Man extradited to NI from Germany on human trafficking charge remanded into custody
Popescu, with a previous address at Damascus Street in Belfast, was detained at Forstinning near Munich last month under an international arrest warrant.
Police have been seeking the Romanian national to stand trial for alleged offences dating back to October 2017.
He appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court today after the extradition process was completed.
Popescu faces a charge of trafficking a woman with a view to her exploitation, and two counts of aiding and abetting the transfer of criminal property to the value of £4,735.
Defence solicitor Karl McKenna told the court his client was not seeking bail because no suitable address is available.
Remanding Popescu in custody until July 22, District Judge Steven Keown indicated that a date for preliminary enquiry could be listed at that stage.
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Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
The holiday car hire firm ‘stealing £1,000s from Brits with bullying tactics' as horrified tourists ‘assaulted' by staff
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) CUT-PRICE car rentals might be hard to resist but some bargain bucket deals are allegedly taking tourists for a ride. Angry British holidaymakers reeled in by prices as low as £7 accuse Croatian-based Carwiz of bullying sales tactics, fabricating damage, verbal abuse and even assault. 8 Simone Baron caught a Carwiz rep on camera as he appeared to manhandle her from the counter, before telling her sister Nicole: 'F*** off" Credit: Darren Fletcher 8 Carwiz operates in 450 locations worldwide, with franchises across Europe, Asia and as far away as Miami Credit: LinkedIn Online reviews of the firm's franchises seen by The Sun allege staff have forged documents, up-sold unnecessary insurance, and taken unauthorised payments from credit cards. Meanwhile 36-year-old Londoner Simone Baron caught a Carwiz rep on camera as he appeared to manhandle her from the counter, before telling her sister Nicole: 'F*** off.' Simone, who works for a tech firm, told The Sun: 'I know there are reputable companies out there, but clearly I went for one that isn't. 'The stress I felt in that Carwiz office and for days afterwards was off the scale. 'I won't be renting a car from them or anyone else ever again.' Carwiz operates in 450 locations worldwide, with franchises across Europe, Asia and as far away as Miami. The firm's latest franchise opened last month at London Heathrow, and the company claims to offer a "premium service, affordability, and a little bit of magic". But customers we spoke to branded Carwiz's franchises a racket. Simone claimed she was stunned when Nicole found a £7.68 deal on travel site with a hire firm operating a Carwiz franchise in Bucharest. The sisters jetted to the Romanian capital for a four-day spa break in late May with Nicole's daughters, aged two and three. Avoid being ripped off by car hire companies with these four top tips Simone said: 'A guy wearing the purple Carwiz top picked us up at the airport and took us to their office nearby. 'For the next two hours he tried to sell me damage waiver insurance at a cost of €200 (£173). I didn't need it as I was already covered, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. 'We'd been up since 2am, the kids were tired and hungry, and I was on the verge of just walking away and getting a taxi when he finally gave in and let us take our car. 'But before we drove to our hotel, I spent 15 minutes taking videos of all the existing damage. "I was obsessed with documenting every scratch and blemish I could find. I covered everything.' 'Joke' 8 Simone said the experience was 'unlike anything I've ever encountered in all my years travelling' Credit: Darren Fletcher 8 Simone said the ordeal upset her two-year-old niece Credit: Supplied Simone explained they drove for just 15 minutes a day from their accommodation to a luxury thermal spa complex on the outskirts of Bucharest. Their car was parked in the hotel's gated compound at night. 'I felt smug when we dropped it back because I knew I was returning it in the exact same condition,' Simone added. 'The guy started pointing out blemishes, but I had video proof for them all. 'Then he went straight to the front left bumper and said he'd found a scratch underneath the car. 'I burst out laughing because I honestly thought it was a joke, but then he said it was going to cost €400 (£350) to repair, and we'd have to sign some paperwork if we wanted our deposit back. 'He wouldn't give us the damage report to read, so I refused to sign and told him I wasn't responsible. As far as I'm concerned, it was assault Simone Baron 'When I reached over the counter to take my credit card back, he barged me out of the way and grabbed my arms. 'Nicole told him it was disgusting that he'd put his hands on me, but he just snapped back, 'F*** off'. "I was so angry, it was unlike anything I've ever encountered in all my years travelling. 'Even the kids were upset. For days afterwards, my two-year-old niece kept asking, 'What happened to you, Aunty? What did the naughty man do?' 'As far as I'm concerned, it was assault." Simone's deposit was returned in the following days, but on Friday June 6 the rental firm - trading as Premium Drax - took a payment of £359.71 from her Tesco credit card. 8 Simone's deposit was returned in the following days, but on Friday June 6 the rental firm - trading as Premium Drax - took a payment of £359.71 from her Tesco credit card Credit: Supplied The cash was eventually refunded after she complained to Tesco Bank. 'I didn't admit to the damage and certainly didn't authorise the payment,' she said. 'I did get my money back, but I'll never know if it was taken from the rental firm or covered by my bank. 'I can't stand to think of this company profiting. They'll just keep doing it.' 'Scamming operation' Byron Hayes, 46, who works in finance, claimed he had a similar experience at a Carwiz franchise in Warsaw, Poland, after booking through Ryanair's website. The office was unmanned when he dropped off the car - and he said he woke the next morning to a €626.87 (£541) repair bill sent by email. 'It was for a tiny dent on the bonnet,' said Byron, from Dublin. 'I know for certain it wasn't there when I returned the car. 'They sent me a photo of the damage, but it didn't include the registration of the car, so there was no way I could validate that it was even the vehicle I'd rented. 'After several back and forth emails they eventually sent me a picture of the car with the registration I had rented - but it had no damage on it. 'They said this was a picture taken before we'd rented the car and that they had already sent us pictures showing the damage. 'I told them I wasn't happy with what they were providing and again asked for the correct documents. Then they went quiet on me and unblocked the deposit they'd taken on my credit card. I rent cars several times a year and I'm not the kind of person to duck out of responsibility. I have no problem with paying for damage I've caused, and have done so in the past. In this case I was completely blameless Byron Hayes 'I assumed the matter was closed, but three weeks later on the final 30-business day time limit for a merchant to charge your card, at five minutes to midnight, I had an email saying my card had been charged €626.87, plus a €10 (£8.64) currency exchange fee." Byron was able to recover the lost cash by claiming on insurance. He is now collecting customers' experiences of Carwiz to submit a joint complaint to the European Consumer Commission. He added: 'I rent cars several times a year and I'm not the kind of person to duck out of responsibility. I have no problem with paying for damage I've caused, and have done so in the past. 'In this case I was completely blameless. I thought perhaps it was just an issue with this one office and I'd been unlucky, but when I looked at the reviews for Carwiz it seemed to be happening all over Europe. "'They should be investigated." 'We didn't even use the car' 8 Tim Hunt and his fiancée Rachel Sim claim they didn't even use their hire car on holiday because taxis were so cheap Credit: Supplied Council enforcement officer Tim Hunt, 51, and fiance Rachel Sim, 44, from Barry, South Wales, also picked up a rental from an office operating Carwiz's Bucharest franchise on April 14 this year. They ended up leaving the white Mercedes in their hotel car park for the entirety of their four-day trip - but were still charged over £1,100 for marks on the paintwork Tim says were already there. 'Taxis were so cheap in Romania, we didn't even use the car!' Tim said. When Rachel challenged the rep, he twice barked at her to "Get the the f*** out" of the office, which she recorded on camera. Tim alleged Rachel was also kicked in the shin. Taxis were so cheap in Romania, we didn't even use the car! Tim Hunt His card was charged £1,109 on April 22 after his return to the UK, and he was forced to claim on damage waiver insurance to recover the cash. 'It's almost like admitting you've done something wrong,' Tim said. 'And they're still getting the money. I was fuming!' He left angry reviews of Carwiz on LinkedIn and was subsequently messaged by the company's CEO, Krešimir Dobrilović, who threatened to sue him. Tim said: 'I told him to crack on. In the meantime, I've been in touch with to request they stop using Carwiz.' Tripadvisor reviews reveal other holidaymakers claiming to have almost identical experiences at Carwiz franchises in numerous locations, including Athens, Sicily, and Gdansk. 8 Tim was fuming when his card was charged £1,109 on April 22 after his return to the UK, and he was forced to claim on damage waiver insurance to recover the cash Credit: Supplied 8 Tim left angry reviews of Carwiz on LinkedIn and was subsequently messaged by the company's CEO, Krešimir Dobrilović, who threatened to sue him Credit: Supplied It's the same story on Trustpilot, where Carwiz has racked up almost 200 1-star reviews. Tourists complain of being stung in Croatia, Katowice and Crete. A recent survey by consumer advice experts Which revealed a shocking 42 per cent of car renters have been hit by bogus damage claims. They said the issue is 'well known' in the industry and advised taking full damage waiver insurance, inspecting the car inside and out and taking photos. Any damage report should also be photographed, they say. They also suggest demanding evidence of the damage and how repairs are calculated before escalating your complaint. The European Car Rental Conciliation Service can help resolve cross-border disputes. However, only participating companies are bound by the scheme and they tend to be bigger players such as Avis, Enterprise and Hertz. The Sun's Travel Editor shares her top tips for hiring a car abroad IT'S easy for rip-off car hire merchants to try to ruin your holiday. They can charge you a fortune to repair scratches and bumps, extortionate re-fuelling costs and ridiculous fees for insurance with their bullying tactics. But there are four easy ways to avoid being duped and your dream getaway becoming a holiday from hell. The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot, reporting from Camp du Domaine, in Southern France, shares her top tips that will save you a fortune. Reputable hire companies If the price seems too good to be true, it is too good to be true. When you look at these rip-off merchants that we're seeing increasingly, people have used them because the price was so cheap. Look for reliable, established brands. Go for one of the big brands; it may cost you a little bit more, but in the long run it will work out much better. Insurance rip-off Next, look at exactly what you get included in the price. I never take the excess car insurance from the car hire provider. I always book my own. I've got an annual policy. It's much cheaper. You can buy excess car hire polices in the UK; they are effectively like travel insurance but they protect your car. Should you have an accident, it protects the no claims bonus, and they are very good value. They are accepted by every reputable car hire company; if they try to convince you that you can't use it and you have to buy theirs, that is wrong. There are some very high pressure selling techniques around at the moment, trying to up-sell you various different things. You have to be strong. You don't need to take a policy out, you've taken an excess care hire policy out in the UK. You could also get yourself an annual, or even a two-week excess waiver policy from a specific company in the UK, too. Document dents The one thing you must do when they hand over the keys to the car is make sure that you take as much video and photographic evidence as possible before you leave. Very often they will give you a form where you're meant to mark little crosses where you see dents, scratches and other problems. But do take photos and videos yourself; it's much more important because it's timestamped and means you have incontrovertible evidence to counter any claims, should they come about. It's really important, if you do see any damage on the car when you pick it up, to make sure you have alerted the hire company. You could say to them: "Look, I've noted this damage. Here's my photo of it. I'm going to be returning it with the same damage on the car, because this was here before I hired the car.' Fill up yourself The fuelling policy that your car hire comes with is really important, too. Make sure you choose to refuel yourself and a 'full to full' option. Don't leave it up to the car company to refuel your car at the end of your trip, because that means they are deciding what the price is. It gives you the opportunity to find a cheaper petrol station. Make sure you fill the car up - if you're having to drive five or 10 miles to get back to the care hire company, that's acceptable. We're seeing exactly the same with electric cars now. It's really important that you're in control of where you are recharging because the prices can vary drastically. Book smart Another top tip is make sure you book your hire car with a credit card, because it will give you much more protection than a debit card. But also it means the company will take your deposit, which they hold, from your credit card rather than out your spending money. A spokesperson for Carwiz told The Sun: "At CARWIZ, we categorically distance ourselves from any suggestion that unethical or aggressive practices are in any way part of our business model. "These are isolated incidents that in no way reflect the values, standards, or expectations that we support as a global brand. "We sincerely regret that the potentially injured client did not contact us immediately after the unfortunate event, in order to immediately determine all the circumstances, because it is our goal to prevent all such and possible future unpleasant situations. "Our franchise partner in Bucharest is operating another rental brand alongside CARWIZ from the same physical location. In several cases, vehicles and services appear to have been issued under a different brand identity, while still being processed within a CARWIZ-branded environment, including signage, uniforms, and physical premises. We fully understand how, from the customer's point of view, this leads to the perception that the service is being provided directly by CARWIZ. When staff in CARWIZ uniforms hand over a vehicle from a CARWIZ-branded office, the distinction between brands is understandably blurred, even if the booking, payment, and contract technically fall under a separate company or brand entity. "We are currently conducting a formal internal review and will take the necessary measures to eliminate all forms of dual-branding at CARWIZ locations in the future. "At CARWIZ International, we continuously monitor, audit, and improve our global network to uphold the standards our brand represents. We are committed to ensuring that every customer feels respected, safe, and well-served."
Metro
2 days ago
- Metro
Russia-linked DHL fire in Birmingham left Amazon container ‘100% destroyed
The Russia-linked fire at a DHL depot left a pallet of Amazon deliveries '100% destroyed' after staff managed to move it out of the building, according to newly released documents. The blaze was discovered 'immediately' after the packed metal container brought in by air caught alight on July 22 last year at the warehouse in Minworth, a suburb of Birmingham. Fresh details about the incident have been released today after the information commissioner ordered West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) to disclose a time log and incident report. The redacted documents back up reports that the blaze could have had serious consequences if it had broken out on an airliner. In November, a Polish intelligence chief said that the suspected Russian arson attack was a test run for future sabotage targeting the US. Pawel Szota, speaking after Poland arrested four people alleged to have been involved, added that if the devices had exploded in the air, it would have been a major escalation against the West. The UK's investigation into the incident, which came just days after another air freight package caught fire at a DHL facility in Germany, is being undertaken by Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officers. A 38-year-old Romanian man was arrested by the UK investigation team in March on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service after flying into Stansted Airport. He was taken to a London police station and was due to be released on bail last month. Firefighters responded after the alarm was raised at 03:41 by a person at the Prologis Park Midpoint site, which handles parcels for delivery, who reported a '6ft fire' in a metal storage pallet. The caller said it had been placed outside the building and was 'unsure' of what it contained, according to the time-stamped record. The log states that the 5ft by 4ft pallet containing Amazon delivery parcels had 'initially set on fire inside the DHL building.' The document continues: 'However DHL staff removed this to outside car park. 100% of items on pallet destroyed by fire.' A fire crew from Erdington used a hose reel and liaised with DHL staff as they tackled the blaze, with the building having been evacuated. The time between ignition and discovery is recorded as 'immediately', with the cause or motive marked as 'accidental' based on the information available at the time. A slight delay to the response was caused by the crew of four being sent to the wrong location, according to the incident report. There have not been any reports of injuries or significant damage caused by the blaze, which occupied the firefighters for just over an hour. Cross-referenced with pictures obtained by the Wall Street Journal and The Guardian of the incident, the information suggests that a worker in a forklift acted swiftly in moving the burning container out of harm's way. A Russian covert operation was suspected of sending the incendiary devices into the UK and Germany, according to Western security officials who spoke to the American title. The fire service had tried to prevent the logs being released under the Freedom of Information Act, initially releasing only a one-line statement from a spreadsheet categorising the incident as an accident. The authority said: 'We cannot provide the incident log or a report directly as these are only available to the owner of the property.' Asked for a fuller picture, the authority then cited personal information and also made a brief reference to national security and health and safety, saying that exemptions for the latter reasons 'may' apply. After the Metro complained to the Information Commissioner's Office, the watchdog ruled in a 13-page decision that the information should be released in redacted form. The commissioner found the 'limited arguments' made by the fire service for a national security exemption unconvincing, writing: 'The level of detail within the incident log and incident report, in relation to this specific event, is limited and the commissioner finds the arguments to be generic rather than specific to this particular case.' The commissioner also rejected the fire service's argument that the release of vehicle fleet information or response procedures could endanger personnel in future, finding that these could be redacted and were in any case only briefly referenced. Addressing the authority's attempt to block the disclosure on the grounds that the information had been 'collected in confidence', the watchdog said: 'WMFS has not sufficiently demonstrated that there is any obligation of confidence or that there would be any detriment to consider.' Releasing the information in redacted form, the fire service said that personal information and national security exemptions had been applied. The response states: 'The service has applied Section 38 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to withhold the release of vehicle call signs and other operational identifiers. 'Disclosure of such information could compromise operational effectiveness by revealing details critical to firefighting duties. 'It may also increase the risk of impersonation of emergency personnel or facilitate malicious interference with emergency response activities. More Trending 'This poses a significant threat to public safety and the safety of our personnel. There is a compelling public interest in safeguarding critical national infrastructure and maintaining national security.' A DHL spokesperson told Metro: 'This relates to an ongoing investigation, so we are unable to provide any comment on these developments. 'DHL continues to work closely with the respective authorities to support and enforce industry-wide safety and security directives.' Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact MORE: Intelligence expert's ominous warning over West's shadow war with Russia MORE: Stark warning to the world as Putin's dark arts seep past Nato's border MORE: Putin's sinister game plan is to 'rot and degrade' his way to victory
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Lost girl, 6, sexually assaulted at major waterpark after stranger ‘offered to help her before dragging her into woods'
The attack comes after a significant rise in sexual assaults in swimming pools reported in Germany PARK HORROR Lost girl, 6, sexually assaulted at major waterpark after stranger 'offered to help her before dragging her into woods' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SIX-year-old girl was sexually assaulted after getting separated from her parents at a water park - with the depraved perpetrator still on the run. The horrifying ordeal took place when the suspect approached the child offering to help - but then dragged her to the woods before sexually abusing her. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 A six-year-old was reportedly dragged out of a water park before being sexually assaulted in Germany (stock) Credit: Alamy 3 She was sexually abused after losing sight of her parents Credit: Google maps The child lost sight of her parents during a visit to the popular Rulatica water park in Germany. The facility, run by Europa-park, is located in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, near the French border. German police said the sick attack took place on Saturday, August 9, L'Alsace reported. After sexually abusing her, the suspect reportedly left her alone in the woods. She was then found by a local passerby around 10pm the same day. The area she was discovered in was about 5km from the water park, and she was only wearing a swimsuit. The suspect is reportedly a 31-year-old Romanian national. He was living in the local region at the time of the attack, reports say. Cops are desperately continuing their manhunt for the suspect. And they put out an appeal for any information that may lead to his arrest. I was sexually assaulted hundreds of feet in air while on paraglide ride during Tunisia holiday… I felt violated and dirty Police said: "Anyone present in Rulantica or in the wooded area north of the park on Saturday between 8:20 p.m. and 10:20 p.m. who may have noticed the presence of the man and the girl should contact the German authorities." The beloved Rulantica water park can hold a maximum of 6,000 visitors per day. It comes after there were reportedly hundreds of reports of sexual assaults in public swimming pools in Germany - in what has been called an epidemic. In one of the worst hit regions, 74 alleged attacks have been recorded recently with several involving children - including eight young girls in one day. The issue started to raise questions across Germany after a concerning number of reports were made in June. Cops arrested four Syrian suspects, aged 18 to 28, the next month and accused them of sexually assaulting up to eight girls in a public swimming pool in Hesse. The victims were aged between 11 to 16 and had all been at the Barbarossabad pool on the same day. Criminal charges were filed against all of the suspects, who were also been banned from the pool following the harrowing incident.
