True Detective

Joseph Frank Micalizzi from Sydney granted bail to a 25-year-old man accused of involvement in a $77 million drug importation into Jandakot airport

Saturday 29 November 2008

Joseph Frank Micalizzi from Sydney was arrested in March after police found a large quantity of methylamphetamines and ecstacy in the luggage compartment of the plane in which Mr Micalizzi was a passenger.Perth Magistrate has granted bail to a 25-year-old man accused of involvement in a $77 million drug importation into Jandakot airport in PerthToday his lawyer Jeremy Scuds told the court, that Mr Micalizzi knew nothing about the drugs and was on the plane for a joy flight.
Magistrate Peter Malone granted Mr Micalizzi $100 thousand bail with a similar surety.He will have to live in Perth, surrender his passport and not go near any departure points within the state.Mr Micalizzi is due back in court later this month.

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Colombian and Spanish members of a drug trafficking gang have been arrested in Elche

23 members of a drug trafficking gang have been arrested in Elche. Those arrested are Colombian and Spanish and all residents of Elche and Santa Pola. The police found the drugs hidden in cartons of wine which had been brought to Spain from Colombia on regular drug runs.24 kilos of cocaine, 4.4 kilos of marihuana and a field planted with the drug, and 200 grams of heroin were found in the police operation which started observing the gang some six months ago.The drug runners were a family clan, based in the town, and who had connections to sell in Dolores, Villena and Torrvieja. The alleged head of the group, a woman with the initials M.A.D. remains at large according to some reports.

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Captain of a Spanish fishing trawler arrested off the Co Cork coast has lost a High Court bid to stop his trial on charges alleging obstruction

Captain of a Spanish fishing trawler arrested off the Co Cork coast has lost a High Court bid to stop his trial on charges alleging obstruction of fisheries protection officers by allegedly cutting nets to release the boat's catch into the sea after the vessel was boarded.The case centred on whether the State, in the context of the aims of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, is entitled to prosecute such charges on indictment and to choose a penalty of mandatory forfeiture of a boat's catch and gear.Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill yesterday ruled for trial on indictment and said the sanction chosen was appropriate.Deterrence of future offending was a requirement of the regulation, he noted. He was giving his judgment dismissing proceedings by Augustin Ferradas Martinez aimed at preventing his prosecution before Cork Circuit Criminal Court.The case arose after the MV Playa de Lagos , of which Mr Martinez was master, was arrested by the LE Eithne on May 31st, 2006, after being boarded and inspected.Mr Martinez was initially charged with two summary offences of obstructing a sea fisheries protection officer by "slipping" the nets, inferring the nets were cut to release the catch into the sea. The catch on board was valued at €27,000.
A further charge was later brought under section 11 of the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, which may be tried summarily or on indictment. This alleged Mr Martinez contravened an EC regulation in obstructing inspection of his vessel, an offence carrying a penalty of mandatory forfeiture of all fish and gear and a fine of up to €100,000. The State opted for trial on indictment.Mr Justice O'Neill said the principal issue was whether mandatory forfeiture of catch and gear, plus the procedure whereby the charges were brought on indictment, was disproportionate and unconstitutional.He ruled that the Attorney General had discretion whether to try offences summarily or on indictment. The exercise of that discretion was non-reviewable unless bad faith could be shown and this did not arise.
On the proportionality of the penalty of mandatory forfeiture, he said this must be decided against the backdrop of the aims of the common fisheries policy. These made it imperative fisheries protection officers be able to inspect vessels without being frustrated by the kind of conduct alleged against Mr Martinez.

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Police operation was mounted to smash an international organised crime ring based on the Costa del Sol

police operation was mounted to smash an international organised crime ring based on the Costa del Sol.300 officers swooped on 21 addresses in Tile Hill, Canley, Stoke, Brandon Marsh and Balsall Common yesterday morning in what police said was an "unprecedented" operation.Twenty people aged between 19 and 64 were arrested and another two are being questioned on the Costa Del Sol in Spain.Tens of thousands of pounds was seized along with a large amount of drugs, believed to be destined for the streets of Coventry and Warwickshire.Police were continuing to search homes across the Coventry area as part of the largest ever crime crack-down the city has ever seen.It began in the early hours yesterday when 320 officers were briefed before embarking on the unprecedented operation.West Midlands Police officers stormed into the homes and businesses ow ned by people suspected of being members of an international organised crime group in Tile Hill, Canley, Stoke, Brandon Marsh and Balsall Common.The 21 people arrested as part of the raid, code named Operation Closedown, were today still being questioned by detectives at police stations across the city.Two further men are being questioned by officers in Spain, while police continue to search two villas in the Costa Del Sol.Tens of thousands of pounds in cash was seized during the raids, along with a "significant" amount of drugs, which are yet to be identified.The raids follow years of investigative work carried out by West Midlands Police and further raids have not been ruled out.Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Mirfield, of West Midlands Police, said:"The arrests are the culmination of a long term investigation into an organised crime g roup trafficking drugs in the Coventry and West Midlands area."It is not just about today, this is about the long term investigation of an organised crime group.

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European Commission said Thursday that it is pursuing legal action against Spain over three breaches of European Union (EU) environmental law.

European Commission said Thursday that it is pursuing legal action against Spain over three breaches of European Union (EU) environmental law. Two of the breaches relate to obligations for the treatment of waste water, with more than 400 towns and cities listed as not having water treatment up to EU standard. The third case regards Spain's open-cast coal mining in a protected nature site. Spain will receive final warnings on the three breaches of EU legislation. In the first case, the commission considers that some 343 Spanish towns and cities are discharging urban waste water into already designated sensitive or potentially sensitive areas without appropriate treatment. This constitutes a breach of an EU directive that by the end of 1998 requires that cities of more than 10,000 inhabitants that discharge water into environmentally sensitive areas be equipped with a treatment system that meets the most stringent quality standards. A commission assessment also confirms that six potentially sensitive areas remain to be designated and an area designated as less sensitive in the Cantabria region does not meet the directive's requirements. The commission has therefore decided to send Spain a final warning letter over the case.
In the second case, the issue at stake is the lack of compliance with a separate directive concerning larger towns and cities. Under the directive, urban areas with more than 15,000 inhabitants were required to have adequate waste water collection and treatment systems by the end of 2000. The commission considers59 cities not compliant. A final warning letter has also been sent in the case. A third case concerns a long-term investigation by the commission into several open-cast mining projects in Laciana Valley in the Castilla y Len region. The projects are located inside an important nature site called Alto Sil that is home to the brown bear and the Capercaillie grouse, critically endangered species protected under EU legislation. A first warning letter was sent to Spain in February 2008. After a site inspection, the commission still considers that the mining activities are likely to adversely affect the endangered species and has decided to send a second and final written warning. Spain has two months to respond satisfactorily to the issues. The commission, the executive body of the EU and guardian of its laws, may decide to take the cases to the European Court of Justice if Spain fails to respond within the time limit or if the responses are deemed unsatisfactory.

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Robert Tanco was charged with single counts of possession of heroin with intent to deliver

Friday 28 November 2008

Robert Tanco, of the 1200 block of Fritz Drive, exited the house he shares with Sally Garcia, as police served a warrant at 6:30 p.m., according to court papers. After a brief chase, police collared Tanco and allegedly found the packets of heroin and a large amount of cash. Police did not say how much money he had.Tanco was charged with single counts of possession of heroin with intent to deliver, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $40,000 bail.

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Terence Lamar Campbell, 39, was sentenced Monday

Thursday 27 November 2008

Terence Lamar Campbell, 39, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen after he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and money laundering, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Tuesday. Campbell received more than 100 kilograms of cocaine in August 2001, federal prosecutors said in a statement. He created Wise Choice Management, which purchased and controlled at least 105 pieces of real estate, to disguise his drug proceeds, the statement said.
Campbell's attorney, Henry Scharg, said in a court filing that Campbell knows he broke the law and must face the consequences. "Mr. Campbell has shown much spirituality and maturity while awaiting disposition of his case over the last 30 months, and that he has a great love of family," Scharg said.

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Jeffrey J. LaBarber, 53, and Kaasha S. McClain, 28, both of Maple Drive, admitted to fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance

Jeffrey J. LaBarber, 53, and Kaasha S. McClain, 28, both of Maple Drive, admitted to fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and were scheduled for sentencing Feb. 3 by Judge Sara Sheldon Sperrazza. LaBarber, who is in ill health, was promised a sentence of no more than a year in the Niagara County Jail, while McClain received no promises and could be sent to prison for up to 2z years. The two had been charged with selling cocaine to undercover police in Wheatfield on Jan. 24 and Feb. 1.

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Michael Larry of Muncie, Ind., was arrested Monday.

Michael Larry of Muncie, Ind., was arrested Monday. He's charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana and misrepresentation during booking. Once at the jail, deputies say they discovered Larry was wanted in Indiana on a charge of possession of cocaine.

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Jose M. Hernandez, 41, of Ipswich, Mass. was arrested on a charge of trafficking in cocaine by possession and transportation

Jose M. Hernandez, 41, of Ipswich, Mass. was arrested on a charge of trafficking in cocaine by possession and transportation. He is in the Iredell County Detention Center in lieu of a $350,000 bond.Sheriff Phil Redmond said the ICE team made a traffic stop in the southbound lane near the 62 mile marker in northern Iredell County for a traffic violation.During a search of the 2004 Chrysler Town and Country van, the deputies for a hidden compartment in the firewall, and inside the compartment was the cocaine and cash, Redmond said.The cocaine has a street value of $250,000

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Michael Andrew Neave, 42, of Waverley Terrace, Hartlepool, was sentenced to three years in prison


Michael Andrew Neave, 42, of Waverley Terrace, Hartlepool, was sentenced to three years in prison.He appeared in court on September 8, and admitted 21 charges of supplying heroin and six of supplying crack cocaine.Michael Neave.The drug addict was caught dealing £10 and £20 wraps of heroin and crack cocaine between September 26 and November 14 last year, Teesside Crown Court heard.
Paul Cleasby, defending, said: "The defendant received no financial rewards for his part in these matters, it was about feeding his own habit."Judge Les Spittle said: "You were dealing in order to fund your own and your associates' habits.
"It is quite clear to me you were dealing on a daily basis but it was to fund your own habits."The judge jailed Neave for a total of three years for all offences.

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Colin Paul Clark faced 22 charges of supplying heroin after selling it to an undercover police officer on 21 occasions


Colin Paul Clark faced 22 charges of supplying heroin after selling it to an undercover police officer on 21 occasions between October 17 and November 20 last year.Colin ClarkOfficers also observed Colin Paul Clark dealing to members of the public on a further three occasions, said prosecutor Gillian Milton.
When he was arrested last December he was in possession of six wraps of heroin.
He had previously been jailed in 2006 for three years for possession with intent to supply, Teesside Crown Court was told on September 18.Ian Mullarkey, mitigating, said Clark had been a drug addict for 13 years and was dealing to fund his own habit. He claims to be selling drugs on a dealer's behalf.Judge Michael Taylor told Clark: "It is an evil trade and one which you willingly entered into. The courts will do all they can to stamp out that trade, and long sentences must follow, and yours must be five years.

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Teesside Crown Court heard Norman Gary Hanley supplied the two undercover officers with more than £600 worth of heroin in 12 different deals


Teesside Crown Court heard Norman Gary Hanley supplied the two undercover officers with more than £600 worth of heroin in 12 different deals between November and December last year.Norman HanleyOn August 8, the court heard the officers would ring Hanley and arrange to meet at public places including on Raby Road, Grainger Street, Whitby Street and at his home. Many of the transactions were captured on CCTV.Jolyon Perks, prosecuting, said: "Initial contact was made from an introduction by another drug user. "On all occasions throughout this operation the defendant was seen to turn up and when he supplied police had more wraps than he was handing over."
Hanley, of Church Street, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of supplying heroin at an earlier hearing.Judge Brian Forster QC said: "The courts have to make it clear to people in this area that those who become involved in the supply of heroin are committing a serious offence and can expect a significant sentence of imprisonment."

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Philip michael Quinn jailed for four and a half years


He was seen twice by police dealing in highly-addictive crack cocaine which the judge, Recorder Colin Burn, said caused nothing but misery.
He was also convicted of supplying another dealer with a rock of crack cocaine - who then handed it straight to undercover police.On sentencing Quinn the judge said: "The drug in which you dealt makes this a very serious matter.Philip Quinn
"As you heard during the trial, crack cocaine is a highly-addictive drug for which there is no medical substitute and causes great misery and no doubt a little profit to you."

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Jesus Rafael Larrazolo,claimed he was forced by threats to pick up the drugs, more than 60 pounds of cocaine, in Brownsville.

Jesus Rafael Larrazolo, who resigned from the Department of Public Safety after his Nov. 21 arrest, remained in custody following Wednesday's hearing.Court documents indicate Larrazolo claimed he was forced by threats to pick up the drugs, more than 60 pounds of cocaine, in Brownsville. He was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.Defense attorney Domingo Garza told KGBT-TV that the 35-year-old ex-lawman agreed to surrender his passport, and other restrictions, as a condition of release. A lower bond of $100,000, with 10 percent down, was sought.But federal authorities argued for a pay-in-full higher bond, as two FBI agents testified they received information that Larrazolo, if freed, might flee to Mexico.

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"DJ Blaze and "DJ Hog Head Cheese," 151-month sentence for 28-year-old Kenneth Watkins.

U.S. Attorney's Office on Wednesday announced the 151-month sentence for 28-year-old Kenneth Watkins.Watkins was convicted in August on both counts of a cocaine-related indictment. He was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.Prosecutors say Watkins, known as "DJ Blaze and "DJ Hog Head Cheese," and 37-year-old Steven Alexander Aaron were stopped April 22 in Taylor County.A search of a Range Rover, behind hauled by the two men, turned up six bricks of cocaine in a backpack. Prosecutors say Watkins hid the backpack, with $3 million in cocaine, in the Range Rover being transported from Phoenix to Atlanta.Watkins was sentenced Monday.Aaron, who was driving, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and was sentenced to 188 months in prison.

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Gustavo Hernandez-Gonzalez transported and sold cocaine to confidential sources working with the street enforcement team.



36-year-old South Lake Tahoe man has been charged with four counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, reportedly selling 56 ounces of cocaine to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office confidential sources.
Gustavo Hernandez-Gonzalez was arrested Nov. 20 following his release from El Dorado County Jail on unrelated drug charges. He was jailed in California in March.
He is in custody in Douglas County Jail and has a hold placed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.In January and February, detectives of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Narcotics Street Enforcement Team investigated Hernandez-Gonzalez for sales of a controlled substance (cocaine). Hernandez-Gonzalez transported and sold cocaine to confidential sources working with the street enforcement team. A total of 56 ounces of cocaine was sold during those transactions, according to the sheriff’s office.

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Lorenzo Alvarez, 40, of Yuma Ariz., and passenger Laura Ramirez-Vasquez, 25, of Mexico.face federal charges for narcotics possession, distribution

The Fairfield Police, working in cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), seized a large quantity of cocaine and heroin on Friday, Nov. 21, following a traffic stop on Passaic Ave., said Deputy Chief Steven Gutkin.Officer Jeffrey Didyk stopped a 2007 Chevrolet Aveo on Passaic Avenue around 4 p.m. for a routine motor vehicle violation and discovered the driver Lorenzo Alvarez, 40, of Yuma Ariz., and passenger Laura Ramirez-Vasquez, 25, of Mexico.Upon further investigation police and federal agents found three suitcases containing 56 kilograms of cocaine and 27 kilograms of heroin.
The two suspects had just arrived at the Essex County Airport in Fairfield in a small private Cessna plane. They rented a car at the airport and were allegedly on their way to New York City when they were stopped.The narcotics have an estimated street value of $4.7 million, Gutkin said.
Alverez and Vazquez were later released to the custody of ICE agents and will face federal charges for narcotics possession, distribution and conspiracy.

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Brandon Ecoffey, 25, Pine Ridge, pleaded not guilty to a federal grand jury indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine

Brandon Ecoffey, 25, Pine Ridge, pleaded not guilty to a federal grand jury indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is charged along with seven others in connection with a conspiracy that prosecutors believe began in 2002 or earlier on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. If convicted of conspiracy, he would face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison with a maximum of life in prison. Conspiracy to distribute marijuana is punishable by a mandatory minimum of five years with a maximum of 40 years in prison upon conviction. The possession charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison upon conviction. Large fines are also possible. Ecoffey was released pending trial.

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Shane Tyon, 32, and Donroy Ghost Bear, 43, both pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

Shane Tyon, 32, and Donroy Ghost Bear, 43, both pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to a charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Both face at least 10 years in prison when sentenced Feb. 3.According to federal court documents, Tyon was a courier and a street-level dealer for the conspiracy between 2001 and 2006. Ghost Bear traveled to Denver to get cocaine and also distributed drugs on the reservation during that same time.Tyon and Ghost Bear are the last of five co-defendants to plead guilty in the case. Dale Ecoffey pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Jeremy Waters pleaded guilty to the same charge and received a 23-month sentence. Vince Lafferty also pleaded guilty to possession and will be sentenced Dec. 23.Conspiracy has a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $4 million fine. Tyon and Ghost Bear are in custody pending sentencing.

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Jose Angel Bruno Melgar, handed a $20 bill and .4 grams of cocaine, which has a street value of $20, to a dancer in exchange for a lap dance.

Jose Angel Bruno Melgar, 19, was arrested outside Jiggles Tavern, an 18-and-over strip club on 7455 S.W. Nyberg St. in Tualatin, on Saturday, Oct. 25. A bouncer reported to police that Bruno Melgar handed a $20 bill and .4 grams of cocaine, which has a street value of $20, to a dancer in exchange for a lap dance. He was escorted outside where he was arrested just after 10 p.m. Tualatin police said the employees of Jiggles did a commendable job of policing their business. Bruno Melgar was convicted on Nov. 17, for one count of delivery of cocaine, a felony, and was sentenced to two years of probation as well as community service work.

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Sentenced Dwight Shumate, 27, of Chicago, Ill., to two years in prison for possession of cocaine.

Sentenced Dwight Shumate, 27, of Chicago, Ill., to two years in prison for possession of cocaine.Shumate, who pleaded guilty Oct. 28, had small bits of crack cocaine on his jeans when police stopped him July 27 at 25th Avenue and Hobart Street in Gary. An officer stopped Shumate for failing to make a complete stop at the stop sign. When the officer walked up to the car, he noticed Shumate frantically reach down next to the driver's seat and spotted the small bits of crack on his jeans.Deputy prosecutor Jason Denny prosecuted the case.

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Timothy Rebello Badal pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking

Timothy Rebello Badal of 193 Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown initially pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking when it was read to him by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.It is alleged that on November 25 at CJIA, Timehri, Badal had in his possession three kilogrammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) Prosecutor Oswald Massiah told the court that on the day in question the accused was about to board LIAT flight number 4778 to Barbados.A suitcase, which was checked in earlier by Badal, was scanned and appeared to contain some suspicious objects. As a result the accused was prevented from boarding the aircraft and he identified the suitcase as his.Further, Massiah said, in Badal’s presence a detailed search was carried out by CANU officers on the suitcase and the alleged substance was found concealed. The man was arrested and taken to CANU Headquarters.Massiah informed the court that while in CANU’s custody the accused offered an explanation to the officers. Badal, Massiah said, had stated he was taking the suitcase containing the substance to Barbados. On arrival in Barbados, the accused told CANU, he would have removed his personal belongings from the suitcase and handed it over to a taxi driver who would then have given him US$7,000.In his explanation to the court, Badal said he did not know that the suitcase contained drugs. The accused said he was just transporting the suitcase to Barbados so he would have an opportunity to get a job when he got there.“When I was at the airport,” Badal explained, “I didn’t know it was drugs in the suitcase until a CANU officer took me to the suitcase and asked if it belonged to me. I told them yes.”According to Badal, he had spoken to a friend from Barbados who told him that he would be able to get a job for him there.“He tell me that it gon make things easy for me travelling for the first time. That is why I take the opportunity because I was going there to get a job,” Badal insisted.The man further told the court that on the day in question he put his clothes into a bag and a car picked him up at his home. According to Badal, the man in the car took his clothes from the bag and packed them into the suitcase. He repeated to the magistrate that he didn’t know cocaine was in the suitcase.Magistrate Octive-Hamilton then informed the accused that officials at the airport would always ask whether you had packed your own suitcase. She told the man that there was a reason for that question being asked as it served to remind individuals about the risk they placed themselves in when they did not pack their own luggage.At this point, attorney-at-law Euclin Gomes entered appearance for the accused and informed the court that his “client wished to change his plea to not guilty”.According to Gomes, at the time Badal pleaded guilty he was unrepresented and he did not know the consequences of that plea. Gomes did not make an application for bail.“Justice is all about fairness in this court,” Magistrate Octive-Hamilton stated after granting the attorney’s application for a change of plea.Badal was remanded to prison and he has to appear at the Providence Magistrate’s Court on December 5.

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Sentence passed Alan Malkov and Vladimir Agronik (34 years old) were found guilty of having Extasy in their posession with intent to supply.

Sentenced was passed today on two Jewish men involved in an International drug smuggling case.The two are alleged members of a gang who export extasy from Europe to the USA, Australia, New (Zealand, Japan and Thailand.Both the USA and Thailand had issued arrest warrants for the men, who were fooled into a fake sale by US D.E.A. agents and Thai Vice Squad at the end of last year.They were caught with over 20 thousand Extasy pills.The Courts made the unanimous decision to Execute the two men - a further two men, Thai Nationals from Chiang Mai were sentenced, but the Death penalty was lowered because they admitted their guilt and these two should get away with about 25 years each in prison and a further fine of 2 million baht.
In room 709 of the National Criminal Courts in Ratchadapisek on the 25th of November Mr. Alan Malkov (37 years old), and Mr. Vladimir Agronik (34 years old) were found guilty of having Extasy in their posession with intent to supply. The two were tricked into a dummy sale by Thai police in conjuncton with US D.E.A. agents, who "bought" 20,049 pills at a propsed sale of 5 dollars per pill from Mr. Malkov, who had agreed to deliver the goods to the Wiang Tai hotel in Soi Rambutri near the Khao Sarn Road in Bangkok.At 21:00 there, Mr.Agronik appeared with a red suitcase containing the drugs and dleivered it to the undercover policemen, upon which the police raided and arrested him.After making the arrest of Mr.Agronik, the police managed to arrest Mr. Malkov in front of the Boots pharmacy in Thanon Jakrapong .The defendant denied the charges, but the Judges considered the facts and testimonies of the witnesses, and ordered both men to be Executed as punishment.On the same day - Two Chiang Mai men were sentenced to Life Imprisonment and 4 Million baht fines each; Mr. Chadtri jantdtong (46) and Mr. Ja Er Jalorbu (28) were caught with 38 thousand "Yaba" pills (methyl amphetamine). Because they agreed to their guilty plea, they were shown mercy and not given the Death Sentence, having their sentences lowered to 25 years and a 2 million baht fine each.

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Susanna Janury was recommended for deportation to Malaysia on completion of her sentence

Susanna Janury was recommended for deportation to Malaysia on completion of her sentence.The 36-year-old was caught with 2.1kg of 100 per cent pure cocaine concealed in the lining of her suitcase after arriving at the Castle Donington airport from Gambia.She admitted illegally importing the class A drug on April 29.
Jonathan Gosling, prosecuting, said Janury arrived from Malaysia on April 15, with a ticket home for a month later.She met up with a member of a drug smuggling gang in London, who arranged for her to fly to Gambia on April 22 to collect the cocaine, returning to East Midlands four days later.
Leicester Crown Court was told Janury's passport showed she had travelled extensively, including a one-day visit to Peru and trips to Spain and India.
She had sought visas to China and Australia.
Judge Michael Pert QC said: "It shows she's a professional courier."
Graham Huston, defending, said: "She's been used for a considerable time by a well-organised gang, although it's not known if any trips were dummy runs.
"She has been used like cattle and sent to places, only to be met with abuse when she gets back.
"It's difficult to understand the extent of poverty and need where she comes from.
"After her divorce, her husband took the children because she had no money.
"The small amount of money she would have received would have enabled her to get her children back."
He said Janury also needed to pay for care for her sick mother.
Mr Huston said: "It's a case of a lamb to the slaughter and she had no comprehension of what was involved, the amount or purity."
Judge Pert told her: "I have to sentence you for importing a large and valuable consignment of a very dangerous drug."
After the case, Steve Watson, senior investigation officer for Revenue and Customs, said: "We are working alongside the newly formed UK Border Agency to stop these dangerous drugs entering the UK and to reduce the associated harm to our communities.

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John Gizzi's parents were yesterday ordered to hand over a four-house development and a large sum of money to receivers.

Wednesday 26 November 2008

John Gizzi's parents were yesterday ordered to hand over a four-house development and a large sum of money to receivers.At a hearing at Mold yesterday, Judge John Rogers QC ruled Gizzi had made two “tainted gifts” to his parents in a bid to reduce the amount of money he would have to hand over from his criminal lifestyle.
The building firm J and T Gizzi Builders Ltd, run by his parents John and Ruth Gizzi, must immediately hand over a building site at Gors Road in Towyn near Rhyl. On it are four new houses, valued at £333,000.The company was also ordered to pay the receiver £154,260, the defendant’s half share in a building on the West Parade at Rhyl where he planned to run a nightclub, but which was later sold on.

Gizzi, who is due to be released from prison on December 19, owned half that building, formerly known as The Corner Cafe, but his share from the sale was given to his parents, the judge ruled.
Prosecutor Andrew Thomas QC said it was not suggested for one moment that the parents were involved in their son’s criminality and it was accepted they had run their businesses in a legitimate and successful way for many years.But between 2001 and 2005 they had become involved in financial dealings with their son at a time, it was now known, that he was involved in crime.Simon Killeen, for the parents, argued the defendant simply held legal title of the property in West Parade, holding his share in trust for his father.But the judge said he was satisfied the defendant had paid his share in cash from his various enterprises at the time and it was a “tainted gift”.The Gors Road development was transferred to Gizzi’s parents’ company for £45,000 following his arrest in 2005. It represented a much under-valued, tainted gift, the prosecution alleged.Mr Killeen argued it was his clients’ building company which had done all the construction work to the tune of £270,000 to the date of transfer from the son’s name, and a further £200,000 was spent to get the properties ready afterwards.
But the judge said that he was satisfied that it had been the defendant’s project which he had financed himself until his arrest and it had then been transferred to his parents’ firm as another “tainted gift.”THE receiver appointed to handle Gizzi’s financial affairs is selling his remaining un-sold property, including his former luxury home at Bronwylfa Hall, St Asaph, three of his four cherished number plates, his Rolex watch and other items.His barrister Duncan Bould told the court yesterday the hall was due to be sold this week.In March last year, Judge Rogers formally found Gizzi had a criminal lifestyle and that the benefit from his criminal conduct was £6.89m.
The judge ruled that if he did not pay then he would have to serve an additional eight years.
The court heard Gizzi had agreed at an early stage that he would have to surrender all his assets, and included in the original figures were £1.75m for his home at Bronwylfa Hall at St Asaph, the proceeds from his other mortgaged properties, his £16,500 Rolex watch, and £45,000 for his four cherished number plates JDG one to four.His Bentley Continental was valued at £116,000, his Range Rover at £50,000 and his Mercedes at £5,000.Now Gizzi will return to Mold Crown Court before his release date so Mr Bould can argue that the original order against him made under The Proceeds of Crime should be substantially reduced in view of the down turn in the economy.

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William D'Elia, 62, became the latest alleged American Mafia leader to turn government informant

William D'Elia, 62, became the latest alleged American Mafia leader to turn government informant as he was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison for witness tampering and conspiracy to launder drug money. With time already served, he could be freed in seven years — or less.Federal prosecutors agreed to recommend a reduction in D'Elia's sentence if he continues to provide substantial assistance to the Dauphin County district attorney's office, which has charged Mount Airy Resort Casino owner Louis DeNaples with perjury.DeNaples allegedly lied to state gambling regulators about his friendship with D'Elia, whom authorities once called a "major player" in organized crime. DeNaples says he is innocent and accuses D'Elia of lying to authorities in a bid to shave time off his prison sentence.
In court Monday, the silver-haired, 6-foot-3 D'Elia stood before U.S. District Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie and apologized for his crimes."At this time, I would like to accept responsibility for my actions and apologize to your honor," said D'Elia, who had requested a sentence of seven years. "I hope that I will soon be able to resume my life with my family in a positive, honorable and productive way and care for them once more."Though he spent more than 20 years under law enforcement surveillance, D'Elia was never charged with a crime until May 2006, when prosecutors accused him of laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds through the creation of bogus companies, loans and consulting agreements.Five months later, prosecutors charged him with trying to arrange the murder of a co-conspirator, Frank Pavlico III, after D'Elia found out that Pavlico was cooperating with the government.Pavlico had worn a wire and recorded conversations with D'Elia. He pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced in January to 10 months in federal prison.D'Elia, of Hughestown, was originally charged with 18 counts, including solicitation of murder. Prosecutors dropped most of the charges when D'Elia pleaded guilty last March.

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Thousands of Nissan workers took to the streets of Barcelona in protest at the company's plan to lay off 1,680 workers.

Tuesday 25 November 2008

Thousands of Nissan workers took to the streets of Barcelona in protest at the company's plan to lay off 1,680 workers. The demonstration, which began at 7pm in the Plaza Urquinaona, passed off without incident as the protesters made their way to regional government headquarters building in the Plaza San Jaume, where they were met by a representative from the Catalan government.The trade unions are calling on regional and national government leaders to intervene directly with the management of the Nissan-Renault alliance to negotiate solutions for the companies' Spanish factories. They also warn that this week's demonstrations may only be "the start of a grave social conflict" if Nissan is allowed to follow through with its plan to cut 1,680 jobs - or 40% of the total workforce - at its Zona Franca and Montcada i Reixac plants with inevitable knock-on effects for components manufacturers and other suppliers.

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British Olympic boxer Bradley Saunders has been questioned by police on suspicion of dealing cocaine


British Olympic boxer Bradley Saunders has been questioned by police on suspicion of dealing cocaine, it emerged on Tuesday.Saunders, 22, who was a big medal hope at the Beijing Games, was held after a police sniffer dog found what was believed to be £12,000 of the drug in his back garden.A warrant was executed at his semi-detached home in Cragside, Sedgefield, County Durham, at 1pm on Monday. The boxer was taken away for questioning with his girlfriend Stephanie Elliott, also 22, and the couple were held overnight at Spennymoor Police Station. A Durham Police spokesman said the couple were later released on police bail.The dog alerted officers to a tin which contained more than 300g of white powder. It was sent away for analysis.Saunders was tipped to bring back a gold medal from the summer games and was criticised after he said he was relieved to be going home to his young family after a shock defeat in his second fight.

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Department of Public Safety Trooper Jesus Rafael Larrazolo, 35, made his first appearance in federal court

Monday 24 November 2008

State trooper has been charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine after police said they saw him accept two suitcases full of the drug in a parking lot.state trooper has been charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine after police said they saw him accept two suitcases full of the drug in a parking lot.The U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement that Department of Public Safety Trooper Jesus Rafael Larrazolo, 35, made his first appearance in federal court Monday. DPS spokeswoman Lisa Block said Larrazolo resigned shortly after his arrest Friday.Brownsville police and agents from the FBI's Special Investigations Unit saw Larrazolo pull into a Best Buy parking lot next to another vehicle, then take two suitcases from it. Larrazolo was dressed in street clothes, but identified himself as a trooper when police approached. He was carrying a gun.There were 26 kilograms of cocaine in the suitcases. According to court records, Larrazolo told a Texas Ranger after his arrest that he had been forced by threats to pick up the drugs.Block said Larrazolo joined the department in October 2002 and was working as a commercial vehicle enforcement officer in Cameron County. The FBI is investigating the case.It was not immediately clear from court records if Larrazolo had an attorney.

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Ihab Shoukri collapsed while watching the Ricky Hatton boxing match at a house in the Grainon Way area of Newtownabbey on Saturday night


post mortem examination is due to be carried out today on the body of loyalist boss Ihab Shoukri. Police are understood to be investigating a drugs link after the ousted UDA brigadier collapsed while watching the Ricky Hatton boxing match at a house in the Grainon Way area of Newtownabbey on Saturday night. Last night a spokeswoman for the PSNI confirmed they were investigating the sudden death of a 34-year-old man but stressed there were no suspicious circumstances. Rumours circulating in the Rathcoole estate, where Shoukri had been living since his release from jail, suggest he may have suffered some sort of seizure – possibly an epileptic fit. In 2004, Ihab Shoukri collapsed in a bookmaker’s shop while out on bail for charges of membership of the UFF and UDA. He suffered a fractured cheek and required treatment at hospital. In an appeal for a change to his bail conditions that would allow him to live with his girlfriend’s mother, Shoukri’s lawyer told Belfast High court there were fears he could suffer from “epilepsy of something of that nature”. The appeal was refused but the judge said Shoukri could make arrangements for someone to move into his Bangor home. Originally from the Westland estate in north Belfast, Ihab Shoukri was one of three boys born to an Egyptian father who married a local woman. In June he was jailed for 15 months after pleading guilty to membership of the UDA. He was among five men arrested when police stormed a paramilitary show of strength dress rehearsal at the Alexandra Bar in March 2006. However there was public outrage when the infamous loyalist who played a prominent role in a vicious terrorist campaign and racketeering operation was released just weeks into the sentence because of the length of time spent on remand. Nationalist politicians were critical of the sentencing after the judge in the case said Shoukri only escaped a longer jail term because of progress in the peace process. Ihab and his brother Andre were expelled from the UDA two years ago after establishing a breakaway faction which was involved in widespread criminality including drug dealing in south east Antrim. Andre Shoukri (30) first became known after being charged with the manslaughter of a young tennis star in Belfast in 1996. He punched Gareth Parker – a Catholic – who fell on the road and was hit by a car. Shoukri pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of assault and received an eight-month jail sentence.
He became known as the ‘bookies brigadier’ after he squandered more than £1m of the UDA’s funds gambling on horses. Last November Ihab Shoukri took over leadership of the group when his brother was jailed for nine years for blackmail and intimidation and money laundering. In August he was back in court in Belfast after pleading guilty to a string of motoring offenses including driving while disqualified and having no insurance. A police source once said of the gang led by the Shoukris: “They thought they were above the law... You could say they thought they were untouchable.” Journalist Jim McDowell, whose book ‘Mummy’s Boys’ documents the life and crimes of both brothers, described the Shoukris as “para-mafia gangsters”.
“The relationship between myself and the Shoukris is well documented. It was fairly antagonistic relationship and I have received a number of threats which the police have brought to my home that I believe them to have come from the Shoukris or their mob. But I am not gloating over anybody death. “Both Andre and Ihab were already ostracised from the UDA. Andre is behind bars and is therefore ineffective even in aligning himself with the breakaway east Antrim faction that they established.
“Drugs were endemic and if it was a drugs overdose that took the life of Ihab Shourki then he died from his own excess.” Baroness May Blood, who has spent decades working in loyalist communities, said: “There possibly could be a turf war out of it (Ihab’s death). I hope it does not lead to violence in our streets.”

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Williams and Donte R. Hardin, 20, arrested

Sunday 23 November 2008

Williams and Donte R. Hardin, 20, were arrested upon the completion of the transaction on suspicion of their involvement in this and previous illegal drug sales occurring during the two-week investigation, Beckman said. According to a Police Department news release, Williams was arrested on suspicion of three counts of distribution of a controlled substance near schools and the unlawful transfer of weapons. Hardin was arrested on suspicion of distribution of a controlled substance near schools, operating a motor vehicle with a revoked license and resisting arrest. About three hours later, officers were tipped off to a drug sale in a parking lot located at 2001 W. Worley St. This resulted in the arrest of Christopher D. Turner, 32, for the possession of 7 grams of crack cocaine, which he attempted to destroy while resisting officers, Beckman said. Turner was arrested on suspicion of second-degree trafficking, tampering with physical evidence and resisting arrest.

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Luke Ryan was caught trying to smuggle cocaine and cannabis to inmates at Winchester jail


Luke Ryan was caught trying to smuggle cocaine and cannabis to inmates at Winchester jail, a court has heard. Police were lying in wait for Luke Ryan, pictured, at the prison after suspicions were raised about his conduct. They found cocaine, cannabis and cannabis resin in the 34-year-old’s black Reebok bag. Heroin and more than £3,000 in cash was found at his Southampton home, it was claimed Winchester Crown Court heard that Ryan told police he was taking the items into the jail because he was being blackmailed. He said inmates had threatened to tell the prison governor about his second job as a doorman of a nightclub, something he was suspended for in April 2007. In a second interview with police in March, Ryan produced two letters – dated in December 2007, before his arrest – in which he claims he wrote to the prison, highlighting the situation he was in. In them the ex-Surrey police officer admitted bringing CDs and pornographic material into the jail and said he had been “subject to a campaign of threats, intimidation and bullying”. Stephen Parish, prosecuting, said: “Make no bones about this, these letters were forged in the sense the defendant wrote them after the event in an attempt to pervert the course of justice and to pretend he’d brought things to the attention of the prison. “This qualifies for The Man Booker Prize for fiction.” Mr Parish, referring to messages on a Nokia mobile phone found at Ryan’s flat, added: “They show first of all that this defendant was far more involved than he said and secondly that he was not acting under any duress.” Ryan, of Hill Lane, denies a conspiracy to supply cocaine and a lesser charge of possession of the drug, with intent to supply. He also pleaded not guilty to a conspiracy to supply cannabis and cannabis resin and a further charge of possessing heroin with intent to supply

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Monzer Al Kassar Prince of Marbella international arms dealer.



June 5, 1990, Monzer Al Kassar and his wife opened an account, number 1964, at the Audi Bank in Switzerland. Al Kassar and his wife used their real names and both signed the documents, highly unusual for a bank account that would later be used in an illegal arms deal. The initial purpose of the account is unknown. The bank records from this account and others would later become evidence used by a Swiss prosecutor to freeze Al Kassar's proceeds from the illegal sale of Polish arms to Croatia and Bosnia. Subsequent events provided the necessary ingredients for an embargo-breaking arms deal: a war, an attempt by the international community to stop it, and a broker able to work around it. Croatia and Slovenia declared themselves independent from Yugoslavia in June 1991. A bloody civil war ensued. The United Nations Security Council voted on September 25, 1991, to impose an arms embargo on Yugoslavia, whose constituent republics were not yet recognized by the international community as independent countries. Bosnia declared its independence in March 1992, which was followed by an even more bloody and complicated civil war. Like many other states, the Swiss Federal Council adopted the arms ban -- U.N. Security Council Resolution number 713 -- on December 18, 1991, making the embargo Swiss law (RS 514.545). This later formed the basis for Swiss legal proceedings against Al Kassar. U.N. embargoes mean nothing unless they are adopted by the legislatures of individual U.N. member states and enforced by their respective legal systems.
Shortly thereafter, a Croatian couple, Snejana and Zeljko Mikulic, holders of an account at Die Erste Bank in Vienna, ordered $2,649,000 in bank transfers to the account of Bassam Abu Sharif, one of Yasser Arafat's closest advisors, at Arab Bank in Geneva. A Die Erste Bank document states that the transfers were for a shipment of sugar, powdered milk and tea to Croatia. A few days later, Sharif began a series of transfers, ultimately totaling $2.3 million, to account number 1964 at Audi Bank, the account belonging to Monzer Al Kassar. In turn, Al Kassar transferred $2,549,135 to the Luxembourg bank account of Cenrex, the Polish state arms company. On March 10, 1992, a Honduras-registered ship, the Nadia, docked at Ceuta, Spain (a Spanish territory in Morocco) for supplies. When port officials examined the cargo documents, they found the papers in order. The 27 containers of arms and ammunition were being sent by Cenrex in Poland to the defense ministry of Yemen. After the ship was allowed to proceed, it headed not to Yemen but to Rijeka, Croatia, where it unloaded. In 1992, Spain arrested Al Kassar on charges of piracy and providing the arms to the Abu Abbas-led PLF terrorists who hijacked the Achille Lauro cruise ship and murdered American Leon Klinghoffer. Western intelligence agencies concluded that Al Kassar flew Abbas to safety aboard one of his private planes after the hijackers surrendered. One prosecution witness, Ahmed Al Assadi, while spending time in Vercelli prison for participating in the hijacking, changed his story and refused to go to Spain to identify Al Kassar as the person who supplied the hijackers' weapons. After Al Kassar's arrest, another accuser, Ismail Jalid, fell to his death from a fifth-story window in Marbella, Spain, in what the coroner called "an alcoholic coma." During the 1995 trial, in a highly publicized standoff with police, a third witness's children were kidnapped by Colombian drug traffickers shortly before he testified. The witness blamed Al Kassar, who denied involvement and stated, "I have nothing to do with the kidnapping and I hope that it is over as soon as possible. Children are sacred for Arabs. No one, not even your worst enemy, deserves this." Al Kassar was later acquitted of all charges. While building the case, Spain requested that Switzerland seize Al Kassar's bank accounts. Swiss officials then opened their own preliminary inquiry into money laundering, lack of vigilance in financial operations, and fraudulent documents and foreign certificates. Following this inquiry, Swiss authorities began to investigate Al Kassar's arms sales using Swiss banks.Questioned on December 9, 1993, by Swiss prosecutors, Al Kassar explained that he was a diplomatic representative of Yemen in Poland and therefore could not answer questions about government-to-government affairs. A search of Al Kassar's Spanish address revealed documents confirming his relationship to the Croatian Zeljko Mikulic and containing the codes used for the ship's contents: "Tea" meant TT pistols (Tula-Tokarev pistols, developed in the U.S.S.R. in the 1930s and subsequently manufactured by other Eastern Bloc countries), and "tea bags" meant bullets. Bassam Abu Sharif was questioned by Swiss officials while passing through Geneva in 1994. He claimed that he had only met Al Kassar once in 1979 and twice thereafter. He explained that he had been asked by the Yemeni government to use his bank account to transfer money for an arms sale organized by the Yemeni ministry of defense to buy arms for Bosnia and Croatia. He said that he learned only later that Al Kassar had organized the sale.

A Determined Swiss Prosecutor Freezes Al Kassar's Millions

Geneva Cantonal prosecutor Laurent Kasper-Answermet upheld his 1992 freeze on $6 million belonging to Al Kassar, arguing that his financial investigation found the funds to have come from criminal activities. The financial side of an arms deal leaves a paper trail, whereas arms hidden in shipping containers, guerilla armies and corrupt government officials leave none. In 1998, a Geneva appeals court upheld the seizure but released $3.7 million not directly linked to the arms deal.

"If Yemen does a deal with Bosnia and Croatia, how can I control it?" asked Al Kassar, dismissing accusations that he is an embargo-busting arms dealer. Under existing legal controls, his question is reasonable. The case is the first of its kind in Switzerland and is expected to set a precedent. The arms did not touch Swiss territory and did not involve Swiss citizens or the country in any way other than through its banking system. Switzerland is not directly affected by the small-arms trade but has an interest in maintaining the respectability of its banking system. Such cases, as well as that of Leonid Minin ,an Israeli citizen arrested in Italy for selling Ukrainian weapons to Liberia and Sierra Leone, are pushing existing legislation in new directions in an attempt to discourage the illegal arms trade. Al Kassar has lost successive court appeals and has one final chance to have his $2.3 million returned in an appeal to a Swiss federal court.

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Stephen Speight, 43, of Whinney Banks Road, Middlesbrough, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison

Stephen Speight, 43, of Whinney Banks Road, Middlesbrough, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison Police executed a search warrant at his friend’s home in Barsford Road, Thorntree, where they found Speight with 2.915g of heroin worth about £291. Speight, who was also carrying £733 in cash, made full admissions to the police and admitted he had been selling heroin for around seven days, Teesside Crown Court heard.Prosecutor Richard Parsell said: “The defendant admitted the drugs were his and said his intention was to sell them.“He admitted he had been supplying heroin over the past week and volunteered the information that he had sold about 20 wraps. There’s no evidence of this, apart from his own admissions.”Officers discovered a plastic tub containing heroin in two separate packets and three foil wraps. In the room there was also drugs paraphernalia, including scales and a Stanley blade. There was also a single Subutex tablet with a street value of £5.
Back in 2001, Speight was sentenced to four years in prison after he sold heroin to police officers who were carrying out a test purchase.Mitigating, Paul Green described Speight as a “street level dealer and nothing more” and said he was “particularly disappointed with himself.”

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Gary Kilcup, 40, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. His sister, Nicola Kilcup, 36, got a 12-year sentence and her husband, Shawn Vanell Piper, 38.

Gary Kilcup, 40, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. His sister, Nicola Kilcup, 36, got a 12-year sentence and her husband, Shawn Vanell Piper, 38, was given a 13-year sentence.Gary Kilcup appeared before U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik on Friday. His sister and brother-in-law were sentenced last week.Prosecutors sought a lengthy sentence for Gary Kilcup, noting that he has prior convictions for manslaughter and drug trafficking. Still, Kilcup told Lasnik Friday that "I'm about as dangerous as Santa Claus," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.Lasnik told Kilcup that he had abused the public's trust for the last time. One more offense after this 15-year stretch, the judge said, and Kilcup will go away for life."You don't get the benefit of the doubt when you have abused the trust of the community repeatedly," the judge said.Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took down the organization last year, arresting 15 people and seizing drugs and firearms.They dubbed the investigation "Operation Clean Ride" since some of the drugs were being sold out of Kilcup's business, Extreme Auto Detail in South Seattle.The agents said the case was unusual because the Kilcups and Piper were older than most of the drug dealers they run across.When Kilcup was arrested in March, according to court documents, he was in possession of cocaine and packaging materials. He later confessed to moving at least 20 pounds of cocaine over the past year.Agents mounted a series of controlled drug buys during the investigation, and captured many of them on videotape. They also tapped a telephone, on which they recorded Kilcup making drug deals even after his initial arrest.
Much of the drugs were being sold to gang members, who were reselling them

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Dave Courtney claims to have been shot, stabbed, had his nose bitten off, and even had to kill to save his own life.

Saturday 22 November 2008


Dave Courtney will always go one better. Born in Bermondsey, London, Dave claims to have been shot, stabbed, had his nose bitten off, and even had to kill to save his own life. Not to mention pointing the finger at unarmed police officers for engineering a car crash on a Kent Motorway in an attempt to kill him. All of this is of little surprise when you consider the company that he has kept in the past, with hard men such as Lenny McLean, Joey Pyle, Roy Shaw, Bruce Reynolds, Charlie Richardson and Charlie Breaker amongst his list of friends. Dave was keen to stress that every word which he uttered there could be taken as gospel, as a syllable out of place could lead to his very sticky end. Perhaps this was why he talked very little of his dealings with the infamous Kray twins, of whose history every member of the audience was intrigued to learn more about, except that the brothers were both homosexual, and not only Ronnie as was commonly perceived. It was through his intervention at Ronnie’s funeral in 1995, when Dave was asked to take care of security that he first appeared in the public eye. Having spent many years flexing his muscles as a specialist debt collector, when he developed a reputation for using a knuckle duster to do the business and became known as ‘The Yellow Pages of the Underworld’; and later owner of a high profile security firm, Dave was the perfect candidate for the job. Plus, with an entourage of over 80 heavies at his heels, the funeral was guaranteed to go off without a hitch. Dave talked briefly of his career as an Author, which has resulted in the publication of six booksHe said that he would like to continue his writing, whilst also launching his acting career if given the option. Dave played a cameo role in the gangster movie ‘The Krays’, and has starred in numerous documentaries, including a three-part documentary series called ‘Dave Courtney’s Underworld’. Dave has also directed, produced and starred opposite Bill Murray in his own film, ‘Hell To Pay’, which premiered at the Cannes film festival. He went on to reveal that he was in fact, the inspiration behind Vinnie Jones’s character, Big Chris, in blockbuster movie, ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ which has created great animosity between the two. Through gritted teeth Dave said that he is by no means jealous of Vinnie despite his having made millions out of pretending to be him (gulp). Finally, Dave gave the audience an insight into the life of his long-standing enemy, “Mad” Frankie Fraser. Tearing down the aura surrounding the criminal icon in seconds, Dave said that Fraser made himself famous through association with the notorious Richardson gang, and later for having served 42 years in over 20 different prisons in the UK. These he said were for a variety of different crimes, for which Fraser kept getting caught because he was a worthless criminal.

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Vonnie Williams, 44, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His co-defendant Aaron Washington, 42, was sentenced to 15 years.

Friday 21 November 2008



Vonnie Williams, 44, was sentenced to 30 years in prison. His co-defendant Aaron Washington, 42, was sentenced to 15 years. The pair were facing a maximum penalty of 99 years in prison. Juneau drug dealers received hefty prison sentences Thursday for operating a cocaine smuggling and dealing ring. Both were convicted last month of running a multiyear drug-smuggling and drug-dealing operation that used several people, oftentimes women who had been lovers with at least one of the pair, to smuggle in cocaine on commercial flights to Juneau. The estimated street value the pair smuggled in or dealt from 2003 to 2007 was nearly $1.7 million, according to Juneau District Attorney Doug Gardner. Superior Court Judge Patricia Collins said the different sentences were a reflection, in part, of Williams' "terrible" criminal record and Washington's better prospects of being rehabilitated. During the sentencing hearing Wednesday, Gardner said that Williams had exhausted his chances to change his ways and had to be locked up for a long time to protect the community from the havoc Williams created with his actions and the drugs he sold. "He is just not going to rehabilitate," Gardner said, adding that a longer sentence similar to those handed out for more violent crimes such as murder and kidnapping was appropriate. "It's hard to conceive of another crime when the human wreckage piles up as high as it has in this particular case." Williams, speaking for the first time in court since his trial began, said that he was a drug addict who was being set up to take the fall for a whole group of drug users, many of whom he said testified against him at his trial. "I'm going to take full responsibility for what I did. I will be sentenced for what I did," Williams said. "I don't want to be sentenced for what everybody else did." By contrast, Washington used his time to speak in court to apologize to the community for his actions. "It was immoral, unethical and out of character," said Washington, who also spoke for the first time in court since the trial began. Washington said he deserved to be punished, but asked for leniency, citing the fact that he'd already had to miss the birth of a grandchild and spending time with his dying mother because of the charges. "I suffered," Washington said, while choking up. "I just need an opportunity to correct what I did wrong. I just need an opportunity." Collins said she believed that Washington, who had no significant criminal record prior to this year, had shown remorse and had a "good" chance of being rehabilitated, if he stayed away from drugs. But she said Williams had only the slimmest of chances of being rehabilitated. Collins said she was troubled that the statements made in court by Williams didn't recognize the scope of his crime and the number of people who were likely affected by his actions. "When we talk about these kinds of quantities, it's hard to imagine that (the drugs weren't) finding their way, somehow, to (children)," Collins said. Williams also was sentenced Thursday for his role in the theft of checks from Taku Smokeries last year. And Washington was sentenced for another drug dealing crime that he was found guilty of earlier this year. The additional sentencing had no effect on total prison time. Both Washington's and Williams' sentences could be reduced if certain requirements, such as behaving in prison, are met. According to Collins, Williams could be released in 20 years; Washington could be free in seven and a half years. Lawyers for the pair said they will appeal the trial's verdict shortly. The lawyers said they were unable to present their full case to the jury because some of their witnesses weren't granted immunity from prosecution, while some of the state's witnesses were.

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Attempted robbery a supermarket near Antonio Machado Promenade in Malaga

Attempted robbery a supermarket near Antonio Machado Promenade in Malaga, went wrong. Wearing a motorbike helmet, he entered the supermarket, wielding a kitchen knife. He approached the cashier and demanded money but, when she refused, he grabbed the till and ran away with it.As he made his way to a 125cc motorbike, which he had parked at the entrance, the actions of a customer, who blocked his way with a shopping trolley and a supermarket employee who was chasing him, caused him to drop the till and the motorbike keys. Not prepared to leave his motorbike, he hid the number plate with a piece of cardboard and pushed the vehicle up the street.Police later found it parked nearby, together with a wallet containing his identity card. They arrested the owner and have also charged him with two other robberies.

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Sandra Lee Winkler, 51, of Milwaukee is charged with one count of delivery of a controlled substance, 1 gram or less of cocaine

Thursday 20 November 2008


Sandra Lee Winkler, 51, of Milwaukee is charged with one count of delivery of a controlled substance, 1 gram or less of cocaine, as well as one count of possession of a cocaine. According to the complaint, Milwaukee police and U.S. postal inspectors were following Winkler last week while she worked her route. They watched her park outside her home on S. 36th St. After Winkler went inside, another person drove up and went inside for several minutes, then drove away, the complaint says.
Winkler then left in her mail truck and was followed to the 1500 block of S. 38th St., where she met briefly with a woman and handed her something, according to the complaint. That woman then got into a car and drove away. The woman in the car later was seen smoking as her 3-year-old child sat next to her, according to the complaint. When police stopped the car, they found crack cocaine and a crack pipe in her purse. She told officers she had just gotten the crack from Winkler, her mother, the complaint says.Meanwhile, Winkler stopped near the 3800 block of W. Mitchell St. and got into the back of the truck shortly before a postal inspector opened the rear door and found her smoking crack, according to the complaint.Winkler told police that she had been using the drug daily for a couple of years and used the back of the mail truck for privacy, the complaint says.Winkler has been employed by the Postal Service eight years and will remain on leave without pay pending the criminal case, said Breck Nolin, the deputy special agent in charge of the service's inspector general's office in Illinois.If convicted of delivery of the drug, Winkler would face up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines. The second count comes with penalties of up to a year in jail and $5,000 in fines. Her driving privileges could be suspended up to five years on each count. Any revocation imposed

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Mohammad Mahdi Zaghari was charged with trafficking in cocaine

Mohammad Mahdi Zaghari, 22 of West Cope Road, was charged with trafficking in cocaine, 58 grams, and conspire to traffic in cocaine, according to the arrest warrants. His bond was set at $20,000.

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Alexis R. Marrero,discovered he had a switchblade knife.

Alexis R. Marrero, 31, on Dolson Avenue around 9 p.m. for an equipment violation and while interviewing him, discovered he had a switchblade knife. After arresting Marrero on the weapons charge, they searched his vehicle and found approximately 200 grams of cocaine.Marrero was sent to Orange County Jail without bail.

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Julian Robert Cazabon, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiring with the police informer and others to smuggle cocaine.

Julian Robert Cazabon, 38, pleaded guilty to conspiring with the police informer and others to smuggle cocaine. The County Court heard the supergrass and another man, Shanu Krawiec, organised foreigners to act as drug couriers and to deposit cash into accounts in Australia. The informer was sent ATM cards so he could obtain the money overseas to buy more cocaine and pay for courier expenses. Cazabon's first job for the drug network was to meet and greet a drug mule on arrival at Sydney Airport in September last year. Defence lawyer John Kelly said his client, a long-term drug addict, used to buy his amphetamines from the supergrass and owed him a lot of money. After receiving threats, Cazabon went into hiding, but later agreed to meet the supergrass in Thailand. He refused to help traffic drugs there, but agreed he would try to pay off his $10,000 debt some other way and was later instructed to meet a man at Sydney Airport who had swallowed 1kg of cocaine. But the man, Michael McGrath, was arrested by Canadian police before he boarded the flight.
Cazabon said he got paid only $1000 for his role and had been terrified of the supergrass after receiving threats over the phone and a break-in at his parents' home. The court was told the police informer was fighting extradition to Australia from the Netherlands, where he was arrested in December last year. Judge Frank Gucciardo adjourned sentencing, pending a medical report.

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Rhianna Haddox is charged with three felony counts of sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church.

Deputies busted an East Naples woman they say sold cocaine to an undercover investigators three times over the last two months.And unfortunately for 26-year-old Rhianna Haddox, her Green Valley Circle apartment is just 270 feet from a church - earning her a bumped-up charge.Deputies say Haddox sold to their investigator on October 15, October 28 and November 8.Each purchase was $150, according to the sheriff's office.Haddox is charged with three felony counts of sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church.

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Hamilton County Sheriff Billy Long arrested Feb. 2 on extortion, money laundering and drug charges and later resigned sentenced to 14 years in prison

A federal judge sentenced a former sheriff in Tennessee to 14 years in prison on Wednesday for convictions that included shaking down convenience store clerks for protection money and transporting cocaine by the pound.U.S. District Judge Harry S. Mattice Jr. told former Hamilton County Sheriff Billy Long he deserved no special treatment. There is "just a lot of anger, a sense of betrayal in the community," the judge said. "I'm not sure I've seen anything as egregiously venal."Long asked the court for mercy, saying he takes full responsibility for what he did and asks "God's forgiveness."The 55-year-old was arrested Feb. 2 on extortion, money laundering and drug charges and later resigned. He pleaded guilty in May.Court records show the FBI began investigating Long using the Rev. Eugene Overstreet, a Chattanooga mortuary owner who is a convicted felon, as an undercover informant.Before the sentencing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Humble reminded the judge that Long gave a gun to Overstreet, knowing he was a convicted felon, and told him to throw it away if he used it.An FBI agent's affidavit says Long told agents he was involved in drug trafficking, and that hours before his arrest he had loaded 10 kilograms — or 22 pounds — of cocaine into the trunk of a car.Court records said Long also accepted $17,400 from Eastern Indian convenience store owners "to protect their video poker business and other illegal activity" such as products used to make methamphetamine, and threatened at least one for failing to "fulfill his campaign donation promise" to Long.Another record said Long, who is white, said that during his campaign for sheriff he was introduced to Overstreet, who is black, as a man who could "help him with the African American vote." It says Overstreet also said he could help with the votes of "entrepreneurs from India."

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Misty Gallo asked Schenectady County Court Judge Karen Drago to accept a sentence of less than five years as part of an earlier plea bargain

Misty Gallo asked Schenectady County Court Judge Karen Drago to accept a sentence of less than five years as part of an earlier plea bargain in the case. Korkocz cited mental health issues and alleged Gallo was coerced by a co-defendant to take part in the drug ring.Drago, however, rejected the application after a lengthy closed-door conference. She indicated she had listended to the recordings of state police wiretaps and had become well apprised of what members were doing or allegedly doing."I know it's hard for you to accept, but you were a major player in this organization," Drago said, noting the large amount of drugs brought into the area from Long Island.Gallo had hoped for a four-year sentence, but Drago rejected that deal in June. The judge had also said she would accept nothing less than 5 1/2 years, but ultimately agreed to the five-year deal, something Assistant Attorney General Michael Sharpe noted in court. Sharpe also noted that Gallo had faced indictment on more counts had she not taken the previous deal.Gallo was among two dozen arrested in the ring earlier this year, including ringleaders Kerry Kirkem and Oscar Mora. Of 25 defendants, 21 have pleaded guilty, including Gallo, Kirkem and Mora. Three cases remain pending, against former Schenectady police chief Gregory Kaczmarek, his wife, Lisa, and Wilfred Cordero.Gallo was among the first arrested in the case, taken into custody in March. Authorities said she made multiple trips to Long Island at the direction of Kirkem to bring back shipments of cocaine and heroin.
On Feb. 20, authorities seized more than $23,000 in drugs from her car, but didn’t tell her. Instead, they let her go on her way to see how the organization would react.Gallo was also charged last week at the Schenectady County Jail with making graffiti, accused of drawing on her cell wall.

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Anthony S. Womack, aka "T-Money," 34, was convicted after a three-day trial by a jury

Anthony S. Womack, aka "T-Money," 34, was convicted Wednesday after a three-day trial by a jury on the sole count of an indictment charging him with distribution of more than 5 grams of crack cocaine, said A. Courtney Cox, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.The violation took place Dec. 13, 2007, in Madison County. Trial evidence showed the defendant delivered about 29 grams of crack cocaine to a buyer in exchange for $1,900 at an apartment in Alton, Cox said.Womack is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27, at which time he will face potential penalties of not less than 10 years' and up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $4 million, or both, a term of at least eight years' supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.The investigation was conducted by the Alton Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Alton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Boyce prosecuted the case.

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Larry Negron, 32, of Colonial Drive was charged with possession of cocaine and possession of more than 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Larry Negron, 32, of Colonial Drive was charged with possession of cocaine and possession of more than 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute, according to authorities. He was lodged in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River in lieu of $100,000 bail, set by Superior Court Judge Barbara Ann Villano.Paris Acguirre, 27, also of Colonial Drive, also was charged with possession of less than a half-ounce of cocaine. His bail was set at $20,000 by Municipal Court Judge Scott Basen.Authorities said they executed a search warrant at a Chestnut Street property in Lakewood, a commercial automobile accessory shop known as 2 NT Stage and operated by Negron. A second search warrant executed at Negron's home resulted in the seizure of approximately 300 grams of cocaine with a street value of $30,000. In addition to the drugs, police reported they seized approximately $31,000 in cash.Police said they also searched a Chevrolet S10 pickup truck occupied by Maximinio Madrigada and Julio Magana-Estrada, both of Lakewood, and seized a kilogram of cocaine with a street value of approximately $100,000 as well as $2,000 in cash.Madrigada, 34, of Elm Street, was charged with possession of cocaine and possession of more than 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute. His bail has been set at $150,000, police said.Magana-Estrada, 18, also of Elm Street, was charged with possession of cocaine and possession of more than 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute. His bail has been set at $150,000, police said.A search warrant also was executed at the home of Enrique Miguel-Ascencio, 42, of Mountain View Drive. The search resulted in the seizure of $74,000 in cash, less than a half-ounce of cocaine, three semiautomatic handguns and a revolver. A digital scale also was seized, authorities said.Miguel-Ascencio was charged with possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bail was set at $50,000, police said.The investigation took about two months, county authorities reported. It is continuing, and more arrests are expected, they said.

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Joanne Pellew faces losing about $1.4 million in assets after being convicted of a serious drug offence.

Kooey fashion designer Joanne Pellew faces losing about $1.4 million in assets after being convicted of a serious drug offence.Pellew and her husband Ramli Hajinoor were found guilty of conspiring to sell or supply cannabis after their District Court trial last month.The couple's defence counsel David Moen's will now have to prove to the court their assets were not acquired with funds gained from the sale of cannabis.
The pair's sentencing hearing was adjourned this afternoon until mid December, to allow Mr Moen time to produce evidence to the court that legally-obtained funds were used in the purchase or repayment of loans for the property.Mr Moen said the court should consider the value of the property which will be confiscated from the couple in its sentencing.The court was told the couple owns two properties worth more than $1.3 million and other assets totalling $20,000.Mr Moen said Pellew would also lose her 49 per cent stake in Kooey, her glamourous swimwear label, because of her conviction."She will inevitably have to resign as director of the company - she will lose that interest," he said."It's always been a life ambition of her [to advance that]... it's a positive dream and it's a shame it will come to an end in a short space of time."The couple were remanded in custody to appear for sentencing on December 12.

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UN gang leader Clay Roueche has been held in segregation near Seattle since his arrest last May on international drug-trafficking charges

UN gang leader Clay Roueche has been held in segregation near Seattle since his arrest last May on international drug-trafficking charges. His lawyer wants a judge to allow the Fraser Valley native into the general prison population pending his trial in January.
Roueche starting buying his cocaine directly from South America after more than 200 kilos and $750,000 cash were seized in the U.S., according to court documents filed Wednesday.In one bugged telephone call, Roueche agreed to "test the water" of a new cocaine route by smuggling more than 50 kilos and said he had a "bunch in Venezuela I've already paid for," the documents say.But the U.S. Attorney says Roueche is far too dangerous and could retaliate against other inmates who are cooperating with the government in the criminal case."Because of Roueche's leadership position in the UN gang, his previous use of another inmate's phone, his gang's violent tendencies toward those who might testify against other gang members and the necessity to separate him from a number of cooperators and co-defendants in the general population, administrators at the Federal Detention Centre made the decision to house the defendant at the Special Housing Unit," says the U.S. Attorney's response to Roueche's motion for free-range status.A major issue is how Roueche behaved in jail when he was briefly held in Oklahoma last May before being sent to the SeaTac Federal Detention Centre, making several illegal calls or getting other inmates to do it for him, the U.S. Attorney said."Oklahoma prison officials realized that he was speaking in code on the phone so denied him phone privileges," the documents say. "At the SeaTac FDC, the defendant convinced another inmate to let him use that inmate's telephone call number."Canadian and U.S. law enforcement agencies have been following Roueche and his UN underlings since 2005 as part of a massive cross-border investigation, the documents say."Working together, the agencies have found evidence of nearly two dozen cocaine exporting trips from the U.S. into Canada and the seizure of three separate cocaine loads," the U.S. Attorney said, adding that 2,000 pounds of B.C. bud was also seized."Clay Roueche is the operational leader as well as the public face of the UN gang. ... Its operations, mostly importing and distributing marijuana, have spread east across Canada to Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal. Working in cells, the organization has become powerful and violent in Canada."The U.S. Attorney also cited information from the B.C. agency investigating the UN, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit."In 2007, after a series of shootings in Chilliwack, Roueche's vehicle was stopped and found to contain a sophisticated hidden compartment in the centre console of the passenger area. That centre console was full of handguns, including an illegal and loaded pistol, several clips from a Sig firearm and a photograph of rival gang members," the documents say.
"CFSEU has surveilled Roueche consistently for the past few years and found that he routinely has armed body guards. One associate ... was found to have a hidden compartment in his car with a loaded handgun and oversized magazines. This gun was registered to a law enforcement agency in the United States."
Roueche's application to get out of segregation has not yet been heard by a judge.The Canadian's lawyer argues that Roueche's ongoing segregation amounts to "cruel and unusual punishment.""He is housed in his cell 23 hours a day. The only time he is allowed out is for one hour each morning at 6 a.m. Other than that, my client is completely isolated, except for visitation by legal counsel or family, who reside in British Columbia, Ca

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Mafia leader Mahmut Yıldırım was killed years ago, though there are many people who think he is still alive

Tuesday 18 November 2008

Sacit Kayasu, a former prosecutor who was permanently disbarred, has claimed that a mafia leader known as Yeşil (Green) was killed years ago, contrary to popular belief that he is still alive.Kayasu, who was fired and disbarred after seeking the indictment of former Gen. Kenan Evren -- the leader of the Sept. 12, 1980, military coup -- asserted that Yeşil, which is the nom de guerre of famous mafia leader Mahmut Yıldırım, was killed years ago, though there are many people who think he is still alive. "I received a notice in September of 1998 that a corpse was found in western İzmir's Ödemiş district," Kayasu said. "There were nine bullet holes in the body. The eyes were gouged out. When we carried out an analysis on the dental prosthesis of the victim, we saw that it was Mahmut Yıldırım."Kayasu said Yıldırım was killed five or six days before his body was found. "His fingers and toes were skinned so as to preclude identification. On his corpse was mud from Ödemiş. I believe he was killed somewhere else but left on a roadside in Ödemiş. His murder was a professional one," he said. "There were no bullets in the corpse. They were professionally removed." He also claimed that some people don't want Yeşil's murder to be known so that they can blame him for crimes. "There are people in İzmir and Adana who are engaged in illegal acts under Yeşil's name. But Yeşil was Yıldırım, and he was killed several years ago," Kayasu said.
The former prosecutor also said Yıldırım's murder was verified by the mafia leader's close friend, whom Kayasu identified as a man from the southeastern city of Mardin. "I received several phone calls from this man. He said Yıldırım was killed after being interrogated somewhere outside of Ödemiş. He had the video cassette of his interrogation. He was to send the cassette to me, but I haven't heard from him for a long time. He may have been killed, too," Kayasu said.
He said he was not allowed to conclude the investigation into Yıldırım's death and was appointed to the public prosecutor's office in Adana. "I asked the forensics department in İzmir to carry out a DNA analysis on Yıldırım's body, but the corpse mysteriously went missing," he said. "We don't know where it is now." Kayasu stated that a recent verdict by the European Court of Human Rights has paved the path for prosecutors to file cases against generals. The court unanimously held last week that that there had been a violation of freedom of expression and of the right to appropriate punishment for Kayasu, who was removed from his job because he filed a court case against Evren, the coup leader. According to verdict, the Turkish government has to pay Kayasu 40,000 euros. "The Supreme Board of Prosecutors and Judges [HSYK] or the Ministry of Justice will not prevent prosecutors from seeking the indictment of generals. The European Court of Human Rights has prevented it," he said. "This is a plus for Turkey. Prosecutors will not be disbarred for filing cases against generals." Kayasu also said individuals, be they civilians or members of the military, should be tried if they stage coups. "Coup planners and stagers are tried around the world," he said. "Coups are crimes committed against democracy and human rights."

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Yaakov Alperon, known as “Don Alperon”, said to run Tel Aviv’s third largest crime family.One of the leading figures in Israel’s mafia


Israeli ‘Mafia’ Boss Assassinated.Don Alperon was said to run Tel Aviv’s third largest crime family.One of the leading figures in Israel’s mafia-style organised crime gangs has been assassinated in a car bomb attack.
Yaakov Alperon, known as “Don Alperon”, was driving his saloon car through a northern suburb of Tel Aviv when the vehicle was torn apart by a huge blast.Two bystanders were also slightly injured in the explosion, one a 13-year-old boy waiting at a bus stop.The attack has raised concerns that an Israeli mob war could be about to spin out of control.Little was left of the car after the explosion, which was apparently set off by remote control just before midday.Don Alperon’s body was seen slumped over the steering wheel.A police spokesman said, with understatement, that the security forces were now assessing the situation to see what would develop in Tel Aviv.This is the latest and most serious attack in an Israeli mob war which some fear may once again be coming to the boil.That is worrying because of the lack of concern shown by the mobsters for civilian casualties.Anti-tank missiles, grenades and bombs have all been used in Israeli mob hits.In one failed attempt to kill a rival gang leader in 2003, three people died when a bomb explosion hit a passing bus.In another attack, a whole building was destroyed while the intended target, another mafia leader, walked away.
Don Alperon was a flamboyant figure known for dating famous and beautiful women from Israeli show-business.He was said to run Tel Aviv’s third-largest crime family.If Tel Aviv is in for another period of bloody rivalry between the city’s mafia gangs, residents will want to know if the police are capable of stopping it.The Israeli underworld is built around gangs run by the once poor sons of Middle Eastern Jewish, or Mizrahi, immigrant families: the Alperons, Abutbuls, Abergils, and others who have become household names in this country because of unflagging media attention. When Alperon was blown up, a TV crew a few blocks away was filming an episode of "The Arbitrator," a fictional series based on the nation's mafia.The largely Mizrahi crime families do most of their business in drugs, gambling, and extortion, with prostitution having been taken over by wayward immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Israeli Arabs have their own violent gangs known mainly for selling drugs and stolen weapons. Although ethnic separatism is the rule in Israeli organized crime, the lure of large, illicit profits can at times bring people of different backgrounds together.The mafia capital is Tel Aviv, but the gangs also operate in Jerusalem, Netanya, Bat Yam, Lod, and other cities, as well as in the prisons. They've gotten too big for police to control.The greatest obstacle for law enforcement is getting witnesses to testify; no wonder, since witnesses against Israeli mafia figures put their lives at risk. A couple of years ago, a prisoner due to testify against a crime boss was poisoned in his cell. A U.S.-style witness protection program is supposedly in the works to relocate such brave souls and give them new identities, but nothing has come of it.
Yaakov Alperon now joins Felix Abutbul, Yaakov Abergil, Yehezkel Aslan, Gad Plum, and other reputed Israeli mob legends who were murdered, presumably by rivals. Yet, their killers are rarely brought to justice for want of witnesses and evidence.
While the public doesn't grieve over the slain gangsters, the "collateral damage" is causing a growing outcry. The bombing of Alperon's car put a driver and schoolboy nearby in the hospital with minor injuries; in past mafia hits, innocent bystanders have been killed.After Alperon's murder, his wife, Ahuva, was on the TV news sobbing while his ex-convict brother Zalman, wearing a black yarmulke, swore that the family "was leaving revenge in God's hands." In times of crisis, Israeli mafia families typically turn to public displays of piety; a familiar scene on the evening news is of an accused gangster appearing in court in handcuffs and a yarmulke.
Yaakov Alperon came from modest beginnings. He was one of 12 children who lived with their Egyptian immigrant parents in a two-room apartment in a dusty little town near Tel Aviv. He took up boxing, then put his fists to use on the streets and, soon, in prison. He was suspected of murdering rivals in and out of jail, but police could never prove it.Alperon, his brothers, and his henchmen brawled repeatedly with rival families; he made legions of enemies. One of them most likely activated the bomb that left him sprawled dead in a blasted, burning sedan in the middle of northern Tel Aviv. Now another score waits to be settled.



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Eight years and six months for House Jacking Gang in Alicante

Two members of the violent gang this week began jail sentences of eight years and six months each after admitting armed robbery and kidnap in a plea bargain deal.A third was sentenced to a year and a half in prison by a court in Alicante after being convicted as an accomplice.Two men involved in the April 22 2004 kidnap are still on the run.Mr and Mrs Yarwood were playing cards as they relaxed after dinner at their home in Moraira on Spain's southeastern coast when the gang burst in.The couple were threatened with pistols and a knife and told they would be killed unless they paid 600,000 euros - the equivalent of £400,000 at the time of crime. The pair, from Frodsham, Cheshire, were terrorised overnight and the following morning, Mr Yarwood, 72, a retired electrician was driven to the local bank and told to withdraw all the money in his account.But he wrote a note on the back of a cheque begging for help and the bank manager alerted police who called in a specially-trained kidnap response unit.Speaking of their ordeal at the hands of their Romanian and Spanish kidnappers, Mrs Yarwood who ran a guest house in Cheshire for 27 years, said afterwards: "They terrorised us all night, constantly pointing the guns at us and cocking them."When my husband tried to escape out of the back door they punched him in the face and kicked him repeatedly."I was convinced we were going to die.Her husband added: "I was praying the bank would try and help and I wrote a note on the back of a cheque saying, 'Please give me the money because someone has kidnapped my wife."The gang leader kept saying that if he didn't see the money by the following day I would never see Pat again."

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Manjit Dhanoa, 31, Harvishal Kler, 23 and Bakshish Ghai, were part of an international gang involved in bringing heroin into Canada.

Monday 17 November 2008

Manjit Dhanoa, 31, Harvishal Kler, 23 and Bakshish Ghai, were part of an international gang involved in bringing heroin into Canada. Dhanoa, who is alleged to be the ring leader of the drug gang, is absconding and a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.After an extensive probe, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigation unit at Toronto's Pearson International Airport cracked the gang network last week.Intensive investigations got underway after Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at Toronto airport arrested couriers with 12.8 kg of heroin.Revealing the modus operandi of the drug gang, police on Friday said that the Indo-Canadian men are allegedly part of a criminal organisation that uses human couriers to smuggle heroin through Toronto's airport.The drug was then distributed throughout North America.According to police, the three men used to recruit couriers and arrange their travel to a number of South Asian countries to pick up heroin from their contacts there. "This group stood to make a significant profit at great expense to the health and well being of our citizens," the RCMP said in a statement.
"It takes the kind of partnerships seen in this investigation to effectively combat criminal enterprise and protect our communities," it added.

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Samantha Ann Morgan pleaded guilty in September to possession of cocaine.

Samantha Ann Morgan pleaded guilty in September to possession of cocaine. She must do 120 hours of community service and will be under house arrest for the next 90 days with a curfew of 11 p.m, according to a plea bargain accepted Wednesday by state District Judge Ken Anderson.
District Attorney John Bradley said the plea deal offered was standard for someone with a first felony offense, the Austin American-Statesman reported Thursday in its online edition.According to an affidavit, the cocaine was discovered during a strip search at the Williamson County Jail after she was arrested on June 18 following a traffic stop involving a vehicle in which she was riding. When an officer tried to arrest her, Morgan kicked the officer and ran, the affidavit says.

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Cesar Lares-Torres pleaded guilty to one count of dealing cocaine

Cesar Lares-Torres pleaded guilty to one count of dealing cocaine, and he will not face a count of conspiracy drug dealing, said Lares-Torres' lawyer, James D. Tunick. Lares-Torres will also forfeit $66,700 and a 2003 Honda Accord listed in the indictment.Lares-Torres faces as many as 20 years in prison.Lares-Torres, a Mexican national, was arrested by Lake County drug interdiction police on Interstate 65 near Lowell. Officers said they found about $65,000 in cash during that stop.Lares-Torres has been jailed since April, when Magistrate Judge Andrew Rodovich ruled he was a flight riskThe affidavit against Lares-Torres says information on the amount of cocaine he sold came from two confidential informants who witnessed drug sales.
A judge still must accept the plea agreement, but Tunick predicted no problems with the agreement's acceptance. No sentencing date was set Wednesday, Tunick said.

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