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CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Regina drug trafficking bust sees 7.7 kgs of meth seized, Alberta man charged
A Regina drug trafficking investigation led to the seizure of more than 10 kilograms of narcotics. One of the search warrants was executed on Mutrie Crescent. (Brittany Poitras/CTV News) A Fort McMurray man is in custody along with a sizable seizure of illicit drugs and cash – after an operation by the Regina Police Service (RPS). On Tuesday, members of the service's drug unit executed two Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) search warrants. One was targeted at a storage locker and another at a home on the 4600 block of Mutrie Crescent. During the searches, officers found 7.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, 2.8 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.3 kilograms of cocaine and approximately $62,000 in cash. As a result of the investigation, a 26-year-old man from Fort McMurray, Alta. is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl in addition to one count of possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. The accused made his first appearance on his charges in Regina provincial court on Wednesday.
The National
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The National
Celtic aim to be 'open to all' by listening to disabled fans
Celtic being 'a club open to all' is more than just a catchy, feelgood slogan. For Alexis Dobbin, it's her mission. Investment in facilities for disabled fans at football stadiums is always welcome, and Celtic have invested heavily in this area, as they strive to live up to their motto. Praised last year by 'Accessiball' - a UEFA backed organisation who campaign for greater disability access and inclusivity in football – for their commitment to making Celtic Park accessible to all supporters, the club have poured significant sums into removing barriers for their disabled fans. Whether this has been the opening of the country's first 'Changing Places' toilets, bathrooms specially equipped to be accessible for those with more severe impairments, or the creation of the 'View 67' raised platform, each initiative has been driven not only by a desire to help as many Celtic supporters get the most from their matchday, but has been driven by those fans themselves. For Dobbin, the club's Disability Access Officer, the weight of getting it right is one she doesn't carry lightly, as she explained how vital it is to listen to disabled supporters and find out what it is they actually want and need from the Celtic Park experience, rather than just giving them facilities the able-bodied may think they should have. (Image: Gordon Terris) 'For a lot of the supporters we've got here, their only social interaction is coming to see Celtic,' Dobbin said. 'We're playing Newcastle next week and they're desperate to get back. 'A lot of it's to do with the social side of it, just to get back amongst people, back amongst their friends. Like any other fan, they like the interaction that brings, the camaraderie. It's a community for them. There might be older people among them and that is the only time they leave the house that week, to come to the game, or it's the only time they're maybe meeting and seeing other people. 'So, what our mission has to be is to facilitate these fans being able to access the same sort of experience that anyone else going to a game would enjoy. 'One of the first things I learned when I took on this role in 2018 was that when you're disabled, it's not so much that you're disabled, it's the world that's got barriers up. So, the stairs, lack of access, that's the barrier rather than the disability. "So, we meet regularly with the Celtic Disabled Supporters Association, the CDSA. I'm sometimes in daily contact throughout the season. They do the parking on a match day, we've got match day wheelchair parking, and the CDSA actually took that on before I even took on the role and that's worked really well. 'It means that they've got a kind of responsibility that they are in charge of all that and they link in with the club doing that on a match day. They've been brilliant in taking that on. We also linked in with the CDSA for the Changing Places facility. 'We've got a really good relationship with Accessiball, and we had them up last year to have a meeting with an accessible fans' forum where [Chief Financial Officer] Chris McKay and other members of the board were in attendance. 'And listen, it was a difficult day in some ways. We really faced some serious questions. But that's how it needs to be. You need to know the negatives. It can't all just be what we're doing right. We need to know what we're not doing right as well, so we can try to improve it. 'We maybe haven't answered everything that everybody wanted, but having them there it showed that the club were committed to one, meeting with the fans, and two, making sure that we are dedicated to trying to continue the work we're doing. And we acknowledge that there is a lot of work still to be done.' One of the things Dobbin has found is that having a choice of experience is also important to many disabled fans, such as where in the stadium they might like to sit. 'I'll give you a good example of that, and why it's so important to know what the fans are thinking,' she said. "When I came in, my first thought was, well, we have an elevated platform in place, so you're thinking we need more elevated spaces. Then the more you got to know the different supporters and their preferences, a lot of them would prefer to be at the pitch side, and in cup games for example where it doesn't maybe always sell out straight away, they would buy those tickets before they would buy tickets for the elevated platform. And it surprised me how many do prefer it. (Image: Gordon Terris) 'So, it shows that you can't have a one-size-fits-all approach. A lot of the fans have got to know the same people. So, when we done both of the elevated platforms, a lot of the supporters wanted to stay where they were and keep the season ticket they had, because even though you'd maybe get a better view in the elevated area, they've made friends down where they were. That's what they're used to. 'I have been reminded by a few of our supporters, you still need to allow that choice. It's so important. Don't just automatically presume that we all want to be in a different area, you know?' Navigating the needs of so many individual supporters though isn't easy, and Dobbin would love to see an equivalent organisation in Scotland to the likes of Level Playing Field, a primarily English charity that not only supports and pushes clubs right throughout the football pyramid to improve their offerings for disabled people, but offers help and advice for the Disability Liason Officers who are charged with doing so. "I think personally it would be a huge help,' she said. 'I think it would be massive. I'm in the both the English group of DLOs and the Scottish one, and I notice when speaking to other DLOs or when you go to any sort of conference or training events, the one thing that they mentioned is that sometimes, accessibility can be a tick box exercise for some clubs. 'Not in a bad way, necessarily, but they've maybe got limited finances. They just don't have the finances to do everything, so they'll prioritise the standard supporter over accessibility and they'll do the bare minimum when it comes to accessibility, unfortunately. 'You wouldn't want clubs going into financial difficulty because of it, but I think having a Level Playing Field or some sort of organisation like that in Scotland would make a massive difference. 'It would also give both the supporters and the DLOs someone to go to and speak to if you needed advice, because that's why we all meet up and chat as much as we do, because we've only got each other up here to talk to and to try and gauge what are you doing or what we could do differently. 'You're trying to gauge everything based on what other clubs are doing and what other people are doing because we don't have any sort of official body up here." There is a sense of pride and satisfaction then in the work that Celtic have done so far to help their disabled fans, but also a restlessness to continually rise and meet their expectations, which for Dobbin, boil down to a desire to be free to support their team, just like anyone else. 'The club have really, really backed me,' she said. 'Initially it was Peter Lawwell, and then obviously currently now it's Michael [Nicholson, CEO] and Chris. 'I'm not just saying this, they've been absolutely brilliant. And the majority of stuff that I would go to the board with, they've been really, really good and they've tried to do, within reason, as much as they can. 'I think it's a compliment to the club and a compliment to any club that supporters want to come and think it's a safe environment to come. 'We've got the sensory facility, the Lion's View, that is fully funded and operated through the club's charitable arm, the Celtic FC Foundation. (Image: Gordon Terris) 'We've got our own invisible disability lanyard which we designed ourselves. I came up with the idea when I noticed in the learning process that not every disability is visible. It's based on the sunflower, but it's Celtic's own design. It's known throughout the club and on a matchday if you see somebody wearing that, they may require additional assistance. 'We've got sensory packs which one of our GlobalCelts [brand ambassadors] Martin Newman was kind enough to donate to the club, and they've got a tangle toy, stress ball, a Celtic fidget spinner, so they're all Celtic branded. 'We've now got two BSL interpreters at all home games working and we do an initiative with deaf supporters where the PR team kindly give me a limited number of tickets for each game. 'The BSL interpreters, they meet them at the sports bar. So again, they're mixing in with the standard fan, doing whatever everybody else would do, and the interpreters then sit with them before the game, go into the game with them, sit with them in case there's any problems. And we donate the tickets, and that's proved to be really, really popular. (Image: Celtic FC) 'Then we've got the visually impaired where we offer the audio descriptive commentary. And we do that now if there's a demand for it for the women's games too. 'But as I said, there is work to be done. I would like to get more easy access seating for our ambulant disabled supporters. I'd like to see that increase because there's a massive demand for that now for various reasons. 'We're trying to cover every base to make it possible for as many people as we can to get to games, and to have a great experience.'
The Herald Scotland
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Celtic aim to be 'open to all' by listening to disabled fans
Celtic being 'a club open to all' is more than just a catchy, feelgood slogan. For Alexis Dobbin, it's her mission. Investment in facilities for disabled fans at football stadiums is always welcome, and Celtic have invested heavily in this area, as they strive to live up to their motto. Praised last year by 'Accessiball' - a UEFA backed organisation who campaign for greater disability access and inclusivity in football – for their commitment to making Celtic Park accessible to all supporters, the club have poured significant sums into removing barriers for their disabled fans. Whether this has been the opening of the country's first 'Changing Places' toilets, bathrooms specially equipped to be accessible for those with more severe impairments, or the creation of the 'View 67' raised platform, each initiative has been driven not only by a desire to help as many Celtic supporters get the most from their matchday, but has been driven by those fans themselves. For Dobbin, the club's Disability Access Officer, the weight of getting it right is one she doesn't carry lightly, as she explained how vital it is to listen to disabled supporters and find out what it is they actually want and need from the Celtic Park experience, rather than just giving them facilities the able-bodied may think they should have. (Image: Gordon Terris) 'For a lot of the supporters we've got here, their only social interaction is coming to see Celtic,' Dobbin said. 'We're playing Newcastle next week and they're desperate to get back. 'A lot of it's to do with the social side of it, just to get back amongst people, back amongst their friends. Like any other fan, they like the interaction that brings, the camaraderie. It's a community for them. There might be older people among them and that is the only time they leave the house that week, to come to the game, or it's the only time they're maybe meeting and seeing other people. 'So, what our mission has to be is to facilitate these fans being able to access the same sort of experience that anyone else going to a game would enjoy. 'One of the first things I learned when I took on this role in 2018 was that when you're disabled, it's not so much that you're disabled, it's the world that's got barriers up. So, the stairs, lack of access, that's the barrier rather than the disability. "So, we meet regularly with the Celtic Disabled Supporters Association, the CDSA. I'm sometimes in daily contact throughout the season. They do the parking on a match day, we've got match day wheelchair parking, and the CDSA actually took that on before I even took on the role and that's worked really well. 'It means that they've got a kind of responsibility that they are in charge of all that and they link in with the club doing that on a match day. They've been brilliant in taking that on. We also linked in with the CDSA for the Changing Places facility. 'We've got a really good relationship with Accessiball, and we had them up last year to have a meeting with an accessible fans' forum where [Chief Financial Officer] Chris McKay and other members of the board were in attendance. 'And listen, it was a difficult day in some ways. We really faced some serious questions. But that's how it needs to be. You need to know the negatives. It can't all just be what we're doing right. We need to know what we're not doing right as well, so we can try to improve it. 'We maybe haven't answered everything that everybody wanted, but having them there it showed that the club were committed to one, meeting with the fans, and two, making sure that we are dedicated to trying to continue the work we're doing. And we acknowledge that there is a lot of work still to be done.' One of the things Dobbin has found is that having a choice of experience is also important to many disabled fans, such as where in the stadium they might like to sit. 'I'll give you a good example of that, and why it's so important to know what the fans are thinking,' she said. "When I came in, my first thought was, well, we have an elevated platform in place, so you're thinking we need more elevated spaces. Then the more you got to know the different supporters and their preferences, a lot of them would prefer to be at the pitch side, and in cup games for example where it doesn't maybe always sell out straight away, they would buy those tickets before they would buy tickets for the elevated platform. And it surprised me how many do prefer it. (Image: Gordon Terris) 'So, it shows that you can't have a one-size-fits-all approach. A lot of the fans have got to know the same people. So, when we done both of the elevated platforms, a lot of the supporters wanted to stay where they were and keep the season ticket they had, because even though you'd maybe get a better view in the elevated area, they've made friends down where they were. That's what they're used to. 'I have been reminded by a few of our supporters, you still need to allow that choice. It's so important. Don't just automatically presume that we all want to be in a different area, you know?' Navigating the needs of so many individual supporters though isn't easy, and Dobbin would love to see an equivalent organisation in Scotland to the likes of Level Playing Field, a primarily English charity that not only supports and pushes clubs right throughout the football pyramid to improve their offerings for disabled people, but offers help and advice for the Disability Liason Officers who are charged with doing so. "I think personally it would be a huge help,' she said. 'I think it would be massive. I'm in the both the English group of DLOs and the Scottish one, and I notice when speaking to other DLOs or when you go to any sort of conference or training events, the one thing that they mentioned is that sometimes, accessibility can be a tick box exercise for some clubs. 'Not in a bad way, necessarily, but they've maybe got limited finances. They just don't have the finances to do everything, so they'll prioritise the standard supporter over accessibility and they'll do the bare minimum when it comes to accessibility, unfortunately. 'You wouldn't want clubs going into financial difficulty because of it, but I think having a Level Playing Field or some sort of organisation like that in Scotland would make a massive difference. 'It would also give both the supporters and the DLOs someone to go to and speak to if you needed advice, because that's why we all meet up and chat as much as we do, because we've only got each other up here to talk to and to try and gauge what are you doing or what we could do differently. 'You're trying to gauge everything based on what other clubs are doing and what other people are doing because we don't have any sort of official body up here." There is a sense of pride and satisfaction then in the work that Celtic have done so far to help their disabled fans, but also a restlessness to continually rise and meet their expectations, which for Dobbin, boil down to a desire to be free to support their team, just like anyone else. 'The club have really, really backed me,' she said. 'Initially it was Peter Lawwell, and then obviously currently now it's Michael [Nicholson, CEO] and Chris. 'I'm not just saying this, they've been absolutely brilliant. And the majority of stuff that I would go to the board with, they've been really, really good and they've tried to do, within reason, as much as they can. 'I think it's a compliment to the club and a compliment to any club that supporters want to come and think it's a safe environment to come. 'We've got the sensory facility, the Lion's View, that is fully funded and operated through the club's charitable arm, the Celtic FC Foundation. (Image: Gordon Terris) 'We've got our own invisible disability lanyard which we designed ourselves. I came up with the idea when I noticed in the learning process that not every disability is visible. It's based on the sunflower, but it's Celtic's own design. It's known throughout the club and on a matchday if you see somebody wearing that, they may require additional assistance. 'We've got sensory packs which one of our GlobalCelts [brand ambassadors] Martin Newman was kind enough to donate to the club, and they've got a tangle toy, stress ball, a Celtic fidget spinner, so they're all Celtic branded. 'We've now got two BSL interpreters at all home games working and we do an initiative with deaf supporters where the PR team kindly give me a limited number of tickets for each game. 'The BSL interpreters, they meet them at the sports bar. So again, they're mixing in with the standard fan, doing whatever everybody else would do, and the interpreters then sit with them before the game, go into the game with them, sit with them in case there's any problems. And we donate the tickets, and that's proved to be really, really popular. (Image: Celtic FC) 'Then we've got the visually impaired where we offer the audio descriptive commentary. And we do that now if there's a demand for it for the women's games too. 'But as I said, there is work to be done. I would like to get more easy access seating for our ambulant disabled supporters. I'd like to see that increase because there's a massive demand for that now for various reasons. 'We're trying to cover every base to make it possible for as many people as we can to get to games, and to have a great experience.'
International Business Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- International Business Times
Singapore-Registered Company Charged Over Suspected Money Laundering Offence
A Singapore-registered company was charged in court on Tuesday, July 1, for its suspected involvement in money laundering activities. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) revealed that the company's bank accounts were believed to be used to receive criminal proceeds arising from an alleged scam perpetuated against a foreign company. The SPF said in a statement, "Between 8 and 14 September 2021, the Company received over S$571,000, of which a portion was subsequently transferred to foreign bank accounts." "The Company was allegedly unable to account satisfactorily how it came by the property and will be charged for an offence of possessing property reasonably suspected to be benefits from criminal conduct under Section 47AA(1) of the CDSA (Cap 65A, 2000 Rev Ed)," added SPF. A corporate entity found guilty of having property that could be reasonably suspected of being the proceeds of criminal activity faces a fine of up to S$300,000 under Section 47AA(2)(b) of the CDSA (Cap 65A, 2000 Rev Ed). The police warned the public against receiving money from unidentified sources using their personal or business bank account or accounts. They said that the SPF will not hold back from taking tough enforcement action against businesses that are set up for illicit activities, like laundering criminal proceeds, and against directors whose carelessness permits their businesses to be operated illegally. Such abuse affects Singapore's reputation as an international financial center and business hub.
Cision Canada
27-06-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
Health Canada launches public consultation on proposed changes to increase oversight of precursor chemicals and drug equipment
OTTAWA, ON, June 27, 2025 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is taking action to keep communities safe on both sides of the border. This includes detecting and disrupting the illegal fentanyl trade. Today, the Minister of Health, Marjorie Michel, launched a 45-day public consultation on proposed changes to how Canada regulates precursor chemicals and devices such as pill presses and encapsulators that could be used in the illegal production of drugs. The consultation is open until August 12, 2025. The public consultation will allow impacted stakeholders, such as regulated industries that use precursors for legitimate uses, pharmacies and individual pharmacists, to provide feedback on the proposed changes. These changes would strengthen controls around precursor chemicals and drug equipment to support law and border enforcement as they take action to stop their illegal importation and distribution. Quotes "Our government is acting to protect Canadians against illegal synthetic drugs like fentanyl. By working with the industry and our partners, we are making our streets safer." The Honourable Marjorie Michel Minister of Health "Keeping communities safe from the harms of illegal drugs is a top priority. Together with our Strong Borders bill, these proposed changes will give law enforcement and border officers stronger tools to stop the illegal production and trafficking of dangerous substances like fentanyl. We are committed to working with our partners to disrupt organized crime, further secure our borders and protect Canadians." The Honourable Gary Anandasangaree Minister of Public Safety "Step by step we are increasing pressure on organized crime groups and sending a clear message: Canada will not tolerate illegal drugs in our communities and at our borders. We will use every tool at our disposal to support law and border enforcement as they tackle the production and distribution of illegal drugs." Kevin Brosseau Fentanyl Czar Quick Facts Under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), the Precursor Control Regulations (PCR) sets rules for the use of precursor chemicals. While some precursors have legitimate uses, they can also be used in the illegal production of controlled substances, like fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. In Canada, precursors are controlled under Schedule VI of the CDSA and are regulated under the PCR. To ensure that law and border enforcement have the tools they need to detect and address fentanyl and its precursors, the federal government is investing $78.7 million to expand Health Canada's laboratory and regulatory capabilities. Health Canada's Precursor Chemical Risk Management Unit provides better oversight into precursor chemicals and their distribution channels, and enhance monitoring and surveillance of illegal drug trends to enable timely law enforcement action. Health Canada is establishing a new Canadian Drug Analysis Centre that will allow for more specialized analysis of synthetic drug samples. The analysis will help determine how and where these substances were manufactured to support law enforcement and public safety partners to strategically target organized crime. Notice of Intent on this regulatory proposal to enhance oversight of precursor chemicals and drug equipment was open for public consultation from January 31 to March 3, 2025. 1S7Oa6kfqPnSMg%3D&rese SOURCE Health Canada (HC)
