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Turkish man alleged to have run ‘meet and greet' service for small boat migrants is arrested

Turkish man alleged to have run ‘meet and greet' service for small boat migrants is arrested

The Irish Sun3 days ago
A TURKISH man alleged to have run a 'meet and greet' service for boat migrants has been arrested in an early morning raid.
The Sun joined Home Office immigration enforcement as they tracked the suspected people smuggler down to a family house in Tottenham, North London.
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A Turkish man alleged to have run a 'meet and greet' service for boat migrants has been arrested
Credit: Ray Collins
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Border Force officers found his contact details on phones seized from small boat migrants brought in to Dover
Credit: Getty
We watched as officers stormed the home at 6.25am and nicked the 34-year-old, who was wearing a Hugo Boss t-shirt and North Face tracksuit.
He was brought out handcuffed and led to a police van by two cops.
Others searched his black Mercedes parked over the road in the quiet street.
The Home Office acted after Border Force officers found his contact details on phones seized from small boat migrants brought in to Dover.
read more on migrants
Law enforcement suspect he is part of a 'meet and greet' operation for arrivals and could have been housing some of those trying to enter the UK illegally.
So far this year, more than 23,000 have crossed the Channel on overcrowded dinghies — a record for this point of the year.
Home Office Criminal and Financial Investigations regional lead for London and South, Chris Foster, told The Sun outside the targeted address: 'We think this man is involved in
'These people are just taking advantage of the vulnerable.
Most read in The Sun
"They're being sold a dream and actually that's not the reality.
'We're going to bear down on those involved in this vile trade.
Two asylum seekers caught making OnlyFans sex film in hotel paid for by YOU in shocking abuse of system
'It's not just about people coming here illegally, it also feeds things like illegal working.
"People involved in this often have got links to other organised crime, drug dealing, things like that."
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How trafficking victims are tortured into love-bombing Brits  in brutal scam factories… & risk  slit throat if they fail
How trafficking victims are tortured into love-bombing Brits  in brutal scam factories… & risk  slit throat if they fail

The Irish Sun

time28 minutes ago

  • The Irish Sun

How trafficking victims are tortured into love-bombing Brits in brutal scam factories… & risk slit throat if they fail

ROMANCE scams costs millions of lonely victims their life savings, every year, as heartless criminals prey on the vulnerable and lonely with sophisticated online cons. But what most don't realise is that the scammers may well be victims themselves. 10 Mariana talks to people who made it out alive and to discover who is behind these heart-breaking scams Credit: National Geographic 10 Angel, a scam compound model tells Mariana she is forced into sex with bosses Credit: National Geographic 10 If scammers like Ajay try to escape, they risk being murdered by their captors Credit: National Geographic They are human trafficking victims who are brutally tortured and forced to scam in massive factory-like compounds in Myanmar, South East Asia And if they try to escape they risk being murdered by their captors. Harrowing videos have emerged on social media of victims of human trafficking being electrocuted or beaten and forced to engage in a scam with a sinister name - They are made to lure people in on dating apps, and after a period of online flirting introduce an opportunity to get rich quick on what look like serious investment sites. SITE THE SUN FEATURES Investigative journalist Mariana Van Zeller travelled to Myanmar to talk to people who made it out alive and to discover who is behind these heart-breaking scams. 'The scam is called It is estimated that $75billion has been stolen worldwide and thousands of Brits are among the victims. The practice has also led to numerous suicides across the world, including one former police officer in Wiltshire who took his own life after losing £100,000. Pig butchering compounds have been cropping up around South East Asia. But the main hub is in Myanmar. Most read in The Sun Mariana says: 'It is hard to believe how many people fall for pig butchering scams, but there is a proven formula that makes them so effective. After establishing trust, scammers spend weeks or even months A whistleblower who worked in a compound with 200 others told Mariana: 'There's a lot of wrongdoing going on. I don't even know where to begin. Lovestruck man travels 500 miles to meet beauty queen 'he believed was his 'future wife'... to be greeted by her husband 10 Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller explores the inner workings of the global underworld's most dangerous black markets in a new series Credit: National Geographic 'First I found these pretty girls who were models on social media, TikTok. I downloaded the videos and pictures they posted. "Then I changed them quite a bit. I made sure there were no copyright issues. And then I reposted them on my 'It is like a romance scam. We target people who are lonely. It's just about making them wonder. Does she love me? The scam is called pig butchering because like a farmer who gradually fattens up the pig, the scammer extracts more and more money from the target until finally the slaughter Investigative journalist Mariana Van Zeller 'If you have a Myanmar ID you can move freely. But if you are a victim of 'In scam factories they beat people. If employees get sleepy or make mistakes, they are punished. If someone escapes, they might slit their throat if caught.' Myanmar's history of political instability has made it the perfect place for Charities working in the area estimate that more than 120,000 people are being held against their will and forced to scam. 'Tricked, tortured and trapped' Lin is a Chinese national whose nightmare began when he accepted an offer of what appeared to be legitimate work. 'They would never just let you go,' he explains. 'When you first arrive they won't allow you to have any contact with the outside. They would start threatening you to participate in scams. 95 per cent of the people at the company were tricked into joining. "It's like Another victim says he was water-boarded with a pressure washer and then electrocuted. 'They beat my stomach, they put a polythene bag in my mouth, handcuffs," he says. "I stand up. And they are putting water, you know, like washing car, that pressure. 24 hours I stand like this. I'm wet, they give me electric on stomach. So much punishment.' It is like a romance scam. We target people who are lonely. It's just about making them wonder. Does she love me Conditions are so barbaric within the compounds that some will do anything to escape. Lin explains: 'We planned to tie up and kidnap the supervisor and escape, but somehow they found out. They chased me, so I jumped.' Lin jumped from a third floor window, breaking both his legs - but managed to get away. Mariana says: 'Despite what Lin went through he is one of the lucky ones. Thousands and thousands of people being held in these compounds, tortured, beaten. The fact that nothing is being done, how is this allowed?' Who is the puppet master? 10 Mariana interviews Mr. Hur, an executive of the shadowy Chinese corporation called Yatai Credit: National Geographic 10 Nicole was scammed to the crew Credit: National Geographic 10 Yatai boss She Zhijiang, centre, is currently in jail after being linked to human trafficking Credit: YouTube Since the military coup in Myanmar, militia groups run the Karen area where most of the compounds are. The city of Shwe Kokko - like a mini Las Vegas with casinos and scamming compounds - is effectively run by a shadowy Chinese corporation called Yatai. Mariana says: 'In the last few years Yatai has been embroiled in multiple scandals relating to scamming, money laundering, and human trafficking.' The people behind Yatai gave her a strictly controlled publicity tour of the city in an attempt to clean up their image. Yatai's original plan was to turn Shwe Kokko into a gambling hub. They poured billions of dollars into the development but Covid and the civil war put an end to the dream. Now it is claimed that Yatai is renting many buildings in the city to scamming companies to keep it afloat. We planned to tie up and kidnap the supervisor and escape, but somehow they found out. They chased me, so I jumped Lin, a scam factory survivor Yatai say they are building an 'emerging smart city' in Myanmar, focusing on 'freedom and prosperity'. But Yatai's boss, She Zhijiang, is currently languishing in a Thai jail awaiting extradition to China and sanctioned by the British government for links to And the company denied that the scamming compounds are as big a problem in the city as charities and social media posts claim. Forced into sex 10 Angel reveals that sometimes, she is forced to sleep with the Chinese bosses Credit: National Geographic 10 Phillip opens up to the crew about how he was scammed Credit: National Geographic 10 Building in Shwe Kokko in Myanmar are used as scam factories Credit: AFP But another whistleblower, a video call model called Angel, told Mariana: 'I arrived in Shwe Kokko one and a half years ago. I'm scamming every day. I have so much pressure. I can't even sleep. 'I want to go back to my family. I don't want to come back to that kind of place. 'I have to FaceTime and talk with the target. The chatting team chats with the talker and they transfer to me.' I have to FaceTime and talk with the target. The chatting team chats with the talker and they transfer to me Angel is a Myanmar national, not a human trafficking victim. But financial problems left her with no option but to join a scamming company. It is Angel's job to flirt with the victims and she works long hours, seven days a week, only being allowed to leave the compound once every six months. And she says sometimes video call models like her are forced to sleep with the Chinese bosses. 'They told us they will fire us. I just want to refuse but they force me to. 'Don't refuse because you will be in danger'. Sometimes with the boss' friends and relatives also. 'I don't want to work anymore. I have no choice.' For many victims like Angel, humanitarian rescue groups are their only way out. Or occasionally, if enough money can be raised to Mariana says: 'The scale of this crisis is staggering. There are estimated to be tens of thousands of people imprisoned in these facilities. I have seen how pig butchering scams have connected and upended lives across the world. 'Whether a victim of circumstance or trafficking, those stuck in Myanmar have little recourse.' Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller airs Mondays on National Geographic at 10pm. The Scam City episode premieres 28 th July.

Brits to be blocked from adult content TONIGHT with booze-style ID or face-scan checks replacing ‘ridiculous' tickbox
Brits to be blocked from adult content TONIGHT with booze-style ID or face-scan checks replacing ‘ridiculous' tickbox

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

Brits to be blocked from adult content TONIGHT with booze-style ID or face-scan checks replacing ‘ridiculous' tickbox

MILLIONS of Brits will be blocked from adult content online at midnight tonight unless they pass booze-style age checks. The new rules mean you'll need to prove you're over 18 – including by showing ID or scanning your face with a phone. Advertisement 3 New online rules aim to stop youngsters being exposed to dodgy online content Credit: Getty It affects any websites showing porn, or content linked to self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders. This includes social media apps too. The new Ofcom rules enforce the Online Safety Act, and kick in on Friday, July 25. 'It's really the rubber hitting the road,' Oliver Griffiths, group director for online safety at Ofcom, told The Sun. 'The situation at the moment is often ridiculous because people just have to self-declare what their birthday is. That's no check at all.' Advertisement Read more on smartphones Major websites like PornHub, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit have Shockingly, around 8% of children aged eight to 14 have accessed online porn in a given month, Ofcom says. Boys are more likely to visit than girls (at 19% vs 11%). Now Ofcom can crack down on this behaviour, by blocking youngsters from accidentally stumbling on all kinds of adult content – not just porn. Advertisement Most read in Tech Latest Exclusive 'One is pornography. The other one is making sure that we've got highly effective age assurance in place for things that aren't illegal but are highly harmful for children,' Griffiths said, speaking to The Sun. 'So that could be suicide content, self-harm, or eating disorders. Don't risk ignoring four free iPhone tricks built to save your life 'And we will be starting an enforcement programme next week if there are websites dedicated to that who haven't got proper age gates in place for midnight tonight.' CHECK YOURSELF There are three main ways that Brits will be asked to prove their age. Advertisement The first one is called an 'age estimation'. This can work by scanning your face with an approved third-party service like Yoti or Persona. 3 Yoti is one of the tools that can be used to estimate a user's age Credit: Free for editorial use Or it could be estimating your age with an email check that examines if it's been linked to a household utility bill. Advertisement The second option is linking back to info that's held on you. For instance, it could be checking with your bank or mobile phone company – both of which would already know if you're an adult or not. A simple computer handshake works out if you're a child or not, and then you can be cleared for access if you get the go-ahead. The third method is sharing an official document – a bit like showing your ID at the till in a supermarket. Advertisement You might be asked to show your passport or driver's license online. SAFE SPACE? This might all sound like a privacy nightmare, especially if you're watching X-rated content online. But the adult websites don't actually get the personal info about you. 3 Ofcom has warned that too many children are being exposed to adult content online Credit: Getty Advertisement And the age-checking services aren't learning what kind of content you're trying to view either. The age-check is compliant with data protection, and simply gives the adult website a 'yes' or 'no' for your account. You'll remain anonymous and won't have your online habits linked to your identity when you do oe of these checks. Griffiths noted: 'The key bit of information that's needed is purely: is this user a child or not?' Advertisement Companies are able to choose the method they want – but they can't opt out. If they breach the new rules, they face massive fines. 'These can lead, in the end, to fines of up to 10% of qualifying global revenue for these companies,' Griffiths said. 'So there's real teeth that sit behind this." Advertisement THE SHOCKING STATS Latest figures show the scale of adult content consumption online... Ofcom stats: Around 8% children aged 8-14 in the UK visited an online porn site or app in a month. 15% of 13–14-year-olds accessed online porn in a month. Boys aged 13-14 are the most likely to visit a porn service, significantly more than girls the same age (19% vs 11%). Our research tells us that around three in ten (29%) or 13.8m UK adults use porn online. Pornhub is the most used site in the UK – Ofcom research says 18% (8.4m) visited it in one month. Children's Commissioner stats: Of the 64% who said that they had ever seen online pornography: The average age at which children first see pornography is 13 . By age nine, 10% had seen pornography, 27% had seen it by age 11 and half of children who had seen pornography had seen it by age 13. We also find that young people are frequently exposed to violent pornography, depicting coercive, degrading or pain-inducing sex acts; 79% had encountered violent pornography before the age of 18 . Pornography is not confined to dedicated adult sites. We found that Twitter was the online platform where young people were most likely to have seen pornography. The maximum fine is £18 million – but a company can be charged an even higher sum of 10% of global revenue. This is aimed at targeting giant web companies who may be in breach of the rules. DODGY DEALINGS Of course, some youngsters will go out of their way to dodge the checks. It's possible to skirt the ban using a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. These easily-downloaded apps scramble your internet data to boost your privacy from online spies. Advertisement But they also let you trick websites and apps into thinking you're logging on from another country. Ofcom insiders admit there's no way to stop this – but that doesn't make the new rules redundant. 'Our research shows that these are not people that are out to find porn – it's being served up to them in their feeds,' Griffiths explained. 'And we think that these measures are going to have a really big impact in terms of dealing with that particular problem. Advertisement Using parental controls and having conversations, feels a really important part of the solution. Oliver Griffiths Ofcom 'There will be teenagers – dedicated teenagers – who want to find their way to porn, in the same way as people find ways to buy alcohol under 18. They will use VPNs. 'And actually, I think there's a really important reflection here. It's not just us, in terms of making life safer online. 'Parents having a view in terms of whether their kids have got a VPN, and using parental controls and having conversations, feels a really important part of the solution.' Another fear around the new rules is that by blocking unverified Brits from mainstream sites, they'll seek out adult content in more extreme corners of the web. Advertisement But Ofcom says the porn industry is aware of this, and is working to get everyone on board. 'This was certainly a concern that when we were working with the adult sector,' Griffiths told us. 'The big sites were saying, well if we age-assure here, then won't that just divert traffic to darker corners. 'And I think it was that sort of sense that everybody needed to move together. Advertisement 'That's allowed us to get to the position where we've got 6,000 websites hosting porn that are going to have age-assurance in place as of midnight.' CYBER EXPERT'S VIEW Here's what Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET, said… 'Like many new regulations, the Online Safety Act's approach to age verification sounds ideal to stamp out content that isn't intended for younger people. However, there are still details of the act that are missing that could even pose significant privacy and security risks by collecting data such as ID uploads and financial information. 'Whilst this particular thorn in the act's side has taken longer than expected, it has come across technological barriers and not without good reason. While intended to protect children, these measures could potentially collect large amounts of sensitive personal data vulnerable to breaches or surveillance. 'The real push to govern social media platforms will be in the assigned punishment that enforces it but these platforms are often financially incentivised to push harmful content and then ask for forgiveness rather than permission 'The Online Safety Act's approach to age verification is likely to have a few teething problems but the initial step into online age verification will be a huge step towards online safety for children. 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Builder mauled by XL Bully who ‘ripped flesh from his bones' after escaping while owner offered him cup of tea
Builder mauled by XL Bully who ‘ripped flesh from his bones' after escaping while owner offered him cup of tea

The Irish Sun

time5 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Builder mauled by XL Bully who ‘ripped flesh from his bones' after escaping while owner offered him cup of tea

A BUILDER was left seriously injured after being mauled by an XL Bully during a tea break. The dog, called Ozzy, repeatedly bit into the man's leg, leaving his flesh ripped away from the bone. 3 A builder in Norwich was viciously mauled by an XL Bully Credit: Getty 3 Daniel Savino, 46, pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control when it caused injury Credit: SWNS It occurred while the builder was working on a home extension in Norwich on January 21. While the owner had reportedly agreed to keep the dog inside, it escaped when the builder was asked if he wanted a drink. The savage attack left the man needing surgery, as he is unsure if his lower leg will regain feeling. In addition to the physical damage, the self-employed builder has also suffered financial damage as he has been left unable to work. Read more News It comes after legislation in February 2024 made it illegal to own an XL Bully without an exemption certificate. An insurance policy had also been taken out on Ozzy, with a £12,000 payout. While Ozzy had been registered exempt, the attack could mean the dog is subject to a destruction order. Daniel Savino, 46, who had been looking after his partner's dog on the day of the attack, pleaded guilty to being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control when it caused injury. Most read in The Sun He will be sentenced on September 25 and could face time in prison. Savino's defence solicitor said the dog had been bought four years ago, and that the attack was "out of character". He said it was an "unfortunate slip" that it had escaped through three door gates. 3 The attack left the man with his flesh ripped off the bone in his leg Credit: Getty

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