Police investigate "mafiosi" in Lancashire

Alleged senior members of the Camorra living in Catterall near Preston and in Chorley. Investigation ongoing.

Colombian Drug Baron assassinated

Leonidas Vargas Vargas shot dead in hospital bed in Madrid. Head of the Caqueta cartel.

SFO opens UK Madoff investigation

Stable doors and horses spring to mind. But at least it will keep them out of BAE's hair...What resources do they have? How many cases can they investigate simultaneously?

U.S. Plans border "surge" against any drug wars

Chertoff bequeaths his successor a "plan" for if and when Mexican drug wars spill North. Lets see...this is to back up his fence that turned amateur illegal immigration into professionalized trafficking and from the man who pushed the stick into the hornets' nest in the first place without a plan for the consequences, or even a risk profile. Wonder who is to succeed him?

"IRA men" on trial for blackmail

Interesting trial. Is the defendants previous record being revealed because this is alleged to be a terrorist trial? If so, this has implications for the peace process. If not, then their previous convictions shouldnt be revealed and they already have grounds for appeal.

But the trial may give an insight into how far the protection racket reached and how it worked. The article alleges that the two victims raised money using the name of the IRA...Murky waters here, I fear, unless it's a misprint. Will keep you posted.

Drugs porn and kidnapping scandals in the US most dangerous sport

Irresistible, I'm afraid! Ive heard of white collar crime, but there will soon be a criminological theory of all this stuff too...

Police launch online neighbourhood crime maps

There appear to be some bugs in the system. I had an incompatibility with Adobe report. Quite how these maps are going to make the streets safer, I really havent a clue, but I suppose it's cheaper than investing in real police officers!
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/ia/atlas.html is the URL for the master map. It doesnt go down to neighbourhoods, just to Basic Command Units. City was the lowest level I was able to reach locally, but maybe its too sophisticated for me. I was expecting something a little more like one of those house price maps. Silly me!
BBC report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7811742.stm

France braced for "rebirth of violent left"

"The Coming Insurrection" is apparently a pamphlet on how to carry out an insurrection. Scaremongering? Sounds awfully like it, but one to keep an eye on.

Honey laundering

If you werent aware of the collapse of bee colonies in the US and Europe, then you should be. Now you can worry about disguised imports of contaminated honey from China, too...

Facing Down the Camorra

Letter to the Guardian which refers to a demonstration on 20th December 2008 to show solidarity with writer Roberto Saviano, author of Gomorrah, who is under threat of death from the Camorra.
There are Facebook groups supporting him and a social networking website, originally created to organise the demonstration: www.iosonosaviano.ning.com
A database is also being created
The website is, of course, in Italian