Ruthless gang known as ‘Mourne Mafia' take over drugs turf in border region
A Co Down-based criminal gang is muscling in on Northern Ireland's drug trade.
Dubbed the Mourne Mafia, the gang is headed by a three-man team who are using truck drivers to operate their drug running and people trafficking rackets across the UK and on the continent.
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The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Police Scotland 'breaching human rights to subdue Palestine protests'
Moira McFarlane, an Edinburgh-based activist, said her home had been visited after midnight by three plain-clothes officers – despite the fact that she has never been arrested or charged with anything. 'I'm a 58-year-old yoga teacher. I'm really not a criminal,' she said. 'When they come in knocking on your door at midnight, it's a police state. It's crazy.' Another Palestine activist, Andrew Thomson, said he had been lifted from an Edinburgh street, kept in a police station for eight hours, and charged with terror offences two days after allegedly wearing a t-shirt outside Bute House. READ MORE: Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty dons 'Palestine Action' top at Fringe The t-shirt read 'Genocide in Palestine time to take action'. Other activists have also been charged for wearing clothes with the same or similar slogans as they were alleged to be in support of Palestine Action, a protest group which the Labour Government has proscribed as a terror organisation. The proscription has been condemned by Volker Türk, the UN's human rights chief, who said it puts the UK 'at odds' with international law and 'limits the rights of many people involved with and supportive of Palestine Action who have not themselves engaged in any underlying criminal activity but rather exercised their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association'. Earlier in August, the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) warned Police Scotland that its policing of pro-Palestine protesters risked breaching human rights. Police Scotland's Chief Constable Jo Farrell (Image: PA) Professor Angela O'Hagan, the commission's chair, said in a letter to the Chief Constable, Lord Advocate, and Justice Secretary that rights to free expression and freedom of assembly were guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), adding: 'In general, only incitement to violence, the justification of terrorist acts, or the encouragement of violence towards specific people can be restricted. The expression of a political or moral viewpoint is protected.' Police Scotland insisted their actions are "appropriate", but Thomson said that Türk and O'Hagan's warnings are 'exactly what's happened'. 'The key thing is this is excessive and this is draconian policing,' he went on. 'They're conflating political and moral expression with terrorism, and they're doing it deliberately. 'The smear will bring about fear. And in my own understanding, this is what Keir Starmer's Britain is all about. Starmer's Britain requires fear. But for me, for many, many others, and the good people in Scotland, it's Palestine that commands courage.' READ MORE: Leaked document 'leaves Government's Palestine Action case in tatters' Thomson said he was arrested in the Cowgate area on Monday, July 21, after allegations that a t-shirt he had worn on July 19 had expressed support for a terrorist organisation. He then received 'bail checks', where Police Scotland officers turned up on his doorstep, four times in four days. 'I was really alarmed by the fact that the reason for the visits had zero plausibility,' he said, disputing that reaffirming his bail conditions could have been the force's true reason for the visits. 'It is about harassment. It's an intrusion into private family life. Who has signed the order for them to make those four visits? 'I guess what's happening to me just now would be one tactic that Police Scotland undertook to try and subdue protests against the genocide. That seems plausible to me, and definitely there's zero plausibility about reminding of your [bail] condition.' READ MORE: Arms firms lobbied for Palestine Action 'terrorists' label, files show Hours after the Sunday National spoke to Thomson, he received a letter from the Crown Office advising that his court date had been cancelled and bail conditions lifted, just days after SHRC chair O'Hagan's intervention. Both Thomson and McFarlane alleged that Police Scotland had infringed on their human rights. It comes after a third pro-Palestine activist, the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign's Mick Napier, 78, sent a legal letter to Police Scotland alleging intimidation after his address was visited by officers seven times in seven days. Mark Harrower, a senior criminal defence lawyer and former president of the Edinburgh Bar Association, suggested that claims of reminding of bail conditions were not credible and the 'only possible explanation for these repeated visits is to intimidate'. 'Not only is this a huge waste of police resources, it makes Scotland look like it is turning into a police state,' Harrower wrote. 'It is nothing short of harassment. I request that your officers stop harassing my client.' The National has also reported on the case of Kimberley Davidson, in the Scottish Borders, who also faced daily visits from police officers claiming to be there to remind her of bail conditions. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We carry out appropriate checks as required in line with conditions imposed by the courts." A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The Scottish Government supports individuals' rights to freedom of expression. 'We live in a society where people have the democratic right to campaign and express views in a peaceful and lawful manner.'
STV News
17 hours ago
- STV News
Up to 3,700 Afghans, troops and civil servants may be victims of new data breach
Some 3,700 Afghans, British troops and civil servants may have fallen victim to a new data breach, after an incident involving a company linked to the Ministry of Defence. Stansted-based Inflite The Jet Centre Ltd suffered a data security incident which led to 'unauthorised access to a limited number of company emails', according to the firm. The company provides ground handling for flights operated under a contract involving the MoD and the Cabinet Office. About 3,700 individuals are thought to be potentially affected by the incident, including Afghans who were brought the UK. It was revealed in July that some Afghans who fought alongside British forces had their data leaked when defence official released the details of 18,714 individuals 'in error' in February 2022. Troops travelling to routine military exercises and journalists accompanying ministers on official engagements are also among the potential victims. 'We were recently notified that a third party sub-contractor to a supplier experienced a cyber security incident involving unauthorised access to a small number of its emails that contained basic personal information,' a Government spokesperson said. 'We take data security extremely seriously and are going above and beyond our legal duties in informing all potentially affected individuals. The incident has not posed any threat to individuals' safety, nor compromised any Government systems.' A statement published on Inflite The Jet Centre's website said: 'We believe the scope of the incident was limited to email accounts only, however, as a precautionary measure, we have contacted our key stakeholders whose data may have been affected during the period of January to March 2024.' The data is not thought to have been shared publicly or released on the dark web. In one email, seen by the PA news agency, the Cabinet Office told a passenger that there was 'a risk' their visa details and information about their job had been leaked. Their passport details may also have been compromised. The notification read: 'HM Passport Office advises that you do not need to cancel or replace your passport, as security measures are in place to prevent misuse without the physical document.' The victim may be affected by the leak 'because certain information is required by ground-handling companies to enable flights to depart and to arrive'. In a separate notification reported in The Independent and The Times, the Government's Afghan resettlement team said that Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) reference numbers may also have been leaked. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Record
19 hours ago
- Daily Record
Glasgow mum Michele Bourda who vanished from Greek sun lounger: searches enter second week
The whereabouts of 59-year-old Michele Bourda remain a mystery after her husband woke from a nap on a Greek beach to find her gone. The search for missing Michele Ann Joy Bourda, who vanished from her sun lounger while holidaying in Greece, has reached the two week mark. The 59-year-old's whereabouts remain a mystery after her husband woke from a nap on the beach to find his wife, from Glasgow, gone and her belongings left behind. I nvestigators continue to pore over clues as to what could have happened to the mum after mixed reports emerged from the scene in Kavala. A fortnight after her disappearance from Ofrynio Beach, the Mirror looked at the five major clues surrounding the case. Final hours before disappearance A photograph taken the morning Michele vanished was released to Greek media five days later. The snap shows the Glasgow-based British tourist dining at a beachside restaurant alongside her Greek husband Christos. Retired Michele, who previously worked at BT and for a local council, could be seen chatting to Christos. Pharmacist Christos, 66, previously said: "She had seemed quite happy that day. We went for a short swim as it was windy and there were a few waves. She then ordered a few crepes and said we could have a nice sleep after. Unfortunately, I fell asleep first, and when I woke up, she wasn't there." Outfit clue Michele has been described as 5ft 5in, with a slim build. She has blue eyes and shoulder-length hair. At the time she was last seen, Michele had been wearing a distinctive outfit. The British embassy in Greece shared a notice on social media which read: "Michele Ann BOURDA went missing on 01/08/2025 at the beach of Ofrynio in Kavala. On the day she went missing, she was wearing a swimsuit with decorative stones, yellow water shoes and red plastic sunglasses. Her life is in danger." Foul play statement Police have stated that they've seen no sign of foul play in their investigation, while asserting that they have not ruled out any possibilities. The Greek missing persons charity, Lifeline Hellas, issued a Silver Alert warning that her "life is in danger" the day after she vanished. The alert read: "Her life is in danger. If you know anything, contact the Silver Alert service, 24 hours a day, at the National SOS Line 1065." Greece's Hellenic Coast Guard launched a search operation at sea using three recreational craft, five fishing boats and two patrol boats. Christos later criticised the police probe, claiming: "The police didn't do anything on the day. One guest who was there that day said she didn't see any police and I didn't see any police that day either, not one single policeman at the beach. "The only thing I saw was a police car driving up and down the road to the beach. Not getting out of the car, just looking in the direction of the sea." Christos, who first met Michele at university 36 years ago, said: "I have been searching without sleep or anything. Day and night, especially early in the morning. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "It was hard to see at night, though, as it was so dark. For days and nights I have gone up down the coast, searched bushes, olive groves, empty houses, building sites, later I went to the hills, nothing. [...] "The whole night before, she had been holding my hand, and you would never think anything was wrong or something like this would ever happen. I don't think my wife would have gone to somebody in the car or anything. I really don't. I have tried everywhere, but one person alone is very difficult to find something." Temporary stay A coast guard official said that Michele had been "residing temporarily" in Serres, northern Greece. But neighbours at home in Crookston, Glasgow, previously told the Record the couple live permanently there but regularly travel to Greece and have a holiday home there. They said the pair had lived in Glasgow for several years after moving from England to be close to their son and shared their shock at her disappearance. One told the Record: 'It's just horrendous. I can't imagine what the family are going through. Swim warning A sports instructor previously reported seeing a woman matching Michele's description swimming in deep waters, saying he had warned her not to swim further out. Police later informed Christos that the man has withdrawn his statement. Neighbours back in Glasgow told how the couple regularly enjoyed hiking and wild swimming. 'They are very outdoorsy and active. They go out hillwalking and wild swimming. 'I feel like the longer this goes on the less likely it is that she will be found ok.'
