Bandidos sergeant-at-arms arrested over Broadbeach bikie brawl  

DETECTIVES have charged yet another bikie over last year’s infamous Broadbeach brawl. Officers from the crack bikie squad Taskforce Maxima on Saturday arrested the national sergeant-at-arms of the Bandidos at Beenleigh for his role in the now-infamous stoush on September 27 last year. His arrest takes the number charged over the fracas, which saw bikies brawling in the middle of the Broadbeach restaurant precinct in front of stunned tourists before storming Southport Police Station, to 31. The shocking incident was the catalyst for the Newman government’s fierce crackdown on outlaw motorcycle gangs. The 39-year-old Bandido has been charged with one count of rioting and is expected to appear at the Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Monday. Detective Inspector Brendan Smith of Taskforce Maxima said, “Today’s arrest shows we will be relentless in our efforts to investigate all aspects of the Broadbeach incident,” he said. “The passage of time does not affect our resolve.” The other 30 bikies already charged are facing trial on the Gold Coast later this year.

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Spanish Government Cars With an Unsavory Past  

A nationwide raid on a criminal group recently netted the Spanish police an extensive booty: 52 cars and motorbikes, as well as two boats, and 6.5 tons of gold and silver. Rather than let the spoils go to waste, the Spanish interior minister and other top security officials lighted on a novel cost savings in these hard economic times.

Four of the cars, it turned out, were newly armored and better than the ones they had. So they decided to use them. Jorge Fernández Díaz, the interior minister, got special permission in April from a court in Valencia to use the armored cars for police purposes. The court is handling the investigation into the criminal group and overseeing its seized assets. Confirming a report published this week in the newspaper El Mundo, Mr. Fernández Díaz stressed the cost savings of the unconventional vehicle upgrade.

Four bulletproof cars used by the criminals are valued at about 400,000 euros, or nearly $540,000. “We are saving money for the public treasury, for citizens, and we are raising our means to fight these gangs with greater efficiency,” the minister told reporters. The secretary of state for security and the director general of the Spanish police are also using confiscated armored cars, which are far newer as well as lighter than their previous cars. In any case, officials said, the previous cars had been due for expensive maintenance and repair work. A 2011 cease-fire by ETA, the Basque separatist group, prompted significant cuts in government spending on armored vehicles and bodyguards to protect officials. The cease-fire also coincided with a financial crisis that put the spotlight on unjustified government spending in a time of austerity, which left many Spaniards struggling with tax increases and salary cuts. During a four-decade campaign of terrorism, ETA killed more than 800 people in bombings and assassinations. José María Aznar, a former Spanish prime minister, escaped with light injuries when his armored car was bombed in Madrid in 1995. At the time, he was the leader of the opposition Popular Party. But ETA, which issued a statement this month saying it had dismantled its military wing, has not killed anyone on Spanish soil since 2009. Spain’s government, however, says that the group must surrender unconditionally and turn over all its weapons. Defending the use of the confiscated armored cars, Mr. Fernández Díaz said it was not unusual for crime money to aid Spain’s public finances, or for the Spanish state to make use of “decommissioned” assets after criminal cases are closed.

Last year, for instance, money seized and accounts frozen as part of drug trafficking cases added €22.1 million, or nearly $30 million, to the Spanish treasury. Before getting the armored cars, the minister said, his security forces had already inherited some boats and aircraft from criminals, without providing a detailed listing. “This is not the first time, and hopefully not the last,” he said. What has become of the boats, he did not say.

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Arrested Venezuelan General Hugo Carvajal narco arrest order from U.S Government.  

General Hugo Carvajal was arrested in Aruba on Wednesday about 6 pm local time on arrival to the Caribbean island belonging to the Netherlands, which traveled on a false passport. Despite claiming immunity diplomatic , on his appointment as consul on the island by the government of Nicolas Maduro , border guards denied that status, because his appointment had not yet been accredited by the Dutch authorities .

These acted at the request of the United States , the Netherlands previously revealed the contents of an allegation that the Attorney for the Southern District of New York kept secret ("sealed indictment") against Hugo Carvajal. The general and was included in2008 in the black list of the U.S. Treasury, for "assistance" to the FARC , the Colombian guerrillas. He was accused of "protecting Venezuelan counternarcotics authorities drug shipments and providing weapons to the FARC."

Relations with governments and terrorists

Sources in Washington involved in collecting evidence against Carvajal, ensure that the general, called by many the alias of"Chicken" , is the most central figure in the plot of druglaunched by the own Hugo Chavez and whose activities have led out several generals, known as the "sign of the Suns" .

" Carvajal was responsible for collecting the drug FARC and controlled the entire distribution process to the United States and Europe , and also took care of the money laundering through the PDVSA oil 'say these sources, who believe their detention will "uncover large pot of money laundering conducted by PDVSA." The general came to Aruba precisely in a plane owned by a figurehead Rafael Ramirez , president of the oil. Besides the extraordinary point Carvajal can provide information on the relationship of Chavez's Venezuela with Hezbollah and Iran . "It's like Pablo Escobar and Vladimiro Montesinos together, a chief of intelligence to put drug lord , "they say.

Carvajal was head of the Military Intelligence Directorate (DIM) for much of the Chávez era , between 2004 and 2011 . then returned to be appointed to the post by Maduro in 2013, although he remained a short time.

The processing of extradition to the United States can take to resolve between diez and fifteen days . The extradition will be confronted by the Venezuelan government, which said in a statement that "categorically rejects the illegal and arbitrary detention" of Carvajal, whom he described as "diplomat".

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Police allege Bandidos in exortion racket  

A FIGHT over a woman has landed several alleged participants of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang on extortion and wilful damage charges. Detectives from Taskforce Maxima staged simultaneous raids throughout Brisbane and Logan and arrested three participants of the Bandidos criminal gang, including the former President of the Gold Coast chapter. The operation, codenamed Mike Groundspeed, targeted Bandidos participants who were allegedly extorting money.

The extortion began when two men became involved in an altercation over a woman, police said. The altercation escalated with a number of other people becoming involved, including victims and offenders with an association with the Bandidos criminal motorcycle gang. Victims were then allegedly threatened with violence if a $5000 fine per person wasn't paid. During the extortion attempt, a victim's car windscreen was smashed with a baseball bat. To date police have identified four victims but investigators are confident there are others and ask for them to come forward.

During Thursday morning's raids three search warrants were executed, and as a result five persons have been arrested on 22 charges including 12 charges of extortion, wilful damage and drug charges. Three of these offenders have been charged as vicious lawless associates under the provisions of the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act 2013. These arrests include: A 26-year-old Carindale man has been arrested and charged with four counts extortion with circumstance of aggravation that he is a vicious lawless associate, with an additional circumstance that he is an officer bearer of the association and one charge of wilful damage. It is alleged he is the ex-President of Gold Coast Chapter and a participant of the Bandidos. A 22-year-old Shailer Park man has been arrested and charged with four counts of extortion with circumstance of aggravation that he is a vicious lawless associate, wilful damage and possession of dangerous drug and possession of a drug utensil. It is alleged he is a participant of the Bandidos. A 22-year-old Eight Mile Plains man has been arrested and charged with four counts of extortion with circumstance of aggravation that he is a vicious lawless associate, wilful damage and possession of dangerous drug and possession of a drug utensil. It is alleged he is a participant of the Bandidos. A 21-year-old Shailer Park man has been arrested and charged with possession of dangerous drug and possession of a drug utensil. A 36-year-old Shailer Park man has been arrested and charged with possession of dangerous drug and possession of a drug utensil. Detective Inspector Brendan Smith of Taskforce Maxima said that this operation clearly reveals the true nature of these gangs. "They work together to standover and bully people as a group. "The actions of these gang members are why the crackdown on criminal gangs is necessary. These offences were committed in public places and targeted everyday Queenslanders, threatening victims with violence for money. "They have done this as group, using their criminal gang association to further intimidate victims to both comply with their demands, but also to discourage them from complaining to authority. "Today's results show how the new laws and the on going enforcement action are changing things for the better. "People now have the confidence to come forward, they making complaints, they are providing information, and I suspect we will see a lot more of it," he said. The five men were expected to face the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday morning. Investigations are on going and additional charges are expected.

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Spanish police have arrested a Colombian drug boss dubbed ‘The Mouse’, the alleged leader of a major cocaine smuggling gang accused of 400 killings  

Spanish police have arrested a Colombian drug boss dubbed ‘The Mouse’, the alleged leader of a major cocaine smuggling gang accused of 400 killings, officials said on Saturday. Officers arrested the 40-year-old, whose real name is reportedly Hernan Alonso Villa, in the eastern seaside city of Alicante on Friday, according to a police statement. He is considered ‘the top leader of the military wing of the Oficina de Envigado, a Colombian criminal organisation accused of 400 killings as well as drug-trafficking, extorsion and forced displacements of Colombian citizens’, it said. ‘He is one of the criminals most wanted by the Colombian authorities. He had more than 200 people under his command and was responsible for exporting cocaine to Spain, the United States and Holland,’ the statement said. Spanish officers arrested him under a Colombian extradition warrant for charges including alleged homicide and arms offences. He was carrying 40,000 euros ($54,000) in cash when he was caught, the statement said. Authorities say the ‘Oficina’ gang dates back to the 1980s when it carried out killings for the now-dismantled Medellin Cartel. Spain is one of the main entry points for illegal narcotics into Europe and Colombia is one of the world’s biggest sources of cocaine. Colombia produced 290 tonnes of cocaine in 2013, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

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SPANISH police arrest UK gangland murder suspect  

Police in Madrid have arrested William Thomas Robert Paterson, wanted over the murder of a gangland enforcer in a car park in Scotland.

Paterson, nicknamed Buff and Billy, was wanted over the 2010 death of  Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll in a supermarket car park in Glasgow. The 34-year-old fled to Spain after that crime where he remained in hiding until his arrest, Spain's El Diario newspaper reported on Thursday. Paterson appeared on a ten most wanted crime list released by  the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency and Crimestoppers as part of a campaign known as Operation Captura. This campaign targets criminals that UK authorities believe are on the run in Spain.

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Two Hells Angels associates sentenced as part of Project Flatlined  

Two more Winnipeg men were sent packing to prison Monday for their differing roles in a “sophisticated and well-organized” Manitoba Hells Angels-led drug operation which was ultimately smashed up in a covert police sting. Jonathan Stewart, 32, and Brian Chesney were sentenced in back-to-back hearings and escorted from Judge Robert Heinrichs’s courtroom to begin serving their time after being arrested early last year in Project Flatlined. Stewart, described by the Crown as a “trusted courier” for a crack cocaine ring in the Elmwood neighbourhood orchestrated by top members of the Hells Angels and support crew, Redlined, received a sentence of 57 months on criminal organization and conspiracy charges. Stewart was not a member of either gang but knew key players from growing up in Elmwood, court heard. He assisted the two top-ranking Redlined members in various ways, including preparing crack cocaine for its eventual distribution to users. “This organization would not have operated as well as it did without the assistance of Mr. Stewart,” said federal Crown attorney Geoff Bayly, who named Stewart’s key contacts as Brendin Wall and Justin MacLeod. Chesney, 35, was handed a term of 45 months for cocaine-trafficking and committing acts for the benefit of a criminal organization. Chesney was the roommate of Redlined associate Thomas Barnecki and was caught making crack deliveries to undercover cops, as well as renting a new “stash house” for the crime ring after it was discovered police had infiltrated another by placing a video camera inside. Bayly detailed for the court the sophisticated setup of the cocaine-slinging ring, which he said was headed up by Hells Angel Dale Sweeney. The ring had a defined management structure, production cell and street-distribution network, Bayly said. Police have previously said two cellphones used by the operation rang 530 times a day on average over the 10 months cops were secretly monitoring it between May 1, 2011 and late February 2012. The conservative estimate of sales in that time was said to be $1.5 million, police have said. The cop estimate is based on halving the total number of calls traced to the phones over the life of the investigation (159,154) and assumes only a single $20 rock of crack was sold as a result, police say. Police believe the volume of sales was likely much higher. Stewart had no prior criminal record and was supported by a large number of ashen-faced family and friends in court. Heinrichs was told he suffers with schizophrenia. His mental illness combined with drug use caused his life to go “off the rails,” lawyer Aaron Seib said. Chesney, a recently married father of four, was also supported in court by family.

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LIVING IN A FASCIST STATE: Mentally ill people need to be helped, not hounded by the work Roaches  

LIVING IN A FASCIST STATE: Mentally ill people need to be helped, not hounded

 

Neglect of the mentally ill is bad enough, but now consider how the Department for Work and Pensions deliberately torments them. I just met a jobcentre manager. It had to be in secret, in a Midlands hotel, several train stops away from where she works. She told me how the sick are treated and what harsh targets she is under to push them off benefits. A high proportion on employment and support allowance have mental illnesses or learning difficulties. The department denies there are targets, but she showed me a printed sheet of what are called "spinning plates", red for missed, green for hit. They just missed their 50.5% target for "off flows", getting people off ESA. They have been told to "disrupt and upset" them – in other words, bullying. That's officially described, in Orwellian fashion, as "offering further support". As all ESA claimants approach the target deadline of 65 weeks on benefits – advisers are told to report them all to the fraud department for maximum pressure. In this manager's area 16% are "sanctioned" or cut off benefits.

Of course it's not written down anywhere, but it's in the development plans of individual advisers or "work coaches". Managers repeatedly question them on why more people haven't been sanctioned. Letters are sent to the vulnerable who don't legally have to come in, but in such ambiguous wording that they look like an order to attend. Tricks are played: those ending their contributory entitlement to a year on ESA need to fill in a form for income-based ESA. But jobcentres are forbidden to stock those forms. These ill people's benefits are suddenly stopped without explanation: if they call, they're told to collect a form from the jobcentre, which doesn't stock them either. If someone calls to query an appointment they are told they will be sanctioned if they don't turn up, whatever. She said: "The DWP's hope is they won't pursue the claim."

Good advisers genuinely try to help the mentally ill left marooned on sickness benefit for years. The manager spoke of a woman with acute agoraphobia who hadn't left home for 20 years: "With tiny steps, we were getting her out, helping her see how her life could be better – a long process." But here's another perversity: if someone passes the 65-week deadline, they are abandoned. All further help is a dead loss to "spinning plates" success rates. That woman was sent back to her life of isolation: she certainly wasn't referred for CBT. For all this bullying, the work programme finds few jobs for those on ESA.

Failing to treat the mentally ill is bad enough, but this is maltreatment. There has been much outrage about lack of kindness and care in hospitals. Neglect of mental patients is every bit as bad, but deliberate cruelty by the DWP defies any concern for the wellbeing for the most vulnerable, let alone "parity of esteem".

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Hollywood actor Katt Williams has stepped forward to put an end to reports claiming he whipped out a gun and threatened a heckler this week in California  

Hollywood actor Katt Williams has stepped forward to put an end to reports claiming he whipped out a gun and threatened a heckler this week in California

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