Latest news with #trafficking
Khaleej Times
13 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE foils drug smuggling attempt by 2 suspects linked to international network
UAE thwarted an attempt to distribute narcotic pills within the country, after monitoring the suspicious activity of two individuals of Arab nationality. Investigations confirmed their links to an international network for drug smuggling and trafficking. The two accused admitted that they had partners who prepared the shipment and smuggled it from Hamburg to one of the country's ports. One of them came to the country on a visit visa specifically to complete this mission. He added that the mastermind of the network resides outside the country and is the one who finances and manages the entire operation. The competent security services were able to raid two sites, one of which was used to store narcotic pills while the accused were unloading and preparing them for distribution within the country. The other site was where a mechanical construction equipment (excavator) was seized, in which another quantity was hidden, based on confidential information obtained by the task force.
Fox News
a day ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Rep. Andy Biggs: Arizona Is Doing So Much Better Thanks To The Trump Administration's Border Crackdown
Arizona Republican Congressman Andy Biggs joins Fox Across America With guest host Rich Zeoli to shed light on how the Trump administration's clear strategy to curb illegal immigration is already having a significant impact on his state. 'They didn't release anybody. The federal government, the CBP, they didn't really anybody into the United States last month. Not one, not one person. And we have communities that saw literally millions of people pour through those communities during the Biden administration. And this, by the way, this particular governor didn't speak out, didn't do anything to help us. In fact, she got rid of, you know, cargo container barriers that had been put up. She got rid the border security task force. She got rid of all that. Total disaster. And the reality is, though, where we still have an issue is we do have places where there's no border fencing, no border wall, and they're conduits for human and drug trafficking. And so we see the evidence of that still, not nearly to the extent that we did when Joe Biden was president, and it's significantly better. But we really, my position as a guy who's lived in Arizona, you know, native of Arizona. I want that to stop. I don't want any of that trafficking coming through our state. Child, human, sex, drug, none of that trafficking do I want coming through our state.' Rep. Biggs Discusses The 'Big, Beautiful Bill' To hear what else they talked about, listen to the podcast!
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Another Newton man arrested in relation to February firearms burglary
Jun. 18—Another person has been arrested after three firearms were burglarized from the basement of a Newton home earlier this year. Branden Jones, 39, of Newton has been charged for allegedly trafficking stolen weapons and dominion or control of a firearm or offensive weapon by a domestic abuse offender. Both charges are considered Class D felonies. Jones was previously convicted of a serious misdemeanor domestic assault in Jasper County in 2006. In February, a burglary was reported in a Newton home located near Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. Video footage showed evidence of a break-in at a basement egress, which led to the arrest of 22-year-old Blake Logue. A .222 rifle, a .410 bolt-action shotgun and a .410 break-action shotgun were stolen. Fresh tracks in the snow led to the basement egress. A witness to the burglary admitted they drove Logue to the home and then picked him up afterward. Police noted the witness knew case facts that only a person involved in the crime would know, such as the date, location and the items stolen form the house. When Logue returned to the vehicle, the witness told police he was in possession of three long gun cases. The witness said they were unaware Logue was burglarizing the residence at the time. Text messages from the witness showed Logue had knowledge and details of the burglary when discussing it. Officers were able to locate Logue after he was apprehended for an unrelated arrest warrant. A cellular phone was found and seized. Police believed it would contain evidence of the burglary and applied for a search warrant. With the warrant granted, police searched the phone's text message history. Police located a message where Logue attempted to trade a bolt-action .410 shotgun. He was also asked the "year and model of mine" by another suspect. Logue responded by sending three photos of the .410 bolt-action shotgun. The victim's family confirmed the photos of the shotgun matched their stolen firearm. Logue was subsequently charged with third-degree burglary (Class D felony), second-degree burglary (Class C felony), three counts of trafficking stolen weapons (Class D felony) and three counts of a domestic abuser in possession of firearms (Class D felony). According to criminal complaints obtained by Newton News, Logue was asked by cellphone message by another suspect: "What's the year and model of mine?" Police allege this other suspect was Jones. Logue responded by sending three photos of a .410 bolt-action shotgun to Jones. When Jones was arrested on an unrelated warrant, a Samsung tablet was seized from him. Criminal complaints say Jones gave consent to police to search the tablet for information about this case. A message was located in the tablet where Jones stated he was cleaning a gun. Logue admitted to police he aided and abetted Jones with the burglary where three firearms were stolen.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Woman stab victim in house explosion had ‘boundless optimism', say charity
A charity has paid tribute to its former employee's 'boundless optimism' after she was found stabbed following a gas explosion at her home. Annabel Rook, 46, was found fatally injured at a house in Dumont Road, Stoke Newington, north-east London, just before 5am on Tuesday. A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder, with police describing the victim's death as 'a domestic-related incident'. John Martin, artistic director of PAN Intercultural Arts, where Ms Rook worked with young refugees for 16 years until 2022, described her as 'a larger-than-life character' who joined the charity as a volunteer with lots of energy. In a personal tribute, Mr Martin told the PA news agency: 'She came to learn the techniques that we had to work with young refugees, and soon we took her on as a full artist, as a facilitator, to run workshops for us with unaccompanied asylum seekers, especially minors, and with young refugees. 'She brought lots of happiness and joy, and I've had many, many of them (the refugees) who've heard the news get back to me last night and today to say how devastated they are.' Ms Rook went on to form a pioneering new group under the charity's umbrella, called the Amies project, which works with traumatised female survivors of trafficking through the use of the arts, drama, creative writing and design art. The group went on to win national awards and helped to form choirs that sang all over the UK, Mr Martin said. He added: 'Annabel's energy brought a lot to the women and gave them new hope. 'This was her speciality, I think – a sort of a boundless optimism, a boundless self-confidence, which she transferred onto other people.' Mr Martin said he had seen Ms Rook at a charity event in London around a month ago, where she was 'very friendly and ebullient as always'. Reflecting on the news of her death, he told PA: 'It was a massive loss for us, a massive shock when we heard what had happened. 'She spent her life, certainly the 10, 12 years that I knew her, fighting against women who had been abused, fighting against violence to women, and the irony is that she then suffered from violence to women in the way that she died yesterday.' More recently, Ms Rook had co-founded the MamaSuze CIC charity that supports refugee and migrant women, some of whom had fled domestic violence, with art and drama activities. The organisation said in a statement shared on Tuesday that it was 'devastated by the loss of our beloved co-founder' and that she treated everyone with 'warmth and kindness'. 'Annabel was a profound force for good in the world, dedicating her working life to supporting women survivors,' it added. Six fire engines and 40 firefighters were called to the scene early on Tuesday. The front bay window of the property was completely blown out that morning, with debris including plants, wooden shutters and glass scattered across the street. Two children, aged seven and nine, were also taken to hospital as a precaution following the incident but are not thought to have been inside the home when the explosion happened.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
UK politicians propose ban on pimping websites
A ban on pimping websites has been proposed by MPs, as part of measures designed to rewrite legislation regulating the sexual exploitation of women. Campaigners say ordering a woman to be sexually exploited has become as straightforward as ordering a takeaway online, with the proliferation of websites that allow buyers to browse images and videos of women, and refine their search by postcode. A group of 59 cross-party MPs have signed an amendment to the crime and policing bill, to be debated on Wednesday, which would make it a criminal offence to 'enable or profit from the prostitution of another person, including by operating a website hosting adverts for prostitution'. The all-party parliamentary group on commercial sexual exploitation has published research saying that the ease and speed with which pimps and traffickers can now advertise their victims to potential customers has 'turbo-charged the sex trafficking trade'. The committee has warned that regulation of the sex trade has not kept pace with technological developments. It said browsing commercial websites has replaced picking women up on street corners or consulting phone box advertisements. A report from the Home Affairs Committee concluded in 2023 that 'websites advertising prostitution significantly facilitate trafficking for sexual exploitation'. The Home Office has acknowledged that these websites 'are the most significant enabler of sexual exploitation linked to trafficking'. Three amendments tabled by the Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi together set out a new approach to regulation of commercial sexual exploitation, and also propose making it an offence to pay for sex and the decriminalisation of victims of commercial exploitation. In a Commons speech last week, Labour's Tracy Gilbert read out reviews of women posted on pimping websites by men who pay for sex. 'No smile, her atrocious English made the interactions even more impossible,' one reviewer stated. 'This was a very sub-standard service from someone who is not interested in providing customer satisfaction,' another review stated. 'Men who buy sex review women as if they are reviewing an Xbox game,' Gilbert stated, adding that the quoted feedback represented just a handful of the approximately 28,000 reviews left on one sex buyers' website. Kat Banyard, senior programme manager at UK Feminista, said the amendments, each of which had been backed by more than 50 MPs, represented the biggest show of support for legal reform on this issue in a generation. 'The commercial sexual exploitation of women is taking place on an industrial scale in the UK, and successive governments have failed to confront it. Websites hosting prostitution adverts operate openly and freely, functioning as massive online brothels, and the men who order women from these sites and pay to exploit them enjoy impunity. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'Meanwhile, women exploited through the sex trade can themselves face criminal sanctions for soliciting. Our laws on sexual exploitation are unjust and, fundamentally, totally ineffective at preventing it.' She said the proposed reforms 'would finally shift the burden of criminality off victims of sexual exploitation and on to those who perpetrate and profit from it'. Banyard said: 'Jurisdictions that have already adopted this approach, including France, Ireland, Norway and Sweden, show demand can be reduced, traffickers can be deterred and attitudes towards sexual exploitation can be transformed.'
