Angry Birds” – which is basically a drone that has been specially developed to take down drug-running ultralight airplanes that are utilized by gangs in order to smuggle illegal substances

Everyone with a modern smartphone would definitely have heard of Angry Birds before, and hey, even if mobile gaming is not your cup of tea, surely the name Angry Birds has passed by your mind from time to time during a conversation? Well, the US Border Patrol might get the help of “Angry Birds” – which is basically a drone that has been specially developed to take down drug-running ultralight airplanes that are utilized by gangs in order to smuggle illegal substances at the south of US from Mexico.

The drone will fire a net which entangles the propeller of the ultralight airplane, which in return stops the engine. As for another drone, that is slightly more violent in nature – it will perform a kamikaze crash straight into the ultralight in order to break its propeller. I think the kamikaze version has far more anger issues, and it would require less accuracy than firing a net at a propeller – what do you think? One thing’s for sure – there will not be any green pigs aboard the airborne drug mules…

Britain's FBI 'abandoned chasing crime Mr Bigs because it's too difficult'

 

The elite unit set up by Labour to fight major criminals has failed to catch crime bosses because it is ‘too difficult’ and may even have been infiltrated by the underworld, says a whistleblower. The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) is supposed to be Britain’s answer to the FBI. When it was launched, Tony Blair pledged the organisation would ‘make life hell’ for the country’s ‘Mr Bigs’. It recruited from the cream of the police, immigration, customs and MI5 and had more than 4,000 staff in offices all over the world.  But Tim Lee, a former intelligence officer with SOCA, claims the agency has been blighted by corruption and bureaucracy. Mr Lee, 58, who joined SOCA in Nottingham when it was formed in 2006, paints a damning picture of his five years in the organisation. He claims: An investigation into a crime boss was mysteriously dropped when a SOCA officer with alleged links to the suspect took over the running of the case. Allegations of serious sexual misconduct made by a female SOCA worker against a male colleague were covered up. Hostility arose between police, customs and immigration officers when operational units were first formed in 2006.

B.C. skipper linked to cocaine shipment posed beside pile of cash

 

Just weeks before notorious B.C. skipper John Philip Stirling was caught near Colombia on a boat full of cocaine, he sent his neighbour in Chase — a community in B.C.'s Shuswap region — photos of himself lying on the floor beside a giant pile of money.

 

In the accompanying email, Stirling told Shawn Martin that he wouldn't repay cash he owed him despite being flush after a recent trip to the South American cocaine centre.

 

Bizarre details of Stirling's feud with his neighbours, Martin and his mother Myrna Beckman, over loans totalling $30,000 are laid out in a suit and counter-suit filed in August and September in Kamloops Supreme Court and obtained the Vancouver Sun.

 

Stirling was arrested by the U.S. Coast Guard on Oct. 18 just north of Colombia with 400 kilograms of cocaine secreted aboard his sailboat. He is currently detained in a Miami Detention Centre where he told officials "there was nothing wrong with cocaine trafficking and that the United States should mind its own business."

 

"He further remarked that if Canada didn't have such high taxes, (he and his co-accused) could get legitimate jobs."

 

If allegations in the B.C. court documents are accurate, some in the town of 2,500 were aware of Stirling's plan to import cocaine.

 

Martin and Beckman, who live down the road from Stirling and his wife Marlene, say in their court claim they heard at a barbecue last March "that the plaintiff John Stirling was in Colombia setting up a massive cocaine deal."

 

Martin and Beckman said their efforts to get repayment on several loans to the Stirlings were met with threats and harassment.

 

They also said accusations by the Stirlings that the neighbours were the aggressors in the dispute are ridiculous — Martin has dwarfism and gets around with crutches and a wheelchair; his mother, 63, is his caregiver.

 

Both Martin and Beckman declined to comment to the Sun because their case is before the courts. Marlene Stirling did not return calls.

 

The documents show that Stirling, a 60-year-old convicted cocaine trafficker, struck first against his neighbours, filing a suit on Aug. 29 asking for $10 million in damages.

 

Stirling said in a brief synopsis that over the last two years, his disabled neighbour and mom have threatened the Stirlings "with bodily harm and death."

 

"The defendants have written the plaintiffs blackmail letters for money," Stirling wrote. "The defendants have caused anxiety, depression, stress, loss of sleep requiring medical care to the petitioners.

 

"The defendants have caused travel to become necessary from Colombia for John Stirling at great expense and loss from work to protect his family . . . The defendants have or have attempted to hire Hells Angels to cause murder or physical harm to the plaintiffs and have made statements by phone and email of that intent," the Stirling claim said.

 

The neighbours fired back in a detailed defence filed Sept. 14, denying all the allegations and making a counter-claim.

 

They said that, unlike Stirling, they have no criminal record and no connection to the notorious biker gang.

 

"The defendants do not know any Hells Angels or Hells Angels associates and have never had dealings with them or hired them to do anything," Martin and Beckman said, adding the only information they have about the Angels came from the Stirlings themselves.

 

"The plaintiff Marlene Stirling also told the defendants that two Hells Angels members sat at her kitchen table and had coffee on multiple different times," the documents said.

 

They said they learned in an Internet search of Stirling's 2001 bust on his fishing boat, the Western Wind, with 2.5 tonnes of cocaine owned by the Hells Angels. He was never charged.

 

Tensions escalated between the former friends in August, when Stirling "was back from Colombia and was bragging that he had two suitcases full of money containing in excess of $200,000," the mother-son team said.

 

Martin fired off an email, "asking John to pay the rest of the money the plaintiffs owed the defendants for loans from June 1, 2007, to Feb. 23, 2011."

 

On Aug. 23, Stirling sent his neighbours "an email with a picture of him laying on the floor of his Adams' Lake residence with a pile of money in front of him, holding a piece of paper with Aug. 19, 2011, written on it," the claim said.

 

The email said: "I told you if you waited you would have got paid, but since you didn't, you will never receive a dime and everyone else has been paid back for their investment but you."

 

They said Stirling warned them that he would go to court and ruin them if they didn't back off.

 

"The defendants have videotape evidence of the plaintiff John Stirling threatening to kill more than one person at gunpoint," the documents said.

 

"On Sept. 10, 2011, the defendants were informed that the plaintiff John Stirling has been seeking to hire people to burn down the defendants' house and cause physical harm to them."

 

Martin and Beckman said "a man calling himself Ryan showed up at the defendants' residence wearing a black leather jacket with a Hells Angel patch and was looking for the plaintiff John Stirling because John apparently owed this guy Ryan money."

 

Martin said in the court statement that he called Stirlings' house and warned Marlene that someone was looking for John "and that he sounded really p—ed off."

 

 

ARRESTED 60-year-old, who is originally from Blackpool, but has been living in the Marbella area of Spain

Armed Naval and Gardai personnel with cocaine which was seized from a yacht off the west coast of Ireland

 

A BLACKPOOL man has been arrested for allegedly being part of a £250m international cocaine smuggling racket.

 

Police, acting under orders from the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) – dubbed Britain’s FBI –swooped in the town to capture John Alan Brooks.

The 60-year-old, who is originally from Blackpool, but has been living in the Marbella area of Spain, was found at an address in Marton.

His arrest comes as part of a major investigation which was launched in 2008 when a 1.5 tonnes shipment of cocaine was seized off the coast of Ireland.

The luxury yacht Dances With Waves was carrying drugs with an estimated value of 300m euros or £250m.

Naval officers boarded her after she got into trouble 170 miles off the south west coast of Ireland.

Brooks is known to have had addresses previously in both the Commonedge Road area of Blackpool and in Lytham and St Annes.

It is believed he was visiting family members in Blackpool when police moved in.

A spokesman for SOCA confirmed: “A man allegedly linked to a plot to smuggle 1.5 tonnes of cocaine into the UK on board the boat Dances with Waves was arrested as part of a Serious Organised Crime Agency investigation.

“John Alan Brooks has been charged with conspiracy to import cocaine.

“He is originally from Blackpool, but has been living in the Benahavis area of Spain,

“He appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Monday. He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Birmingham Crown Court this coming Monday.”

The drugs seizure was reportedly the largest in Irish history when it was made in November 2008.

Dances With Waves – a 60ft ocean-going yacht – had set sail from Trinidad and was heading for the UK when it got into difficulties in stormy weather.

It was reported 70 bales of cocaine were on the verge of capsizing when Naval officers moved in.

Authorities were forced to board the ship in “horrendous weather conditions” to prevent evidence being lost in the seven-metre swells.

Experts said although the yacht could travel at high speeds, it was not designed for rough weather.

Under armed guard, the crippled yacht was sailed to Castletownbere, west Cork, where plastic-wrapped bales which filled the hull were unloaded and stacked on the quayside.

n Philip Doo, 52, from Brixham, David Mufford, 44, of Torquay, and Christopher Wiggins, 42, with an address in Spain’s Costa del Sol were arrested on the yacht.

They later pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to supply.

All received 10-year sentences at Cork Circuit Criminal Court in May 2009

A member of the Hells Angels biker gang, Mazdak Fabricius, is accused of the murder, which was the starting point for a bloody gang war in Copenhagen

 

62 people were arrested near Copenhagen on Tuesday following a clash between two rival gangs outside a courthouse where a gang member was on trial for the 2008 murder of a young Turk, police said. The people arrested in the Copenhagen suburb of Glostrup had "ties to gangs and bikers," a police statement said. Rival gangs have been battling for years over control of Copenhagen's illegal drug market. According to various media, close to 100 people clashed outside the Glostrup courthouse where the man suspected of gunning down a young Turk in Copenhagen in 2008 was on trial. A member of the Hells Angels biker gang, Mazdak Fabricius, is accused of the murder, which was the starting point for a bloody gang war in Copenhagen. Journalists at Tuesday's scene said members of the Hells Angels and its support group AK81 faced off against the Tingbjerg group, described as the "immigrants."

Three brothers from hell

 

These are the three brothers from hell -- two killers and one a suspected hitman. Two of the men, Eric and Keith Wilson from Ballyfermot in Dublin, are now suspected of being involved in over ten gun murders between them. Keith Wilson (23) was today beginning a life term in jail for the gangland execution of hitman-for-hire Daniel Gaynor in August, 2010. His brother Eric 'Lucky' Wilson (27) is serving 23 years in a Spanish prison for the murder of British criminal Daniel Smith in a packed bar on the Costa del Sol. Their older brother John (34) was released from garda custody in September after being arrested by officers probing a shooting at the Players Lounge pub in July, 2010, which left three innocent men with serious injuries. John -- who has survived three assassination attempts -- showed up every day at Keith's dramatic murder trial. Yesterday's conviction is being hailed as a major breakthrough in the fight against organised criminal activity in Dublin.

Frank Lucas, the Harlem drug kingpin whose life inspired the 2007 film starring Denzel Washington, was charged with theft by deception

Jim Cooper/APFrank Lucas, the man that Denzel Washington portrayed in the movie "American Gangster," is shown in New York in this file photo from Nov. 2, 2007. 

 

Frank Lucas, the Harlem drug kingpin whose life inspired the 2007 film starring Denzel Washington, was charged with theft by deception last month after he tried to bilk the U.S. Treasury out of $17,345 meant for his teenage son, authorities said.

The Social Security check was issued to Lucas in early October, said Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, but he told government officials the payment was lost when he changed addresses and asked them to send another.

The 81-year-old Lucas — who moved to Newark in the 1980s after he served prison time for running a massive drug empire that smuggled nearly pure heroin into New York and New Jersey — allegedly cashed both checks, Carter said.

Lucas faces up to five years in prison if convicted, Carter said. He is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Newark on Nov. 28.

The Social Security checks were meant for Lucas’ 15-year-old son, Raymond, said Richie Roberts, the former prosecutor’s detective who prosecuted Lucas in 1976 and later became his defense attorney and confidant.

The government provides Social Security benefits to a child if their parent is unable to care for them due to age or infirmity. Lucas, who once claimed he earned $1 million per day selling his "Blue Magic" brand of heroin, is now confined to a wheelchair, suffers from diabetes and severe arthritis and is unable to provide for his son, Roberts said.

Through his attorney, Lucas has denied any wrongdoing.

The theft charge is a far cry from the criminal activity that allowed Lucas to rise from a penniless Harlem resident in 1946 to one of the country’s most infamous and wealthy drug lords by the 1970s. After moving from North Carolina, Lucas’ rise to prominence began under famed Harlem numbers boss Bumpy "Ellsworth" Johnson.

When Johnson died in 1968, Lucas set out to break the Italian Mafia’s stranglehold on the drug trade in New York, importing nearly pure heroin from Southeast Asia that he sold on the streets of Harlem and Newark. Lucas controlled the gang, referred to as the "Country Boys" from a towering mansion in Teaneck.

Roberts, who oversaw the Essex County Prosecutor’s Bureau of Narcotics in the 1970s, obtained an indictment for Lucas when he shut down a Newark heroin ring led by Lucas’ brother, Vernon. Roberts prosecuted Frank Lucas, winning a conviction that would have sent the kingpin to prison for more than 60 years.

But Lucas became a government informant and his testimony led to the arrest of countless drug dealers and crooked police officers. He served less than 10 years of his sentence.

"His cooperation resulted in the arrest of anybody and everybody he ever sold a dime bag too," Roberts said.

Deadly shooting probe spreads to Vancouver suburb

 

The investigation into the slaying of a man gunned down Sunday morning in Vancouver has spread to the suburban community of Port Moody, CBC News has learned. Axel Curtis, 29, was hit when at least six shots were fired in broad daylight, about 9 a.m. Sunday at the corner of Ash and 7th Avenue West as he walked his dog. Police said Curtis was known to them and had past gang affiliations. There were no other injuries, and witnesses said the assailant, a man in a black hoodie, left the area on foot. Neighbours of a Port Moody apartment also frequented by Curtis say there was a sudden spike in police activity around the building Saturday night, hours before the shooting. On Monday, police searched the seventh-floor apartment, owned by Curtis’s father. Police would not comment on the Port Moody side of the investigation, but a female neighbour — who asked not to be identified — said the night before Curtis was killed in Vancouver police and emergency vehicles appeared to be stationed outside the Port Moody condo. "There was an ambulance ready to go,” the neighbour said. “With the police officers … driving back and forth, which struck me as a little strange, that maybe they were anticipating something happening." Watched for months The woman said officers appeared to be watching the apartment for months, and believes local residents should have been warned if violence was anticipated at the building. "They're kind of denying what I think is the public's right, or the people living on that floor's right … that there's possibly a safety concern." Curtis had previous convictions for drug trafficking, firearms possession and obstructing police. Curtis featured briefly in a CBC documentary on Vancouver gangsters, where he suggested to a female police officer who stopped him on the street in Downtown Vancouver that he had left the gang lifestyle. “I'm a changed man,” he told the officer in the production entitled “The Gangster Next Door.” “Oh, I don’t think so,” the officer replied.

Gangster dead in Vancouver daytime shooting

 

brazen gangland slaying in a busy area one block from a Vancouver police station has left witnesses to the Sunday morning shooting extremely shaken. A man dressed in black clothing approached the victim as he walked his dog and shot him six times in the chest from close range, according to witness accounts. A witness, who asked to be identified only as Sylvia, said she heard six gunshots. “It sounded like fireworks,” said Sylvia, who was enjoying a cappuccino at a nearby cafe just before 10 a.m. “We looked out the window and saw a hooded man — a man in a black hoodie and black pants. He just ran up the road.” She then noticed someone lying on the ground on the northeast corner of the intersection. “I ran over to see if he needed help,” said Sylvia. Two other passersby were already at his side. “They were checking for a pulse. He had a pulse for a short time,” she said. The witness said he had been shot six times in the chest. “There was a lot of bleeding. We ran back and got him a blanket. The police were there very quickly, in less than a minute, and after that emergency people took over.” While the victim’s body lay under a blanket, Vancouver police officers armed with large rifles searched for a suspect. Sylvia described the victim as a white man in his 20s who had been walking a dog before he was shot. Vancouver Police Department Const. Jana McGuinness confirmed the targeted shooting marked the city’s 13th homicide of 2011. “We do believe he has some gang links,” said McGuinness, who did not name the victim. After the shooting, the victim’s pet, a French bulldog, ran around frantically until one of the passersby managed to bring it under control.

‘Notorious gangster’ shot dead

 

man, who police described as a “notorious gangster and shooter,” was shot dead on Tuesday night. David “Pickles” Thomas, 39, was shot once in the face by a gunman at Wharton Street, Laventille. His death pushed the murder toll to 303 for the year compared with 400 for the same period last year. Thomas was the 33th person to be murdered since the state of emergency was declared on August 21. A report said Thomas was liming near a dirt track  around 9 pm when a man accosted him and shot him in the face. Officers of the Homicide Bureau, Port-of-Spain, and Besson Street Police Station responded. He was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police said Thomas was killed at the same location where gang leader, Anthony “Thirteen” de Vignes, alias Tony Kingsdale, was fatally shot  on June 15, 2008. Detectives said there were many attempts made on Thomas’ life. Residents claimed even though he “was living a certain lifestyle” he was very polite. Homicide officers are continuing investigations.

Body found in search for Dublin drug addict killed over $4,000 gang debt

 

Irish police have recovered the body of a drug addict murdered over a debt of just a few thousand dollars. Ciaran Noonan, a 29-year-old father of one, was abducted near his East Wall home in Dublin on October 20th. His body was discovered in a ditch on farmland five miles from the Meath town of Trim on Friday night. Noonan’s family visited the site and laid flowers after the body was removed and taken to Tallaght hospital for a post mortem. Police believe Noonan was beaten to death after he was snatched in broad daylight on Russell Avenue in the East Wall. A priest in County Meath received a phone call last week with information about the location of the addict’s body. Speaking to the media, officers outlined their belief that Noonan was killed over a small drug debt to a Dublin gang, believed to be no more than $4,000. The gang had forced Noonan to collect money from other addicts in the north inner city but it is believed he used the money to feed his own habit and ran foul of the gang’s notorious leader. Noonan was heard shouting "I’m dead" as he was hit with an iron bar and dragged into the back of a car. Officers believe the gang intended to beat Noonan severely to force him or his family to pay his drug debt but the punishment beating went horribly wrong. Two women, arrested on suspicion of withholding evidence relating to the kidnapping, have been released without charge. Noonan’s mother Geraldine told reporters: “We had hoped that Ciaran would be found alive. At least now we can give him a funeral.”

UK Border Agency hit by fresh 'bribes for visas' scandal

 

Scotland Yard says a high-level employee, whose job was to vet thousands of visa applications from Africa, accepted bribes for allowing Nigerians to enter the country illegally. Samuel Shoyeju, an entry clearance officer, was arrested while working at the agency’s head offices in Croydon, south London, according to the Sunday Times (£). He is due to appear in court later this week, expected to be accused of possessing false Nigerian passports and concealing substantial cash payments to a bank account in his name, either knowing or suspecting that they were the proceeds of criminal conduct. He is also accused of misconduct in a public office and breaches of the immigration law for allegedly falsely issuing entry visas. The allegations come days after the head of the border force and two senior officials were suspended when it emerged that hundreds of thousands of foreigners had entered without full passport and anti-terrorism checks.

Italy government hangs by thread as coalition crumbles

 

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's fate hung by a thread Friday and desertions from his crumbling centre-right coalition may have already robbed him of the parliamentary numbers he needs to survive. Berlusconi, caught in the crossfire from European powers and a party revolt at home, agreed at a G20 summit in France to IMF monitoring of economic reforms which he has long promised but failed to implement. But this may soon be irrelevant for the Italian leader, who will return to Rome later Friday to face what looks increasingly like a deadly rebellion by his own supporters. With financial markets in turmoil over the situation in Greece and Italy viewed as the next domino to fall in the euro zone crisis, calls are mounting for a new government to carry through reforms convincing enough to regain international confidence. Berlusconi has consistently rejected calls to resign and says the only alternative to him is an early election next spring, rather than the technocrat or national unity government urged by many politicians and commentators. Yields on 10-year Italian bonds reached 6.36 percent by early afternoon, creeping closer to 7 percent, a level which could trigger a so-called "buyers' strike" where investors take fright and refuse to buy the paper. Two deputies from Berlusconi's PDL party this week defected to the centrist UDC, taking his support in the 630-seat lower house of parliament to 314 compared with the 316 he needed to win a confidence vote last month. But at least seven other former loyalists have called for a new government and could vote against the 75-year-old media magnate. "The (ruling) majority seems to be dissolving like a snowman in spring," said respected commentator Stefano Folli in the financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore. Other commentators spoke of an "inexorable" revolt against Berlusconi. Even Defence Ministry undersecretary Guido Crosetto, a Berlusconi loyalist, said on television: "I don't know how many days or weeks the government has left. Certainly a majority relying on a few votes cannot continue for long." PATRONAGE Berlusconi, one of Italy's richest men, still has significant powers of patronage and he and his closest aides are expected to spend the weekend trying to win back support for a parliamentary showdown Tuesday. Some rebels have already threatened to vote against Berlusconi in the vote to sign off on the 2010 budget. Berlusconi faced concerted calls to resign when he lost a previous vote on this routine measure, which was almost unprecedented. Although it is not a confidence motion, he would come under huge pressure if he suffered a second defeat. "Unpopular prescriptions are necessary and this challenge cannot be faced with a 51 percent government," said UDC leader Pier Ferdinando Casini, in a reference to Berlusconi's weakness and a widespread feeling that the reforms can only be passed with a broad consensus. The premier has promised European leaders that he will call a formal confidence motion within 15 days to pass amendments to a budget bill incorporating new measures to stimulate growth and cut Italy's huge debt. That will be in the Senate where he has a more solid majority but it could still bring him down. Berlusconi, beset by a string of sex scandals and court cases, has consistently resisted pressure from groups ranging from a powerful business lobby to the Catholic Church to stand down.

Police raided the Magog Motorcycle gang's New Plymouth headquarters yesterday

 

Police raided the Magog Motorcycle gang's New Plymouth headquarters yesterday as part of an operation targeting the Hells Angels. The Centennial Dr gang pad was one of two addresses searched locally while simultaneous warrants were carried out at Auckland properties, including the headquarters of the Hells Angels and other properties linked with the gang, by police and the Organised and Financial Crime Agency New Zealand (Ofcanz). A 56-year-old New Plymouth man, believed to be a member of the Magogs, was arrested and charged with conspiring to defeat the course of justice. He appeared in the New Plymouth District Court yesterday and was remanded on bail to reappear in the Manukau District Court on November 24. Nine men, five members of the Hells Angels and four associates were arrested and six firearms were seized in the Auckland raids. The men have been charged with intentional damage, commission of a crime while in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm except for some lawful, proper and sufficient purpose. The charges relate to alleged illegal hunting activities, without permits and without firearms licences over the past year. Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward of New Plymouth said 16 officers, including two from Ofcanz, were involved in the raids. Mr Coward said the charge the New Plymouth man faced was not connected to the charges in Auckland. "The offending relating to the New Plymouth man is isolated from the illegal hunting." Police believed there was a link between the gangs, but Mr Coward wouldn't elaborate. "We would be naive in thinking there wasn't," he said. No drugs or firearms were found in New Plymouth. Detective Inspector Grant Wormald, of Ofcanz said it was hoped the operation would disrupt a wide range of criminal activities the Hells Angels were involved in. "A number of Hells Angels gang members from around New Zealand have been prosecuted or are now on active charges ranging from possession and supply of methamphetamine to robbery, burglary and extortion," he said. "We have made arrests in Auckland, Napier, Tauranga and Nelson, where an undercover operation early this year put an end to offshoot gang the Red Devils. "Our goal is to investigate the crimes they are committing and disrupt their activities to the extent that it's very hard for them to operate at all.

Dead Man Inc.: 22 charged in indictment of white prison gang

 

Nearly two dozen alleged members of a homegrown prison gang that started in Maryland and spread across the country have been indicted on federal racketeering charges, including accusations of murder for hire, armed robbery and drug running, officials announced Wednesday. The members of Dead Man Inc., who refer to themselves as "dawgs" and espouse an anti-government philosophy, used contraband cellphones to direct activities and spread gang membership into South Baltimore, eastern Baltimore County, northern Anne Arundel County and several other states, authorities said. The 27-count indictment alleges that members shot and killed four people and conspired to kill others. Among those charged are the alleged co-founders, Perry Roark and James Sweeney. Roark, a 42-year-old Dundalk native who is referred to as the "supreme commander," was charged earlier this year in another killing, days before he was to be released from a 25-year prison term. Related Archives: Days before release, reputed gang leader charged in '94 murder Crime Beat: Coverage of Maryland gangs Interactive map: Baltimore City homicides Recent stories by Peter Hermann Baltimore Crime Beat blog City rape investigations questioned Baltimore County crime map Topics Criminal Laws Prisons Murder See more topics » Maps Baltimore, MD, USA "On our streets, this organization has been involved in street robberies, home invasions, property thefts, intimidation, assaults — you name it, they're involved in it," said Randall Jones Sr., an Anne Arundel County police commander. "The northern part of our county has been plagued by these individuals, and this is a major blow to this organization." Roark was close with members of the Black Guerrilla Family, law enforcement officials say, but that gang's rules prohibited him from joining because he is white. With the gang's blessing, officials say, Roark formed a gang at the Jessup prison in the late 1990s that, among other things, carried out killings for the BGF. Experts say the gang, known by the acronym DMI, offered another option for white inmates beyond white supremacists or biker gangs, and its membership grew to include prisoners affiliated with those organizations. There was a careful recruitment and screening process, with a top-down militarized structure that placed commanders in each prison, officials say. Members contend that their purpose is to foster brotherhood. Dead Man Inc. quickly earned a reputation for violence and a willingness to carry out attacks for drugs or money. Though not as well known as the Bloods and the Crips, the gang has been linked to a series of high-profile incidents and was profiled in 2009 on the History Channel's "Gangland" program. Corrections officials say they have confirmed more than 500 DMI members in Maryland prison facilities, about half the number of Bloods but seven times the membership of MS-13, a Hispanic gang that has garnered headlines for ruthless crimes. This week's indictment links the gang to four killings in 2009: the death of James Flanary, 23, in the 3900 block of S. Hanover St. on Feb. 16; the killing June 2 of Tony Geiger, 41, in the unit block of Old Riverside Road; the slaying Sept. 18 of 20-year-old Eugene Chambers in the 1600 block of Cypress St.; and the killing of Walter Milewski, 31, in the 4800 block of Carmella Drive in Halethorpe on Sept. 19. At least one of those charged, Dane Shives, 22, of Glen Burnie, is awaiting trial on separate charges. He is accused of murder in a double shooting in Brooklyn last year. U.S. Attorney for Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein said the case began 18 months ago when Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger visited his office to outline a murder case that he believed had a broader scope. Officials praised the results of increased cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement and commended prison officials for sharing intelligence that helped police solve cases and work across jurisdictions. "When you look at the causes of violent crime, in many cases you find a connection to gangs," Rosenstein said. "We believe the key to continuing to reduce the violent crime and murder rate here in Baltimore City and throughout the state is to target the gangs and the leaders of the gangs who are fomenting this violence." An effort by prison officials years ago to disrupt the gang's leadership sent two top members to out-of-state facilities, which authorities said only served to broaden the gang's reach. One estimate put Dead Man Inc. membership in the thousands, in states that include Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, New York and Virginia. At Wednesday's news conference, Rosenstein added Pennsylvania and Texas to the list, and the FBI's recently released Gang Threat Assessment included North Carolina. Ryan Shifflet of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Gang Investigation Network, a group of law enforcement officers that shares gang intelligence, has said DMI "gained notoriety by becoming a murder-for-hire group, or doing hits or attacking other inmates in the prison system for money or contraband." Though once aligned with the Black Guerrilla Family, the indictment says, DMI "has gone through sporadic periods of conflict with other gangs, including the Bloods and the BGF, both in prisons and on the streets." Roark, who is accused of directing a number of assaults on inmates and others that are detailed in court papers, has achieved godlike status among followers, Shifflet said. "You've got tons of inmates who've never laid eyes on the man, but they know who he is and have heard he's 10 feet tall and bulletproof," Shifflet said. Rosenstein said 11 of the defendants named in the federal indictment were in custody, and that authorities had tracked down seven who were not in prison and were looking for the others.

Vietnamese-based organization known as the Catacutan Drug Crew.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Enlarge Image

An SUV is towed away from Arthur Street and McDermot Avenue Saturday afternoon after a shooting left one person dead.

Winnipeg police believe a spate of weekend shootings that killed two young men -- and left a teen fighting for survival -- are all linked to the city's drug and gang subculture.

However, sources told the Free Press Monday there appears to be no common thread between the three incidents, which all happened in a 24-hour period and pushed the city to an all-time homicide record.

The 33rd homicide victim of 2011 was 20-year-old Oudy Phrakonekham, shot while riding in a car through the Exchange District at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Sources say he was gunned down at point-blank range in what was believed to be a targeted attack. Court records show he has no prior criminal involvement. A source said Phrakonekham is believed to have connections to a Vietnamese-based organization known as the Catacutan Drug Crew.

A founding member of that organization was recently raided by the Drug Enforcement Agency and Homeland Security in the United States on charges of conspiracy to export cocaine to Canada. That has caused instability within the organization, the source said.

"It's hard to say right now if this could be connected to that, or if it's just the usual competition-type violence you see," the source said.

The 34th homicide victim was a man whose name has not yet been made public, found shot in the parking lot of the Lincoln Motor Inn on McPhillips Street around 4:40 a.m. Sunday. A source identified him to the Free Press as Mohammed Omar, a known associate of the African Mafia street gang. Omar has a prior criminal record for drug possession, which led to a conditional discharge in 2006, according to court records.

Omar was a father of four children and lived with his common-law wife and mother in a home in St. Vital, said one of his friends.

Omar had come to Canada from Somalia in 1993 and worked as a cleaner at a city hospital, the friend said.

"(He had) absolutely beautiful children," said the friend, who said the children are aged nine, four, two and one.

Omar loved music, the friend said.

"He, personally, had a very good heart," she said.

The third shooting fell between the two slayings and also has gang connections. A 14-year-old boy who is linked to an aboriginal street gang was shot around 4:30 p.m. Saturday near Selkirk Avenue and Salter Street.

There is another common connection between the three incidents -- no arrests have been made in any of them.

Police sources say it is likely just a coincidence to have so many gun-related attacks in a short window of time. It's also the grim reality of life on Winnipeg streets, where police and prosecutors have been warning for months about the increasing number of criminals who are carrying firearms and apparently unafraid to use them.

Six of the city's 34 homicide victims in 2011 have died from gunfire.

Police are probing whether the Exchange District killing has any links to two other unsolved incidents from earlier this year, the source said.

Three men were shot and seriously injured in August while sitting inside a garage in a Transcona suburb. A witness told the Free Press at the time the gunman calmly walked up to the victims and fired at least six shots before fleeing. A source told the Free Press the incident is believed to be connected to organized crime.

Police were also exploring the possibility it was connected to the Aug. 6 stabbing death of Baljinder Singh Sidhu, 27, outside the Osborne Village Inn. Witnesses described a chaotic scene that involved members of several different race-based criminal organizations brawling in the street, ending with Sidhu being fatally attacked.

This weekend's violence comes just after the one-year anniversary of a triple shooting in the North End that left two victims dead and a 13-year-old girl wounded. No arrests have been made, but police recently revealed they believe those three attacks are linked and may have connections to the drug and/or gang world.

Report: Nevada Top 10 in Gang Members

 

Street gangs are a growing problem in southern Nevada. The FBI ranks Clark County as the 10th worst area in the nation for the number of gang members. More than 15,000 roam the streets, and those are just the ones authorities know about. The report shows the trends authorities are seeing in gangs. Biker gangs are getting more and more members. Hispanic-based gangs are expanding faster than other gangs. Twenty states, including Nevada, are seeing these same trends. Rachal Richardson used to have gang ties. Lights and sirens were something she was used to. Her ties to gang life are over, but not before being exposed to plenty of violence. The mother of four traded in violence and crimes scenes for a better life 10 years ago. She's not surprised Clark County is in the top 10 counties of the country when it comes to gang presence. "With sex is drugs and money and with that comes gangs, people trying to protect their turf, their name, or their pride," she said. With more than 15,000 gang members identified through the report, those who work closely with gang members say more needs to done. "We don't have enough money on prevention programs, where the kids can be involved and don't fall into that path of crime," said Esther Brown with the Embracing Project. Brown has never been in a gang, but moved to America from Spain and saw the need to reach out to those in gangs. She started the Embracing Project, a gang-prevention charity. "You are a gang member, let's look for solutions. What do you need so you can leave the gang. Some of the kids, it's difficult to leave the gang because their family are gang members," she said. She hopes this recent report opens the eyes of the community. "It's everywhere. People think, 'Oh, not in Summerlin. We don't have gang-bangers.' It's everywhere. Gang activity is everywhere," she said. Most of the gangs identified in this report are from street gangs. Two motorcycle gangs have seen a growth in Nevada, but gang-related drug activity in the report was fairly low compared to the overall gang presence in the state.

Hackers Challenge Mexican Crime Syndicate

 

The hackers’ message, delivered via YouTube by a man wearing a red tie and a Guy Fawkes mask, was as bold and risky as anything produced by the Zetas, Mexico’s most ruthless crime syndicate. But this time, the Zetas were the target. Connect With Us on Twitter Follow @nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines. They had kidnapped a geek with backup — a respected member of the hackers collective known as Anonymous. “You have made a great mistake by taking one of us,” said the video’s masked figure. “Release him.” Or else, the message said, the names of government officials, taxi drivers and journalists who worked with the Zetas would be published online. The goal, they said, was the arrest of these suspected collaborators, but was there a possibility they might be killed by a rival cartel? Yes, said self-identified members of Anonymous, acknowledging the danger. Beyond that, might the hackers also be targeted? Were they afraid? “Of course,” said a blog post on Monday. Still, some hackers said, it was time for Netizens to fight back in a country where the news media have been cowed into submission, and where the justice system is often complicit in heinous crimes that regularly go unpunished.  “We believe it is high time to say enough to the terrible situation caused by the falsehood of the government and lack of scruples of people who do not care about the welfare of their fellow human beings,” they posted. Anonymous appears to already have the information on collaborators. A person with knowledge of its operations, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said that online group conversations on Monday showed that the hackers have “a list of 100 or so of the major contacts of the Zetas.” It was not clear how they obtained the tally, or how accurate it was. And that appeared to be a major concern. A Facebook message on Sunday from one of the so-called hacktivists said there were indications that the Mexican government had tainted the Anonymous operation, known as OpCartel, “putting in doubt the quality of the information.” Whether Anonymous will publish what it has is unclear. The original YouTube message, uploaded on Oct. 6, said that Nov. 5 would be “a day to remember,” and the group has already provided a first strike. Last week, Anonymous defaced the Web site of a former Tabasco State prosecutor, Gustavo Rosario Torres, replacing his usual message with the image of jack-o’-lanterns and an announcement that Mr. Rosario “es Zeta.” But on Monday, in the wake of a security firm’s report highlighting the potential loss of life from naming names, there were more mixed messages. A steady stream of posts on Twitter referring to OpCartel revealed an intense debate over the benefits and costs of moving forward. On Twitter and in private e-mails — members of Mexico’s underground online media said — there appeared to be a widening gap between supporters and opponents of Anonymous’s mission. This may have been by design. The blog post announcing that OpCartel would continue emphasized that “anyone who is not properly protected should immediately and publicly disassociate themselves from this operation.” Several Twitter accounts that had been active on the topic fell silent. Several other members of Mexico’s online crime-reporting community said that OpCartel was causing internal strife, and that they had been asked by friends to stay away from anything having to do with the operation, even basic Twitter posts.   Fred Burton, a vice president at Stratfor, which published the report warning against the Anonymous plan, said that fears of reprisals were well founded. “Informants in that world are usually found dangling from a bridge or beheaded,” Mr. Burton said. Those identified by Anonymous would be vulnerable to rival gangs, he said, while the hackers and their supporters might also be targets. And because Mexico’s criminal groups have infiltrated Mexican law enforcement, which has access to sophisticated tracking software, anonymity online might not be enough protection. At least three people believed to have been online tipsters have been killed recently because of what their murderers described on public banners as snitching. Still, perhaps because of the danger — or perhaps because of the desperate need of many Mexicans for a sense of control as crime spirals — support for OpCartel continued to flow through the Web on Monday afternoon. Several Twitter users posted WikiLeaks cables with information about the Zetas. Others offered moral support. “You will never falter you will not fail, bring down the corruption,” wrote a user with the handle @fingers_digita. “PLZ be careful comrades, EXTREMELY dangerous,” wrote @AnonOWS, using the hash tag #justice for emphasis. Even those unsure about OpCartel said that it was significant as a citizen revolt. That was the core defense in the Anonymous blog post, which said a small task force was formed because “the voice of the people have clamored for help.” And according to some experts, regardless of whether OpCartel goes forward, the anger and outrage of Anonymous will be remembered, and channeled for another day. “This is not about a desire for information,” said Hector Amaya, a Mexican professor of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. “It’s about the need for a remedy.

Gangster suspect Freddie is bailed in Spain

 

SUSPECTED gangland boss 'Fat' Freddie Thompson is enjoying the Spanish sunshine after being freed on bail following a brief court appearance. Mr Thompson (30) was allowed to leave a Costa del Sol court a free man yesterday after more than a fortnight in jail in Ireland and Spain. He was told he was suspected of offences including drugs trafficking, money laundering and unlawful assembly, at the private court hearing in Estepona near Marbella. But he was spared more prison time after agreeing to bail conditions including the surrender of his passport and a ban on leaving Spain. Accomplices He has also been ordered to sign on at the court twice a month -- a requirement likely to bring him into contact with alleged accomplices John Cunningham and Christy Kinahan's sons Daniel and Christopher. Suspected gang boss Christy is in jail in Belgium after being extradited there in August. Mr Thompson's bail address has not been made public. A court source confirmed yesterday: "Frederick Thompson has been released on bail. "He has been informed he is under investigation for crimes including money laundering, unlawful assembly and drugs trafficking. Court "The three conditions of his bail are that he cannot leave Spain, hands in his passport to the authorities and signs on at court twice a month on days fixed by the court." Mr Thompson consented to extradition after being arrested in Dublin on a European arrest warrant on October 14. He spent 13 days in Cloverhill Prison before being flown to Spain last Friday. He is thought to have spent the weekend in prisons in Madrid and Alhaurin de la Torre near Malaga. He is said to be facing nine years in prison in Spain if convicted. Under Spanish law, he has not been officially charged with any crimes.

Fat FreddieThomson has been wanted in Spain for the past 18 months

30 year old Irishman, Freddie Thompson, known in the criminal world as ‘Fat Freddie', was arrested by the Garda in Dublin on October 21.

The arrest order dates from 18 months ago and was issued by the courts in Estepona, Málaga. The police consider that Thomson was a member of the Irish gang led by Christopher Kinahan, which was broken up by police in May 2010 in an operation codenamed ‘shovel’ which saw the arrest of more than 30 people in Spain, Ireland and the U.K. They were all linked to large scale drug and arms trafficking, as well as money laundering and other crimes committed on the Costa del Sol.

Thomson is now expected to declare before the court in Estepona this week. Police had thought that he could have been hiding in Holland.
He has been the most famous prisoner in the Clovenhill prison since his arrest.

Marbella police arrested a man considered to be a ‘frontman’ for the group, who was paid a monthly sum for the use of his name. Officially he owned luxury cars and businesses, when in fact he was almost pennyless.

Most of the money is thought to have been laundered in Brazil where real estate was purchased. 60 properties worth an estimated 150 million € have been impounded on the Costa del Sol in connection with the case.