Police have seized more than 1,000 guns in London so far this year.

Young criminals are increasingly ready to use firearms after a perceived slight to their reputation. One aspect of the "chaotic" new trend is that they shoot to injure rather than kill, aiming at the victim's legs and leaving their rivals with "war wounds".The number of these shootings now stands at 72, more than double the total for last year. Commander Martin Hewitt said the propensity to use "extreme levels of violence for seemingly very little reason" was a new phenomenon. He said that when Operation Trident began investigating gun crime in the black community most shootings were an "offshoot" of criminal activity.Police have seized more than 1,000 guns in London so far this year. While overall youth violence is falling, police say there is a rise in gun crime and, in particular, the number of non-fatal shootings involving turf wars.Many criminals are inflicting "war wounds" on rivals by shooting them in the legs. The number of these shootings now stands at 72, more than double the total for last year.

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Gunmen opened fire into a bar in northern Puerto Rico and killed at least seven people

Gunmen opened fire into a bar in northern Puerto Rico and killed at least seven people, injuring 20 others, police said Sunday. A prosecutor said a battle over drug traffic might have prompted the attack. A 9-year-old girl and a pregnant woman who lost her eight-month-old fetus after being shot were among those seriously wounded, said police Col. Jose Morales. The justice department plans to file a murder charge for the death of the fetus, said prosecutor Wanda Vazquez, who is investigating the case.

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Weapons of choice for gangsters are the Russian-made 9mm Baikal pistol which is smuggled into the UK from illegal factories in Lithuania

Weapons of choice for gangsters are the Russian-made 9mm Baikal pistol which is smuggled into the UK from illegal factories in Lithuania and the Mac-10 sub-machine pistol.
A sub-machine gun is believed to have been used in the suspected gang war murder of 21-year-old Turkish shop worker Cem Duzgun two weeks ago.
There have also been warnings about girls and children carrying weapons for boyfriends or older gang members. Earlier this year a 14-year-old boy was convicted of possessing a gun, a silencer and ammunition. The weapon was found in his bedroom in Lewisham when he was just 13.
The number of guns being seized in London has risen steadily in recent years. In the whole of 2002 just 1,000, including imitation guns, were recovered. This year, up until the end of July 985 were seized. Police say that by this month the total will have reached more than 1,000.
Of the 985, 217 were 'live-firing' weapons - 136 handguns, 72 shotguns and nine sub-machineguns. The rest are believed to be BB guns, replicas or other 'non-live firing'

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'respect' shootings where it seems the gunmen do not intend to kill.

Gun crime in London has soared due to a new wave of teenage 'respect' shootings, the Metropolitan Police said today.Crimes where teenagers choose to use firearms to settle disputes over slights to their reputation or other minor disagreements are becoming increasingly common.
The new phenomenon sees gunmen intending to injure their victims rather than kill. Criminals aim at a rival's legs and leave them with 'war wounds'.
Police figures say that there have been 72 such shootings, double the number for last year. Commander Martin Hewitt said the inclination to use 'extreme levels of violence for seemingly very little reason' was a new phenomenon.
He said that when Operation Trident began investigating gun crime in the black community most shootings were an 'offshoot' of criminal activity.
Police have seized more than 1,000 guns in London so far this year. While overall youth violence is falling, police say there is a rise in gun crime and, in particular, the number of non-fatal shootings involving turf wars.
Met Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson linked rising gun crime in the capital with feuding gangs. Met figures show a 14 per cent rise in gun crime in London over four months during the summer.
There has been a spate of 'drive-by' and other targeted shootings, apparently connected to gang and other criminal disputes. Many offences are said to be 'intimated' where someone claims or threatens to have a gun but a weapon is not seen.
However, police are highlighting a new trend of 'respect' shootings where it seems the gunmen do not intend to kill.

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Bullets flying from the Morro dos Macacos ("Monkey Hill" in Portuguese) slum in northern Rio de Janeiro tore into the helicopter and hit the pilot

Bullets flying from the Morro dos Macacos ("Monkey Hill" in Portuguese) slum in northern Rio de Janeiro tore into the helicopter and hit the pilot in the leg as he hovered above the shootout, causing him to lose control and crash.
Two officers died, while the pilot and three other policemen escaped after the craft hit the ground on a football field and burst into flames. The pilot and a second officer suffered burns and bullet wounds. The other two officers also were burned, one gravely, said Mario Sergio Duarte, head of Rio state's military police.
Officials did not know whether the gangs targeted the helicopter or whether it was hit by stray bullets, but the event underscored security concerns that have dogged Brazil's second-largest city for decades.
Despite the mayhem, officials defended Rio's ability to control violence ahead of the Olympics as well as before 2014, when Brazil will host the World Cup soccer tournament with key games in Rio.
"In choosing the city, they already knew about the work that's being carried out and will continue in the area of (crime) prevention," Justice Minister Tarso Genro told the state-run Agencia Brasil news agency.
Rio state Gov. Sergio Cabral grimly told reporters that Rio's security challenges can't be cured "by magic in the short term," but he said money is being poured into programs to reduce crime and authorities are prepared to mount an overwhelming security presence at the sporting events to ensure safety.
"We told the International Olympic Committee that this won't be an easy thing, and they know that," Cabral said. "We can put 40,000 people on the streets — federal, state and municipal police — and pull off the event."
Duarte said it was unlikely that traffickers fired an anti-aircraft missile at the helicopter, though such weapons have been found in the hideouts of Rio's drug traffickers along with other heavy, military-grade arms such as grenade launchers and .50-caliber machine guns.
The pilot was able to make a somewhat controlled, though extremely rough landing, which would have been unlikely if the aircraft had been hit by a heavy weapon, Duarte said.
Police said 10 presumed traffickers were killed during the fighting in the slum, including three suspects found dead inside a vehicle. Officials gave no details on how the other seven died.
They said at least eight buses were set on fire in nearby slums as the shootouts raged. Television images showed motorists fleeing for cover as automatic-weapons fire crackled in broad daylight amid the worst violence the city has seen in months.
Images broadcast by Globo TV showed flames shooting from the helicopter wreckage, with little more than charred pieces and an intact tail remaining after the fire was doused.

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Drug traffickers shot down a police helicopter during a gunbattle between rival gangs Saturday

Drug traffickers shot down a police helicopter during a gunbattle between rival gangs Saturday, killing two officers and injuring four in a burst of violence just two weeks after the city was chosen to host the 2016 Olympic Games.
Ten suspected drug traffickers were also killed during the fighting in a shantytown, and two bystanders were injured, officials said.

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Gunmen started shooting as they entered the bar in Toa Baja, near the capital San Juan,

Gunmen started shooting as they entered the bar in Toa Baja, near the capital San Juan, prompting several customers to pull out guns and return fire. Seven people were killed and some 20 injured, including a pregnant woman who lost her eight-month-old unborn child. It is one of the most violent single incidents in Puerto Rico in many years. Three people were found dead inside the nightclub and another three were killed just outside, prosecutor Wanda Vazquez said. The seventh victim died in hospital. Investigators suspect the killing was linked to a turf war between drug gangs. "We can't be certain that this was drug-related, but the way it played out appears that it was," Ms Vazquez said. Puerto Rico is a key shipment point in the Caribbean for illegal drugs being smuggled into the US, because as a US territory it is free from customs checks.

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Bloody drug gang shootouts left 14 people dead.

2,000 Brazilian police officers patrolled this coastal city as officials pledged to hold a violence-free 2016 Olympics despite bloody drug gang shootouts that left 14 people dead.An hours-long gun battle Saturday between rival gangs in one of the city's slums killed at least 12 people and injured six. A police helicopter was shot down and eight buses set on fire during the incident.Police said Sunday that they had killed two suspected drug traffickers in overnight clashes near the Morro dos Macacos ("Monkey Hill") slum where the gangs fought for territory. But the area was largely peaceful.Two officers died and four were injured Saturday when bullets from the gang battle ripped into their helicopter hovering overhead, forcing it into a fiery crash landing on a soccer field. Officials said they did not know whether the gangs targeted the helicopter or it was hit by stray bullets.Gunfire on the ground killed 10 suspected gunmen and wounded two bystanders.Authorities said the violence had only toughened their resolve to improve security ahead of the Olympics and before 2014, when Brazil will host the World Cup soccer tournament with key games in Rio, the second-biggest city.Rio state Public Safety Director Jose Beltrame told reporters that the violence was limited to a specific area of the city of 6 million and "is not a problem throughout all of Rio de Janeiro."He said authorities would follow through with promised efforts to reduce crime."We proved to the Olympic Committee that we have plans and proposals for Rio de Janeiro," he said. "We proved that our current policy not only consists of going into battle, it also consists of keeping the peace."

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Matthew Carpenter, 29, formerly of Albermarle Way, Cambridge and Marlon Robinson, 21, formerly of Ramsden Square, Cambridge were found guilty

Matthew Carpenter, 29, formerly of Albermarle Way, Cambridge and Marlon Robinson, 21, formerly of Ramsden Square, Cambridge were found guilty of conspiracy to supply cocaine. Carpenter, Robinson, Duncan Berry, 24, of Ramsden Square, Cambridge, and Aymon Popo, 25 of Tideslea Path, London were found guilty of conspiracy to possess firearms.Carpenter received 11 years for drugs offences and four years for firearms offences to run consecutively, totalling 15 years.Robinson received seven years for drugs offences and three years for firearms offences, totalling 10 years.Berry received three and a half years for firearms offences, with a 12 month sentence to run concurrently for possession of ammunition. Popo received three and a half years for firearms offences.Carpenter, Robinson and Popo are now subject to Serious Crime Prevention Orders meaning they will be monitored in prison and out of prison once their sentences have ended and will have conditions placed upon them.Three others were found not guilty of any charges.Detective Inspector Craig Harrison said: "This investigation was long, complex and challenging for all involved."The jury heard almost 10 weeks of evidence complicated by the fact that not all defendants were alleged to be involved in all conspiracies

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Gang Warfare between the Hells Angels motorcycle club and ethnic minority gangs in Denmark and Sweden

Gang Warfare between the Hells Angels motorcycle club and ethnic minority gangs in Denmark and Sweden is prompting renewed concern that long-simmering gang tensions are intensifying amid economic woes and resentment over immigration.The Danish capital of Copenhagen saw almost 60 gang-related shooting incidents in the past year, many of them in Nørrebro, just north of the city center. In March, a series of drive-by shootings and assassinations resulted in the deaths of three bystanders and sent shock waves through the city.

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Brenice Lee Smith was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport

Brenice Lee Smith was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport as he arrived there on a flight from Kathmandu.The 64-year-old is suspected of being part of the Brotherhood of Eternal Love, a Hippie gang of drug dealers and users that was founded in the 1960s. Smith had been living in Nepal posing as a Buddhist monk.
The deteriorating law and order system due to continuous political instability for nearly 13 years, corruption in the bureaucracy that enables criminals on the run to procure passports and other legal documents easily and the open border with India have contributed to a growing number of criminals from other countries heading for Nepal where they can lie low in safety.There are also allegations that some politicians are involved in providing a safe haven to criminals on the run.
Indian don Babloo Srivastava wrote in his fictionalised memoirs that Nepali lawmaker Mirza Dilshad Beg provided safe houses for terrorists from Pakistan and their safe passage from Nepal to Thailand.Beg was murdered near his own residence in Kathmandu in 1998 in what was believed to be gang warfare.Besides terrorists, arms and drug smugglers and counterfeit Indian currency dealers, Nepal is also increasingly becoming a haven for western paedophiles.In 1999, Nepal police arrested French citizen Jean Jacques Haye and British national Christopher R. Fraser for paedophilia and running a child pornography racket internationally. Both ran child care centres in Kathmandu and abused the inmates.Though Haye was deported, he returned to Nepal and lived there quietly till his arrest once again this March when a childcare organisation tipped off police.

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Nathan Harris was told he must serve at least 16 years for ordering the execution of young father Craig Brown

Nathan Harris was told he must serve at least 16 years for ordering the execution of young father Craig Brown on Christmas Eve last year. Mr Brown was shot five times outside the home of his girlfriend Denica Date and their four-year-old son as he unloaded presents. Harris, aged 15 at the time, was spotted at the scene by Miss Date, who later identified him after seeing his picture on the social networking site Facebook. He had set in place the "lethal train of events" that led to the killing after seeing Mr Brown - who he believed to have "dissed" a friend - in the area. The youth, now 16, of Shepherd's Bush, west London, was found guilty of murder by an Old Bailey jury. Judge Richard Hawkins told Harris: "Your part in bringing these men to the scene to bring an end to Craig Brown's life was an important part.
"The loss to Denica Date and her young son cannot be measured." Jeremy Carter-Manning, QC, defending, said Harris's natural father had been in prison for most of the boy's life. He said Harris was "not a leader of men" adding: "He got caught up in the activities of older and more mature people." There was an outburst in the public gallery as Harris was led out of court. A woman shouted: "He didn't do it."
Detective Inspector Kenny McDonald, who led the investigation, said Harris had a "violent tendency" and it was "exceptional" for such a young person to be involved in such serious crime. Video footage posted on YouTube and hand-written rap lyrics found in his bedroom showed the teenager's obsession with guns and violence. Text messages on his mobile phone appeared to show other youths asking him to procure firearms for them. Harris had first come to the attention of police when he was 13-years-old following the murder of 16-year-old Kodjo Yenga in March 2007. He was one of a number of teenagers rounded up by detectives for questioning, although he was never charged with the crime. In December 2007 when he was 14, Harris was alleged to have taken part, with another youth, in the rape of a teenage girl, but was formally cleared following a trial at Inner London Crown Court. A second defendant, 22-year-old Khalid Elsheikh, was cleared of murder but jailed for 10 years for possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

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Camden man who was shot and witnessed his brother being killed outside the Marriott hotel in Mount Laurel

Camden man who was shot and witnessed his brother being killed outside the Marriott hotel in Mount Laurel last year will serve five years of probation and must cooperate with authorities in the case against those charged in the murder.
Superior Court Judge John Almeida sentenced Luis Pedroza, 27, to the probationary term Friday for violating his previous probation. Pedroza originally was sentenced to three years of probation for unlawful possession of a weapon stemming from a car stop in Delran in 2006, in which he was with one of the men who is now charged with attempting to kill him and with murdering his brother. Antonio K. Streater, 26, and Daniel Cruz, 24, both of Camden, and Richard Martinez, 34, of Atco, are charged with the murder of Gabriel Figueroa, 20, and the attempted murder of Pedroza. They are in custody and have pleaded not guilty. Since their arrest Cruz and Martinez have been identified as associates of the Latin Kings street gang and Streater is a member of the Bloods street gang. On Friday, Pedroza admitted that he violated his earlier probation by fleeing to Puerto Rico within weeks of entering the program. He has served about 300 days in custody, including jail time in Puerto Rico and New Jersey, waiting for the probation violation to be resolved. Assistant Prosecutor Michael Mormando said that time was equivalent to the time he would likely serve as part of a five-year prison sentence with no mandatory minimum. Mormando said Pedroza has indicated he will cooperate with police in the prosecution of the men charged in the shooting. Pedroza was shot along with his brother in an ambush outside the hotel at Route 73 and Fellowship Road on Aug. 16, 2008. On Friday, Almeida told Pedroza he must testify truthfully about the shooting if the case goes to trial as a condition of his probation. He said prosecutors could seek a material witness warrant that would keep him in custody if he did not cooperate.

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Camden man who was shot and witnessed his brother being killed outside the Marriott hotel in Mount Laurel

Camden man who was shot and witnessed his brother being killed outside the Marriott hotel in Mount Laurel last year will serve five years of probation and must cooperate with authorities in the case against those charged in the murder.
Superior Court Judge John Almeida sentenced Luis Pedroza, 27, to the probationary term Friday for violating his previous probation. Pedroza originally was sentenced to three years of probation for unlawful possession of a weapon stemming from a car stop in Delran in 2006, in which he was with one of the men who is now charged with attempting to kill him and with murdering his brother. Antonio K. Streater, 26, and Daniel Cruz, 24, both of Camden, and Richard Martinez, 34, of Atco, are charged with the murder of Gabriel Figueroa, 20, and the attempted murder of Pedroza. They are in custody and have pleaded not guilty. Since their arrest Cruz and Martinez have been identified as associates of the Latin Kings street gang and Streater is a member of the Bloods street gang. On Friday, Pedroza admitted that he violated his earlier probation by fleeing to Puerto Rico within weeks of entering the program. He has served about 300 days in custody, including jail time in Puerto Rico and New Jersey, waiting for the probation violation to be resolved. Assistant Prosecutor Michael Mormando said that time was equivalent to the time he would likely serve as part of a five-year prison sentence with no mandatory minimum. Mormando said Pedroza has indicated he will cooperate with police in the prosecution of the men charged in the shooting. Pedroza was shot along with his brother in an ambush outside the hotel at Route 73 and Fellowship Road on Aug. 16, 2008. On Friday, Almeida told Pedroza he must testify truthfully about the shooting if the case goes to trial as a condition of his probation. He said prosecutors could seek a material witness warrant that would keep him in custody if he did not cooperate.

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Turkish gangwars assassinated Oktay Erbasli

motorbike assassin shot dead Oktay Erbasli, 23, as he sat at the wheel of his Range Rover in rush-hour traffic. His girlfriend and five-year-old stepson were miraculously unharmed in Tottenham, North London. Cops believe Erbasli was the victim of a vicious drug war between rival Turkish gangs. One onlooker said: "The boy was crying hysterically and screaming, 'My Daddy! My Daddy!' It was heartbreaking." Erbasli is thought to have been shot in the legs earlier this year. A family pal said: "He feared for his life."

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Luis Nava pleaded guilty earlier this year to drug charges, related to both cocaine and marijuana.

Latin Kings street gang came back to Lubbock federal court Friday. Luis Nava pleaded guilty earlier this year to drug charges, related to both cocaine and marijuana.
The 26-year-old also admits his participation in the gang. Nava was sentenced Friday to 22-years in prison for the drug charges. Federal agents tied the gang to a deadly drive by shooting in Big Spring last year using an AK-47. Parts of the gun were found by an FBI dive team east of Crosbyton. Written statements indicate that until the gang was busted, the leader of the Latin Kings in Texas lived in Lubbock.

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Mohammed Fahda, 22,wanted in connection with the March 14 shooting death of Abdul Qadier Darwiche in Sydney's southwest.

Mohammed Fahda, 22,wanted in connection with the March 14 shooting death of Abdul Qadier Darwiche in Sydney's southwest. Investigators allege the killing was linked to feuding families involved in the Sydney drug trade. Fahda arrived at Sydney airport about 3.15pm escorted by Tongan police officers, NSW Police said.
He was arrested by officers attached to the State Crime Command Homicide Squad and taken to Surry Hills police station," police said in a statement. He is expected to be charged later with the murder of Abdul Darwiche at Bass Hill on March 14, 2009.
Mr Darwiche, 37, was killed in a hail of bullets while sitting in his car outside a service station. He was shot in front of his young children allegedly after having a verbal argument with another man. The shooting raised speculation that a long-standing gang feud between the Darwiches and the rival Razzak and Fahda families would be reignited. Darwiche's older brother, Michael Darwiche, has since been charged with planning an attack to avenge the March slaying. He and another man allegedly were found in a car with a pistol, ammunition, maps and the names and addresses of Fahda family members. Darwiche claimed to be en route to a McDonald's restaurant.

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Ray Kanho $4 million worth of confiscations were part of a sentence

Ray Kanho,the Montreal Mafia and various street gang members. And Monday afternoon he watched the small fortune he amassed while drug trafficking with both groups be confiscated by the federal government.The $4 million worth of confiscations were part of a sentence Kanho received Monday at the Montreal courthouse for his activities, uncovered during Project Colisée, an investigation into the Montreal Mafia.As part of a negotiated settlement that took months to complete, Kanho lost his home in Laval’s Duvernay district, a 10-unit apartment building in Montreal and another house in Laval listed under the name of two of his relatives. He also conceded that more than $2.8 million the RCMP secretly removed from his father’s home in Laval, just weeks before he was arrested in Nov. 2006, was the proceeds of crime.“Listen to me. They took everything. I have nothing left,” Kanho was recorded telling an accomplice in 2006 after realizing his money was gone.He incorrectly assumed his sister’s boyfriend stole the money and is believed to have assaulted the man, or had someone else assault him, before the Montreal police arrested Kanho as a precaution and informed him the RCMP took his money.Besides the confiscations, Quebec Court Judge Jean Pierre Bonin sentenced Kanho to a 14-year prison term. With time served factored in he has a little more than eight years left to serve and is required to serve at least have of that before he is eligible for parole.
Kanho admitted to taking part in several conspiracies to smuggle cocaine into Canada, in particular with Giuseppe Torre, a man with ties to the Montreal Mafia also serving a 14-year sentence for crimes uncovered during Colisée.Kanho also admitted to being the man who ultimately was behind the corruption of two customs agents, including Nancy Cedeno, the Canada Border Services Agency agent who was convicted last week of accepting bribes.Besides giving up the $2.8 million and his real estate, Kanho agreed to let the federal government confiscate 72,000 shares he had in Investissement Mondi Inc., the investment arm of a St. Léonard-based construction company.According to a seizure order filed recently, Kanho is alleged to have used Constructions Mondi Inc. to launder his drug money. The company specializes in building single-family units and constructed several in Laval since 2000, including the Duvernay home confiscated on Monday.According to an affidavit filed with the seizure order, Kanho invested more than $180,000 total with the company. After purchasing shares in the company Kanho began receiving $1,000 a week from Constructions Mondi and claimed it was his salary on tax returns. However, while he was investigated in Project Colisée, Kanho did nothing that resembled work for the construction company.On April 13, 2007, the RCMP arrested Dominic Zavaglia, the president of Constructions Mondi. He gave investigators a videotaped statement during which he tried to explain why Kanho was paid $1,000 a week for doing nothing. Zavaglia, who has not been charged with a crime, told investigators that the money was paid to Kanho as a salary to save on tax deductions. But the affidavit, which was prepared after Zavaglia was questioned, the RCMP alleged Kanho’s money was given to Investissement Mondi “as a strategy to launder money.”By agreeing to the confiscation of his remaining shares Monday, Kanho admitted they were bought with dirty money.

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Rejected pleas by gun gang members Kaleem Akhtar, Madasser Ali, of Bradford, Asaid Salim, and Paul Wilson that their jail terms were over-the-top.

Rejected pleas by gun gang members Kaleem Akhtar, Madasser Ali, of Bradford, Asaid Salim, and Paul Wilson that their jail terms were over-the-top. He said the weapons dealt in by the gang had been accurately described as “an assassin’s armoury” and that, under the tough new guidelines he handed down, they might well have qualified for indefinite sentences for public protection. The judge said: “Guns kill and maim, terrorise and intimidate. That is why criminals want them, that is why they use them. “Sentencing courts must address the fact that too many lethal weapons are too readily available, too many are carried, too many are used, always with devastating effect on individual victims and with insidious corrosive impact on the local community.” Ali, 31, of Great Horton Road, Bradford, was jailed for 18 years after pleading guilty to conspiracy. Akhtar, 31, of Abbotsford Road, Chorlton, was jailed for 20 years at Manchester Crown Court last August after he was convicted of conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition with intent. Salim, 28, of Bedford Road, Firswood, Manchester, received ten years and eight months after admitting the same charge. Paul Wilson, 37, a cage fighter, of Liverpool Road, Southport, purchased some of the weapons from Akhtar for onward distribution and was given 11 years and six months after admitting conspiracy to possess firearms. Another of the cases reviewed and ruled upon in yesterday’s judgment concerned a man who was found guilty of turning replica guns into live weapons linked to more than 50 shootings, including the murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky One of the guns supplied by Grant Wilkinson, 34, was used during the Bradford armed robbery that led to the death of 38-year-old PC Beshenivsky in 2005, although it was not the murder weapon.

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Raul Esparza struck a deal with San Mateo County prosecutors

Raul Esparza struck a deal with San Mateo County prosecutors on Aug. 18 that allowed him to get out of jail.He wasn't free for long. Esparza was arrested Tuesday after San Carlos police pulled over a car he was riding in that authorities say contained a revolver and baggies they believe were full of cocaine.Esparza, who turned 19 this week, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to three felonies — possession of a narcotic substance for sale, possessing a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.The charges stem from a traffic stop on Tuesday on the 1500 block of El Camino Real in San Carlos. A police officer pulled over a car driven by James Kulp-Haggard, 20, at about 10:15 p.m. because its license plate lamp was out, Cmdr. John Reed said. Esparaza was allegedly in the passenger seat.Officers noticed Kulp-Haggard, a resident of Martinez, was on probation. They searched the car and found three baggies of suspected cocaine that weighed a total of 31.9 grams, along with a revolver and ammunition, Reed said. The two men were arrested and booked into jail.The substance in the baggies still needs to be tested to confirm if it is cocaine, Reed said. Esparza, a Redwood City resident, faces up to seven years in prison if convicted on the latest charges, significantly less than the 20 years to life he faced about six weeks ago.
In the previous case, Esparza, his brother Salvador Esparza Jr., and Angel Sanchez — all suspected gang members — pleaded no contest on Aug. 18 to one felony count of engaging in gang activity. Prosecutors said the trio participated in the beating of two men who were sitting in a car in unincorporated Redwood City in May 2008.
As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and carjacking in exchange for a 16-month prison sentence. Each of the three defendants had credit for more than 500 days of time served, fulfilling their sentences, though it is unclear exactly when they were released.Raul Esparza and Kulp-Haggard both remained in custody Thursday on $100,000 bail.

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18-year-old man was shot in the leg outside the Biblos club

18-year-old man was shot in the leg outside the Biblos club at Byporten in downtown Oslo. Several witnesses were detained after the shooting, but the lead detective, Find Belle, of the Oslo police told the Dagbladet that the perpetrator is still at large. None of the witnesses are not currently suspects in the case.
"The shooter was a of African descent wearing a leather jacket. That's all we have at the present,' Said Belle. "The shot man is on the operating table at Ullevål hospital, and his status is fine."
The 18-year-old gang member is an acquaintance of the police, said Belle and added that he has an African sounding name. Heavily armed police with K-9 unit arrived to the scene quickly. The shooting took place around 02:25 in the morning. The police found several spent brass at the location.People ran from the scene of crime in panic after at least one shot was fired.

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Ian Alexander Foden, 24, of Gorse Crescent, admitted possession of a firearm and ammunition

Ian Alexander Foden, 24, of Gorse Crescent, admitted possession of a firearm and ammunition at an early hearing. Yesterday he was sentenced to five years in prison at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. Acting on intelligence received from the community, police officers executed a warrant at his home shortly after 8am on June 25. A Norinco 9mm self-loading pistol and 19 rounds of ammunition were recovered.
Detective Constable Stuart Brown said: "Possessing a gun and ammunition is a grave offence and one GMP works tirelessly to tackle. "We don't know exactly why Foden had the weapon but it is possible he was storing it for someone else because of his previously unblemished record. "I hope today's sentence sends out a stark warning to those prepared to hide guns and those who use people they think police will not pursue to hide them that we will always act on intelligence given to us. "If you have any knowledge about anyone involved in gun and gang crime please come forward.

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Copenhagen gang wars Hells Angels AK81

Hells Angels AK81.
"He was brought to the National Hospital trauma center and is conscious and talking, so his condition is not life threatening," detective Jens Christiansen tells to jp.dk.
Ordered into the backyard The incident began when two men drove their car to Korsgade. The two stopped the car and stepped out to call a friend."
They were approached by mob of asylum seekers, asking if the two belonged to the Hells Angels AK81 gang. , they were were threatened with a gun and ordered into a backyard.
The were then searched, and then the began beating the 21-year old with a bottle, and the 19-year old was stabbed. Then Danes tried to escape and took off to opposite directions. He tried to ran towards Korsgade, and was shot. He fell downThe Copenhagen police has interviewed several eyewittnesses.Gang links suspected
"We always suspect gangs, when there are shootings in Nørrebro. We do not know right now whether this is the case this time," says Jens Christiansen. [duh!]
Fled in chaos
Police do not yet know the motive behind the shooting, but after the attack 5 to 8 immigrants fled the scene on foot, bicycles and by car.

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Jamal Shakir,gang leader had developed an elaborate plot to escape from prison in a homemade helicopter

Federal authorities say a gang leader had developed an elaborate plot to escape from prison in a homemade helicopter flown by his underlings.The Tennessean of Nashville reported Friday that the case against one of the gang leader's associates, 35-year-old Faith Readus, will be heard by a grand jury. She is accused of researching different types of helicopters and flight training.Authorities say the plot was orchestrated by Jamal Shakir, who hoped to renew his Rollin' 90 Crips criminal enterprise. He was convicted in May 2008 of orchestrating a nationwide drug ring, laundering money and killing nine people between 1994 and 1997.Readus' attorney, Jennifer Thompson, could not be reached Friday. But she said at a Thursday hearing that such a plot was ridiculous.

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Four members of Zombie Boys South Florida gang have been indicted by a grand jury three years after a bold daylight ambush left three men dead.

Four reputed members of a South Florida gang have been indicted by a grand jury three years after a bold daylight ambush left three men dead."That shooting was meant to be dramatic," said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle as she announced the arrests. "They all wore black."Rundle showed photos of the incident and said it captured "nationwide attention." She said, "If you look at it, more than 60 shots were fired. They didn't stand a chance. Look at the pictures of this van. When gang members fight and go to war, people die."Then Miami-Dade's top prosecutor, in a dramatic display, showed the type of AK-47 assault rifle that was used. "This is able to shoot off 600 rounds a minute," she said. "This sort of weapon is killing our police and gang members are buying this for just dollars on the street."Miami-Dade's top prosecutor continued her calls for a ban on assault rifles and asked the public to support her and said the media should continue top expose the harm that such assault weapons do. "Those weapons were banned for more than 10 years," she said.CBS4's Peter D'Oench asked Timoney what the message for gang members was. He responded, "Like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," said Timoney, "the gang members should keep looking over their shoulder. Law enforcement is coming after you. We are right behind you."Miami Police say the mastermind of the attack was Emmanuel "Mano" Cadillon, whose toddler son was shot and killed a few weeks earlier. It's believed the triple murder was in retaliation for his death.
Cadillon, 28, faces three counts of first-degree murder. He has been behind bars since July 2006, when he was arrested after an all-night SWAT standoff with police in Miramar unrelated to the slayings. Cadillon is serving five years in prison for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.Cadillon made an appearance in bond court where he had no money in the bank and no job. He's being held without bond.
The Miami-Dade grand jury, which issued the indictments Wednesday, also charged Robert "Chico" Shaw; Junior "RaRa" Sylvin, 27, and Samuel Cadillon, 25, Emmanuel Cadillon's brother.Investigators believe Shaw, Sylvin and the Cadillon brothers were part of a gang called "69th Street" that retaliated against a gang known as the "Zombie Boys."Investigators say, according to our news partner The Miami Herald, that key evidence was found on a phone left at the scene and weapons discovered in a Miami Beach motel room. Also key were Shaw's statements made in prison to other inmates, police said.All four men are currently in jail or prison on unrelated charges. The triple murder took place on June 5, 2006, when at least two cars boxed in a rented Honda van in 1100 block of Northwest 39th Street. The masked gunmen jumped out of the cars, sprayed the van with more than 50 rounds and killed Edwin Terma, 21; Luckson Branel, 19, and Lamar Atron Kelly, 20. Another man was wounded but survived. One month prior to the triple slaying, Emmanuel Cadillon's 18-month-old son, Zykarious, was fatally shot execution-style in the front yard of their Little River home by gunmen apparently targeting Cadillon, police have said.
D'Oench canvassed that neighborhood and found that neighbors were grateful that arrests had been made. "I have a 2-year-old son just like the 18-month-old boy who was killed across the street from me," said Justin DeLancy as he kept an eye on his child, J.J. "I want him to grow up safe here in Little River. It's really a good thing to keep down crime in this neighborhood and keep the criminals off the streets."Next door, neighbor Racius Stvil said, "These gang members are not good for the community. I hope they stay in jail for a long time. This violence is no good."
Police are still investigating the gang's possible connection to a similar triple murder. In January 2007, three people were shot to death inside their SUV in another daylight ambush, this time on Northwest 79th Street in Little Haiti. Killed were Enel Jean, 22, who was on his way back from court; his girlfriend, Sheena Pierre, 21, and Jean's mother, Jean, 47.No arrests have been made in that case.

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Federal effort against Black P. Stones street gang convictions

David L. Brown, 25, of 2327 N. Delaware St. must spend 10 years on supervised release - the federal version of probation - after he is released from his 244-month sentence.His arrest was part of Operation Rockclimb, a federal effort against the Black P. Stones street gang. Unlike past operations such as Crackshot, which took on the Gangster Disciplines in the mid-1990s, Rockclimb has made extensive use of wiretaps to build cases. More than two dozen people so far have been indicted.
In Brown's case, his plea in June stated he was linked to more than 50 grams of crack cocaine during the two-year conspiracy.The 50 grams of crack is not an indication of how much cocaine was involved during the two years Brown allegedly participated in the conspiracy. Rather, it is a statutory amount used to trigger stiffer sentences.Brown was part of a ring headed by Carlos Williams, 34, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and his niece, Tiffany Edwards, 21, who was sentenced to 10 years behind bars on related charges.He bought drugs for himself and others, his plea agreement states.

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G-Shine set of the Bloods

Father of a young Bloods street gang member who died in a November 2007 drive-by shooting in New Brunswick forgave his son's killer at the man's sentencing Friday, going so far as to tell him to keep in touch."If you want to write to me or talk to me on a personal level you can do that," said Kevin Purnell of Somerset to 21-year-old Morgan Brown of New Brunswick.The comments capped an emotional hearing in which Brown apologized to Purnell and condemned the lifestyle that went with the crime."I'd rather be broke and a bum in the street" than continue living that way, he said. "All I can say is I'm sorry."Purnell's son, Dyshon Thompson, 24, was gunned down on Hampton Road on Nov. 5, 2007, in front of children playing touch football under street lights in the gang-ridden public housing complex.Brown and his co-defendant, Shakeira Summers, 22, who pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the case, were members of the G-Shine set of the Bloods. A dispute between G-Shine and members of NHB or Neighborhood Bloods, Thompson's set of the gang, sparked the killing.
"This was a classic gang rivalry," said Manuel Sameiro, assistant Middlesex County prosecutor.Brown was firing an AK-47 from the window of the drive-by car and Summers was using a handgun, prosecutors said.The case was marked by the interrelations of victims and shooters and their families. Purnell, who has coached youth football in New Brunswick for nearly 20 years, is friendly with Summers' relatives and appears to have coached Brown when he was a child.Brown's attorney, William Fetky of New Brunswick, argued for a lenient sentence, based on Brown's limited criminal record. Judge Dennis Nieves, while citing Brown's sincerity and remorse, rejected that.
Brown was sentenced to 20 years in prison, part of a negotiated plea with the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office. He must serve 85 percent of it, or about 17 years, before he becomes eligible for parole.

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Member of John Gilligan's drug gang was a key player in the 'Park West Bloodbath'.

The criminal, aged 35 and from Ballyfermot, sustained a hand injury in the 20-man melee which led to the murder of British gangster Jason Lee Martin last Sunday.
The Herald understands the man, who is a gangland enforcer and has a number of previous convictions, sustained a bite wound to his hand in the fight at Park West Road.Gardai have identified him as being present at the scene, with a relative. It is understood he may have been friendly with Martin, and had been a criminal contact of the Briton for a number of years.The Ballyfermot man was a close associate of both John Gilligan and Brian Meehan in the 1990s, and was regarded by gardai as a central member of the Gilligan crime gang, the outfit behind the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin.He is not believed to have had involvement in the journalist's murder, despite his friendship with killer Brian Meehan.After the jailing of Gilligan and Meehan in the 1990s, he operated on his own, and is also suspected of carrying out attacks on criminals who owed him protection money.
He remains a target for the garda Organised Crime Unit in southwest Dublin.
Gardai are investigating whether the Ballyfermot man helped Jason Lee Martin hide out, after the Manchester criminal left the UK eight weeks ago. Martin was wanted for questioning over the kidnap of a building contractor in Lancashire, on August 1 last.Days before that incident he had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a woman in the city. She withdrew the allegations, but the Herald understands Martin told his family he was leaving the UK for Spain following that arrest. He is believed to have spent eight weeks hiding in Dublin, where he attended the Bernard Dunne fight in the O2 last Saturday night with a group of Ballyfermot criminals.
The group returned to Hennigen's bar on Park West Road, where a fight between two men took place in the car, which led to around 20 others brawling. Martin sustained a fatal stab wound, and another man, in his 20s from Tallaght, was seriously injured.
Gardai have issued an appeal for taxi drivers who were in the area at 1.50am last Sunday to contact them.

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Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos,Brotherhood of Latino Gunmen

Floating trunk stuffed with a headless torso found while fishing in Galveston Bay six years ago, it didn't take long for authorities to figure out the dead man was the Houston captain of a Texas gang aligned with Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel.On his back, his name was tattooed in Old English script. On his hip, was inked a likeness of a .45-caliber handgun, the sure-fire call sign for a gang whose Spanish name translates as Brotherhood of Latino Gunmen. What took much longer was an investigation, sparked in part by intelligence information that the killing was an inside job, payback for skimming drug profits. Within the past week, that investigation has resulted in the sentencing of 24 gang members and associates on drug and money laundering charges.The probe underlined Houston's positioning as a hemispheric hub for smuggling illegal drugs into the United States. It also shed light on how a lesser-known prison-born gang distributed drugs for Mexico's best-known gangster, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who heads the Sinaloa Cartel and made the Forbes list of billionaires.“They certainly were a prolific drug-trafficking group as evidenced by the dollars involved and the drug quantities involved,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Braley.Records do not show whether any of those in custody offered insight into the killing in exchange for leniency, but the gang remains in the cross hairs of the law. Police contend that after being shot, Ranferi “Tiny” Arizaga was taken to a Houston apartment where he was dismembered. His head, torso, arms and legs were tossed separately into the bay where the Gulf of Mexico was supposed to swallow them.“It is their way of sending a message,” said Lt. Tommy Hansen, of the Galveston County Sheriff's Office, who noted beheading is a common terror tool in Mexico.Although the Sinaloa syndicate is known to operate in Houston, the city is considered the turf of El Chapo's rival, the Gulf Cartel.
Some of those who were busted in the gang investigation had criminal records; some did not.Court documents, testimony and interviews indicate a wide-ranging conspiracy that looped between Laredo and Houston:Among those snared was a car wash owner; a former semi-pro basketball player; a bowling alley employee; a soft-drink truck driver; the owner of a tattoo parlor; and the mother-in-law, wife and a maid of one of the gangsters.Perhaps the flashiest gangster of them all was Pedro “Master P” Gil III, who got 25 years, records show.Gil, who was born in Laredo and left school in the ninth grade, made a fortune moving cocaine to Houston, where it was bound for New York, Tennessee and other states. As part of his plea, Gil forfeited up to $6 million cash, nine cars, assorted Laredo real estate, and an array of jewelry, including a Rolex watch with 50 diamonds.Gil and his wife were high rollers in Las Vegas, having charged nearly $100,000 on a credit card in 2007. How much cash they dropped is unknown.Millions of dollars were stashed in the names of family as well as a maid who had a Laredo bank account. Gil's lawyers had no comment.Court documents indicate the gangsters were taken down by members of their own organization who betrayed them by wearing hidden recording devices. Members of Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos, as the gang is called in Spanish, are in the organization for life, experts said.down to soldiers.Going against them means death, but hits must be sanctioned and leaders attend meetings known as High Mass.
“They don't kill just for the heck of it,” said Sig Sanchez, head of the prison system's gang department. “They are like many other groups: They have their constitution, they have rules and regulations they have to follow.”Sanchez called them “thugs and killers — a bunch of people that don't belong.”

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Gangster shot dead

Senthilvelavan alias ‘Kurangu’ Senthil (27) of Vilathisamuthiram in Nagapattinam district had dropped-out in the second-year of the engineering course he was doing from Annamalai University, Chidambaram.Senthil, who was involved in minor offences, threatened a merchant from Madurai in 1999 and had demanded for money. Later he led the gang formed by his close accomplice ‘Manalmedu’ Sankar, who was also shot dead in an encounter.In 2007, Senthil was notified as a prime accused in the murder case of Tiruvarur district DMK secretary Poondi Kalaiselvan and was lodged in the Central Prison here.However, Senthil who had come out on bail was reported absconding for about a year.Inspector General of Police, Enforcement and IG (in-charge) of Central Zone, J K Tripathy, told reporters that Ammapettai police inspector S Karthi keyan made inquiries with another inmate, Vijay alias Anand. He allegedly revealed that Senthil and his aide Natarajan had planned to murder Poondi Kalaiselvan’s brother and the present Tiruvarur DMK Secretary, Poondi Kalaivanan and Ammapettai DMK union secretary Suresh, IG added.Anand also informed Karthikeyan that the duo was hanging around Tiruchy, Coimbatore and Chennai.Based on this information Karthikeyan and head constable Sridharan visited Tiruverumbur on Friday.When the cops spotted Senthil riding a motorcycle, they chased him. After Senthil’s motorcycle skidded at Ganapathy Koil in Vengur he is alleged hurled a countrymade bomb at the police personnel, which failed to go off. Meanwhile, another country-made bomb, a country-made pistol and two cartridges fell down from Senthil.However, he reportedly took out an aruval and allegedly assaulted Karthikeyan, injuring him on the left shoulder. When he also tried to assault Sridharan, Karthikeyan fired two rounds at Senthil and one of them hit him in the head and other on the chest.The police took Senthil to the Tiruchy GH where he succumbed to his injuries. Karthikeyan and Sridharan were admitted at the GH.

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