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Sicko, 21, dragged woman into car as she screamed for her life hours after he bought rubber gloves in random kidnap plot

Sicko, 21, dragged woman into car as she screamed for her life hours after he bought rubber gloves in random kidnap plot

The Irish Sun09-05-2025

A CREEP dragged a woman into a car as she screamed for her life after he bought rubber gloves in a random kidnap plot.
Cameron Boxall, then aged 21, lay in wait for
the stranger
to finish work having earlier chosen her as his victim.
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Cameron Boxall lay in wait for the victim in a chilling kidnap plot
5
He had bought rubber gloves as part of the sinister plan
5
Boxall has now been jailed for seven years
He then pounced when she walked past his stolen car and attempted to drag in her inside as she screamed out: "No, no, no".
Boxall sped off with the victim hanging out of the passenger door and only freed her when she bravely fought back and punched him.
He has now been jailed for five years with an extended two years on licence after pleading guilty to kidnap.
Chilling footage released by police shows Boxall, now 22, buying rubber gloves in a corner shop as he hatched the abduction plot.
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He can then be seen hiding in a stolen
Mini
Cooper on the streets of Brighton - having switched the number plate from another vehicle.
Brighton Crown Court was told he identified the stranger as his "intended victim" and parked up where he knew she would past.
As the woman finished work, Boxall approached and pretended to ask for directions in a bid to lure her closer to the car.
He then got out of the car while wearing a balaclava during the
horror
in August last year and told her: "Get in the f***ing car".
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The victim had her head shoved into the footwell of the car as terrifying footage captured her screams while she fought for her life.
As Boxall drove away, he repeatedly attempted to close the door - causing the woman's legs to be struck a number of times
Gareth Burrows, prosecuting, said: "She was punching him in every manner she could and this likely thwarted his objective.
"He pushed her out of the moving vehicle and she was found on the ground in a state of shock."
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Boxall was arrested and tried to claim wanted to rob the young woman to pay a drugs debt but her handbag was found untouched on the pavement where she was taken.
He was also seen in custody interview slapping his hands together and denying any wrongdoing.
In a victim impact statement, the woman told how she felt lucky to be alive following the horror.
She added: "had to fight really hard against him. I had bruises and scratches on back, arms and legs from where he threw me out of the car and a massive lump on my head.
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"What happened has changed the way I view the world. I won't go out on my own any more, I feel I've lost my freedom.
"I understand it's a one in a million chance it will happen again but even going out in the day I'm anxious.
"I've not done anything wrong and did not deserve what happened to me.
"I struggle to understand the level of violence he used against me and I feel lucky to be alive."
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Boxall admitted kidnap, theft of a vehicle, theft from a vehicle,
driving
without a licence, driving without
insurance
, making off without payment, and possession of cannabis.
Detective Sergeant Jack Sagar, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: 'Boxall is a dangerous predator who preyed on a young woman innocently walking home putting her through a horrific distressing ordeal, where she feared for her life.
'We commend her for the immense strength and bravery she has shown throughout the incident and during our subsequent
investigation
. With the details she was able to provide, combined with our fast paced and intensive enquiries, we swiftly identified Boxall as
the suspect
and brought him into custody.
'We built a strong evidential case which, when presented to the court, resulted in a guilty plea ensuring this dangerous violent offender has been caught and taken off the streets.'
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Boxall denied any wrongdoing to police
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The victim managed to escape when she fought back
Credit: Matthew Ebers/Sussex News and Pictures

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‘Drug mule' Charlotte May Lee's lawyer fears Brit will be in jail for MONTHS before any chance of bail over £1.2m haul
‘Drug mule' Charlotte May Lee's lawyer fears Brit will be in jail for MONTHS before any chance of bail over £1.2m haul

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

‘Drug mule' Charlotte May Lee's lawyer fears Brit will be in jail for MONTHS before any chance of bail over £1.2m haul

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My brutal family shot rivals & blew up judges in Mafia's most infamous massacre…I'd be dead if I hadn't fled to UK at 12
My brutal family shot rivals & blew up judges in Mafia's most infamous massacre…I'd be dead if I hadn't fled to UK at 12

The Irish Sun

time2 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

My brutal family shot rivals & blew up judges in Mafia's most infamous massacre…I'd be dead if I hadn't fled to UK at 12

HIS family tree is a rogues' gallery of hitmen, murderers and extortionists and were even behind the infamous bombings that killed two Sicilian judges and eight police officers in 1992. And at 12 years old, Riccardo di Cascia Burzotta was being lured into the dangerous underworld of the mafioso. 15 Riccardo di Burzotta escaped the clutches of the Sicilian mafia Credit: Supplied 15 The Capaci massacre, in 1992, which killed prominent judge Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three guards Credit: EPA 15 Magistrates Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino were murdered in the massacres Credit: Getty In his native But in a brave move which 'saved his life', his parents fled the Italian island for the UK - starting a new life in Southend on Sea in Essex. 'Before they were even in their teens my cousins were burning down shops to send messages to people who didn't pay their protection money," Riccardo tells The Sun. "If we stayed living in Sicily I would have joined them because I didn't really understand how dangerous it was and I didn't know any better. READ MORE FEATURES 'I was born into that life which meant I had little choice but to join the Mafia. 'When I was a kid it was normal for everyone to keep guns in the house for self protection. 'There wasn't much work around, most kids tended to drop out of school early and get caught up in crime. 'My parents feared I'd be drawn to the money and power." Most read in The Sun Riccardo's parents set up a restaurant business in Southend and he says coming to the UK was "a huge shock.' 'I didn't speak a word of English but suddenly I found myself in an all boys' school in Essex having to eat something disgusting called custard. I could not believe how bad the food was," he says. Italian police arrest Settimo Mineo​, the ​mafia's new ​'​boss of bosses​'​ in Sicily 'There was a lot of racism towards foreigners back then and I was called every name under the sun and beaten up in the playground almost daily. 'But if I had stayed in Sicily it would have been worse. I'm certain I would have ended up in prison - or dead. "The Mafia is an ugly cancer that destroys families. We needed to get well away before I ended up in prison myself. 'My parents' decision to start a new life in another country saved my life, without any doubt.' 15 Riccardo is from a family linked to murders, terrorism, arson, extortion and corruption Credit: supplied 15 Riccardo landed work in an Italian restaurant in Essex Credit: supplied Deadly family Riccardo has cousins serving time for murders, while other members of his close family have been involved in kidnapping and extortion. Some were also tangled up even the Capaci massacre - a violent terrorist attack in which mafiosi detonated a car bomb that killed the anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone, his wife and three police guards in 1992. It was one of the most terrifying attacks ever executed by the Mafia and the international outrage it sparked marked a crucial turning point in the fight against organised crime in Italy. But, two months later, it was followed by the Via D'Amelio massacre in Palermo, killing a second judge, Paulo Borsellino, and five bodyguards. The murdered prosecutors had been at the forefront of a crackdown in organised crime in Sicily which led to the notorious Maxi Trial, which ran for six years and saw 19 life sentences handed to crime bosses and a further 338 members of the mob sentenced to a total of 2,665 years. Salvatore 'Toto' Riina - known as 'the Boss of Bosses' - was sentenced to two life sentences in absentia and ordered the assassination of the judges in retribution. He was captured and jailed in 1993 after 23 years as a fugitive. 15 Judge Giovanni Falcone died in the car bomb Credit: Getty 15 Borsellino and five guards died in the second attack Credit: Alamy 15 Sicilian Mafia boss Toto Riina was known as The Beast and The Boss of Bosses Credit: Reuters Riccardo's family also fell foul of Sicily's anti-Mafia crackdown. In 2016, authorities seized over €4 million in assets from Giuseppe Burzotta and his family, including a sitting councillor. But the murders continued. In 2017 Guiseppe Marciano, a known associate of Riccardo's family, was shot in the head. Killers ambushed him in a Fiat Uno and although the car was burnt to destroy any evidence, Marciano's father in law Pino Burzotta - Riccardo's second cousin - was later arrested. If I had stayed in Sicily it would have been worse. I'm certain I would have ended up in prison - or dead. 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We can't let the mistakes of our fathers define our children's future Ricardo di Burzotta Anti-Mafia organisations estimate that extortion and racketeering have siphoned off up to two per cent of Sicily's GDP each year. In just one 2018 crackdown, police arrested 58 people from 16 Mafia families, seizing €11 million in assets. The Mafia's stranglehold has deterred investors, stifled innovation, and driven away the island's brightest young minds. Youth unemployment in Sicily stands at a staggering 37 per cent, nearly double the Italian national average. Every year, tens of thousands of young Sicilians leave in search of opportunity, draining the island of talent and hope. A new generation Riccardo believes the antidote to this malaise is teaching entrepreneurial young Sicilians to cook, run businesses, and celebrate their heritage. He hopes to foster a new generation of entrepreneurs through his campaign, Mobster Munch, which aims to munch away Sicily's mobster past and dish out a future built on celebrating food and family. He was inspired to help Sicily's youth by his own grandmother who, amid the violence and secrecy, preserved traditional culinary skills. Although she was a matriarch to mobsters, Leone Malda Burzotta also taught Riccardo how to cook her original Sicilian recipes. 'Sicily's youth deserve to inherit the recipes, the laughter, and the hope my grandmother gave me," added Riccardo. 'Food brings people together. Family gives us strength. 'We can't let the mistakes of our fathers define our children's future.' As part of his campaign he will host pop-up feasts, cooking classes, and food festivals across Sicily and the UK. The message is simple but powerful - every bite is a step away from the Mafia's grip, and a step towards a future built on honest work where crime once ruled. 15 Riccardo's parents feared he would be drawn into a life of crime Credit: Collect

Inside Europe's ‘cocaine capital' where gangsters bomb cafes & gun down CHILDREN in terrifying wave of drug violence
Inside Europe's ‘cocaine capital' where gangsters bomb cafes & gun down CHILDREN in terrifying wave of drug violence

The Irish Sun

time4 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Inside Europe's ‘cocaine capital' where gangsters bomb cafes & gun down CHILDREN in terrifying wave of drug violence

ONCE famous for its diamonds and cobbled charm, this picturesque port city is now better known for something far more sinister. Welcome to Europe's cocaine capital, where gangland feuds erupt in drive-by 14 Belgian customs officers search for drugs in a container at Antwerp's port Credit: AFP 14 A Belgian Malinois dog of a customs K9 unit inspects crates Credit: AFP 14 Drug gangs have turned the city into a hotbed of violence Antwerp, a North Sea city of 530,000, has become the main gateway for cocaine flooding into In 2023 alone, Belgian authorities seized a staggering 116 tons of it – more than the entire haul of the The And as No one is safe from the bloodshed, with drug-related violence reaching a record high last year, and even top government officials forced into hiding. One man who knows this terror all too well is war photographer Dr Teun Voeten, who tells The Sun how a grenade "exploded on my street [while] I was sleeping". Such attacks in certain areas of the city have become so common that a snack was even invented called "Antwerp grenades", as people were "getting a little bit used to" the explosions. Dr Voeten explains: "You have a lot of these small-time attacks in Antwerp. "We have a lot of symbolic violence - so people put a hand grenade on someone's door, they shoot at someone's house, they make self-improvised explosive devices. "But this is basically a sign or a warning of 'listen, you did something wrong, and we know where you live' or 'don't f*** with us.'" York's Hidden Crisis: County Lines, Gangs, and the Fight for the City's Youth Dr Voeten, an author of multiple books on Belgium's drug scene, says it is clear just how much cocaine is entering Antwerp solely from the kilo price. He said: "Obviously a lot of cocaine is still coming in because the kilo price has been dropping steadily. "Kilo price used to be €25,000 - right now it's dropped to €15,000 - which means there is a whole lot of cocaine flooding in which is not intercepted." The scale is jaw-dropping. According to EU drug monitors, Antwerp leads Europe in cocaine use and Dr Voeten says organised crime has become a lot more "brazen". People put a hand grenade on someone's door, they they shoot at someone's house, they make self-improvised explosive devices Teun Voeten Antwerp drug expert He added: "There have been a couple of attacks at Port Central Custom Centers, where they kept cocaine. "They came there to rob the customs, which is basically a direct confrontation with the authorities, and that was never the case. "So it's it's diversifying. It's getting more complicated. Crime is getting more brazen." 14 Tonnes of cocaine were seized by customs officers in 2022 14 Eleven-year-old girl Firdaous was tragically caught in the cross-fire of the drug gangs 14 A hitman who gunned down an Albanian national was seen on camera 14 Robert Pătrăncuş from the European Union Drugs Agency explained how the criminal methods are growing more sophisticated. He described 'pin code fraud' as one of the most common tactics previously used by traffickers in Antwerp — gaining digital access to containers via inside help. The scientific analyst told The Sun: "One of the most common modus operandi was known as pin code fraud. "Criminals had to be infiltrated in the seaport, otherwise it was not possible to commit these crimes." But he says new measures, like the Certified Pickup System, rolled out in early 2024, now require digital verification to access any cargo. "Only people that are digitally verified can actually access the container," he said. Street slaughter No incident more chillingly illustrates how Antwerp's streets have become a battleground than the tragic slaughter of schoolgirl Firdaous El J. In January 2023, the 11-year-old was killed after being caught in the crossfire of a suspected drugs feud. The previous year, an Across the Dutch border, Inside, cops discovered scalpels, claw hammers, 'It's triple-isolated. Even if you're standing next to it, you'll hear nothing,' bragged one gang member in an encrypted message shown in court. Cocaine 'recuperators' Dr Voeten said there are a "special brand of young people" that, in English, are called "recuperators". These young criminals head to the port to try to get cocaine out of the shipping containers. Drawing comparison with Holland, which Dr Voeten has dubbed "the biggest narco state in Europe" and "a paradise for crime groups," he said that sentencing recuperators is a lot stricter in Belgium. 14 A sound proofed torture chamber was discovered by authorities a few years ago Credit: Reuters 14 Torture is often used as a threat among rival gangs operating in and around Antwerp 14 Belgian police used explosive to break into a container being used as a torture chamber Dr Voeten explained: "If you do that in Holland you get a fine, but in Belgium, you're slapped with a three, four, five year prison sentence. "So they're way much more strict in Belgium." However, traffickers are adapting fast. According to Pătrăncuş, many are now shifting operations to secondary ports across Europe to avoid Antwerp's beefed-up security. Others use "drop-off systems", throwing cocaine overboard at sea before reaching port to be picked up by accomplices later. 'It's a waterbed effect,' he said. 'When you push down in one place, it pops up in another.' Belgium's deputy prime minister, Vincent Van Quickenborne, previously opened up to The Sun on the chilling impact of 'narco terrorism'. The justice minister has twice been forced into hiding with his family after kidnappers parked a car full of guns and handcuffs near his home. There's blood on the hands of the users, and on their noses Belgium's deputy prime minister Customs officer 'They had plans to kidnap me. We had to stay in a safe house for a week.' Despite record-breaking busts, customs officials are overwhelmed. 'At the moment, we are trying to burn the seized drugs as quickly as possible,' customs officer Bart Torrekens told the But with limited incinerators, piles of cocaine are literally stacking up – earning the nickname 'Cocaine-berg'. And smuggling techniques are getting even more elusive even before cocaine reaches Belgian waters. Pătrăncuş warned about chemical concealment, where cocaine is hidden in textiles or charcoal, bonded at the molecular level. He explained: 'Unless you have the information, the rapid test goes negative.' 'They install what we call a chemical lock. If we don't know how it was hidden, we don't know how to get it back.' The EUDA has tracked Latin American chemists flying into Eirope to retrieve cocaine from concealed shipments. The trend has also led to the rise of new cocaine laboratories across Europe, not just to dilute the drug, but to extract it and convert raw paste into pure powder. 'We see much more cocaine produced in Europe,' Pătrăncuş added. 'It may make more sense financially to produce the final product here.' Cracking down However, authorities are determined to fight back. In January 2024, But the cartels keep coming. 'There's no sign that a single arrest does anything to interrupt the flow of drugs,' said Mitchell Prothero, host of the podcast Gateway: Cocaine, Murder, & Dirty Money in Europe. 'There's always another cartel operation ready to step in.' Cocaine ports around the world AS well as Antwerp, several ports across the globe work as criminal gateways to major cocaine shipments. Here are some of them: Buenaventura, Colombia : Colombia's busiest Pacific port, Buenaventura, is a key origin point for cocaine shipments to the US and Europe — often controlled by criminal groups and plagued by violence and corruption. Manzanillo, Mexico : Manzanillo, Mexico's largest Pacific port, serves as a major node for cocaine trafficking and precursor chemicals. It is dominated by the infamous Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) and sanctioned by the US treasury. Santos, Brazil: Santos - Latin America's busiest container port after Colón (Panama) - is a major export hub for cocaine bound for Europe and West Africa. Rotterdam, Netherlands : Europe's largest port and a key gateway for cocaine. Smugglers exploit container traffic, and Dutch customs even deploy dividing teams for underwater searches. Algeciras, Spain: Links to Latin America make Algeciras a growing cocaine entry point to Europe. Spain's ports are increasingly the locus of high-value seizures. Miami, United States: The epicenter of the US cocaine trade in the 1970s–80s, Miami (and broader Florida) still records the nation's highest cocaine seizure rates and remains a key distribution hub. Deputy PM Van Quickenborne has pledged £60million for new scanners and staff to hunt down drugs in high-risk containers. But he knows he's up against billion-euro syndicates with global tentacles. 'Experts say if we raise [the seizure rate] to 20 per cent we will be able to breach the Until then, Antwerp's partygoers and British weekenders keep the market alive. 'Britons should know their drug use isn't without consequence,' the minister said. 'There's blood on the hands of the users, and on their noses.' 14 Drugs are often hidden in innocuous packaging and even disguised as bananas Credit: Paul Edwards 14 Officers can scan lorries for drugs with hi-tech thermal cameras 14 A vehicle of the customs pictured at the Antwerp harbor Credit: AFP 14 War photographer and author of multiple books on Belgium's drug scene Dr Teun Voeten spoke to The Sun Credit: Paul Edwards

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