop into a lengthy and complex case.Mr Rhoda said the sums of money involved “could be quite substantial”.He said the two men were currently facing “holding charges” and that more charges could follow at a later stage. The Attorney General also said there could be further arrests as a result of an ongoing police investigation.Earlier this week police raided several commercial and residential properties linked to Marrache & Co and seized documents and computers.Prosecutors allege that in January this year, the brothers falsified documents to conceal a shortfall of E1.8m of funds belonging to a company called Portino Comercio Internacional. One document, a letter signed by Solomon Marrache, purported to show that the money was held by the brothers on the client’s behalf. Another document, a letter signed by Benjamin Marrache, purported to give authority to Natwest bank to transfer the client’s money to a bank in Ireland.But prosecutors said that the Gibraltar bank account supposed to hold the company’s cash in fact had a balance of less than nine Euros and no credit facility.
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Tuesday, 9 February 2010

Silvio Berlusconi’s allies denied allegations by the son of a former mobster who said that the Sicilian Mafia had been involved

Silvio Berlusconi’s allies denied allegations by the son of a former mobster who said that the Sicilian Mafia had been involved in the founding of the Italian prime minister’s political party.

Massimo Ciancimino testified in court yesterday that his father, Vito, and Senator Marcello Dell’Utri, a founder of Berlusconi’s Forza Italia party, had together negotiated the mob’s backing before Berlusconi’s first election win in 1994.

“What he said about the party is totally false,” Dell’Utri said in an interview broadcast by Sky TG24. He said Palermo prosecutors are trying to undermine the government.

Ciancimino’s testimony, delivered during an unrelated trial in Palermo, is “an attempt to delegitimize a government that’s fighting the mafia,” Justice Minister Angelino Alfano said. While Berlusconi hasn’t commented, Italian newspapers including Corriere della Sera reported that he said he was “outraged.”

Dell’Utri, a former executive for Berlusconi’s media company, is appealing a 2004 conviction for aiding the mafia while working for Berlusconi. He was sentenced to nine years in prison. Neither Berlusconi nor Dell’Utri are defendants in the trial in which Ciancimino spoke.

Ciancimino was called to testify about the state’s alleged negotiations with the mob in the early 1990s in the trial of two police officials accused of aiding “boss of bosses” Bernardo Provenzano. The Carabinieri, or military police, allegedly told their men not to arrest Provenzano in 1995 when he attended a meeting with other mobsters. Provenzano was arrested in 2006 after spending 43 years as a fugitive.

Before entering politics with Forza Italia, which was merged into the People of Liberty party in 2008, Dell’Utri ran a Berlusconi-controlled advertising company from 1984 to 1995.

Prosecutors in Palermo sought Dell’Utri’s arrest in 1999 for corruption and mafia collusion. He was tried and convicted in 2004. During that trial another turncoat, Antonio Giuffre, testified that the mafia gave Berlusconi’s party electoral support in exchange for a promise of more lenient regulations on the incarceration of mob members. Berlusconi denied the charge
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Members of an Italian mafia group have been arrested after police uncovered their plans to kidnap Mourinho!


Members of an Italian mafia group have been arrested after police uncovered their plans to kidnap Mourinho! What were they thinking? He’d win them all over in quindici minuti! “Giovanni, I like your spirit but you are not listening to me no? I asked you to shave off your beard on Thursday. I don’t like these things. To become European Champion, you must do it or we don’t talk about it,” he’d say while making the table in a spare Lazio shirt.Anyway, the authorities found strong traces of wiretapping, photos and the coach’s home address in one of the mafia’s homes in Genoa. Gattuso was cleared of all charges, however, after being found cutting his fish in his restaurant while listening to Andrea Bocelli.
So all eyes will be on Dopey today as he prepares to announce the seleção that’ll face Ireland next month. Everyone’s wondering about The Dinho but unless he stops himself from hitting all of Milan’s hot spots with Boriello and starts showing some discipline, there’s no chance for a return. Dopey is all about discipline and consistency so never cross the line or he’ll scream “vá embora!” and that’s the end of you.And as for the list of strikers, El Pato has been nursing an injury for 24,241 years so he might not make it. Nilmar has been average (at best) for Villarreal so he might be left out. Fabulousoooo and Robinho will probably get the green light since boot camp ain’t the same without them
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Friday, 29 January 2010

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

arrested a 40-year-old man from Arriate, near Ronda, for a crime against public health when he was found to be in possession of 10 grams of cocaine. Further to the arrest, charges have been pressed against the owner of the pub where the man was arrested. Upon search of the bar police found the establishment had no opening licence and found drugs and different weapons. It is also thought the owner permitted patrons to consume drugs freely in his bar.
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arrested a 54-year-old man from Velez Blanco charged with a crime against public health after dismantling a drugs sale point

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

sentences of between two and nine years for three men charged with planning to kill a National Police officer who had previously arrested one of them for drug dealing. One of the accused, who owned the premises where the drugs were being distributed, is believed to have paid almost 300,000 euros to one of the others to carry out the murder. The hired killer then obtained a weapon and requested help from the third man accused, giving him the weapon. The plan never materialized and the men denied in Alicante Provincial Court ever having planned to kill the officer.
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wearing blue overalls and armed with a gun stole 150 euros from a shop

wearing blue overalls and armed with a gun stole 150 euros from a shop in Ciudad Quesada, Rojales. Police are investigating and believe he may not have acted alone
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arrested four people believed to have perpetrated a robbery on December 13 at an Orange mobile phone shop near the train station

arrested four people believed to have perpetrated a robbery on December 13 at an Orange mobile phone shop near the train station in the centre of Malaga in which 30,000 euros worth of latest generation mobile phones and laptop computers were stolen over the weekend. They entered the shop via an adjoining empty warehouse. This time, they were caught red-handed by the police after a citizen alerted that they had entered the office of a promoter. Two were caught inside with tools and wearing socks on their hands so they would not leave fingerprints. Outside, two other people were waiting in a car which contained some of the stolen mobile phones.
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Man who died in hospital following an argument on the CV-905 road in Rojales, had been stabbed several times in the head.

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

17 years in prison for a Guardia Civil officer who with the help of a friend who is facing the same sentence, allegedly killed a drug dealer who regularly supplied them with cocaine and who they owed 3,000 euros in 2006. The body was found abandoned in an olive grove in the town of Biar. Also on trial are the officer’s wife, his friend’s brother and a Local Police officer, all of whom are facing two years in prison.The two men used to take drugs together, but in October 2006, they killed their supplier. Now, at trial, each one is accusing the other.The officer admitted to taking cocaine and smoking marijuana, but denied he had any debts and said the deceased dealer always gave him the drugs as a gift. He said they had met when he was doing breathalyser tests and become so friendly that one lent the other more than 1,000 euros for his daughter’s communion. He claims his friend owed the victim money and told him to come to a petrol station in Montesa and he heard shots. Fearing he too might be shot, he claims he dragged the body into the boot of the car and after taking all the dealer’s belongings, they hid the body.His friend, who was a driver of the municipal tow-truck, on the other hand, says the Guardia Civil asked him to come to the meeting with the dealer because he owed him money, and gave him a loaded weapon. He claims they fought with the dealer and the gun went off, but he hid behind the car and heard several more shots.Both agree that they disposed of the body.
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7 men and 2 women aged between 18 and 41 have been arrested in a drugs operation against cocaine sales in Torrevieja

7 men and 2 women aged between 18 and 41 have been arrested in a drugs operation against cocaine sales in Torrevieja, charged with illegal association, document forgery and cocaine trafficking, believed to have been carried out in local bars and nightclubs. The operation, codenamed Milor, began nine months ago when Guardia Civil detected drugs sales in leisure areas.On April 16 last year, they seized 626 grams of cocaine and arrested one man, believed to be transporting the drugs from Madrid, leaving them in lockers in supermarkets and shopping centres in Torrevieja, and then giving the keys to the members of the organization.He revealed that one of the ringleaders planned to return to Madrid for more drugs in January, and the assistance of the Guardia Civil in Albacete was required. Blockades were set up on the motorway between Madrid and Alicante, and in Chinchilla, where the suspect was stopped and arrested with more than a kilo of rock cocaine found in his car together with plastic bags containing ground coffee used to throw tracker dogs off the scent. Eight searches were carried out and police seized more cocaine, a press, utensils used for cutting and preparing drugs, audiovisual and computer equipment and money in cash.
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attempting to kill the victims with a chainsaw in Estepona Port

sentenced by Malaga Provincial Court to 15 years each in prison for attempted manslaughter, for causing an accident and attempting to kill the victims with a chainsaw. The events took place in Estepona Port in April 2001, where one of the accused put a chainsaw to the neck of one of the victims, although he did not start it. A friend of the victim came forward in his defence and pushed the attacker to the floor.The two men, accompanied by another, got into a car and left, with the three accused in chasing them in another car. During the chase, the accused rammed the other car trying to force it off the road, intending to kill the occupants. The first time was at a roundabout and caused so much damage to the back of the car that the man who was in the back seat had to move into the front. Once on the motorway, they slammed into the car again.The victims took a narrow, winding and unlit path which led to the home of a relative where they intended to take refuge. Despite the 40kph speed limit, the cars were driving at more than 80kph. It was then that the attackers rammed them a third time, making the driver loose control of the car and crash into a wall. The attackers rammed the car a fourth time, and seeing that the occupants were still alive, they threatened them with the chainsaw. However, another vehicle approaching forced them to flee the area thinking it was the police.
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sentenced to six years and six months in prison for the attempted manslaughter of a colleague who he said harassed him.

sentenced to six years and six months in prison for the attempted manslaughter of a colleague who he said harassed him. The two men had argued on several occasions and threatened to kill each other, so the company in Marbella reprimanded them both. Two months later, in August 2008, outside in the street after work, they argued again and one of the men stabbed the other. The attacker will also have to pay the victim 1,210 euros in compensation for his injuries and is banned from coming near him or communicating with him for eight years
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Thursday, 28 January 2010

Marta del Castillo Casanueva, police have still not been able to find her body.

Marta del Castillo Casanueva, police have still not been able to find her body.
According to self-confessed killer and ex-boyfriend of the victim, Miguel Carcaño, 21, Marta's body was thrown into the river Guadalquivir.Carcaño later changed his statement and claimed she was on a rubbish dump just outside the city.The killer told police a year ago that he and his former girlfriend had argued after she told him she wanted to see him to find out about rumours he had allegedly spread about her.In the heat of the moment, Carcaño said he threw an ashtray at her whilst they were in his flat in Camas (Sevilla), knocking her unconscious.Believing her dead, he said he panicked and threw her into the river with the help of his older stepbrother and a friend, whilst another friend was said to have stayed behind to clean up the blood and other evidence.But later statements suggested Marta had been gang-raped and then strangled.More than 200 technicians and members of the armed forces searched the river, and then the rubbish dump.They then combed the area around Miguel's flat after one of his ex-girlfriends said she thought Marta had been dumped in a ditch near the block.MP for Andalucía Juan José López Garzón revealed that searching the rubbish tip alone had cost the taxpayer 200,000 euros.
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64-year-old woman has been found dead at her home in Granada with signs of a blow to the head and her maid has been arrested.

The police were called to the building at number 3 cuesta de Escoriaza around 4.30pm today by neighbours who had heard a violent argument going on inside the apartment.
When they entered the apartment, the police found the owner, a 64-year-old woman, dead and with a gash to the head, apparently caused by a blow from a vase.
A search of the apartment revealed the alleged author of the crime, hiding in a wardrobe. The 26-year-old Spanish woman, identified only by the initials A.F.H.M. was employed by the owner as a home help.Sources suggest that the argument was about a debt. The police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the crime.
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woman was murdered on Thursday night by her partner at their home in Palma de Mallorca.

woman was murdered on Thursday night by her partner at their home in Palma de Mallorca.National Police were called out to the street in the Camp Redó district of the city at around 22.00hrs by the victim's family, when they were concerned that they had been unable to reach her by telephone all day.Officers found that her throat had been slit and she had been inserted into a plastic bag.They believe she had been killed by her husband, who had fled the scene shortly after the murder.
This is the first reported case of domestic violence in the Balearics so far this year.
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Julio Alberto Poch, 57, the Dutch-Argentine pilot convicted for throwing political prisoners out of an aircraft into the sea

Julio Alberto Poch, 57, the Dutch-Argentine pilot convicted for throwing political prisoners out of an aircraft into the sea 30 years ago, has been ordered extradition by the High Court of Spain.He was arrested last year after a conversation between his colleagues and an Argentine judge in Europe, who said that he had boasted about throwing prisoners into the River plate or the Atlantic Ocean. Poch was protected from extradition until September 22, when he landed in Spain on his way to the Netherlands.According to a statement by the High Court, Poch was found guilty of throwing several live people out of aeroplanes and helicopters while serving as naval air officer in the Argentine Navy between 1976 and 1980. About 11,000 people were reported dead or missing during a war, called dirty war, between alleged leftists and other military regime opponents which ruled from 1976 to 1983.
Poch denied the charges but accepted the extradition, saying that he has been treated like a criminal and the only chance he would have to defend himself will be in Argentina.
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2009 ended with over 1.5 million unsold homes

Property sales in Spain dropped by 36% in November ‘08 registered figures. The director of TINSA, announced at a press conference that even though many construction projects have been paralized, we are still seeing twice as many constructions complete as they are being sold.

TINSA also predicts that 2009 ended with over 1.5 million unsold homes. This is an increase of over 50 per cent compared to 2008, which ended with 930,000 unsold units.
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Marbella planning office, counted a total of 38,194 buildings which do not comply with the current PGOU Urban Plan guidelines

Marbella planning office, counted a total of 38,194 buildings which do not comply with the current PGOU Urban Plan guidelines, which was approved in 1986.
90 per cent of the buildings are homes.
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89 year old woman, named with the initials I.R.G., died instantly in Málaga on Wednesday after a woman threw herself from an eighth floor window

89 year old woman, named with the initials I.R.G., died instantly in Málaga on Wednesday after a woman threw herself from an eighth floor window and fell on top of the woman below. The falling woman, said to be 20 and named with the intials M.D.P.M., was only injured in the fall which was a suicide attempt, according to 112 emergency sources. She is reported to have fractures to a leg and an arm as well as head injuries, and was admitted to the Carlos Haya Hospital where she remains under observation.It happened at 1140am in Calle Paco Miranda in Málaga city, and La Opinión de Málaga reports that an argument on the phone with her ex boyfriend was the reason why the younger woman threw herself off the eighth floor balcony. Her mother was in the house at the time.
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Narcogangs on the Costa del Sol have been hit hard in recent weeks with some 3.3 tons of the drugs being seized by Guardia Civil

Narcogangs on the Costa del Sol have been hit hard in recent weeks with some 3.3 tons of the drugs being seized by Guardia Civil. The first drugs bust took place in Calahonda, where two people were arrested and 592 kilos seized. The second was on El Moral beach in Estepona when a suspicious boat was detected heading to the Bahia Dorada area. The people on board fled before they could be arrested, but officers recovered 1,650 kilos of hashish.The following night, another boat was seen arriving at Costabella Beach in Marbella, in their haste to get away, the smugglers abandoned their pneumatic boat, a van with five packages of hashish inside and several sacks all over the beach also containing drugs. The whole lot amounted to 1,190 kilos. The vehicle’s original keys and documents were found and as it had not been reported stolen, the 32-year-old owner was arrested.
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Bankrobbers entered two banks on the city’s industrial estates over the weekend by making holes in the walls of adjoining premises

Bankrobbers entered two banks on the city’s industrial estates over the weekend by making holes in the walls of adjoining premises. One of the robberies took place at the Cajamar bank on the San Luis Industrial Estate, which the robbers entered via an abandoned warehouse some 20 metres away, by making holes in all the walls they came across in their path, crossing four premises in total, some of which opened to the public on Monday with large holes in the walls.The destination of the robbers, which they had obviously mapped out very well, was a small room where they money was kept. The opened the safe with a radial saw and completely emptied it, taking some 60,000 euros. Despite the fact the alarm went off, by the time the police and the bank had been alerted and arrived on the scene, the culprits had disappeared, although there are security camera images which may help to solve the crime.The same thing happened at the Caja Rural de Granada bank on the Guadalhorce Industrial Estate, however, here they were unable to open the safe and left empty-handed. National Police are investigating both cases and believe the robberies were committed by the same gang.
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Tuesday, 19 January 2010

40 year old Spanish woman, named with the initials J.C.R. has been arrested in Benidorm and faces possible charges of attempted homicide


40 year old Spanish woman, named with the initials J.C.R. has been arrested in Benidorm and faces possible charges of attempted homicide after stabbing her 27 year old Lithuanian sentimental partner in the heart. It’s understood there was a distancing order in place against the man who now in hospital in a serious condition.
It happened at 10,30pm on Saturday night in a residential block in Avenida Portugal in the town, and a full investigation is continuing from the National Police. They found a blood-covered kitchen knife hidden behind a curtain.In a separate tragedy in the Tolosa, Guipúzcoa, in the Basque Country, a woman has died after being stabbed in the neck. The Ertzainta regional police have arrested two men, aged 49 and 44, one of them was her partner, as their investigations continue.
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Alicante man then took hold of a shotgun and fired at his wife as he chased her down the street in Gata de Gorgos

Following an argument at home an Alicante man then took hold of a shotgun and fired at his wife as he chased her down the street in Gata de Gorgos.The Guardia Civil told the EFE news agency that the 42 year old woman is now in Dénia hospital after being hit in the back.After shooting his wife the man then turned the gun on himself and shot himself dead just metres from where his wife lay injured.The couple are well known in the village and have two sons aged 20 and 12. Local Mayor, Anan María Soler, said they had been witness to another case of macho violence which had caused great upset taking place as it had in the street.
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voodoo prostitutes

sent a Nigerian couple to prison for 12 years 6 months for obliging girls from their country to work in Spain as prostitutes. The girls were told that if they disobeyed a voodoo curse would be placed on them, and voodoo ceremonies were carried out involving the cutting of nails and the removal of all body hair.The couple’s activities were discovered thanks to the statements of one of the victims who declared in the case as a protected witness. She had been promised work in Spain as a secretary, but found herself working at a club in Sevilla. She made her escape in May 2008 and then asked for help from Social Services who informed the immigration authorities and the National Police.The couple were found guilty on charges of clandestine immigration, illegal detention, and inducing into prostitution. Among their possessions was an agenda containing the phone numbers of ‘alternative’ clubs from right across the country.
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