Leighton Richardson arrested in Tenerife after his girlfriend was found dying in a pool of blood at her apartment has been released

Leighton Richardson arrested in Tenerife after his girlfriend was found dying in a pool of blood at her apartment has been released from custody after being held since Christmas Eve.Before making his bail decision the judge studied police information which – despite earlier reports – said no baseball bat had been found at her flat.
But while investigations continue Leighton Richardson, born in Wrexham and who grew up in Mold, remains a suspect.He has been ordered to report daily to the court at Arona, on the holiday island’s south coast, where the investigating judge in charge of the case is based.Richardson has also had to surrender his passport to the court.
He was arrested in the early hours of Christmas Eve after Lisa McConway, 28, from Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland, was found by police at her flat in the brash resort of Playa de las Americas.She was in a critical condition and had severe bruising to much of her body.She was rushed to hospital but died at 1pm that day.Reports said police had gone to the flat after neighbours telephoned just after 3am to report a violent row was taking place.

The investigating judge decided to grant Richardson “provisional liberty” – the Spanish term for bail – after studying a written report by pathologists following an autopsy.

The experts were reported as concluding Miss McConway, who had a British passport, could have died either as the result of a beating or following a fall, it was reported yesterdayAlthough her injuries were consistent with an attack the autopsy revealed she suffered from a blood clotting condition which could cause extensive bruising as the result of a fall, court sources told local journalists.Before making his bail decision the judge had also studied a police report which despite earlier reports said that no baseball bat had been found at Miss McConway’s flat.Nor had any witnesses been found to back-up the claim reportedly made by the initial caller a serious row had taken place.
But two witnesses had said earlier Miss McConway had been “drinking a lot” and they had seen her “drunk”. The witnesses said she had fallen down opening a gash in her head.For his part

Richardson had emphatically denied throughout his time in police custody and later at a closed door hearing in front of the investigating judge he had beaten Miss McConway.

Following Miss McConway’s death Jose Antonio Batista, the Spanish Interior Ministry representative in Tenerife, described the scene which greeted officers at her apartment as a “Dantesque spectacle”.He was quoted as telling local reporters: “All the furniture was overturned and there was blood on the floor and the walls.”The official also said Miss McConway had telephoned Richardson, who lived elsewhere, at 3am last Wednesday to say she felt unwell. The boyfriend arrived shortly afterwards at her flat.Reports yesterday said the couple’s young son would be handed over to Richardson on his release.

Family of Lisa McConway are due to arrive on the island early next week to take care of her young son and fly her body home

family of Lisa McConway, the 28-year-old woman bludgeoned to death in Playa de Las Américas on Christmas Eve, are due to arrive on the island early next week to take care of her young son and fly her body home.Lisa McConway died after being attacked with a baseball bat in her apartment in Palo Blanco in the early hours of the morning. Neighbours say they heard a massive row in the apartment before her body was found

Fuengirola Mafia boss arrested

Guardia Civil officers, in collaboration with the Italian Arma de Carabinieri, have arrested a 44-year-old member of the mafia-like criminal organisation, the Camorra, in Fuengirola. The man is an important member of the Clan Mariano of the Naples Camorra, and has had an arrest warrant on him for 17 years.The police operation was launched thanks to information the Guardia Civil received from the Arma de Carabinieri. The intelligence revealed that an important Camorra hitman who had escaped from Italy could be living on the Costa del SolOfficers from the Guardia Civil’s Team Against Organised Crime (ECO) along with Carabinieri officers from Naples in Italy searched for the man in areas where they suspected he was. The officers knew that the suspect was living on the Costa del Sol and used public cyber-cafés to contact other members of the Camorra.The camorrist was finally arrested at the entrance of a cyber-café thanks to a picture provided by the Arma de Carabinieri.

Captured Trainer gang which smuggles coke into Spain

The drugs were being smuggled from Argentina concealed inside specially adapted shoes that were worn by a couple in their late fifties who were arrested at Valencia's Manises airport on Christmas Day after stepping off a plane from Buenos Aires in possession of 1.6kg of uncut cocaine.

Five members of a gang that has been smuggling cocaine into Spain by hiding it inside training shoes, have been arrested. The couple's two sons and a third individual responsible have since also been detained. It seems that the gang has been operating for some time and also trafficked a variety of other recreational drugs for sale in the Balearic Islands, mainly Ibiza.

Paul Hickey is currently serving 15 years at Fontcalent jail, one of Spain's toughest penitentiaries.

Hickey, is currently serving 15 years at Fontcalent jail, one of Spain's toughest penitentiaries.Sandra Conroy said she would block any attempt by Paul Hickey to move to an Irish prison for the rest of his sentence.He was sentenced in November when he admitted battering Celine (26) to death at their holiday home on the Costa Del Sol three years ago. He can apply to be transferred to an Irish prison, but this would have to be approved by both the Spanish and Irish authorities."I'm still in contact with my solicitor, it's still not over for me," Sandra said."I'll keep up the fight if there is any way they can even consider letting him come home. If it's the courts or the Dail, I'll tie myself to the railings if I have to to keep him in Spain."
Sandra remains sceptical about claims Hickey (31) has made about being stabbed repeatedly in jail.She said she was sickened by a recent press interview he gave complaining of conditions at the notorious prison."He said he'd been stabbed in prison, but I didn't see any marks on him when he was in court," Sandra said. "It was all about himself and how hard he was having it."Meanwhile, Sandra has said she is still haunted by Hickey's sneering attitude as he was sentenced.The family spent Christmas together and visited Celine's grave in Glasnevin.

National Police and the Guardia Civil have reported that the charred body of a man has been found in a burned out vehicle

National Police and the Guardia Civil have reported that the charred body of a man has been found in a burned out vehicle in inland from Villajoyosa .The car and body were found on a piece of wasteland last Tuesday in an area known as Partida Ripalmes .The identity of the man remains unknown and the police have not released any further details .Both the National Police and the Guardia Civil have joined forces to try and solve the possible crime .It is possible that the death was an accident but it could also be murder .A post -mortem will be carried out this week .

Guardia Civil are looking for two un-named British people in connection with the disappearance a year ago of the Irish youngster Amy Fitzpatrick

Diario Sur newspaper reports that the Guardia Civil are looking for two un-named British people in connection with the disappearance a year ago of the Irish youngster Amy Fitzpatrick from Mijas Costa. One of the people wanted for questioning is a man, another a woman, and both are said to be in the United Kingdom although it is reported that they don’t know each other. They are under investigation at the request of Amy’s family.Amy’s mother Audrey says in an interview with the paper that it has been the longest year of her life, and that it is impossible to stop thinking about Amy. She says she is living a nightmare but has not given up hope of being reunited with her daughter.

Lisa McConway, who has family living in Dublin, was found unconscious at her home . Irish woman, resident on Tenerife

The 28 year woman, named as Lisa McConway, who has family living in Dublin, was found unconscious at her home near Playa de las Americas in Tenerife.She died this afternoon after allegedly being hit by her boyfriend with a baseball bat, which the aggressor then through out the window.British woman, resident on Tenerife, is the victim of the latest domestic violence tragedy in Spain.Her beaten body was found in Urbanisation Palo Blanco in Playa de las Américas in the south of Tenerife, after neighbours heard the fight and called 091, and reports indicate that she died from her injuries on the way to hospital. The alleged aggressor, also British, was arrested at the scene and police say there were signs of a fight in several rooms of the flat.The case is being instructed by Court Number 7 in Arona.Police have arrested the woman's boyfriend who has been named as Leighton Richardson.The 28-year-old, who has been named as Lisa M, was discovered in an apartment block in the Playa de las Americas resort.According to statements made by her boyfriend, the victim phoned him at around 3am GMT on Wednesday morning and asked him to go to her apartment because she was feeling ill.
After the boyfriend arrived at the flat in the Pala Blanco housing development, the couple are believed to have had a fight.Police were called when neighbours heard a violent row.It is thought that the woman, who had been beaten with a baseball bat, had suffered a cardiac arrest.She was taken to a local hospital where she died at around midday Christmas Day.A post-mortem examination has taken place but the results have not yet been released.Her boyfriend has been arrested after apparently giving conflicting statements to police, and for the marks on the woman's body.Further details of her identity have not yet been released as Foreign Office staff attempt to contact her family.Her father Jim McConway, speaking from the family home in Blackrock in Dublin last night, said they had received very little information about the death

Leighton Richardson

Spanish police smashed an international drug ring that trafficked cocaine from Peru to Israel and via several other countries, including Spain.

Spanish police smashed an international drug ring that trafficked cocaine from Peru to Israel and via several other countries, including Spain.Port of Barcelona authorities, as part of a joint operation with Peruvian, Israeli, U.S. and Bahamas police, seized 674 kilograms of cocaine shipped from Peru on a vessel bound for Jordan’s Aqaba port. The drugs had been stuffed into an industrial paper shredder.
In early December, Caribbean, Peruvian and Spanish police intercepted cocaine shipments hidden in lead-plated heavy machinery designed to fool airport x-ray security scans.A month prior, Peru’s police drug enforcement unit, Dirandro, carried out four simultaneous raids in Lima’s districts of Miraflores, Ate, Chorrillos and San Isidro, seizing more than half a ton of cocaine. Five people were arrested, including four Peruvians and an Israeli national.Spain is Europe’s main entry point for cocaine from South America, although large quantities are now transported via West Africa. And, according to a UN Office on Drugs and crime report published in January, Spain has become the top consumer of cocaine in continental Europe.

Two armed bank robbers and a getaway driver hit the Citibank on Lomas Santa Fe Drive

Deputies were searching Monday morning for two armed bank robbers and a getaway driver who hit the Citibank on Lomas Santa Fe Drive, sheriff's officials said.
A little after 9:30 a.m., two men brandishing revolvers ordered everyone in the bank to lie on the floor, Lt. Anthony Ray said.One man jumped into the tellers area and grabbed and undisclosed amount of cash, Ray said.Both men fled the bank and got into a light blue vehicle ---- but a witness reported seeing them ditch that vehicle not far from the bank in favor of a dark Nissan sedan with someone already behind the wheel, Ray said.No one was hurt during the robbery, he said.One robber is described as a black man, 6 feet tall wearing a white shirt. His partner was also a black man, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, dressed in black and wearing a stocking cap.The getaway driver may have been a black man, Ray said.At about 10 a.m., officers and deputies on Interstate 5 were following a car that fit the description of the getaway vehicle, but no information was available about whether the people in that car were identified as suspects in the robbery.

Two men reportedly robbed a Wachovia Bank at gunpoint this morning in Garden City.

Two men reportedly robbed a Wachovia Bank at gunpoint this morning in Garden City.
The FBI is investigating the holdup, which happened about 11:30 a.m. at the branch, in the 4500 block of Augusta Road, said William Kirkconnell, supervisory senior resident agent for the FBI in Savannah.Authorities are searching for two black males, one about 5-foot-6 and the other about 6 feet, 4 inches tall, Kirkconnell said."The smaller robber controlled the lobby with a handgun, while the larger robber jumped the counter and removed the bank money," Kirkconnell said.The two were last seen running from the bank.

Woman needed hospital treatment after being robbed at knifepoint as she walked through a pub car park.

Woman needed hospital treatment after being robbed at knifepoint as she walked through a pub car park.The victim was with a friend when they were stopped by two masked men who demanded her bag.The woman handed over her bag, containing cash, and the attackers ran off through the pub car park and jumped over a fence towards allotments.Both were wearing black clothing, black balaclavas and one was wearing glasses.The woman suffered an injury to her back and face in the incident which happened at just before 12.20am, today, in the car park of the Lord Nelson pub in Monkton Village, Hebburn.She was taken to South Tyneside General Hospital.

Armed robbers exchanged gunfire with security guards in a crowded parking lot Monday afternoon

Armed robbers exchanged gunfire with security guards in a crowded parking lot Monday afternoon, after an unsuccessful attempt to rob the Washington Mutual branch on Hesperia Road, officials said.Two to three men wearing hooded sweatshirts entered the bank in the 12600 block of Hesperia Road at about 12:30 p.m., one of them holding a long gun described as an AK-47, according to witnesses at the scene who did not want to be identified.“I saw the guy with a big old gun and I just ran out the back,” one witness said.Security guards held the men at the entry way of the bank and got into a scuffle with the robbers who are being described as two black men and one Hispanic man between the ages of 18 and 30, said Karen Hunt, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Victorville station.One shot was fired by a robber during the altercation, lodging a bullet into the ceiling, according to Hunt.
Witnesses also reported that when the robbers first attempted to enter the bank, they tried to take a female employee hostage.“It was amazing, because she was one of the most calm and composed people there and she was calming other people down,” said one bank patron.“There were about 30 patrons and about eight employees inside the bank at the time,” Hunt said. No one was hurt.The security guards were able to chase the men into the bank’s parking lot and exchanged gunfire with the robbers, but it is not known whether any of the criminals were hit, officials said.The robbers tried to drive south onto Hesperia Road, but struck a dark blue Mitsubishi, officials said. The getaway vehicle, a maroon hatchback or similar vehicle with major front-end damage, was seen in the area of Bear Valley and Industrial roads, officials said.
The men also robbed a woman in the parking lot before entering the bank, but it is not clear what they stole from the victim, Hunt said.The same location was robbed on Oct. 23.Many bank customers raised concerns that the bank does not have the same security measures in place as at the newer Washington Mutual offices, including metal detectors, possibly making it an easier target.Washington Mutual officials said that following any incident, they review the safety measures in place at a branch and determine what necessary steps need to be taken.“Our primary concerns for all of our branches is the safety of our customers .

Robbers, who were wearing scarves to cover their faces, targeted the Betfred shop in Helmsley Road, Newcastle, on Tuesday evening.

Robbers, who were wearing scarves to cover their faces, targeted the Betfred shop in Helmsley Road, Newcastle, on Tuesday evening. The woman was locked up in a room in the shop, while the men broke into games machines and stole cash.
She was uninjured but shaken by her ordeal. Northumbria Police believe the raiders made off in a white vehicle.

Deputies are looking for three robbers who crashed a Christmas party and robbed the guests.

Deputies are looking for three robbers who crashed a Christmas party and robbed the guests.Orange County deputies said about 20 people were inside a home on Sunderson Road around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday when three men, wearing hoodies and carrying handguns, broke in.The deputies said the men ordered the partygoers to get on the ground and demanded wallets and purses from everyone.Because of the home's location, investigators are checking to see if the suspects had prior knowledge of the party.
"The party was in a very remote area of Orange County at this house, it's off the beaten path. Unless the guys got lucky drove by and saw there was a party and decide to do a home invasion or perhaps they received information that there was going to be a large party there,” said Cmdr. Spike Hopkins, Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies used dogs and a helicopter to search for the suspects, but they got away.

Metro Police say an armed suspect attempted to rob the El Michoacano supermarket

Metro Police say an armed suspect attempted to rob the El Michoacano supermarket in the 6200 block of West 34th Street just before 9 pm. All of the customers and employees in the store were ordered to move to one side of the store. Police believe the suspect, later identified as 23-year-old Christopher Barreto, didn't want any of the customers or employees to recognize him."He's armed with a silver handgun and he had a mask and gloves on," said IMPD Lt. Jeff Duhamell.As Barreto committed the robbery, police say an employee pressed a secret panic button. Another employee grabbed a gun kept inside the store for protection, but realized it was too risky to react right away."At that point, he goes outside because where he was standing, there was too many people right there for him to defend the other employees," Lt. Duhamell said.The armed employee circled the outside of the supermarket and got a clear view of Barreto inside."Opened the front door and sees the suspect. At that point, he saw the suspect point the gun at a mother and a child and at that point, fearing for them, he fired one shot, striking the suspect," said Lt. Duhamell. When police found Barreto in the store, he was in critical condition. He was transported to Wishard Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Detectives talked with the employee who fired the shot and witnesses to determine what happened, but made no arrests. A release from IMPD Sunday night stated it appeared the shooting was justified.According to police, Barreto has been in and out of jail for years.Investigations showed his first arrest happened when he was only 14 years old. His arrests since then include armed robbery, auto theft and drug possession. Based on what happened at the supermarket Sunday, police now suspect him in other crimes."I am sure he has probably been involved in other robberies," Lt. Duhamell said. "He was wearing a ski mask and gloves."

Four men were arrested for housebreaking in Waverley

Four men were arrested for housebreaking in Waverley on Monday, Johannesburg police said. Captain Phillip Maganedisa said the men were arrested around 15:00 after they were caught by a neighbour's camera while they were breaking into the house.
"The neighbour called the police after noticing them breaking into and entering the house," said Maganedisa. The men were facing charges of housebreaking and were expected to appear before the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday

65-year-old father Robert Orchard had done a deal with drug-traffickers in his home town of Marbella.

65-year-old father Robert Orchard had done a deal with drug-traffickers in his home town of Marbella.He agreed to hide the drugs under the bed on which Cheyrl, of Denny, Stirlingshire, and her eight-year-old son had been sleeping.On Monday a jury at Canterbury Crown Court consisting of seven women and five men found her not guilty of drug importation.Her father pleaded guilty.Innocent Cheyrl was flown out to the Costa Del Crime by her father, but while she was sunbathing the gang was stashing the chocolate-coloured blocks into the camper-van.Robert Orchard cynically took the pair to EuroDisney knowing full well they were sleeping only inches above the consignment.Cheyrl told the court she knew nothing of her father’s plot to smuggle the drugs through Europe to Ireland.After the jury unanimously found her not guilty, she spoke of her loathing of the father who risked her freedom in a sordid drugs deal.She said: “I thought it was a routine Customs stop. I had no idea there were drugs on board.“I have only contempt for my father, who used us. It is
supposed to be the time of goodwill to all men, but I doubt if any goodwill I have will extend to him.“As far as I’m concerned I haven’t got a father and my son hasn’t got a grandfather.“I thought the authorities were going to take my boy away from me. I couldn’t think about Christmas, but now I’ll be able to celebrate it with my son.
“I don’t care about my dad – he’ll be spending his Christmas behind bars.”But it wasn’t all comfort and joy for Cheyrl as she was fined £200 for breaking her bail by smoking in a prohibited area outside the front door of the court on Friday.She apologised and told Judge Michael O’Sullivan she had been under a great deal of strain.The judge accepted her apology but told her the restriction was put in place to stop her accidently bumping into jurors.Robert Orchard is due to be sentenced next week.

British man stabbed during shooting incident near Tarragona thought the shooting, which involved four people, was linked to drug trafficking

British person has been injured in a shooting incident in L’Ametlla de Mar in Tarragona today, in which a German man has died. The 33 year old German was shot in the thorax and abdomen and suffered a heart attack.Spanish police think the shooting which involved four people in total was a settling of scores related to drug trafficking. An Italian is seriously hurt after being shot in the neck. He made his own way to the local health centre from where he was taken by helicopter to the Joan XXIII hospital in Tarragona where he has had surgery.
The Briton was stabbed in the thorax and treated in a local ambulance. His involvement in the affair is still being investigated and as yet he has not been arrested.It happened at 4,30pm on Monday in a chalet in Calle Rovelló, in the Sant Jordi Alfama urbanisation in L’Ametlla.All four men involved in the shooting and stabbing were living locally and reports say some of them have a previous record for drug trafficking.

man walking his dog in Terrell on Wednesday shot and critically wounded an armed 17-year-old robber

man walking his dog in Terrell on Wednesday shot and critically wounded an armed 17-year-old robber, police said.The incident happened at about 10:20 p.m. in Ben Gill Park in the 100 block of Lions Club Lane where, police said, a group of teen robbers surrounded the man.According to investigators, when a boy in the group pulled out a gun, the man, a licensed concealed handgun owner, fired shots.The teen was apparently struck in the head and was listed in critical condition at Parkland Hospital. His weapon was recovered at the scene and later determined to be stolen during a separate offense in Terrell, according to police.Three other teen suspects fled the scene in a vehicle that was recovered in the 300 block of S. Park Street, police said.Police identified the teen gunman and one of the other suspects, and were working to ID the two remaining boys. The robbery victim was not injured.

armed robbers stormed Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson residence

Iyalode of Egbaland, Chief (Mrs.) Alaba Lawson, came within a whisker of death early Sunday morning as people suspected to be armed robbers stormed her residence in Abeokuta, leaving her security guard dead. Nigerian Tribune learnt that the robbers, numbering about 10, were said to have scaled the fence into her Quarry Road home around 1.00 a.m, armed to teeth. The robbers were said to have ordered the late security guard, identified simply as Yusuf, to take them to Mrs. Lawson's bedroom.
It was learnt that the resistance of the guard angered the robbers who stabbed him to death and fled when they saw mobile policemen arriving after a call by one of her children.Nigerian Tribune saw many sympathisers at the Lawson’s home. Blood could be seen in the generator house where the guard was killed.Narrating her ordeal, Chief (Mrs) Lawson said that she overheard the robbers ordering her late guard to take them to her employer's bedroom and that made her to alert one of her children to come to her aid.It was gathered that the son, on receiving his mum's distress call, drove to Ibara roundabout to inform the police and the robbers, on sighting the police, escaped through the fence. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Emmanuel Ayeni, got to the scene of the incident by 12.30 pm and ordered 24 hours surveillance in the area.

Two robbers have attacked a man in an Essex street, stealing £6,000 in cash.

Two robbers have attacked a man in an Essex street, stealing £6,000 in cash. The 62-year-old victim was in Tinkler Side, Basildon, on Friday evening when he was approached from behind by two men and punched in the face. An Essex Police spokesman said the money, which was in a brown envelope, was taken in the robbery.
Police appealed for any witnesses, including a man wearing a red coat and glasses who chased the robbers, to contact officers. The robbers were white men but there was no other description.

Two attempted armed robberies took place in Gwent

Police are continuing their investigations into two attempted armed robberies took place in Gwent last week. The first incident happened on the afternoon of Wednesday, December 17. Officers were called to Risca post office when a man threatened the owners with a gun. The second incident took place at around 7.25pm on Thursday when a man in his 20s tried to rob the Londis store on Chepstow Road, Newport armed with a gun. A spokeswoman for Gwent Police said the incidents were not connected.

Four men forced four pizza shop employees into a supply closet and robbed the pizzeria

Four men forced four pizza shop employees into a supply closet and robbed the pizzeria Sunday night in Allentown, police said.The robbers told the employees not to leave the closet, and they complied until officers arrived about 45 minutes later, police Capt. Daryl Hendricks said. He said none of the employees was hurt.
Hendricks said about 10 p.m. or 10:15 p.m. the robbers entered Little Caesars Pizza, 1439 W. Allen St. One of the men had a semiautomatic rifle with an attached light, Hendricks said.He said the robbers corralled the employees and shoved them into the closet. One of the employees sent a text message from the closet and police responded about 11 p.m., found a rear door opened and let the employees out, Hendricks said.He said the robbers got away in an unknown direction, by an unknown means with an unknown amount of money.The robbers were all between the ages of 20 and 25, and most wore hoods, bandanas and blue jeans, Hendricks said.

Robbers smash cash register so clerk can't open it,so they steal entire thing

Just after 11 p.m. last Thursday, two black males wearing ski masks entered the Plez-U with guns drawn and demanded money

Just after 11 p.m. last Thursday, two black males wearing ski masks entered the Plez-U with guns drawn and demanded money. The robbers then locked the two clerks on duty, Alta Carol and Rebecca Jenkins, in the store’s bathroom.“At this particular moment, we don’t have anything concrete to follow up on,” Roundy said.Witness statements and surveillance video have not been able to help authorities determine the method or direction of travel of the men after they left the store, Roundy said.

Bosque Farms police have arrested three men suspected in several bank robberies in the Albuquerque area

Bosque Farms police have arrested three men suspected in several bank robberies in the Albuquerque area over the past month.The FBI said two of the men were arrested after the MyBank in Los Lunas was robbed Monday. Officers spotted a car that fit the description of the getaway vehicle.Inside the vehicle were Daniel Alexander Duran, 34, and Marco Anthony Demarsh, 31, both of Albuquerque. FBI bank robbery specialists were able to link the men to what they believe is involvement in as many as five recent robberies in the Albuquerque area.Authorities also arrested Raymond David Trujillo in Grants, who is also believed to be connected to the recent robberies.
The FBI said all three men were in federal custody Tuesday.

Omar Trinidad, 19, Randolph Avenue, was charged with robbery, resisting arrest and drug possession

Omar Trinidad, 19, Randolph Avenue, was charged with robbery, resisting arrest and drug possession, police reports said. The three victims said they were at Franklin Avenue and Mountain Road when two men walked up to them, demanded money, struck them and then ran off with the phones and the bags they were carrying, reports said.
Trinidad grabbed one of the victims, a 27-year-old student from Michigan, around the neck, turned him around and punched him in the face, reports said. The second robber then ordered the student's 26-year-old brother and 30-year old roommate, both of Sherman Avenue, to the ground, pistol-whipping one of them, reports said.
After the victims said they only had loose change, the robbers stole two cell phones and bags the victims were carrying, which contained two pairs of jeans, a couple wallets, three pairs of shoes and two stuffed animals, reports said.

Alleged robbers Shaun Damon McArthur and Robert Lee, 44, of Harrisburg committed an armed, takeover-style bank robbery at the Peoples Bank

Shaun Damon McArthur, 36, of 1855 Park St. in Harrisburg, appeared before District Judge Daniel Garber Tuesday morning and waived his right to a preliminary hearing. That means the 52 criminal offenses lodged against him are being forwarded to county court.Police said McArthur and Robert Lee, 44, of Harrisburg committed an armed, takeover-style bank robbery at the Peoples Bank, 1477 Carlisle Road, at 12:33 p.m. Oct. 24. The robbers ordered people to the floor at gunpoint, took a gun from a security guard doing business at the bank, and pointed their guns at tellers, police said.The alleged robbers then fled from pursuing officers after a York City patrolman spotted their Jeep on Route 30. During the chase, the people in the Jeep exchanged gunfire numerous times with the officers chasing them north on Interstate 83; no officers were shot, police said.The chase -- which exceeded speeds of 100 mph -- ended when the Jeep, driven by Lee, crashed into a woods off the Highland Park exit of Interstate 83.Lee was found dead at the wheel of a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

Three suspects, one carrying a black pistol, robbed the Wachovia Bank in Hyde Park

Three suspects, one carrying a black pistol, robbed the Wachovia Bank in Hyde Park after taking two bank employees prisoner at gunpoint.Tampa police are looking for three men, the first of whom took two bank employees prisoner at gunpoint as they entered the front door of the bank at 214 S Hyde Park Ave. Two other suspects followed, and they forced the bank employees to open a safe inside the bank.An alarm sounded, and the men fled without incident in a burgandy foor door vehicle.
Police described the first suspect as a 30-year-old, 6-foot-3-inch black man with a large build last seen wearing a dark colored cap, sunglasses, a white long-sleeved dress shirt, dark pants and white sneakers. He was armed with a black pistol.
Suspect two is a black 23-year-old man 5-foot-11-inches tall, clean shaven, last seen wearing a dark cap, sunglasses, a dark sweatshirt, blue jeans and dark sneakers. The third suspect is about 18 years old, black, 5-foot-7-inches tall, with a goatee, who was last wearing a dark ski-cap, a burgandy dress shirt, dark pants and tan boots carrying a dark colored backpack.

Five-year-old boy was shot and injured by robbers on the run in Booysens

Five-year-old boy was shot and injured by robbers on the run in Booysens on Wednesday, Johannesburg police said. Superintendent Eugene Opperman said the boy was hit in the head at the Southdale shopping centre around 10:00 when four armed robbers fired shots when they were confronted by security guards. "The four men earlier robbed a cash-in-transit vehicle in Jasper, however they abandoned the money after they were chased by community members. "While they were running away they entered the mall and they were confronted by security guards before they started shooting," said Opperman. The boy was seriously injured and was taken to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. One of the men was caught and arrested. The 30-year-old man faces charges of attempted murder.

Radio Shack stores have been targeted by armed robbers

four Milwaukee-area Radio Shack stores have been targeted by armed robbers within the last two months, area police say.At least four Milwaukee-area Radio Shack stores have been targeted by armed robbers within the last two months, area police say.
The most recent robbery occurred Sunday night in Wauwatosa, and shots were fired in that incident. Radio Shack robberies also have taken place in Glendale and Milwaukee.

Gunman is described as Asian or white, in his early to mid 30s, between 5ft 10in and 6ft tall, with a slim build and may have brown eyes.

This is the face of a gunman thought to be behind five armed robberies in as many days. The robber, described by police as opportunistic but dangerous, is still on the loose after raiding two buses, a taxi, a bookmakers and a man in a supermarket car park. Detectives believe the gunman’s spree began last Wednesday when he stole £120 from an Arriva bus in Wheatley at gunpoint. Hours later a gunman attacked the driver of an Oxford Tube bus in London Road, Headington, and stole cash. On Thursday, a Royal Cars taxi booked for Borrowmead Road, in Marston, was attacked and robbed by a man armed with a chain and gun. The gunman struck again on Saturday, stealing cash from Ladbrokes bookmakers, in Headington, and holding a man at gunpoint in Diamond Place car park, Summertown, on Sunday night before taking cash and his victim’s car. Det Insp Simon Morton said: “Money is the motive for these robberies but on each occasion the amount of stolen has been minimal because bus drivers and taxi drivers don’t carry much cash for exactly this reason. This e-fit is of the man who robbed the bus in Wheatley and I believe this robbery could be linked to the others but I’m keen keeping an open mind and investigating every avenue. “I believe the robber is local and an opportunist and I would like to take this opportunity to ask the public to remain vigilant and contact the police if they see anyone acting suspiciously.” Raids at an Esso petrol station in Thame on Friday, and Radio Taxis in Magdalen Road, Oxford, on Monday December 1, where one of the robbers had a handgun, are not currently believed to be linked but police are keeping an open mind. Det Chief Insp Colin Paine, head of priority crime, said: “It is not clear if the firearm is genuine or imitation as no shots have been fired but we are treating it as real. I would consider this person therefore to be dangerous.”
The gunman is described as Asian or white, in his early to mid 30s, between 5ft 10in and 6ft tall, with a slim build and may have brown eyes.
A team of 16 detectives is working on the case and officers said they are open to the possibility there may be two armed robbers.

Houston police cold case investigators say they have identified one of the suspects in a 1992 home invasion robbery

Houston police cold case investigators say they have identified one of the suspects in a 1992 home invasion robbery that led to the death of an elderly woman, The Houston Chronicle reports. Police are asking for help from the public in finding and arresting Bobby Miller, who was 15 when the crime was committed in August 1992.
Investigators say he and another person forced their way into Louvenia Wilson's house, tied her up with duct tape and telephone cord and stole several hundred dollars, The Chronicle reported. She lay on a bathroom floor for about three days until she was found, police said. Ms. Wilson was hospitalized and died two weeks later. Mr. Miller faces a murder charge in the case. The other person involved in the robbery has not been identified.

Police are seeking a bank robber who made a "significant threat" to a bank teller at a drive-through window

Police are seeking a bank robber who made a "significant threat" to a bank teller at a drive-through window Monday afternoon and drove away with an undisclosed amount of money.Employees of the Bank of America branch on West Main Street reported the robbery at 1:44 p.m. They said a man in a car showed a threatening note to a teller at the window, implying he had a weapon and would hurt workers if his demand was not met, police said.Witnesses described the robber as in his 30s or 40s and operating a smaller, blue, four-door vehicle.City police said they didn't think this robbery was related to one Friday at the Banknorth branch on Main Street. Police are working with the FBI on both investigations.

Santander Europe’s second- biggest bank by market value, may drop after saying its hedge fund unit invested 2.33 billion euros with Bernard Madoff

Europe’s second- biggest bank by market value, may drop after saying its hedge fund unit invested 2.33 billion euros ($3.1 billion) of client funds with Bernard Madoff, who allegedly ran a Ponzi scheme that cost investors $50 billion.
Santander’s Optimal Investment Services unit placed money with Madoff through its Optimal Strategic U.S. Equity fund, the Spanish lender said in a statement yesterday. France’s BNP Paribas SA may lose 350 million euros and Swiss private bank Reichmuth & Co. could have $330 million of losses as Madoff’s scheme reaches victims across the Atlantic Ocean. “People are going to take it badly in the market,” said Alberto Espelosin, who helps manage the equivalent of $7.7 billion at Zaragoza, Spain-based Ibercaja Gestion. “It’s not Santander’s own money, and they’re not to blame, but of course it will be taken as something negative.” Santander, based in the Spanish city of the same name, lost 53 percent of its market value this year. Madoff, 70, who had advised the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on how to regulate markets, was arrested Dec. 11 and charged with operating what he described as “one big lie.”

arsonists fire-bombed the home of the family of a Spanish man, Rafael Hidalgo Castro, who has been in jail since December 1st accused of murder

Police are fearing a backlash of reprisals against the family, who were forced to abandon their home several days ago.
Nobody was injured last Saturday night when arsonists fire-bombed the home of the family of a Spanish man, Rafael Hidalgo Castro, who has been in jail since December 1st accused of the murder of a Gypsy man, 51-year-old José Reyes, on November 9th.
The victim's son is calling for calm and said that those responsible for the attack "are not doing us any favours in our struggle for justice for our father's murder. We are not looking for revenge. If we had, we would already have exacted it." The incident took place in Santiago, one of the poorest districts of Bujalance and home to both Spanish and Gypsy families. At the time of the murder, Castro had been on the run since February 2006, when he failed to return to jail after being granted an eight-hour pass to visit his sick mother, and since when police suspect him of committing around 25 other offences. Local mayor, Rafael Cañete, described the incident as "totally deplorable, adding that: "If we start down this violent path, nothing will get resolved. Rafi's family has not done anything and the Talion Law of an eye for an eye is not the solution."

Santander Group admitted yesterday that it has €2.3 billion euros invested in the firm managed by Bernard Madoff, who was arrested last week

Pedro Solbes has described the impact of the Madoff investment fraud as "of very little concern for the Spanish market." Speaking to the press following the 'Spain in the IMF and the World Bank: a 50-year relationship' conference in Madrid, Mr Solbes said that, at the moment, the only figures available indicate that the total amount lost by Spanish finance companies may be as little as €38 million euros although he informed that the Spanish stock market watchdog, the CNMV, is undertaking a "specific analysis." According to the Economy minister, the three Spanish insurance companies affected by the scam have lost €2 million euros while nine pension funds have been affected to the tune of €36mn, equivalent to only around 0.04% of their total investments. The total value of the fraud worldwide is estimated at around €37.4 billion ($50 billion US dollars), and has been described as "the biggest financial scandal, possibly in the history of the markets".
Mr Solbes concluded by saying that the Madoff case is further proof that the "systems of financial supervision and control are failing in some countries."
Notwithstanding, the Santander Group admitted yesterday that it has €2.3 billion euros invested in the firm managed by Bernard Madoff, who was arrested last week and charged with fraud while the BBVA bank estimates its losses at around €30 million.

Mother of missing teenager Amy Fitzpatrick says she won't be celebrating Christmas this year as she continues to wait for news

THE mother of missing teenager Amy Fitzpatrick says she won't be celebrating Christmas this year as she continues to wait for news of her daughter's disappearance.Amy vanished on the evening of January 1 this year, when she left her friend's house in the tourist resort of Riviera Del Sol in Spain's Costa Del Sol, to walk the 15-minute journey home. Mother Audrey Fitzpatrick said: "As well as not being able to do it myself, I don't want to ruin it for my family as well."
She said Amy's accent had changed since the family's move to Spain. "Since living here in Spain, Amy has developed a very strong English accent as all her friends are English. So people may make the mistake of thinking that she has an Irish accent, she doesn't."She was speaking to RTE's 'Crimecall' which travelled to Spain to talk to Ms Fitzpatrick and her partner, Dave Mahon, as they continue their search for Amy. More information is available at www.missingamy.com.'Crimecall' is broadcast tonight on RTE One at 10.15pm.

Robbers have hit at least eight pizza parlors and other stores

Investigators say since mid November, robbers have hit at least eight pizza parlors and other stores. Live 5 News spoke with a Domino's Pizza employee who was robbed after closing up one night last week."I'm still kind of shaken up. I still shake a lot," she said.She told us one of two masked men forced his way in. He wasn't interested in pizza dough. He wanted cash dough."the sound of his voice, I think was very scary for me. He really meant business. He wasn't there to play," the still frightened employee recalled. "Because he was behind me, I didn't know if that gun was gonna go off.""I said if I don't do everything, exactly like he wants me to, then he could just shoot me and I wouldn't even know it was coming. It was scary."
After getting his cash, the robber had one more order and it wasn't for pizza.
"When he got to the front door, he turned around and and I just held my hands like this, what do I do now?" she said. "And he looked at me and said, lock yourself up in the cooler." The robbers apparently don't mind making a repeat performance. Police say me the Domino's on Dorchester Road has been hit at least twice, putting pizza workers on edge.But it's not just pizza parlors being hit. Police say the bandits have also targeted a mattress shop, and a couple of dollar stores.So far a total of 15 businesses have been hit. Eight of them are in unincorporated Charleston County, four are in the city of Charleston, and three are in the city of North Charleston.Fortunately, so far, the robbers haven't turned violent."I hope and pray they don't hurt anybody," the Domino's employee said.

“Housewife Bandits,” was back in court

Rebecca Robertson, one of the “Housewife Bandits,” was back in court Monday afternoon.Rebecca Robertson, 39, and Melanie Clark, 34, are accused of going on shopping sprees using stolen credit cards, debit cards, and checks.Clark has been charged with taking and using stolen credit cards.Robertson has a list of charges including grand larceny, conspiracy, and identity theft.Both women have waived their rights to preliminary hearings. Robertson took a plea deal Monday. She pleaded guilty to all six charges she faced, including grand larceny, conspiracy and identity theft.Robertson was sentenced to ten years in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

Three suspected jeep robbers were killed in a shootout with police

Three suspected jeep robbers were killed in a shootout with police during a predawn encounter near the Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City Tuesday.Radio dzBB reported that the three, who were not immediately identified, were described as 25 to 30 years old, and were clad in T-shirts, denim shorts and sandals.The incident marred an otherwise "peaceful" start to the series of dawn masses leading to Christmas Day.
Police said the robbers had just victimized passengers of a jeep along Quezon Avenue when police guarding the Santo Domingo Church chanced on them.While the suspects tried to flee, they were cornered near the corner of Biak na Bato and Florentino Streets in Quezon City, and allegedly fired at police.Recovered from the three were two cal-.38 revolvers and one grenade.

Joshua A. Turnidge of Salem has been charged with murder and other crimes after a bomb blast at a bank that killed two officers.

Officials identified the suspect Monday as 32-year-old Joshua A. Turnidge of Salem. The Marion County prosecutor's office says he was arrested Sunday after police released surveillance photos of him.The announcement didn't say what led officers to Turnidge but said it wasn't the direct result of a tip.The explosion at a West Coast Bank branch Friday in Woodburn killed two police officers and critically injured the town's police chief.Court officials didn't know Monday whether Turnidge had an attorney. He is to be arraigned Tuesday in Marion County court in Salem. Police arrested a suspect late Sunday in the Oregon bank bombing that killed two officers and critically injured a police chief, authorities said.Sheriff Russ Isham of Marion County declined to release the suspect's name, saying it would jeopardize the integrity of the investigation and the safety of officers still working the case."We do believe the person responsible for the bombing is in custody," Deputy District Attorney Courtland Geyer said late Sunday.The suspect was arrested in Salem, located just south of Woodburn, the small city south of Portland where Friday's bombing occurred.Officers made the arrest shortly after Sheriff Russ Isham of Marion County released surveillance photos of a "person of interest." Geyer would not say if a tip led to the arrest.He also wouldn't disclose if the man in the photos, apparently taken with a security camera, is the same person in custody.Isham would not release the precise location where the arrest took place, and said the suspect's name likely wouldn't be released until Monday afternoon."I'm really proud of those who tirelessly worked to get us to this point and am humbled by the community's support," Isham said. "We know there is still a lot of hard work ahead of us, but this development will help bring relief to the local community and the officer's families."Earlier Sunday, Isham said cell phones and items that might have been used to make the Woodburn bomb were bought in the central Oregon city of Bend last month. Authorities would not elaborate on how cell phones might have been used. Bombers often use cell phone signals to remotely detonate explosives.Geyer said revealing anything about the "manner and build" of the bomb would hurt the investigation.The manager of a Woodburn branch of West Coast Bank found the device Friday after a call about a bomb threat to a nearby Wells Fargo bank branch that turned up a harmless device. The bomb was found outside, but the officers took the bomb into the bank, where it exploded.Woodburn Police Chief Scott Russell remained in critical condition Sunday at a Portland hospital as a result of the blast that killed Woodburn police Capt. Tom Tennant and Oregon State Police Senior Trooper William Hakim.

Man has been arrested after being stopped by a Guardia Civil traffic control in Fasnia for possession of cocaine

45-year-old man has been arrested after being stopped by a Guardia Civil traffic control in Fasnia for possession of cocaine intended for sale. His nervousness gave him away after being pulled over for a routine check, and officers searched his vehicle. They found a bag with 14 grams of cocaine and a weighing scales.

Spain's largest bank Santander said customers of its hedge fund Optimal have an exposure of €2.33 billion to the alleged fraud committed by Madoff.

Spain's largest bank Santander said customers of its hedge fund Optimal have an exposure of €2.33 billion to the alleged fraud committed Madoff. The bank, Europe's second largest by market capitalisation, also said it had invested €17 million of its own funds in Madoff products. “The exposure of Santander customers in Optimal Strategic is €2.33 billion, of which €2.01 billion is from institutional investors and customers from private international banking,” it said in a statement. Madoff was arrested last week for allegedly defrauding his customers through a giant pyramid scheme, with prosecutors alleging that the 70-year-old, a decades-long veteran of Wall Street, confessed to losing at least $US50 billion ($75 billion) in the so-called Ponzi scheme. Madoff's company, Bernard L. Mr Madoff Investment Securities, attracted “the world's financial aristocracy,” said the Spanish newspaper El Pais. Among his clients were international banks as well as discreet private banks and companies involved in managing the fortunes of a single wealthy family. French bank BNP Paribas said it could lose up to €350 million in the scandal. BNP Paribas said that it had no direct investment with Madoff's company but “it does have risk exposure to these funds through its trading business and collateralised lending to funds of hedge funds”. “If, as a result of the alleged fraud, the value of the assets of these hedge funds is nil, BNP Paribas' loss could amount to around €350 million,” the bank said. Swiss bankers face losses of up to $US5 billion, Geneva's Le Temps newspaper said. It said that Union Bancaire Privee, a major asset management institution specialising in hedge funds, could be exposed to the tune of $US1 billion. UBP refused to comment on the report, which said that 90 per cent of fund management companies operating in Geneva invested in Madoff products.Among the small Swiss private banks,Reichmuth & Co warned investors that around Swiss francs 385 million ($493 million), or 3.5 per cent, of its assets under management, were affected by exposure to the alleged pyramid scheme run by Madoff.
In a letter to investors, the Luzern-based private bank said that its Matterhorn fund of hedge funds has exposure to several hedge funds which could be affected by the scheme. "Provided the mentioned hedge funds will have to face a total loss, the performance impact on Reichmuth Matterhorn would amount to 8.6 per cent," the bank said in the letter. Another Spanish fund manager, MandB Capital Advisor, headed by the son of Santander president Emilio Botin, could also be exposed up to hundreds of millions of US dollars. In the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September, Spanish investors had exposure of between €1.3 and €2.6 billion. In London, an investment fund that counted itself a client of Mr Madoff criticised the “systemic failure” of regulators in the United States. Bramdean Alternatives said the accusations against Madoff raised “fundamental questions” about the American financial regulatory system. “It is astonishing that this apparent fraud seems to have been continuing for so long, possibly for decades, while investors have continued to invest more money into the Madoff funds in good faith,” the firm said in a statement. Bramdean Alternatives invested around £21 million ($47 million), or around 9.5 per cent of its portfolio, with Madoff's company. Several British newspapers reported that among Bramdean's clients is property magnate Vincent Tchenguiz, one of Britain's richest men, who apparently invested £40 million pounds with the firm. A spokeswoman for Royal Bank of Scotland said that the bank had “some exposure” to Madoff's company, but declined to give details. Europe's largest bank, HSBC, meanwhile, declined to confirm any relationship with the alleged fraudster. Rumours talk of £400 millions lost.

FORGERY DISTRIBUTION GANG linked to the Italian mafia have been arrested in Alicante

FORGERY DISTRIBUTION GANG linked to the Italian mafia have been arrested in Alicante for dealing and spending counterfeit Euros.The gang are alleged to have purchased the fake cash from the Calabresa Mafia at a price between 30% and 40% of the face value of the notes. They then spent the money in local markets and small shops across the region.The Guardia Civil say they have arrested a total of 20 people in relation to the case, in Alicante, Valencia, Murcia, Málaga, Almería and Lugo, and that the notes were also distributed in Portugal and the North of Africa. 150,000 € worth of 20 and 50€ notes were recovered by the Guardia Civil, in an investigation which started at the end of last year.It’s thought the gang has distributed as much as a million fake Euros since being established.

Spanish investors could have up to 3 billion euros ($3.98 billion) of exposure to funds managed by Wall Street trader Bernard Madoff,

Spanish investors could have up to 3 billion euros ($3.98 billion) of exposure to funds managed by Wall Street trader Bernard Madoff, accused of masterminding a fraud of up to $50 billion, Expansion said on Saturday. 'The first estimates suggest both groups (large fortunes and Spanish funds) could have invested more than 3 billion euros in vehicles managed by Madoff,' the financial daily said without naming its sources. Investors in hedge fund Optimal, run by Spain's largest bank Santander, Santander's private banking subsidiary Banif, M&B Advisers Gestion (M&B Capital Advisers) and Spain's second largest bank BBVA were among those affected, the same sources told the paper. A spokesman for BBVA said BBVA customers in Spain were not exposed to the fraud. 'BBVA has not commercialised in its network of retail clients or private banking in Spain products managed or deposited in Madoff Investment Securities,' he said. A spokesman for Santander declined to comment on whether it had exposure. Santander's Optimal has commercialised more than $3 billion dollars of Madoff funds, the newspaper ABC said, citing data from Bloomberg. Two funds of M&B Capital Advisers have $578 million invested in a Madoff hedge fund, ABC said, citing Bloomberg data. No one was available to comment at M&B Capital Advisers.

Codenamed Highcro and made up of gangs squad officers, the strikeforce will examine the series of shootings in western Sydney.

Rebels and the Bandidos is being linked to as many as 13 shootings on Sydney streets in just over two weeks.A new elite police unit, originally set up to investigate the night-time shooting of a gang member in Seven Hills last month, is widening its net to examine the outbreak of violence among the outlaw gangs.Codenamed Highcro and made up of gangs squad officers, the strikeforce will examine the series of shootings in western Sydney.On November 28, a 25-year-old was shot several times in the head and chest while a passenger in a car driving on the Prospect Highway. The car was hit by about 19 bullets fired from at least two high-powered rifles. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition.The Highcro detectives are using that incident as a springboard to look at 12 other shootings they believe may be linked to the warring bikie gangs, who have a history of enmity that often boils over into street warfare.A prominent Bandido was murdered in Melbourne in October and rumours of a planned "hit" marred the Friday extradition hearing in New Zealand of a Rebel member accused of a vicious bashing in Queensland last year.Only four days after the Seven Hills shooting, a Gypsy Joker was shot and knocked from his bike as he rode on the Great Western Highway before midnight.In the early hours of the same day, December 2, a tattoo parlour in Belmore and a Bass Hill house were fired at. No one was injured in either shooting. Since then there have been nine shootings across Sydney's west.The NSW violence comes on the back of a flare-up between the two gangs in Victoria. On October 22, a Bandidos enforcer, 51-year-old Ross Brand, was shot dead outside the gang's Geelong clubhouse.Two brothers, both members of the Rebels, have been charged with his murder.The continuing gang violence has also led to high security during an extradition hearing for New Zealander and Rebel member Peter Douglas Rauhina, 37.The first Sydney arrests in relation to the feud occurred on Wednesday night, when police pulled over four men in a Holden Commodore for a routine check and discovered two semi-automatic rifles, one loaded.Half an hour before the road stop, a house in Sadlier, believed to be linked to the Rebels, had been shot at. The four men, aged 21 to 46, are understood to be Bandidos associates.

Daniel Paul Johnston and Keith Burke have been arrested

28 year old Daniel Paul Johnston and 47 year old Keith Burke have been arrested in what is more success for the crimestoppers campaign.Both men were on the top 30 most wanted list, with Johnston found in the Sevilla village of Pruna following a tip-off. He is reported to have been living there as a handyman. He’s wanted for armed raids in Derbyshire in 2004 and 2005 and is expected to return to England for questioning.Keith Burke, known as ‘Tattooed Keith’ because of a devil and swallow tattoos on his neck, is wanted in connection with an attack on a bar near Doncaster in 2001.

Alan Dickson, 37, from Falkland in Fife, masterminded an operation to smuggle over one million pounds worth of cannabis into Scotland from Spain.

Alan Dickson, 37, from Falkland in Fife, masterminded an operation to smuggle over one million pounds worth of cannabis into Scotland from Spain. In 2002 he was caught and jailed for ten years. However, he allegedly fled Castle Huntly jail four years later. This month he was returned to Scotland after being discovered in the Costa Del Sol. He appeared on petition from custody at Perth Sheriff Court accused of walking out of the jail on 28 December 2006 and spending two years on the run.
He is also accused of defeating the ends of justice by absconding from the jail while serving a ten-year sentence imposed at the High Court in Edinburgh on 5 March 2002. Dickson made a brief appearance in private and made no plea or declaration in relation to the absconding charge. He was fully committed for trial and remanded in custody after making no application for bail. In 2002, the High Court in Edinburgh heard how Dickson was the head of a gang smuggling cannabis to Scotland from his home in holiday resort Torremelinos. Dickson, who was also jailed for five years for drug trafficking in 1997, dispatched couriers with suitcases packed with cannabis resin from his apartment.

Record $1 million (£680,000) reward is on offer to find jewellery stolen in a £74 million robbery in Paris last week

Loss adjusters working for insurers Lloyd's of London said that the maximum reward would go to "the first person who can provide information leading to the recovery" of the gems.Four gunmen - three dressed in drag - made off with sacks of gems, watches and necklaces in a dusk raid last Thursday on the luxury Harry Winston boutique, near the Champs-Elysées.The Robbery, which was over in 15 minutes without a shot being fired, came a year after another smaller multi-million-pound robbery at the same store. A reward was also offered then, but to no avail.Police said they were dealing with "major professionals" who had meticulously planned their raid, even knowing the first names of some of the staff and making a bee-line for hidden safety boxes.Investigators have been studying film from security cameras within the shop and on the fashionable Avenue Montaigne outside, but have few clues due to the thieves' disguises. Witnesses were not even able to say in which direction the robbers escaped.The four men spoke French with east European accents.Investigators have suggested that the stolen jewels - once dismantled - could easily be sold in eastern Europe, described as a "new El Dorado for traffickers," although not at market prices.Harry Winston has sold jewels to some of the biggest names in showbiz over the decades, from Jennifer Lopez to Marilyn Monroe - who mentioned the boutique by name in the song Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend.Other famous customers in Paris have included the Shah of Iran and Jackie Kennedy.

"I woke up to two men standing over me with ski masks and guns,"

"I woke up to two men standing over me with ski masks and guns," Brian Boyce said.
The intruders tied him up, slipped a nylon bag over his head and ransacked his home, said Boyce, 29.They used a stun gun to zap Boyce in the shoulder and leg, he said.
Now, Snohomish County sheriff's deputies are looking for the two armed men who barged into the Lynnwood-area home.Just after 11 a.m. the robbers entered the home in the 16600 block of 48th Avenue W., Snohomish County sheriff's Lt. Steve Dittoe said.The two men demanded cash and access to a home safe, Dittoe said.
Boyce said he doesn't have a safe."I felt helpless," he said. "They wanted this thing from me and there was no thing here."The robbers took electronics and other valuables from Boyce's home, he said. They also fled in one of his cars, a red Toyota Celica with a Washington license plate of either 524 KZI or 982 XHD.

Nassau police are linking 28 of the 74 bank robberies so far this year to four heroin users.

Bank robberies are up more than 50 percent in Nassau County this year, an increase authorities are attributing to a handful of serial robbers who have stolen money from multiple banks, including four heroin users stealing to pay for their costly habit.In New York City, robberies also are up more than 50 percent, a spike authorities attribute to banks having longer hours and more customer-friendly features, such as no Plexiglas or barriers.While an ailing economy may be sparking the rise, Nassau police are linking 28 of the 74 bank robberies so far this year to four heroin users. The drug's use has been a growing problem in a county where teenagers have died from heroin overdoses in record numbers and lawmakers have proposed legislation to combat the problem."There is definitely a recognizable increase in heroin use among our bank robbers," said Det. Sgt. John Giambrone, commander of the Nassau police robbery squad. "Several serial bank robbers were doing it to support their drug habits."

Man who robbed a woman in New Kingston today is now in hospital under police guard after he was shot by a security guard.

Man who robbed a woman in New Kingston today is now in hospital under police guard after he was shot by a security guard. The other two men are in police custody.
Their identities have not been released, as the men are to be placed on an identification parade. The police say shortly after 11 this morning a woman left a bank in New Kingston and was about to enter her car when a man approached her. The man grabbed a large envelope from the woman and ran towards a motorbike where his accomplices were waiting. Security guards from the bank reportedly chased the robber. It’s further reported that the man pulled a firearm and was shot and injured by the guard. One of the injured man’s accomplices then reportedly grabbed the envelope and ran. Members of a police team who were near by gave chase and later retrieved the envelope after the robber fell. The third man escaped but was held later by another police team. The police say the envelope contained lodgment books and other bank documents. In the meantime, Deputy Superintendent McAuthur Sutherland is imploring people transacting business during the upcoming festive season to be extremely careful. Persons must be more aware of their surroundings and should always be vigilant. The police will be increasing their presence in highly commercial areas in an effort to reduce robberies and theft during the Christmas season, he added.

Police in Battle Creek are investigating an armed robbery

Police in Battle Creek are investigating an armed robbery that occurred on Tuesday night.It happened around 8 p.m. In the 1500 block of Northeast Capital Avenue.Police say that a 29-year-old woman had been walking to her car in a parking lot when she was approached by two men who threatened her with a handgun.The woman gave the men her wallet, which contained $26.Police searched the area with a K9 unit, but didn't find anything.Police are now looking for the two men.

Armed robbers entered a home, tasered the owner, tied him up and took off in his car Tuesday morning.

Armed robbers entered a home, tasered the owner, tied him up and took off in his car Tuesday morning. The robbery happened at about 11 a.m. the 16600 block of 48th Avenue West, a residential area just north of Lynnwood. Brian Boyce was asleep on his couch when the men walked in. He had left the door unlocked because he had been out of the house earlier in the morning. "Next thing I know, I woke up to two guys with ski masks on with guns pointed at me,” said Boyce. He says the men demanded to know where the safe was. The robbers bound his hands and feet with plastic zip ties and put a bag over his head. The pair ransacked the place, but not before they pulled out a taser and zapped Boyce twice on the back. Two small marks are left where the electrodes burned him. "I was starting to cry and I was ready to just give up. I was sobbing and thought it was over,” said Boyce. The robbers took Boyce’s computer, some tools and then grabbed the keys to his red Toyota Celica and took off. Once he was able to free himself, Boyce called police. By the time they arrived, the robbers were gone. So is Boyce’s sense of security. "They stole that from me. I don't feel safe here no more,” said Boyce. The car police are looking for is a red 1990 Toyota Celica. Boyce buys and sells cars and says the Celica may have one or two license plate numbers, either 524KZI or 982XHD. Police do not believe this is related to another home invasion robbery last week in the Snohomish area.

Police say Tawaun Scott walked into the IBC Bank in south Tulsa

Police release the name of a man suspected of robbing a bank over the weekend.
It happened at the IBC Bank in south Tulsa on Saturday.Police say Tawaun Scott walked into the bank and demanded cash.Witnesses told police he made his get away in a white Ford Taurus.Investigators believe the same man robbed another IBC Bank earlier this year.

Mark Anthony Santos, 20, and his 17-year-old companion, were hiding in a house in Holy Cross in Novaliches when arrested.

Two of four robbers of an Internet cafe, one of them a minor, were arrested in their hideout in Quezon City before dawn Wednesday, a radio report said.Radio dzBB's Roland Bola reported that Mark Anthony Santos, 20, and his 17-year-old companion, were hiding in a house in Holy Cross in Novaliches when arrested.Police said the two had taken part in robbing an Internet shop in Caloocan City hours earlier, taking P20,000 cash, three computer units and a PlayStation-2 console.Annabelle Ilarde, owner of the Internet shop, identified the two as among the robbers.But police said that while they recovered from the two a cal-.38 revolver, they failed to get the missing P20,000

Monthly meeting of bikers two masked and machete-wielding men who barged into a club in Sydney, Australia,

Two masked and machete-wielding men who barged into a club in Sydney, Australia, couldn’t have picked a worse night for their robbery — a monthly meeting of bikers.
About 50 burly bikers fought back with tables and chairs — pretty much anything that wasn’t bolted down. One would-be robber was tied up; the other in the hospital.Police arrested both.“These guys were absolutely dumb as bricks,” Jerry Vancornewal, leader of the bikers, told CNN Thursday. “I can’t believe they saw all the bikes parked up front and they were so stupid that they walked past in.”Vancornewal and his buddies were at the Regents Park Sporting and Community Club in Sydney when the two men wearing ski masks stormed in Wednesday night. They yelled at patrons to drop to the floor as they emptied cash registers at the bar.
Hearing the commotion from an adjacent room, Vancornewal and his pals with the Southern Cross Cruiser motorcycle club stomped through to the bar area to intervene.
“They (the robbers) thought they had the upper advantage with their knives and their machetes,” Jim Webb, night supervisor of the club, told CNN. “They didn’t expect to run into a bunch of guys carrying chairs and tables.”One of the would-be robbers crashed through a plate-glass door and jumped off a balcony.“All he had to do was push the button and it automatically opened,” Webb quipped.New South Wales police said they arrested the 20-year-old man a short distance away.The second man made a break for it through the club’s service entrance, but the bikers tackled him near a neighbor’s fence.“We just grabbed him, crash-tackled him to the ground, hogtied him with electrical wire and left him for the cops,” Vancornewal said.Police confirmed in a statement that club patrons subdued the second man until officers arrived, but did not provide additional details. The suspect turned out to be a 16-year-old boy.
Both would-be robbers were charged with attempted armed robbery and “face disguised with intent to commit indictable offense,” police said.
A third person, who was waiting in a getaway car, took off when the bikers threw pieces of furniture at him, Webb said. Police have not located him.
The Regents Park Sporting and Community Club is a place where locals come to enjoy drinks and take part in various games: cricket, soccer, lawn bowling. The biking enthusiasts meet there once a month to plan rides and other club activities.
In the last year or so, criminals have struck the club about 10 times, Webb said. And Wednesday night’s incident, while unusual, wasn’t the most memorable.
“We have these old bingo players and they are really serious about their games,” Webb explained. “They do not like to be interrupted.”When robbers barged in one evening and announced that they were holding up the place, the players turned around and testily told them to be quiet.
“They were making it difficult for the players to hear the numbers being called,” Webb said.

Catawba County grocer took the law into his own hands when two people allegedly tried breaking into his store

Catawba County grocer took the law into his own hands when two people allegedly tried breaking into his store early Saturday morning. About 3 a.m., two robbers broke into the Randy Willis Grocery in Vale. Willis was in the store at the time and shot both would-be robbers. One person died at the scene, another was taken to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his shoulder.As of right now, Willis has not been charged with anything. The case will be presented to the Catawba County District Attorney. Charges are currently pending for Arnold Eugene Ray Jr. He could face charges of breaking and entering, robbery with a dangerous weapon and kidnapping.
A female has also been arrested in this case. Rebecca Jean Holman has been charged with breaking and entering. She allegedly dropped off the suspects at the store. Her bond has been set at $10,000. As of noon Sunday, the sheriff had not identified the deceased or reported new charges in the case.

Sacramento police are asking for help identifying two masked robbers

Sacramento Police Department
Sacramento police are asking for help identifying two masked robbers who robbed a AM/PM at 2933 65th St. on Nov. 24. This is a photo of one of the suspects.



Sacramento police asked for help Sunday in identifying two masked men responsible for an armed robbery last month. They are hoping people may recognize the clothing worn by the robbers.On Nov. 24, a masked man went into the AM/PM Mini-Mart at 2933 65th St. with a handgun. He ordered the clerk to the ground then dragged him by his feet into the back office. While in the back office, a second masked man came into the store, walked over to the cash register and removed cash from the drawer, according to a press release from the Sacramento Police Department.Police said both men left from the back door and drove off in a newer black, possibly four-door import sedan. Both robbers were described as men of average height and weight. The first man, who had a black handgun, wore a dark-colored ski mask, gray hooded sweatshirt, white gloves, light-colored pants and dark shoes, police said.The second man wore a black ski mask, a black hooded jacket, black gloves, green camouflage pants and dark colored shoes, police said.

police killed members of a robbery gang that they said planned to strike in Parañaque City

Less than three days after a bloody encounter in Parañaque City, police shot dead in northern Metro Manila early Monday two more suspected members of a robbery gang linked to a series of violent robberies in past months.
Despite advances made against a robbery gang last week, police on Monday warned of more possible robberies as many gang members are still on the loose.In a radio interview, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Leopoldo Bataoil said despite the killing of members of a robbery gang in two incidents in the last four days, they have not let down their guard against remnants of the gangs.
Bataoil said police are now focusing on intelligence work against robbery groups.
"Yan ang ating projection ... Kaya nga ito todo ang ating intelligence operations at saka pag-raid sa safehouses nila, pag-monitor at pag-follow-up at pursuit operation sa remnants (That is ourprojection. That is why we have intensified intelligence operations and raids on safe houses)," Bataoil said in an interview on dwIZ radio, when asked if the attempted robberies may escalate.
On Friday night, police killed members of a robbery gang that they said planned to strike in Parañaque City. However, five civilians were also killed in the incident.At least two more suspected robbers were shot dead in a predawn encounter in northern Metro Manila Monday.Bataoil said the gang had been behind a series of violent robberies, including the one at Veterans Bank in the University of the Philippines in Quezon City."Let us not take this very lightly, mabigaat ang mga ito (Let's not take this lightly. These are serious criminals)," Bataoil said.

O.J. Simpson's rambling apology in a Las Vegas courtroom was the last-ditch bid for leniency by a "monster," the family of Ron Goldman said Monday.

O.J. Simpson's rambling apology in a Las Vegas courtroom was the last-ditch bid for leniency by a "monster," the family of Ron Goldman said Monday."I don't believe for one single second he has an ounce of remorse in his body," Fred Goldman said on NBC's "Today." "He's never apologized for anything that he's horribly done in his life."Goldman said Simpson's emotional, five-minute plea Friday over his confrontation last year with sports memorabilia dealers was that of "a monster who was simply trying to find a way to get the judge to give him a better deal."Simpson was sentenced to 9 to 33 years in prison on 12 charges, including kidnapping and armed robbery, in the confrontation over collectibles that the former football star insisted were stolen from him.Simpson's Oct. 3 conviction with a co-defendant in the Las Vegas case came 13 years to the day after he was cleared in the slaying of Ron Goldman and Simpson's ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson.In a 1997 civil trial, Simpson was found liable for the deaths and ordered to pay a $33.5 million judgment to the victims' families.Ron Goldman's sister, Kim Goldman, called Simpson's Las Vegas sentencing a "good day for us. ... It's been a long time coming."

Jonathan Atkins, 21, and Raymond Little, 18, are allegedly followed people who had won money as they were leaving casinos to head home and then robbed

Two men suspected in a string of robberies at local casinos were in custody Sunday, according to a sheriff's lieutenant. Jonathan Atkins, 21, and Raymond Little, 18, are allegedly followed people who had won money as they were leaving casinos to head home and then robbed them. They were swarmed by sheriff's deputies about 1 a.m. Saturday at a gas station at Western and Fountain avenues in Hollywood. They were in a car with North Carolina license plates, police said. The two were wanted in connection with a follow-home robbery last week in Orange County, in which they allegedly followed a man from the Commerce Casino to his Lake Forrest home and robbed him at gunpoint. Police believe the duo have committed several other similar crimes. Each one is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Elizabeth Tarke,Ex-teller pleads guilty to aiding bank robbers

Ex-teller pleads guilty to aiding bank robbers: A former head bank teller pleaded guilty Thursday to aiding and abetting bank robbers who threatened her family if she did not help with the heist.Elizabeth Tarke, 41, of Olney, faces 10 years in prison. Authorities said Tarke, the head bank teller at the Wheaton branch of BB&T, was home when someone walked up to her 9-year-old daughter and pointed a gun to her head. She later received a letter threatening to harm her daughter and family if Tarke didn’t cooperate in a robbery of the bank the following month. On Jan. 9, 2008, Tarke let a man posing as armored truck guard into the bank where he walked off with $547,500 in cash.

"the steal of the century."Jewelry worth $108 million from a Harry Winston boutique in Paris, in one of the world's largest jewel heists.

Armed robbers wearing women's wigs and clothing made off with diamond rings, gem-studded bracelets and other jewelry worth $108 million from a Harry Winston boutique in Paris, in one of the world's largest jewel heists.As Christmas shoppers strolled outside, the gunmen forced store employees to strip rings, necklaces and earrings from window displays and pull more out of safes, Isabelle Montagne, spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor's office, said Friday.The brazen robbery early Thursday evening took place in the presence of security guards and security cameras in one of Paris' toniest shopping locales, just steps away from the tourist-filled Champs-Elysees. Besides Harry Winston, Nina Ricci, Gucci, Chanel and Dior are among the fashion houses with boutiques on the Avenue Montaigne.The robbers threatened the 15 employees with handguns and hit some on the head, according to a police official who cannot be identified under agency policy. The robbers spoke a foreign language at times and appeared to know employees' names, the official said.Montagne said there was only one client in the store at the time, and no one was injured and no weapons were fired. She called the incident "very well-organized," and said three of the four gunmen were dressed as women and wore wigs.Investigators seized the store's surveillance tapes and police said one group under suspicion was the so-called "Pink Panthers," a ring of jewel thieves mostly from the former Yugoslavia. The international police agency Interpol has blamed the group for jewel thefts in 19 countries in Europe, Asia and the Persian Gulf worth more than $150 million over the past 10 years.Paris' Harry Winston boutique was targeted in a similar heist last year, when three thieves made off with $28.4 million worth of jewels after forcing employees to open safes. They were never caught.French police called Thursday's robbery one of the world's costliest jewel thefts. Five years ago, robbers plundered 123 maximum-security vaults in Antwerp, Belgium, stealing $100 million worth of diamonds in what was then considered the biggest jewel theft.The Paris robbers chose one of the world's most glamorous targets: Harry Winston jewels have adorned Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth Taylor, Madonna and numerous Hollywood celebrities. The jeweler is famous for its one-of-a-kind diamond-studded pendants, opulent chandelier earrings and colored diamonds in vivid shades of yellow, blue and pink."We are cooperating with the authorities in their investigation. Our first concern is the well-being of our employees," New York-based Harry Winston said. Rhonda Barnat, a spokeswoman for the company, did not provide further details.The boutique was closed Friday, and three of its five display windows stood empty of their usual stunning jewelry. Vendors at the nearby Louis Vuitton and Max Mara boutiques said they did not notice anything unusual Thursday — until police sirens wailed.Harry Winston declared to insurers that the stolen goods were worth $108 million (euro85 million), the Paris prosecutor's office said.Geoff Field, CEO of the British Jewelers' Association, called it a "pretty sensational" robbery, but added: "There are well-known gangs around looking to target high-value diamonds."He stressed the stolen jewels would be difficult to sell "through any legitimate channels.""They will undoubtedly be certified," he said, adding: "There will be a record of their quality, their cut, their weight, their color, and they will be identifiable."
Passers-by at the Harry Winston store wondered the same thing Friday.
"How do you fence it? How do you get rid of it?" asked tourist Richard Conacher, a 39-year-old hotelier from Melbourne, Australia. "You'd have to think they were famous pieces."A half-century ago, company founder Harry Winston donated the Hope Diamond — the world's largest blue diamond and famed for the bad luck that it brought its owners — to the Smithsonian Institution. Thursday's robbery comes as a security monitoring group for the French jewelry industry has reported a 20 percent rise in armed robberies over last year, with 132 taking place through November.Armed robbers stole gems worth 85 million euros ($108 million) from luxury jewelers in the heart of Paris, during a raid described by French media Friday as the most lucrative heist in France's history.The Harry Winston chain, long a favorite among the world's rich and famous, once provided jewels to the Shah of Iran for his wedding and to Richard Burton for his wife Elizabeth Taylor.A spokeswoman at the Paris prosecutors' office said the Harry Winston store, located just off the Champs Elysees on an avenue of luxury outlets, had declared 85 million euros' worth of losses to its insurers after Thursday's hold-up.

"These are experienced bandits. They got through the main door without drawing attention to themselves. In less than 20 minutes they got up to the first floor, emptied the safes and the display cases and left through the door," she said.

A police spokesman said the gang of four men, one or two of them disguised as women, threatened customers and pistol-whipped some of the staff. They appeared very well-prepared."Apparently they knew the names of several of the staff," the spokesman said.The raid came a year almost to the day after the same store was attacked by robbers who forced staff to empty its safes, taking at least $16 million worth of jewels.Experts at the prosecutors' office said the jewels and luxury watches stolen Thursday could not be sold in their present form as they would be too easily recognized. They said organized crime networks capable of finding buyers for the gems outside of France were likely to be involved in the heist.The firm shows on its website a gem bought by the late shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis to present to former U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy as an engagement ring.It also has more recent pictures of movie actresses Gwyneth Paltrow, Hilary Swank and Scarlett Johansson wearing its jewels.The French celebrity press reported earlier this year that President Nicolas Sarkozy gave a Harry Winston ring to model-turned-popstar Carla Bruni for their engagement, though the information has not been officially confirmed.

Police constable was shot dead and his colleague was injured during a shoot out between police and robbers outside a supermarket in Harare

Police constable was shot dead and his colleague was injured during a shoot out between police and robbers outside a supermarket in Harare, Khayelitsha on Sunday.
The police were called out to a robbery in progress at Score supermarket at about 6.15am and arrived as the robbers were leaving the shop.A shoot-out ensued during which Constable Tueiho Thokolo was shot and killed and his colleague, a reservist-constable, was shot in his upper left leg, said police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Billy Jones.The reservist-constable is currently in a serious but stable condition in a hospital, while particulars of his dead colleague will be released later, said JonesOne of the robbers was shot in the head during the shoot out and died at the scene.A 9mm firearm was found in his possession and confiscated. Two other suspects fled the scene with R6 000 and a cellphone and are still at large.

police are looking for three suspects in connection with a burglary that sent two residents to the hospital with minor gunshot injuries

Sioux Falls police are looking for three suspects in connection with a burglary that sent two residents to the hospital with minor gunshot injuries.It happened just after 2 a.m. Monday in the central part of town.The man who called 911 said three men wearing masks and bandanas and carrying at least two handguns broke into the apartment and he was hit in the foot when one of the guns went off.A female resident received a graze wound to the foot.The resident said the intruders took several electronics items before leaving.

Tharod Bell,and James Herard, are accused in the Nov. 27 shooting of Kiem Huynh,

Two men suspected of being involved in a recent rash of shootings and robberies at several South Florida Dunkin' Donuts shops will be charged with first-degree murder after one of their victims died in the hospital, the Broward Sheriff's Office said today.Tharod Bell, 21, of Fort Lauderdale, and James Herard, 19, of Lauderhill, are accused in the Nov. 27 shooting of Kiem Huynh, 56, of Fort Lauderdale, authorities said.Huynh, a customer, was shot in the back during a robbery of a Dunkin' Donuts store in Tamarac. He died Sunday.Four other people were wounded in a Nov. 26 attack on a Dunkin' Donuts in Delray Beach. three others are accused of robbing Dunkin' Donuts stores in Broward and Palm Beach counties: Jonathan Jackson, 23, of Lauderhill; Charles Faustin, 18, of Fort Lauderdale; and Calvin Weatherspoon, 20, of Lauderdale Lakes.All are being held without bond on armed robbery charges.In another development, police said the Nov. 14 shotgun death of a 39-year-old man in Lauderhill has been linked to the suspects.Eric Jean-Pierre, 39, was killed with a blast from a shotgun as he walked in the 2100 block of Northwest 55th Avenue on his way home from work, said police Capt. Rick Rocco.No other details were immediately available.The suspects are accused of also robbing a Dunkin' Donuts in Sunrise on Nov. 24 and a 7-Eleven store in Pompano Beach on Nov. 26, the Sheriff's Office said.
Five shotgun shells, dark-colored clothing, bandanas and victims' credit cards were found at the home of Jackson's girlfriend, according to court documents.Sheriff's detectives searched the home just hours after his Wednesday arrest, according to a search warrant made available today.One of his alleged accomplices told investigators that the shotgun shells could be found in the home, according to the search warrant.In addition, detectives videotaped Jackson talking about the shotgun shells when he was placed in an interview room with Weatherspoon, court records show.
"I should have gotten rid of the spent shells in the top dresser drawer," Jackson said on tape.

Icod de los Vinos Guardia Civil have arrested a 22-year-old woman for possession of 29 bags of cocaine

Icod de los Vinos Guardia Civil have arrested a 22-year-old woman for possession of 29 bags of cocaine amounting to 15 grams which she is presumed to have intended to sell. The woman was caught on the TF5 by a checkpoint, and the cocaine was seized along with 160€ which is thought likely to be the proceeds of previous sales.

Drug trafficking gang operating in the Canary Islands have been arrested in a series of raids in Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria.

Drug trafficking gang operating in the Canary Islands have been arrested in a series of raids in Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria. According to a Guardia Civil statement released yesterday, the gang had laundered part of the proceeds by investing in local business such as restaurants and bars, and buying property, while the rest was diverted to bank accounts in Morocco and Melilla. A total of 800kg of cannabis has been confiscated, 300kg of which was discovered in a lorry on board a ferry travelling from Fuertventura to Las Palmas while the remaining 500kg was found during a search of a chalet on the outskirts of Pájara in southern Fuertventura.
It seems that the drugs were smuggled from north Africa using high-powered motor launches, four of which have been confiscated. Sixteen bank accounts have been blocked and embargoes have been imposed on several chalets, apartments, and garages, as well as two restaurants and a bar, in Puerto del Rosario, Cotillo and Antigua.

Plot to import millions of pounds worth of drugs into the UK was foiled when Spanish police became suspicious of a consignment of five pallets

Plot to import millions of pounds worth of drugs into the UK was foiled when Spanish police became suspicious of a consignment of five pallets awaiting shipment to Cumbria, a court heard. Police in Seville opened the boxes and found more than four tonnes of cannabis which would have been worth £12 million if it had reached the streets of Britain.They replaced the drugs with sand and bricks and sent the load on its way.Then, a jury at Carlisle Crown Court was told, they alerted their counterparts in Cumbria, so they were waiting when the consignment arrived at a cash and carry warehouse in Windermere.The alleged ringleaders were arrested on the spot and charged with various drug-dealing and money-laundering crimes.Further investigations showed that cannabis worth a total of £35m could have been sent in four previous consignments.The prosecution says a gang of local people, led by George Tymoszycki of Storrs Park, Bowness-on-Windermere, were involved in importing the cannabis.Tymoszycki died in June.Those on trial are his ex-wife Sharon Ambrose, 48, of Storrs Park, Bowness-on-Windermere; John James Nightingale, 65, of Lane End West, Windermere who runs Lakes Car Hire in Windermere and Duncan William Maxwell, 43, of Lake Road, Windermere. Nightingale has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to supply cannabis and to money laundering, while Ambrose and Maxwell have both denied money laundering.The court was told that Nightingale supervised the deliveries while Nightingale, Maxwell and Ambrose then put the money through their bank accounts in an attempt to hide its origin.The trial is expected to last about three weeks.

Guardia Civil arrested a 50-year-old German yesterday for trying to bring 1,090 grams of cocaine into Tenerife through the airport.

Guardia Civil arrested a 50-year-old German yesterday for trying to bring 1,090 grams of cocaine into Tenerife through the airport. The arrest was made in the arrivals hall when Guardia Civil officers approached the man and asked the reason for his visit to Tenerife. Apparently, he was unable to give a convincing reason, and although a search of his suitcase revealed nothing, he was taken to a hospital centre in Santa Cruz for X-rays where it was established that he was carrying the drugs inside his body. The packets were expelled under medical control, and turned out to be 88 capsules of cocaine amounting to 1,090 gramos.