27 March 2012

A justice collaborator talks about the 'Ndrangheta

Antonino Belnome, former boss of a 'Ndrangheta group, has witnessed during a trial in Milan, revealing some dynamics of the 'Ndrangheta in Lombardy.

21 March 2012

Illegal logging big business for organised gangs, World Bank reports

A new World Bank report released shows how countries can effectively fight illegal logging through the criminal justice system, punish organised crime, and trace and confiscate illegal logging profits.

What would Wilson tell Mexico?

I'm not sure that Wilson actually said what this guy imputes to him, but I must admit that our University Library never had any Wilson on its shelves. Must go have another look at him.

20 March 2012

US Imposes Sanctions On Japan’s Yakuza Crime Syndicate – OpEd

On Friday, President Obama identified the Japanese crime gang Yakuza as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization as defined in his Executive Order 13581 (Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations) of July 24, 2011. and charged the Treasury Department with pursuing additional sanctions against their members and supporters, according to a Treasury Department report.

Transnational criminals are now more entrepreneurial and sophisticated, and their growing infiltration of licit commerce and economic activity fundamentally threatens the free markets and financial systems that are critical to the stability and efficiency of the global economy, a law enforcement executive who requested anonymity said on Saturday.

Nowhere to turn: Britain's sex slaves

For women trafficked to the UK and forced into prostitution, escape from their captors is no guaranteee of a happy ending.

The Drug Data Warehouse: Linking data on drug misusers and drug-misusing offenders

Havent had time to read it in detail, but there will presumably be lots of studies like these coming out as databases become increasingly linked.

19 March 2012

U.S. accelerating cyberweapon research

Article from Washington Post is actually a piece on problems. Lead time to develop specific attacks is about a year, which is too long...Also looking at how to attack stuff not connected to the Internet, particularly via wireless.

Camorra: clan-enterpreneurs deals, 47 arrests in Naples

Naples - The Tax Police is taking 60 provisional measures. The following measures (22 in jail, 25 under home arrests and 13 bans from living in the province) have been taken against a national enterprise, professionals and public employees working in judicial offices in the province of Naples, and members of the Fabbrocino clan. Among the people under arrest, there are also 16 tax court judges. Property has been seized amounting to one billion euros, including current accounts, company shares, financial transactions, land plots, estates and automobiles. . .
(http://www.agi.it/english-version/italy/elenco-notizie/201203190821-cro-ren1006-camorra_clan_enterpreneurs_deals_47_arrests_in_naples)


In Italian: 

Riciclaggio,megablitz della Finanza
coinvolti 16 giudici tributari

http://napoli.repubblica.it/cronaca/2012/03/19/news/megablitz_della_finanza_sssssssssss-31794833/ 

Here the Financial time link

16 March 2012

15 March 2012

EU set up special committee on organised crime

The European Parliament has joined the fight against organised crime, corruption and money laundering by creating a special committee, which has one year to investigate the infiltration of the EU’s legal economy, public administration and financial systems by organised crime, including mafias, and propose ways to fight it.

14 March 2012

13 March 2012

prison overcrowding in Italy

Italy has a serious problem with prison overcrowding. Data on suicides and other self-harming behaviours occurring in Italian prisons are worrying. Foreign inmates are a big percentage of prison population, even if often for trivial offences or awaiting trial. This inquiry shows the (terrific) sitaution in the prison of Canton Monbello (Lombardy).

Olympics 2012 security: welcome to lockdown London

Nice piece on the security industry and their agenda for the modern city...or is it about the Olympics? Or just London? Are they all Judge Dredd reading geeks?

07 March 2012

Mafia money laundering in Northern Italy

Italy's Anti-Mafia Directorate has seized assets worth 20 million euros linked to Giovanni Puma, a Sicilan man connected with the Mafia. Investigations have shown the involvement of tens of societies operating both in Italy (the article focuses on a society in Padua) and abroad.

05 March 2012

Merseyside detectives launch cannabis crackdown as 70,000 plants seized and 1,200 arrests made

Ah. Turns out that the figures are for the last three years. Detectives claim that local organised crime groups have pushed aside far eastern groups and local amateurs to take profits to fund their own activities.