US to pressure Iran over 'plot to kill Saudi envoy'

 

US Attorney General Eric Holder says the alleged conspiracy was "conceived, sponsored and directed from Iran" Continue reading the main story Related Stories Clinton hails break-up of 'plot' Middle East rivalries play out in US The US secretary of state has called for a "very strong message" to be sent to Iran, after allegations of a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador to the US. Hillary Clinton said Washington was preparing new penalties against Iran, which is already subject to a variety of international sanctions. Two Iranians were charged over the plot which US officials said implicated Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. Meanwhile the US issued a worldwide alert about possible anti-US actions. "The US government assesses that this Iranian-backed plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador may indicate a more aggressive focus by the Iranian government on terrorist activity against diplomats from certain countries, to include possible attacks in the United States," the alert said. It urged Americans residing and travelling abroad to review the information available when making travel plans. Iran has dismissed the allegations as false and baseless. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote The idea that they would attempt to go to a Mexican drug cartel to solicit murder-for-hire to kill the Saudi ambassador, nobody could make that up, right?” Hillary Clinton US secretary of state 'Well-grounded suspicions' Mrs Clinton praised those involved in the operation to uncover the plot. "It was a terrific achievement by our law enforcement and intelligence communities, and we will be consulting with our friends and partners around the world about how we can send a very strong message that this kind of action, which violates international norms, must be ended," she said at a news conference. "This case will, I think, reinforce the well-grounded suspicions of many countries about what they're up to." Mrs Clinton said the suspected plotters had been trying to involve hired killers from Mexican drug cartels. "The idea that they would attempt to go to a Mexican drug cartel to solicit murder-for-hire to kill the Saudi ambassador, nobody could make that up, right?" she said. US Attorney General Eric Holder said Iran's involvement in the plot was "a flagrant violation of US and international law". Continue reading the main story Analysis Mohammad Manzarpour BBC Persian There is a long history of animosity between Iran and Saudi Arabia which stretches back to before the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Religiously, the Wahhabi rulers of Saudi Arabia and the Shia clerics of Iran reject each other's interpretation of Islam. Geopolitically, the two are staunch rivals, engaged in a seemingly never-ending battle for greater regional influence. They have also been engaged in proxy wars for decades, taking different sides in the Iran-Iraq war, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories. But it is the Saudis' military intervention in Bahrain which may have prompted the alleged plot. It was little criticised in the West but was seen in Iran as a blatant assault on the Shia majority in Bahrain. In a statement, UK Prime Minister David Cameron's office said: "Indications that this plot was directed by elements of the Iranian regime are shocking... We will support measures to hold Iran accountable for its actions." US officials have said military action was not being considered. The US Treasury Department placed five Iranians, including the two men charged, under sanctions on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the plot. The two accused were named as Manssor Arbabsiar, a 56-year-old naturalised US citizen with dual Iranian and US passports, and Gholam Shakuri, based in Iran and said to be a member of Iran's Quds Force, a unit of the Revolutionary Guard Corps. The other three were described as high-ranking members of the Quds force. Mr Arbabsiar, who was arrested at New York's John F Kennedy airport on 29 September, has confessed to his involvement in the alleged plot, Mr Holder said. A lawyer for Mr Arbabsiar said he would plead not guilty when he was officially indicted. 'Shocking' Mr Shakuri was said to be in Iran. US officials said that on 24 May 2011, Mr Arbabsiar made contact with an informant for the US Drug Enforcement Agency, who was posing as a Mexican drug cartel member. Manssor Arbabsiar appeared at a court in New York City on Tuesday Over a series of meetings, it is said that details emerged of a conspiracy involving members of the Iranian government paying $1.5m (£960,000) for the assassination of Saudi ambassador Adel al-Jubeir on US soil. Justice department officials said the initial envisaged target was the Saudi embassy. But in conversations secretly recorded for the US authorities, Mr Arbabsiar also allegedly considered having the ambassador killed at a purported favourite restaurant, despite the possibility of mass casualties. The plot would have been carried out with explosives, Mr Holder said. But he added that no explosives were ever put in place and the public was not in danger. Mr Holder said Mr Arbabsiar, with approval from Mr Shakuri, wired $100,000 to a US bank account for the informant as a downpayment. Mr Arbabsiar and Mr Shakuri have been charged with conspiracy to murder a foreign official, weapons conspiracy, and conspiracy to commit international terrorism charges. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote The choice of ambassadorial target is a direct expression of the acerbic tensions in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, and Iran” Kim Ghattas BBC News, Washington Alleged plot reflects Middle East rivalries Unnamed US officials also told journalists that the Israeli embassy in Washington was also to have been attacked. Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency called the charges a "propaganda campaign" by the US government against Tehran. The allegations were "a comedy show fabricated by America", Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told the semi-official Iranian news agency, Fars. Mr Arbabsiar appeared briefly at a New York City court on Tuesday. He did not enter a plea and was held without bail. He could face a life prison sentence if convicted on all charges, the Department of Justice said.

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US issues travel alert linked to Iran plot

 

The US State Department late on Tuesday issued a worldwide travel alert for US citizens, warning of the potential for anti-US action after the United States accused Iran of backing a plot to kill Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Washington.   Murder Plot Iranians charged over assassination plot / Reuters American authorities uncover plot to bomb Israeli, Saudi embassies in Washington, assassinate Saudi ambassador Full story "The US government assesses that this Iranian-backed plan to assassinate the Saudi ambassador may indicate a more aggressive focus by the Iranian government on terrorist activity against diplomats from certain countries, to include possible attacks in the United States," it said in a statement on its website.   The alert expires January 11, 2012, it said.

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Roman Abramovich is a "gangster", court told

 

Boris Berezovsky said Mr Abramovich was part of “black ops” by the Russian security service designed to force him to give up his business interests in the country. Mr Berezovsky, the so-called “godfather” of the Russian oligarchs, says he met Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, at the Kremlin “eye to eye” and was told to give up his control of a television station that had criticised the president over his handling of the sinking of the nuclear submarine the Kursk. When he refused, he was threatened with arrest and policemen in balaclavas, dubbed “maski” stormed the TV station ORT to remove documents. Mr Berezovsky says he fled the country and Mr Abramovich, his former protegee took advantage of the situation to pressure him into selling both ORT and the oil conglomerate Sibneft they had created together. Mr Abramovich is then said to have sold his minority stake in the aluminium giant Rusal, massively devaluing Mr Berezovsky’s stake.

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Michael Jackson's heartbroken daughter lashed out at Dr Conrad Murray for failing to save her father's life, jurors heard today as they again saw a photo of the pop stars dead body.

The King of Pop's three children 'cried and cried and cried' after being told their father was dead.

His daughter, Paris, now 13, told Murray, her father's personal doctor: 'I will wake up in the morning and I won't be able to see my daddy.'

On Tuesday a court in Los Angeles heard recordings of Conrad Murray saying Michael Jackson's children sobbed when they learned their father died and saw a photo of the singer's dead body

According to the 58-year-old cardiologist, she said: 'Dr Murray, you said you save a lot of patients. You know, you save people with heart attacks, and you couldn't save my dad.'

Paris's anguish was revealed in an interview Murray gave to detectives two days after Jackson's death on June 25, 2009.

The court saw a photograph of the painfully thin star taken before an autopsy was carried out on his body the day after his death. It was the second time the jury has seen a photo of the dead star after a picture was displayed on the opening day of the trial.

 Jackson's mother, Katherine, who flew back to Los Angeles from the weekend tribute to her son in Wales, left the courtroom before the disturbing image was shown on a screen.

Dr Christopher Rogers, Los Angeles Deputy Medical Examiner, said the 5 ft 9 ins tall singer was comparatively fit when he died.

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A coroner's photo of Jackson's naked body, with his genitals blacked out, was shown to jurors as they heard he was relatively fit for his age, but had many puncture wounds on his arms and legs from injections

'He was healthier than the average person of his age,' said Dr Rogers, who added there was no sign of any fat or cholesterol on the walls of Jackson's heart.

He ruled the cause of death was homicide as a result of acute Propofol intoxication, the court heard.

Dr Rogers dismissed Murray's claims that the singer took a deadly dose of Propofol himself while the doctor left his bedside for two minutes to go to the toilet. 

He suggested it was too short a time for Jackson to be able to self-administer the drug and for it take sufficient effect to stop his breathing.

He said Murray had no equipment to help deliver the correct amount of Propofol to help Jackson sleep.

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A close up of Jackson's wrist shows his date of death, which was actually June 25, 2009 but mis-labelled as August, and Coroner Case Number 2009-04415

'It would be easy for the doctor to estimate wrongly and give too much Propofol,' he added.

Murray, who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter, is not expected to testify at the trial at Los Angeles Superior Court, but the recording means jurors at least got to hear his side of the story.

Before Rogers the last 45 minutes of the two-hour tape was played in the hushed courtroom on Tuesday.

Murray told police Jackson's children 'really were weeping, really weeping' when they were told that doctors at UCLA Medical Centre in Los Angeles had been unable to revive their 50-year-old father.

'I hugged them all, gave comfort to Paris, comfort to Prince, comfort to Blanket, which is the last little guy, because whenever they were sick, they would always ask for Dr Conrad,' he said.

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Spain may exhume Franco

 

Spain may exhume the remains of dictator Francisco Franco from his huge mausoleum near Madrid and move them to a cemetery, the daily Periodico de Catalunya reported on Monday. The proposal is being considered by a commission of experts which the government has tasked with proposing how to deal with the Valley of the Fallen, Franco's monumental burial place in San Lorenzo de El Escorial. The mausoleum is seen as being contrary to the 2007 Law of Historic Memory on the 1939-75 Franco era. Franco took power following the 1936-39 civil war in which his troops defeated those of the leftist republican government. The law stipulated recognition of the wrongs suffered by Franco's victims, including measures such as removing Francoist monuments and assistance to associations reopening mass graves. One of the last issues to be dealt with is the Valley of the Fallen, which was built by republican prisoners. The mausoleum holds the remains of more than 30 000 people, including those of hundreds of republicans, whose bones were brought there to increase the number of people buried at the site. The commission comprising historians and legal experts is mulling ways to turn the mausoleum into “a monument of reconciliation.” The commission is now considering the possibility of removing Franco's remains from the basilica of the Valley of the Fallen and transferring them to El Pardo cemetery in Madrid, Periodico de Catalunya reported. This might be accepted by the Franco family, because he would then lie next to his wife Carmen Polo, according to the report. The basilica also houses the remains of Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera, the founder of Franco's Falangist party. They would not be removed from the Valley of the Fallen, because he was executed by the republicans during the war and is therefore considered a war victim.

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NEW dad died after being beaten up during a holiday in Spain.

chris lindsay

A NEW dad died after being beaten up during a holiday in Spain.

Chris Lindsay was found unconscious in the street following a night out with work pals.

He died five days later - on his girlfriend's 30th birthday.

Chris's dad Harry, 63, said: "It's hard to take. We keep thinking he is going to walk back through the door at any minute."

Chris's family raced to the Costa del Sol after doctors rang to say he was fighting for his life.

They are now trying to piece together what happened on the night he was attacked.

Chris, 34, who leaves a three-month-old son Jude, had flown to Spain with colleagues from The Marketing Company, based in Glasgow's Hope Street.

A group of around 10 of them were staying at a villa in Calahonda, between Marbella and Fuengirola.

On the night he was attacked, marketing officer Chris, of Edinburgh, and his pals had been out for a meal.

Most of them went to bed later but Chris and a senior colleague decided to keep the party going and went back out.

The pair got separated in a bar and Chris was found unconscious in the early hours of the morning.

It is not known how he sustained his injuries or how he got to hospital. But relatives who rushed to his bedside in Carlos Haya hospital in Malaga say it was obvious he had been attacked.

His brother Tony, 38, of Edinburgh, said: "We don't know who found him but he had been unconscious in the street on the Sunday morning and his passport was missing.

"When we saw him, his face was OK but there was bad bruising down his right-hand side, and cuts on his knees and elbows.

"We have no idea if he was jumped or if it was a one-on-one, but he had certainly been in a fight."

Chris was taken to hospital in Marbella before being transferred to Malaga. He died on Friday after suffering liver and kidney failure.

His family and his girlfriend Vikky Soloman hope a postmortem examination will shed more light on what happened.

Tony added: "Something has happened after he went back out. But all we can say for sure is that he has ended up dead."

Chris's dad Harry, 63, a care worker of Airdrie, Lanarkshire, said: "We're going about in a trance at the moment. Chris was a hard worker and a good lad."

Tony added: "I am absolutely devastated.

"Chris was absolutely thrilled to have become a dad again.

"There are still too many question marks about what happened."

Police on the Costa del Sol are investigating.

Chris's body will stay in Spain until officers decide whether to launch a criminal inquiry.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Spain. We are providing consular assistance to the family."

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British man arrested on Tenerife with 34 heroin capsules in his body

 

34 year old British man has been arrested at the Los Rodeos Tenerife North Airport after found to be carrying 75 capsules of heroin inside his body. News has just been released of the arrest which took place last Wednesday afternoon, and a statement from the Guardia Civil says the total weight of the drug recovered was 913 grams. Apparently when stopped by customs officials on arrival from the Spanish mainland, suspicions were raised when the Briton was unable to give a clear explanation as to the reason for his visit to Tenerife. The man, who has not been named in reports, was subjected to medical and police surveillance in the Canaries Universitario Hospital until all the capsules had been passed. That was checked by x-ray.

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Mystery files cast doubt over verdict on Robert Magill gangland killing

 

Duncan Campbell outlines the compelling reasons to reopen the Kevin Lane case  It was a notorious killing carried out one morning in a Hertfordshire backwater. Two men had approached Robert Magill as he walked his dog close to his home in Chorleywood on 13 October 1994. One of them was seen by several witnesses to pull out a shotgun and shoot Magill five times at point blank range. The final shot was delivered to the head as Magill lay prostrate. As of today, Kevin Lane will have served 16 years and 255 days of a minimum 18-year sentence for carrying out what was seen as a classic contract killing. Lane was raised in the criminal underworld, but has always claimed he was innocent of this crime. Many aspects of the case remain troubling and new evidence now threatens to blow apart not just Lane's conviction but the way in which it was achieved. The Observer understands that a specialist team reporting to the Crown Prosecution Service is examining whether a clutch of confidential internal police files, apparently relating to the case and sent anonymously to Lane's lawyer, Maslen Merchant, are genuine. The files, which have been seen by the Observer, appear to be copies of secret memos sent between a number of police officers involved in the case. For legal reasons, the evidence cannot be reproduced at the moment. But, if genuine, Lane's lawyers believe it would have a material effect on their client's appeal. In their submission filed before the Court of Appeal, the lawyers claim the documents, "if genuine, demonstrate the most blatant, deliberate and… shocking, plot by police to pervert the course of justice and ensure the applicant's conviction for murder". They would also illuminate the shadowy way in which the judicial system prosecuted contract killings, often having to go to great lengths to protect police sources who helped to secure convictions but were themselves closely connected to the criminal underworld. Central to the prosecution case against Lane was his palm print, found on a plastic bin liner in which the murder weapon was said to have been carried. The liner was found in the boot of a car Lane admitted driving. Another article in the car's boot was tested and found to have traces of nitroglycerine on it, indicating the presence of a weapon. Lane, who had travelled from Spain two weeks before the killing under a false name, claims he was at home at the time of the crime, but accepted he had borrowed the car about a week before the murder. His son's fingerprint was also found in the car, reinforcing Lane's claim that he had used it to ferry his family around. A defence expert suggested the apparent presence of nitroglycerine could have come from an industrial nail gun. Lane said he had entered the country under a false name because the Department for Social Security had been after him in connection with a benefit claim. But for Lane's supporters, the most troubling aspects of his case centre on the secrecy that has characterised it. Some evidence disclosed at Lane's retrial in 1996 was subjected to a public immunity interest order, meaning it was not shared with his legal team. For years, Lane's lawyers sought to establish the full contents of the suppressed material, who had authorised it, and why. The new material, if genuine, answers many of their questions. Lane first stood trial in October 1995 with Roger Vincent, who was found not guilty of participating in Magill's murder by direction of the judge. A hung jury was unable to return a verdict on Lane. Since Lane's conviction at his second trial, evidence has emerged showing Vincent had lengthy discussions with police officers shortly after his arrest. Statements shared with Lane's legal team by a detective sergeant, Christopher Spackman, also confirmed that Spackman had visited Vincent while he was on remand in HMP Woodhill. Spackman was later jailed for conspiring with others to steal £160,000 from Hertfordshire police, money the married father of three paid into his lover's account. The prosecutor at Spackman's trial claimed: "The lengths he went to, the lies he told and the documents that were forged would have been worthy of a seasoned fraudster." Spackman's name also surfaced in a 2005 court of appeal case that quashed the conviction of two men, Nazeem Khan and Cameron Bashir, in a case involving credit card fraud. The court had heard Spackman had displayed "an ability to conduct complicated deceptions within a police environment". On his website, Lane makes the extraordinary claim that before his first trial had finished, Spackman had visited Vincent's mother and told her that her son was coming home, but "Lane" would be found guilty. Spackman had also visited Vincent's mother's home twice after her son had been released. Vincent sued Hertfordshire police for false imprisonment after his acquittal for the Magill killing. He alleged Spackman had offered him a deal to drop the case against him and pay him a reward if he turned Queen's Evidence. Spackman later insisted it was Vincent who had approached him to "do a deal". It was not to be Vincent's last brush with the law. In August 2005 he and his friend David Smith were convicted of the 2003 killing of David King, who was shot 26 times with a Kalashnikov outside his gym in Hoddesdon, Herts. Logs later released by the police showed that during the original Magill murder inquiry they had received more than 20 tip-offs claiming Vincent and Smith had been responsible. They were well known in the criminal world and were suspected of having carried out several killings. Lane's lawyers believe that charting the relationship between Vincent and Spackman is crucial to the success of his appeal. The relationship certainly pre-dated the Magill murder. In 1992, it was Spackman who had liaised with Vincent when he gave evidence in the case of a man convicted of attempted murder and false imprisonment. Vincent received a commendation from the judge for his bravery in testifying. Today Vincent is behind bars and refusing to shed light on the extent of his relationship with Spackman. Lane continues to protest his innocence from a category B prison, potentially putting his release date in jeopardy. His hopes now rest on whether the internal police files mysteriously posted to his lawyers are real or sophisticated forgeries. Given the bewildering twists and turns in Lane's case, either conclusion is possible.

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Kelly Hoppen accepts £60,000 damages in hacking case

 

Interior designer Kelly Hoppen has accepted £60,000 in damages over the News of the World phone-hacking case. Her lawyer told the High Court the settlement was for "misuse of private information and breach of confidence". Ms Hoppen is the former stepmother of Sienna Miller, whose relationship with fellow actor Jude Law was of huge interest to the now defunct tabloid. News International and News Group Newspapers agreed to pay the money as well as her costs. Numerous articles published in the News of the World between 2004 and 2006 contained "intrusive and private information" relating to Ms Hoppen, her lawyer Mark Thomson told the court. "The claimant did not know the source of this information at the time of publication and often could not understand how it was possible for the News of the World to obtain such private information," he said. New evidence "In 2009, as a result of the claimant's long held concerns, her solicitors, Atkins Thomson, wrote to the Metropolitan Police Service asking whether they had any evidence that the claimant had been targeted by News Group Newspapers Limited in 2004-2006." He said his client was at first told the police had no evidence to suggest she had been a target, but that changed in February 2011 after further evidence emerged. The court heard that News Group Newspapers admitted liability in April. Michael Silverleaf QC, counsel for the newspaper group, told Mr Justice Vos that he wanted to repeat the "sincere and unreserved apology" made to Ms Hoppen in April. Ms Hoppen is one of a number of celebrities and public figures pursuing civil cases against Rupert Murdoch's media group. In January, the High Court is due to hear claims from a handful of test cases involving those who say their phones were hacked into. They include former footballer Paul Gascoigne, Jude Law, sports agent Sky Andrew, and MP Chris Bryant. The mother of a 7/7 bombing victim will also pursue a separate civil case against News International. Sheila Henry's son, Christian Small, was killed in the 2005 Russell Square explosion.

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Three post offices targeted in spate of raids over 12 hours

 

POST OFFICES were targeted in raids in Waterford, Kilkenny and north Dublin yesterday – one of which involved the kidnapping of a man and woman. The three incidents took place within 12 hours of each other and come on the back of a spate of thefts and attempted robberies at post offices which have been linked to organised crime gangs involved in the drugs trade. The worst of the incidents began on Tuesday night in Swords, Co Dublin, when three armed men forced their way into the home of an An Post worker employed at the Balbriggan branch. The female postmaster and her husband were held hostage by the gang for several hours at their home in St Andrew’s Park. The husband was then taken to another location yesterday morning while the woman was ordered to go to work as usual and withdraw a substantial sum of money and await instructions. The woman’s husband was left tied to a tree by the gang in a field off Kettles Lane in Swords, from which he managed to free himself shortly after 10am. At about the same time gardaí became aware of the incident and responded to a call from the post office, forcing the gang to abort their plans. Supt Kevin Gilligan said: “This was a very traumatic experience for the people taken hostage overnight and for post office staff in Balbriggan.” He appealed to anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity at the three locations associated with this incident to contact gardaí. Gardaí were yesterday also investigating an armed raid on a post office in Kill, Co Waterford. Two men, one armed with what appeared to be a shotgun, entered the post office shortly after 11.30am when staff and a number of customers were present. The men escaped with an undisclosed sum of money in a black car in the direction of Carroll’s Cross. There were no injuries and no shots were discharged. Earlier in the day, a stolen JCB was used by raiders to smash a wall and steal a safe at a post office in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny. The vehicle was used to gain entry to the post office shortly after 6am. The safe stolen is understood to have been empty, however. Gardaí said the JCB had been stolen in Carlow overnight. He appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the vehicle being driven or transported to Castlecomer to contact them. A spokesman for An Post yesterday declined to discuss the incidents, saying they were a matter for gardaí. General secretary of the Irish Postmasters’ Union Brian McGann expressed his sympathies to the family involved in the Swords incident. “Unfortunately, postmasters and their staff face the threat of this type of attack every day in their working lives,” he said. The vast majority of raids on post offices were unsuccessful, as postmasters and their staff did not have access to cash and all safes were time-locked, he added. The union and An Post had worked together to develop and improve security at post offices, which he described as “robust”. He urged An Post staff to remain vigilant and to follow security protocols.

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Police find body in Perth motel car park

 

POLICE have found the body of a missing man wrapped in plastic in the back of a four-wheel drive vehicle in Perth, nearly two weeks after he went missing. The body of 38-year-old Mite Naumovski, a convicted drug trafficker, was found early yesterday afternoon in the car park at the Great Eastern Motor Lodge in Rivervale, in Perth's inner east. Police had been seeking the father of one since he failed to return after telling his family he was going for a motorbike ride. Police said several people had been taken into custody and were being questioned by Major Crime Squad detectives. Mr Naumovski's body was found at the same motor lodge where the body of Perth concrete firm owner Peter Davis was found earlier this year, also in the back of a car and wrapped in plastic. A man has been charged over the Mr Davis' death but police were making no connection between the deaths yesterday.

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Self-styled ‘Lord’ Davenport - known as 'Fast Eddie' - masterminded an ‘advanced fee fraud’ scheme that ripped off scores of businesses.

 

Davenport set up Gresham Ltd in 2005 and pretended it was a respectable business with 50 years of sourcing huge commercial loans. He charged companies advance fees for loans of up to £157million but the money never materialised.

The scam conned at least 51 victims and from 2007 to 2009 Gresham Ltd received more than £4.5million from unsuspecting clients, the court heard.

‘To outward appearances it was long-established, wealthy and prestigious,’ said Simon Mayo QC, for the prosecution. ‘It was essentially worthless. Its only business was fraud.’

The businessman had many high-profile friends including socialite Tamara Beckwith (right) (Picture: Rex Features)

Davenport owns Sierra Leone’s former high commission at Portland Place, London, used in The King’s Speech – and a gay porn film.

The 45-year-old is pictured on his website with celebrities including Cowell and Hugh Grant, Knightley, Beckham and Mick Jagger.

He boasted of 'beautiful homes and a collection of sports cars which would make any man jealous including a Ferrari 360 Spider, an Aston Martin Virage Volante, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Lamborghini'. 

Davenport was banned last year from using his home for activities including a ‘porn disco’, sex party and pole-dancing lessons. 

He was jailed last month for seven years and eight months with accomplice Peter Riley, 64, of Brentwood, Essex. They were convicted of conspiracy to defraud. Borge Andersen, 66, of South Kensington, got 39 months for the crime.

Con victim: Royal dress designer Elizabeth Emanuel was among those who paid money to Davenport (Picture: PA)

According to Gresham Ltd accounts, Andersen received £159,564 from the fraud, Riley £695,407 and Davenport £773,000. A total of £349,025 vanished, the court heard.

The convictions at Southwark crown court can be revealed because a reporting order was lifted yesterday.

Princess Diana's wedding dress designer Elizabeth Emanuel - who had been one of Davenport's victims - welcomed his sentence.

The 58-year-old turned to him in 2008 in the hope of raising £1m for her business, Art Of Being, and was asked to pay £20,000 - later reduced to £5,000 - for his company to complete due diligence.

'I think justice has been served,' she said.

'The amount I lost was nothing compared to everybody else but he was happy to take my £5,000. It sums up the sort of person he is.'

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Mexican forces have arrested a man they say is a key figure in the country's most powerful drugs cartel.

 

Noel Salgueiro Nevarez is accused of running the Sinaloa cartel's operations in the northern state of Chihuahua, where drug violence is rampant.

Defence officials said his arrest would seriously weaken the cartel in Mexico and abroad.

The arrest was made on the same day as that of Martin Rosales Magana, who is accused of leading the La Familia gang.

The army said Mr Salgueiro Nevarez was seized in a carefully planned military operation, without a shot being fired.

Defence Ministry spokesman Ricardo Trevilla Trejo said Noel Salgueiro Nevarez was behind much of the extreme violence which has plagued Ciudad Juarez, Mexico's murder capital.

He said the suspect, also known as El Flaco (The Skinny One), led a gang of hitmen who extorted local businessmen, kidnapped for ransom, and tortured and killed members of a rival gang, the Juarez cartel.

'Criminal career'

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Ignacio de los ReyesBBC Mundo, Mexico City

The Sinaloa Cartel controls the production of large quantities of heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine (in the US) and boasts an extensive network of associates to facilitate its US trafficking operations, US officials say.

On Saturday, Texas Governor Rick Perry said he would even consider sending US troops into Mexico to combat drug-related violence and "keep the cartels off the border".

This is why the arrest of "The Skinny One" could be a severe blow to the Sinaloa cartel activity both sides of the fence.

It is also a public relations boost for Mexican President Felipe Calderon at home and in the US, amid growing criticism of his government's strategy to fight criminals and the drug trafficking.

Yet, the Sinaloa Cartel leader is still free. Joaquin "The Shorty" Guzman escaped from a maximum security prison in 2001, embarrassing the Mexican government.

Since then, he's become the number one target with a $3m reward for his capture.

The security forces say the bitter war between the two gangs was the trigger for most of the 3,000 killings in Ciudad Juarez last year.

Prosecutors said Mr Salgueiro Nevarez started his criminal career 15 years ago, producing marijuana for the Sinaloa cartel.

They said his gang had been exporting up to 15 tonnes of marijuana and two tonnes of cocaine per month to the United States.

The government had offered a three-million-peso ($220,000; £130,000) reward for information leading to his capture.

Security officials said his arrest, in the city of Culiacan in northwestern Sinaloa state, was a major blow to the Sinaloa cartel and its leader, Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman.

Mr Guzman, 54, is Mexico's most wanted man and thought to be one of the country's richest.

Two years ago, he made Forbes magazine's list of the 67 World's Most Powerful People. At number 41, he was just below Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Crumbling cartel

Mr Salgueiro Nevarez's arrest was announced at the same time as that of another top figure in the Mexican drugs trade.

Police say Martin Rosales Magana lead the remnants of the La Familia cartel

Martin Rosales Magana, 47, was seized in Mexico state on Tuesday. Police say he is one of the founders of the once-powerful La Familia cartel.

Until the beginning of this year, La Familia ran much of the methamphetamine trade in Mexico.

It claimed to protect local communities and promote family values, but also engaged in gruesome violence.

The security forces say it has been almost entirely dismantled, with its top leaders either in jail or dead.

They say Mr Rosales Magana lead a number of small cells still loyal to the cartel, which had holed themselves up in a rural area between Michoacan and Mexico state.

At a news conference, federal police counter-narcotics chief Ramon Pequeno described how La Familia splintered after the security forces killed the cartel's then-leader Nazario Moreno in December 2010.

He said part of the gang set up a rival cartel, which they named Knights Templar, and which quickly took over many of the methamphetamine labs in the west and south-west of the country.

Mr Pequeno said Mr Rosales Magana and those loyal to him tried to regain control of the drugs trade in Michoacan state by forging an alliance with their long-time rivals, the Zetas cartel.

He told reporters how "they met with the Zetas to ask for operational assistance, weapons and salaries [for gunmen] and expenses money, in order to recoup important cities held by the Knights Templar".

However, according to police, the alliance soon faltered because Mr Rosales Magane no longer had access to the precursor chemicals needed to make methamphetamine, their main source of income.

Mr Pequeno said with La Familia severely weakened, police would now focus their attention on taking down the Knights Templar.

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Mexico Arrests Key Member Of Sinaloa Drug Cartel

 

Mexican security forces have arrested one of the top figures of the Sinaloa drug cartel in an operation carried out in the country's north, officials said on Wednesday. They said Noel Salgueiro Nevarez was arrested on Tuesday in Culiacan, capital of the north-western state of Sinaloa, in a carefully planned operation. He was captured "without any shots being fired," they added. Nevarez, alias El Flaco or The Skinny One, was the leader of a gang of hit-men working for the Sinaloa cartel led by Joaquin "El Chapo" (Shorty) Guzman. He is accused of running the cartel's operations in the northern state of Chihuahua and involvement in kidnappings, torture, extortion and murders. Nevarez is said to be a close associate of Guzman. Mexican officials say his arrest was a major blow to Guzman and insist that it would weaken the operations of the cartel in Mexico and abroad. The Mexican government had offered a reward of about $220,000 for information leading to the capture of Nevarez. The Sinaloa cartel, based in Mexico's Pacific coast, is currently one of the most powerful organized criminal gangs in the Americas. Cartel leader Guzman has been on the run since he escaped from a Mexican prison ten years ago. The United States had declared a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. The Sinaloa cartel is presently engaged in a fierce turf battle with the Juarez cartel led by Vicente Carrillo Fuentes for the control of lucrative smuggling routes to the U.S. The two cartels are blamed for most of the recent drug-related violence in Chihuahua and other northern states. The Mexican government says that more than 34,600 people have died in drug-related violence in the country since President Felipe Calderon launched an offensive against drug gangs after taking office in December 2006. Besides fighting drug cartels, Calderon has deployed thousands of troops across the country to check drug-related violence and launched a massive anti-corruption drive named 'Operation Clean-up' to identify and punish public servants having links with drug cartels.

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Drug-dealing killer: Chicago cop stopped DEA investigation of me

 

high-level drug trafficker admits he was involved in three killings after a Chicago Police officer scuttled a federal investigation into his illegal activities in the mid-1990s, according to a recent court filing. Saul Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty last month to federal drug conspiracy charges, was an informant for Officer Glenn Lewellen for years. But Rodriguez told authorities he and Lewellen were also longtime partners in crime. They allegedly worked together to rip off other drug dealers, splitting millions of dollars in loot. Lewellen recruited Rodriguez as a police informant in early 1996. Rodriguez’s undercover name was “Bill Pager.” From 1996 to 2001, the Chicago Police Department paid him $807,000 for information that led to seizures of drugs and cash, prosecutors said. All the while Rodriguez was making cases for the police, however, he was committing crimes. And Lewellen repeatedly stepped in to keep Rodriguez out of jail, prosecutors said. Rodriguez’s statements to authorities are included in a 188-page document containing evidence prosecutors intend to present against Lewellen and other defendants who face trial in the same case. Rodriguez has agreed to testify against them. According to the document, Lewellen in mid-1996 persuaded the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to stop investigating Rodriguez after 154 pounds of marijuana were seized from a secret compartment in his Buick. Lewellen told the DEA its investigation would harm ongoing Chicago Police Department cases, prosecutors said. Lewellen, who joined the police force in 1986, retired in 2002 to become a homebuilder. But he still managed to obstruct a separate DEA investigation of Rodriguez, prosecutors said. In 2006, Lewellen warned Rodriguez not to speak to a drug courier whose phone was wiretapped, Rodriguez said. At the time, the DEA was investigating Rodriguez’s ties to a cocaine wholesaler, prosecutors said. Lewellen told Rodriguez he got the information from an “agent” who previously worked in Colombia, but didn’t say what agency was involved in the investigation, according to Rodriguez. As Lewellen was allegedly protecting Rodriguez from the DEA, Rodriguez was involved in the murders of three men, prosecutors said. Rodriguez has confessed to orchestrating the slayings in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Rodriguez has also told authorities he arranged for a friend to “escape” from a prison in Mexico in 2003. He said he met with the prison warden while on vacation in Mexico and promised to pay him a $250,000 bribe in exchange for his friend’s freedom. In addition to his career as a drug dealer, Rodriguez became involved in managing boxers and developing real-estate in Chicago and Nevada, records show. The document detailing Rodriguez’s statements to federal prosecutors, filed last month, provides new details about Rodriguez’s relationship with Lewellen. For example, Rodriguez said he bought Lewellen a Ford Crown Victoria equipped with a siren. Lewellen allegedly drove the car while posing as a legitimate cop during drug rip-offs, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez has told authorities that another Chicago Police officer participated in at least one rip-off, but he believes the officer is now deceased. The prosecution’s evidentiary document also provides more information about the three murders in which Rodriguez admits to having a role. Rodriguez said he persuaded Lewellen to frame Juan Luevano with a drug case in 1999. Luevano, who was dating Rodriguez’s former girlfriend, was released from jail after posting bond in the case. Rodriguez said he then met with a high-ranking Satan Disciples gang member who was in prison. The gang leader was angry Luevano was dating his wife, Rodriguez told authorities. The gang leader asked Rodriguez to find someone to “get” Luevano. So Rodriguez said he hired a high-school pal, Manuel Uriarte, to kill Luevano. Uriarte and Andres Flores allegedly shot Luevano to death in 2000 near his home in Cicero, prosecutors said. They’re charged with murder in the same federal drug conspiracy case. Rodriguez also admitted he arranged for the 2001 murder of Michael Garcia. Rodriguez said he acted at the request of a friend who suspected Garcia had killed his brother, prosecutors said. And Rodriguez said he was involved in the 2002 murder of Miguel De La Torre. Rodriguez said he arranged the kidnapping of De La Torre to scare him into providing information about the location of cocaine and money. Rodriguez said he hired Miguel Uriate and his brother Jorge Uriate to squeeze the information from De La Torre, a drug dealer. If De La Torre refused to talk, they agreed the Uriates would kill him, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez admitted he provided Uriate brothers with an electrical cord they used to strangle De La Torre in a garage. Jorge Uriate also faces murder charges in the same case. Lewellen, who is free on $1 million bail awaiting trial, is not charged with any of the killings.

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Feds indict 23 Texas Syndicate gang members

 

Federal authorities Tuesday announced the indictment of 23 reputed Texas Syndicate gang members and associates on charges including four murders, drug trafficking and extortion. Those charged are primarily in the Uvalde and Hondo areas, but the prison-born criminal group has members throughout the state. Their alleged crimes were committed over the past nine years, according to the indictment, which details the structure and goals the gang, which is led by officers with ranks. The indictment also delves into the gang's strict rules and penalties, including being killed, for going against the organization or disobeying orders. "The (Texas Syndicate) will not hesitate to kill anyone who interferes with the business of the gang or who commits a violation of Texas Syndicate rules. Among those charges under RICO, the acronym for Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization: Cristobal "Little Chris" Velasquez, 33, of Uvalde; Sotero Rodriguez Martinez "June", 41, of Uvalde; Chuco Mario "Mariachi" Martinez, 35, of Uvalde; Larry "Little Larry" Munoz, Jr.,36, of Uvalde; Brian "Tata" Esparza, 31, of Uvalde; Charles "Horse" Esparza, 32, of Uvalde; Ervey "Mad Max" Sanchez, 31, of Uvalde; Mark Anthony Vela, 35, of Hondo; Charles Olan Quintanilla, 32, of Hondo; George "Curious" Sanchez,36, of Uvalde; and, Inez "Bebito" Mata, 41, of Uvalde. Others charged in the case are not accused of violating the RICO law.

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Dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been charged with the murder of Jamaican promoter Barrington Burton

. Photograph: Scott Gries/Getty Images

Jamaican dancehall star Vybz Kartel has been charged with murder. A police statement issued in Kingston on Monday said that the 35-year-old artist was charged with murder, conspiracy to murder and illegal possession of a firearm. Investigators accuse the rapper, whose real name is Adijah Palmer, of conspiring with others to kill a 27-year-old promoter who was murdered earlier this year.

"The allegation is that on Monday, July 11, 2011, Palmer, along with other men, conspired to murder Barrington Burton o/c 'Bossie', a 27-year-old businessman/promoter of a Gregory Park address in St Catherine. Burton was murdered while he was standing with friends along Walkers Avenue in Gregory Park," the police release said. A preliminary hearing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

Kartel's defence attorney was reported to have said that his client was prepared to fight the charges. Kartel was initially arrested on Friday for marijuana possession.

Kartel has previously been arrested on charges including assault and illegal gun possession. Those charges were later dropped. A long-running feud with fellow artist Mavado is alleged to have fuelled mob attacks in inner-city neighbourhoods of Kingston. In December 2009, the two met government ministers in an attempt to calm the situation.

Kartel has worked on collaborations and remixes with the likes of Jay-Z, Rihanna and MIA. His international hits include Ramping Shop, Dollar Sign and Clarks. The success of the latter song last year sent sales of the British shoes soaring in Jamaica. A businessman in his own right, Kartel also has his own brands of rum and condoms as well as his owncontroversial range of skin-lightening cosmetics.

Recently, the singer also became the star of locally produced reality TV show Teacha's Pet. Officials from the telecommunications company that sponsors the show were said to be discussing the new charges levelled against Kartel last night.

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£40million cocaine-smuggling gang are sent to jail

 

GANG involved in a "high-level international drugs ring" that brought an estimated £40 million of cocaine into Scotland from Spain were jailed today. Keith Blenkinsop and Lindsay Harkins were the ring-leaders in the operation while Andrew Burns, Robert Dalrymple and James Elvin acted as couriers. All five men were convicted of being concerned in the supply of cocaine in Scotland, England and Spain between 2007 and 2009 following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow last month, the Crown Office said. Blenkinsop, 43, from Annan, Dumfries and Galloway, was sentenced to 12 years behind bars and Harkins, 44, of Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute, was jailed for nine years and 341 days at the High Court in Edinburgh. Stuart Cassidy, interim district procurator fiscal for Dumfries, said: "This case involved a high-level international drugs ring which used couriers to traffic an estimated £40 million in cocaine from Spain to Scotland. "The drugs - cocaine, amphetamines and cannabis - were destined for the streets of Glasgow but some were also distributed in the Dumfries area. "Drug trafficking at this level is of the utmost seriousness and the damage it does to our young people and Scotland's communities cannot be underestimated. "The Crown will continue to vigorously prosecute drug dealers and will use every power available to disrupt their criminal enterprises and seize their assets." In 2004 Blenkinsop was also sentenced to four years in prison in Spain following a conviction for drug dealing. In sentencing comments released following the hearing, judge Lord Doherty told Blenkinsop: "You have been convicted of being concerned in the supplying of cocaine between January 29 2007 and June 19 2009. "It is clear on the evidence that you were one of the principals in a major cocaine distribution operation which involved cocaine being purchased in Spain, brought back to Scotland, adulterated here using mixing agents and industrial presses, and then being sold on. "Large quantities of money raised in the drug distribution operation was exchanged into euro for onward transfer to Spain. Others operated to your instructions. Cocaine was purchased regularly in Spain in quantities of 2kg at a time. "Those who play leading roles in drug distribution operations involving class A drugs must expect to be dealt with severely by the courts." Blenkinsop was also convicted of being involved in the supply of cannabis resin and amphetamines while Harkins was found guilty of supplying amphetamines. Dalrymple, who is 43 and from Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, was sentenced to six years and 357 days imprisonment after being convicted of being involved in the drugs operation as a courier in 2009. Elvin, 35, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, was sentenced to five years and 351 days after also being convicted of being a courier. He brought back two kilograms of cocaine from Spain on April 30 2009 and was about to travel back the following day with more than 37,000 euros (£31,000) in cash hidden in his bag when he was caught. Burns, who is 56 and from Helensburgh, was handed a sentence of seven years and 349 days after he was convicted of being concerned in the supplying of cocaine between January 29 2007 and March 17 2009.

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tattoo-faced sex offender living in Springfield, Missouri may win the prize for scariest mugshot ever with this menacing photo.

What a difference a few years make.

A tattoo-faced sex offender living in Springfield, Missouri may win the prize for scariest mugshot ever with this menacing photo.

Michael Campbell, 36, has been in and out of jail since the mid-nineties but as his 2008 mugshot shows, he still has found time to get his entire face etched in ink - including a pentagram emblazoned on the centre of his forehead.

Before and after: Convicted Missouri sex offender Michael Campbell's booking photos in 2003 and 2008 show two very different looking men

The before photo was snapped following an arrest in 2003 for theft in Jefferson County, Colorado and shows Campbell sporting three facial tattoos, including Pit bull dog in the centre of his neck.

Five years later, following a second arrest in Jefferson County, he appears as a completely different looking man - with a mosaic of demonic markings on his face. 

 

 

 

A pentagram etched on his forehead, and the markings of a skeleton on his nose are frightening additions, along with the surprisingly whimsical addition of a polka dot bow tie tattooed in the centre of his neck.

Campbell, a Colorado native, has been in and out of jail for over a decade. In 1995, at age 20, he was convicted for the attempted sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. 

Most recently he was arrested for going within 500ft of a playground or public pool. Campbell was booked on Sunday and later released.

According to the Missouri sex offender registry, Campbell also has tattoos on his back, left and right arms, chest and abdomen.

But he is not alone in the competition of scariest mugshots.

Caius Veiovis, 31, has undergone extensive implants to create horns on his head and had the number of the devil - 666 - tattooed on his forehead.

Veiovis' terrifying mugshot was released last month when he was arrested as part of a gang who are said to have kidnapped and murdered three Hells Angels. The horn-headed Satan-worshipper is said to have drank the blood of one of his victims.

And in June, the mugshot of 26-year-old Randon Reid, arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, showed a man with manic eyes and a scary gurning smile taken into custody after shots were fired at a grounded plane parked at Deer Valley Airport.

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Twenty-Six members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang gathered in a federal courtroom Monday

 

 

Twenty-Six members of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang gathered in a federal courtroom Monday, but only one of the arrested individuals received a hearing.

Martin Thomas Forschner, an alleged member of the gang, was one of the 26 arrested Thursday..

Evidence from a wiretap was brought forth in his hearing, which the prosecutor said showed him involved in a meth delivery at another defendant’s house. Forschner had served time in jail, and also had several instances where he failed to appear in court.

However his attorney said that in the past five years since his release, he has behaved well, taking care of his wife and mother-and-law and working at an automotive repair shop. Still, with his record, the magistrate said that he still posed a risk of flight. He was ordered detained.

Eleven others were given stipulated custody without bail at the hearing. The remaining suspects were delayed, and may be heard Thursday instead. One attorney told the family of a defendant that he would be asking for a later hearing, as the judge was in a “deny, deny, deny” mood.

Police and FBI officials are still on the lookout for four fugitives who evaded arrest.

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Former Hells Angels leader to be extradited to California

 

former president of the San Diego Hells Angels will be extradited to California before the end of the month to face charges of kidnapping, robbing and torturing a fellow gang member in San Diego. Stephen Sanders, 42, surrendered Thursday night to federal and local authorities at Ala Moana Beach Park. He will be held without bail at Oahu Community Correctional Center until he is returned to San Diego before Nov. 1. Circuit Judge Steve Alm approved the extradition order this afternoon. Sanders was one of four men wanted in the 2007 incident, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. The four men are accused of kidnapping, torturing, assaulting and robbing a man who informed the club that he no longer wanted to be a member . He faces charges of aggravated mayhem, kidnapping for ransom, robbery and torture. The man was beaten, and his Hells Angels tattoos, which ran up three sides of his neck and both arms, were tattooed over. The assailants forced him to sign over the title to his motorcycle, the newspaper reported.

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Cook County jury has convicted a 22-year-old reputed gang member of killing a Chicago police officer two years ago.

 

Shawn Gaston, 22, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Officer Alejandro “Alex” Valadez on June 1, 2009.

Jurors reached their verdict late Wednesday evening, just a few hours after beginning their deliberations, following a weeklong trial.

Chicago Police Officer Alejandro Valadez (Credit: CPD)

Valadez was 27 years old when he was shot to death in 2009. He had been on the force for only three years and was working undercover duty on the South Side on June 1, 2009, investigating reports of gunfire when Gaston allegedly gunned him down on the 6000 block of South Hermitage Avenue

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