All articles tagged with #international crime
Originally Published 3 months ago — by The Verge
London police dismantled an international gang suspected of stealing and smuggling up to 40,000 phones, mainly Apple products, to China over the past year, marking their largest operation against phone theft with a 14% reduction in thefts this year.
Originally Published 3 months ago — by CBS News
Thieves stole 24,000 bottles of Santo Tequila in a sophisticated highway heist involving fake trucking companies, GPS spoofing, and international crime groups, highlighting vulnerabilities in global supply chains and the impact on businesses and consumers.
Originally Published 5 months ago — by ABC News
Cambodian authorities have arrested over 2,100 suspects in a crackdown on online scam centers since June, targeting international criminal gangs involved in cybercrime, with ongoing efforts supported by government directives to eliminate illegal cyber activities and improve the country's reputation.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by NBC News
A Chinese man, Shenghua Wen, living illegally in the U.S., has been charged with exporting firearms and ammunition to North Korea, violating international sanctions. Wen, who overstayed his student visa, allegedly sent shipments from California to North Korea via Hong Kong and was planning to send other military-related technology. Authorities seized some materials before they could be shipped. Wen faces charges under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which could result in up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Guardian
Spanish police have seized over 13 tonnes of cocaine, the largest consignment ever intercepted in the country, hidden in a banana shipment from Ecuador. The container, arriving at the port of Algeciras, was linked to illicit trafficking, prompting a search that revealed the drugs. This seizure, the second largest in Europe, highlights a significant international drug distribution network. Following the discovery, authorities conducted searches in Alicante and Madrid, arresting a partner in the receiving company, while two directors remain at large.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Department of Justice
Taskin Torlak, a Turkish national, was arrested in Miami for allegedly conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions by smuggling Venezuelan oil for the benefit of Venezuela's state-owned company, PdVSA. The scheme involved deceptive practices such as re-naming and re-flagging tankers to evade detection. Torlak and his co-conspirators reportedly received millions from PdVSA and concealed the transactions from U.S. financial institutions. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice, with investigations led by Homeland Security Investigations Washington D.C.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Fox News
Former U.S. soldier Craig Austin Lang has been extradited from Ukraine to face federal charges in the U.S. for an alleged international crime spree, including a double murder in Florida. Lang, who fought against Russian separatists in Ukraine, is accused of killing a Florida couple in 2018 to fund mercenary activities. He faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit passport fraud and aggravated identity theft, and could face life in prison if convicted.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Yahoo! Voices
Indonesia will deport Chaowalit Thongduang, one of Thailand's most wanted fugitives, who was arrested in Bali after months on the run for murder and drug trafficking charges. He will be flown back to Thailand on a military plane, where he faces multiple charges including the murder or attempted murder of police officers.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by CNN
Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, known as 'El Nini' and a top member of the Sinaloa cartel, has been extradited from Mexico to the US. He faces charges related to fentanyl trafficking, murder, and other crimes. US President Joe Biden praised the extradition as a significant step in combating the fentanyl epidemic and thanked Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for the cooperation.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Reuters
Russian investigators are questioning the families of four men charged with carrying out a deadly attack on a concert hall near Moscow in Tajikistan. Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon is overseeing the investigation on the Tajik side, and the country is alarmed by the activity of radical Islamist preachers. The attack has been claimed by Islamic State, and at least two suspects have confessed to taking part in the attack. The incident has strengthened anti-immigrant sentiments in Russia, and videos showing the suspects being tortured have prompted a divided reaction.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by The Associated Press
Armed gangs launched new attacks in the suburbs of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with heavy gunfire echoing across once-peaceful communities, leaving at least five dead and prompting pleas for help from the understaffed national police force. The U.S. State Department completed its first evacuation of American citizens from Port-au-Prince, with more than 15 airlifted to the Dominican Republic, while a plane chartered by the Florida Department of Emergency Management evacuated 14 Florida residents. The violence, including recent attacks in upscale neighborhoods, has forced closures of banks, schools, and businesses, and led to the release of over 4,000 inmates from prisons. Amid the chaos, Caribbean officials are working to form a transitional presidential council, with the last remaining party accepting a seat, as Haitians await the possibility of new leadership.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by Al Jazeera English
Gang violence in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, escalated as gunmen looted upscale neighborhoods, leaving bodies strewn in the streets and forcing residents to flee. Despite Prime Minister Ariel Henry's announcement of resignation, the gangs continue their attacks, with some attributing the violence to political power struggles. Efforts to establish a transitional council and deploy a UN-backed police force are hindered by political disputes, while the government extends a nighttime curfew in an attempt to curb the relentless violence.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by CBS News
British authorities discovered a record-breaking 5.7 tons of cocaine, worth an estimated $568 million, hidden in a shipment of bananas at the port of Southampton, shattering the country's previous drug-seizure record. The National Crime Agency believes the drugs were destined for Hamburg, Germany, and would have likely made their way back to the U.K. criminal market. The agency is working with international partners to identify the criminal networks involved, as the U.K.'s cocaine market has seen a significant rise in associated violence in recent years. This seizure comes amid a trend of record amounts of cocaine being seized in Europe, with Colombia producing about 60% of the world's cocaine.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by NPR
A man shot dead in Spain is suspected to be Maksim Kuzminov, a Russian army defector who fled to Ukraine last year. Kuzminov, who opposed Russia's war in Ukraine, was found dead in Alicante, Spain, with reports suggesting Russian involvement. The Spanish government is investigating the incident, while the Ukrainian community in Alicante is left in shock and fear.
Originally Published 1 year ago — by BBC.com
US authorities have charged Takeshi Ebisawa, a senior figure in the Japanese mafia, with conspiring to traffic nuclear materials, alleging that he attempted to sell uranium and plutonium to be transferred to Iran for the construction of a nuclear bomb. Ebisawa, along with a Thai co-defendant, faces life imprisonment if convicted. The US Department of Justice claims that Ebisawa and his associates displayed samples of nuclear materials in Thailand to an undercover DEA agent posing as a weapons and drugs trafficker with ties to an Iranian general. The materials, seized by Thai authorities and confirmed by a US laboratory to contain uranium and weapons-grade plutonium, were allegedly sourced from Myanmar. Additionally, Ebisawa is accused of seeking to acquire military-grade weapons for a rebel group in Myanmar. Both Ebisawa and his co-conspirator are set to be arraigned in a New York federal courtroom.