Polic officers storm homes across Liverpool in cocaine and heroin raid

Lots of activity in Liverpool. is it just that there's a good local paper that runs the story or is there really a major police initiative to change things? I really must look at some other local newspapers.

Spain's biggest ever corruption trial gets under way

The Marbella scandal reaches court.

Caribbean crime wave linked to US deportations

An earlier post from the New York Times warned that this was happening in larger Latin American states. Now the smaller Caribbean islands are receiving deportees with a high propensity to violence, acquired in US cities and prisons. Joy!

Irish terror attack "a strong possibility"

threat level from dissident Republicans to UK "mainland" raised from moderate to substantial.

Real IRA chief's brother in court over "arms sting"

Trial begins in Lithuania. Very short article. There will be more to come over the next few days.

A Wave of addiction and Crime, with the Medicine Cabinet to Blame

Oh, oh! On the basis that we in Europe get whatever the US gets, but 10 to 15 years later, here's a glimpse into the future.

The elderly are being targeted for their painkillers. DEA now coordinating a national take-back programme.

Stuxnet worm "targeted high value Iranian assets"

Aha...If it did, then we finally have real cyberwarfare.

UVF chiefs sanctioned Public execution say IMC

The Independent Monitoring Commission reports that the mureder of Bobby Moffett was agreed by the leadership of the UVF...but recommends no sanctions...Dreary steeples of Fermanagh and Tyrone emerging again.

Real IRA says it will target UK bankers

Guardian interview with spokesperson for Real IRA. Link to background as to how story arranged. Old business of "there's only 100 of them". If there were only 100 paramilitaries, that's quite enough, thank you. PIRA rarely kept more than that number in the field. 100 = 20 x 5 person cells....although that's not the way they do it these days.

Italy seizes 1.47 billion euros in Mafia assets

Short piece from Irish Times. Money laundering through alternative energy schemes.

Shake up violent crime figures says senior officer

Actually, this goes against the Torygraph's normal rant. The President of the Police Association is arguing that violent crime is OVER-recorded. the article is a preview of his speech to the Association. Covers other issues such as elected chiefs.

MI5 agent launches legal action against the government

Claim is that he was a "freelance" undercover agent whose cover was blown when he was compelled to testify in a Real IRA trial.

special report: Life in Witness protection

Around 1,000 people in UK living under witness protection programme. This guy testified against the Gooch Gang in Moss Side. Lots of bits to this article: overview of the specific witness, Moss Side, and the couple that the programme failed.

Guilty after six-year trial, Portugal's high-society paedophile ring

How many more of these to come? Private Eye has printed articles regularly about a boys shome in Northern Ireland. The Belgians were caught. Politicians covering up for fellow paedophiles in several countries. yet many commentators dont think of paedophilia as organised crime

In speech, Calderon acknowledges central threat of "drug cartels" to Mexico

If youve been following this blog for a while, you will remember that all was quiet until the US began building a fence [still unfinished] and changing patterns of behaviour. Policy against organised crime has to involve profiling the consequences of changing existing arrangements and has to budget for policies to deal with those consequences. I dont argue that nothing should be done. I argue that doing stuff should be properly thought through. Bush's drug tsar stirred the pot and scarpered leaving the mess for the next administration to deal with.

has an ounce less cocaine hit the streets of the US? An ounce less marijuana? Has more hit the streets of Europe? Bears? Woods? Popes? Catholics?

Kyrgyzstan cracking up

and in the last paragraph...organised crime benefits.