Pinochet's Lost Millions: the UK Connection

Chilean police say British authorities and financial sector connive at concealment of Pinochet's "frozen" laundered millions. Long article worth reading to show just how dishonest the City of London can be.

£41 million fraud hits Building Society

Chelsea building society suspects it has been defrauded on buy-to-let loans. Investigation ongoing. There are, of course, other explanations. The authorities have not yet been informed, so for now this is more alibi than accusation...Discuss

Gangs import children for benefit fraud

Sunday Times article suggesting Romanian gangs are trafficking children for benefit fraud...although if they claim the parents are complicit, is that trafficking? Met operation caleed Operation Golf is targetting Romanian gangs.

How active is the Real IRA

One o the Independent's "Big Question" pieces. good background to the trial in Lithuania blogged yesterday.

"Terrorist facebook! the new weapon against al Qaeda

Nothing new about it at all. Its just Ana capa analysis repackaged. the real problem is that using it against criminals requires evidence, too. in the hands of the security services, it replaces evidence. Once you're placed in a network, because you once met someone, that's evidence of guilt.
This is a good article lower down the column.

Tobacco Smugglers to make a packet from customs Blunder

oops...the wrong people have had assets confiscated. although not as many as the opening of the article suggests. Customs have spread the definition a little too widely. Only masterminds and smugglers can have assets confiscated, not associates. That's a relief then!

Met police turns on charm ahead of climate protest

Oh, oh...they arent going to get heavy with the Climate Camp. Theyve sent the hard men to Notting Hill carnival instead! But it's OK, Luke...they will be on Twitter, so it's all cool really.

DNA could be faked by criminals new study claims

If criminals can fake DNA evidence, so can the police and other state and big business interests. The threat isnt that criminals will hide their identity. It is that the techniques exist to enable the usual suspects to frame you. if you are innocent you have even more to fear.

US man "stole 130 million card numbers"

Albert Gonzalez and two unnamed Russian co-conspirators charged with hacking into retailers computer systems. BBC version omits the more lurid details included in some newspaper accounts.

Vilnius "Real IRA" trial to open

Michael Campbell, brother of Liam, held for allegedly trying to buy arms off people who turned out to be Lithuanian intelligence officers. Liam was recently held responsible, with others, for the 1998 Omagh bombing as the result of a civil action.