Pakistan roots to Moscow attack?

A new source for this blog: the Asia Times. Its a bit slow to load because it carries far too many ads. But this piece is worth it, discussing al Qaeda's desire to open a Northern front within Central Asia. The goal is the creation of the Emirate of Khurastan. dont say I never try to bring you new perspectives!

The Terrorism Hydra

Comment piece, again from Moscow Times. I am assuming that you can all access the everyday articles in the western press, so the Moscow spin may provide a different angle and maybe different data.

Police nab Basayev's former driver

Bashkortostan? What did that use to be called? Bashkir ASSR? Near Chelyabinsk and Muslim. A "persistent terrorist financing channel" eliminated. Another place to research. Quite large, mineral rich and secular Muslim but with an insurgent group. I will try and find out more.

Analysis: Bombings unlikely to prompt sharp Kremlin response

Interesting piece from the Moscow Times on differences between Medvedev and Putin, but also arguing that the response to terrorism has become more sophisticated.

ACPO to be covered by Freedom of Information laws

Well, yippee! Maybe now we will be able to get some knowledge of the committee structure and see if there are any poentially corrupt linkages out there as ACPO members retire into private practice. Don't hold your breath. "ACPO to be accountable to the public and Parliament"...now that would be a headline!

U.S. Forces set sights on Taliban Bastion of Kandahar

Odd but interesting. Its really more about Karzai's brother and allegations that he protects narcotics traffickers, which is why it is appropriate for this blog. It also suggests that the US is going to take over command in Helmand....which leaves me thinking, "so where are the British going fo go?" Crime, tribalism, insurgents: the Washington Post piece provides a peek into the heady brew that is Afghanistan.

Militia Charged with Plotting to Murder officers

Ive been noticing references to this story, but thought it would be about somewhere in the Middle east of South East Asia. Nope. Its Michigan, USA. The group is called the Hutaree and have been accused of classic terrorist planning and attempting to provoke an anti-government uprising. But it's all, allegedly, really about the apocalypse.

Dutch coffee shop fined 10m euros for breaking drug laws

Convicted of keeping more than permittted amount. Shop on Belgian border.

British gang behind Europe's biggest "boiler room" fraud arrested

Scam involves persuading investors to buy shares in a non-existent company.

China "set to produce more legal highs"

This is a Sky News story, reported by the Independent. Alleges that there is a factory in China making drugs for UK consumption, under UK advice..."a worker" is quoted. I think we need a bit more evidence here!

Cost of bribes more than doubles in 2009

From the Moscow Times. Average bribe up to 23,000 roubles [$780] up from 9,000 roubles in 2008. Lots of good information in this piece.

Dordogne drug raids linked to Premier League

Allegedly, Britons in France being investigated for money-laundering linked to cocaine deals. They apparenttly claim the cash was from transfer deals...There have been rumours for years, but no prosecutions have occurred yet. Could be dynamite or could be nothing. We will have to wait and see.

Europe lacks resources to tackle cross-border crime says Eurojust

New chief, Aled Williams [didnt he sing the theme to the Snowman?]going through his confirmation hearings

Police chief says county-based police forces may be obsolete

President of ACPO beginning to worry your blogger! If he's calling for a proper review with independent members of an authoritative body, great. Its true weve needed one for a few years now. But he then goes on to oppose the Tories as well as the status quo and the Telegraph Report presents him as driven by terrorism as a priority police interest. He has been quoted before, possibly unfairly, as nor being someone who favours local demand above national obsessions. Reading too many redtops, Sir Hugh? "A service nationally organised but delivered locally"- that is he essence of policing.

Police seize fake designer Clothing worth £1 million in North London raids

Another Times story [thank goodness someone is publishing stuff on crime], this time about a Far East based operation franchised out to the UK and elsewhere. More detail, please!

British police forces report 500 demands from kidnappers each year

very brief article that teases the reader. Sean O'Neill must be writing another book!

Sex industry "in every corner of London"

New report from the Poppy project.

Gardai begin "work to rule"

Could be a sign of things to come across Europe this year. The Garda Siochana [Irish police] cant strike, but are angry about changes to their pay and conditions. Wonder what the effect will be? It will be watched wih interest on this side of the Irish Sea.

California declares war on biker gang accused of "booby trap" plot

Allegedly the Vagos Motorcycle Gang has been trying to use home made booby traps to kill and maim police on the edge of Los Angeles...but no-one is sure why...

Leprechaun robber shot by US police

You couldn't make it up! From the Irish Times, of course

An extensive criminal network

Nice article on Operation Java, discussing the nature of the "Russian mafia", arguing that although tthe USSR may have disbanded, he crime gangs havent and maintain their old cross-border ties. the previous post referred to them as an obshak....Look it up!

Desarticulada una red ligada a la mafia rusa que se controlaba desde Espana

Spanish version of story in previous post. Georgians allegedly involved as well as Russians. Structure predaes the fall of the USSR. The organisation was involved in robbery wih violence and was quite a low-level operation, but organised across Europe. It may yet emerge that there was more going on than this.

Russian mafia suspects held across Europe

The operation originates in Spain. Article not clear who is being arrested and in connection with what crimes. Ends up complaining about suspects being allowed bail.

Scientific Change and tthe Security Environment

Publication from the Institute of Public Policy Research. Covers bioterrorism threats and general threats from biotechnology changes in the near future and past.

Cost of Internet fraud on steep rise

Report from Internet Crime Centre, a joint operation between FBI and National White Collar Crime Centre. Links to both in the article.

At Afghan outpost: Marines gone rogue or leading the fight against counterinsurgency

Bit of a weird headline for a piece looking at Marine Corps innovations in US counter-insurgency practice. Worth a read though.

Travellers jailed over caravan thefts

Police claim that insurance officials say caravan thefts dropped 47% after the accused were arrested.

White supremacist admits producing ricin for terrorism

This is a guy from County Durham. His son is also on trial for lesser offences

DNA database matches "help solve one crime in 1,300"

Home Affairs Select Committee report suggests importance of DNA testing massively exaggerated

Sumo wrestler " steals cash machine from Moscow shop"

25,320 roubles/$850/£560....why? Whats the criminology of it? Guy with him says he misled the Sumo guy....Misled????

Drug gang made so much money it rotted in safes

UK's biggest gand of skunk importers convicted. An astonishing story, allegedly they were importing 250 kg a week from the Netherlands and had problems laundering the profits. There will presumably be a book.

Whips and Nazi uniform found in raid on suspected Devon brothel

Lee Mill, near Ivybridge. It will all be in the News of The World eventually. Just down the road from your blogger. Round the back of the local Tesco, allegedly. There's some funny folk on the edge of Dartmoor! Local paper has pictures of the kit discovered: http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Police-raid-suspected-brothel-South-Hams/article-1873114-detail/article.html

"Iran arms runners" held in Italy

Big cross-border investigation. Italian anti-terror police and prosecutors in the lead.

Spanish police arrest masterminds of "massive" botnets

The Mariposa botnet: 13 million PCs in 190 countries...taken down by an alliance of private sector operative with Guardia Civil and FBI. Are these pCs now free, or does someone else just take them over? I wonder if anyone really knows?

German court orders stored telecoms data deletion

Is sanity about to return to Europe? Are more of the idiocies that have been perpetrated in the name of counter-terrorism about to be overturned? Watch this space!

"Russian Mafia" abroad now 300,000 strong, Journal says

A provocative piece with many figures in it and the sources for those figures also given. You could get a couple of Powerpoint slides out of this at least, colleagues!
Full text, in Russian, of original article here; http://versia.ru/articles/2010/mar/01/russkaja_mafija

Trial of the Leonardo painting thieves

This is ongoing. Prosecution of a group from Ormskirk, Lancs and Scotland who are accused of stealing the Madonna of the Yarnwinder from Drumlanrigg Castle. There is more in the Liverpool press: http://tinyurl.com/yfr8njx

Drug gangs taking over US public lands

Hmmmm. I dont suppose organised crime respects the right to roam, eh? Its the crude explosives that worry me. Mexican drug gangs moving into marijuana cultivation off the beaten track in the US.

Ex-councilor guilty of laundering drugs cash

Another one of those stories I'd like to know a bit more about. This being the Torygraph, the angle is that he used to be a Labour councillor in Preston, but no mention of his employment in the piece.

The gun-toting boys who rule Rio's "corner of fear"

Its like London buses....you wait for ages and nothing happens. Then two turn up together. Very thin piece on youth gangs in Rio, to partner piece from Capetown.

Cape Town's gangs: Martin's story

On Panorama this evening: a programme on the gangs of Cape Town. there's also a slide show of gang tatoos linked from this piece, which describes the life of a gang member.