Latest news with #FSB
OC Media
8 hours ago
- Politics
- OC Media
FSB accuses two North Ossetian teenagers of planning a terror attack
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Two 15-year-olds from North Ossetia were detained and given terrorism charges after the authorities accused them of planning a terrorist attack on law enforcement officers. Russia's Investigative Committee announced their arrest and charges on their official Telegram channel on Friday. They claimed that the two teenagers were detained after officers from the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs found components for an improvised explosive device in their possession. Investigators say the suspects had been studying materials for carrying out terrorist attacks between June 2024 and May 2025, using 'specialised literature' distributed via a closed messenger channel. In May 2025, the boys reportedly bought materials for making explosives in the North Ossetian town of Mozdok and stored them in their homes. According to officials, their plans were disrupted by security forces before the attack could be carried out. The names of the accused have not been disclosed. The FSB claimed that instructions for making explosives were found on the teenagers' phones, along with messages exchanged with 'militants located abroad', allegedly members of an unnamed international terrorist organisation banned in Russia. The authorities also seized components for homemade explosives during the searches. The teenagers have been charged with preparing a terrorist act as a group and undergoing training for terrorist purposes. These charges carry penalties of up to life imprisonment. In its public statement, the FSB's Public Relations Centre said that Ukrainian intelligence services are allegedly actively operating in the online space — including messengers like Telegram and WhatsApp — to 'recruit young people and underage Russian citizens into illegal activity'. The FSB urged Russian citizens to remain vigilant and 'avoid' communicating with unknown contacts on these platforms whenever possible. However, the statement did not claim that Ukrainian services were involved in the preparation of the alleged attack. Advertisement At the time of publication, no comments from the teenagers' lawyers or relatives were publicly available. It is also unknown whether the accused have admitted guilt. In early July, Russian state agency RIA Novosti reported that more than 150 teenagers aged 14 to 17 had been included in the country's official list of terrorists and extremists, citing data from the Rosfinmonitoring database. The list currently includes 155 minors, including one 14-year-old, 23 aged 15, 46 aged 16, and 85 aged 17. The full registry of designated terrorists and extremists in Russia contains nearly 18,000 names.
South Wales Argus
19 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
FSB Wales appoints new head to support businesses
Joshua Miles will take up the role in October, succeeding Ben Cottam. Mr Miles currently serves as director of the Learning and Work Institute in Wales and has previously held senior positions at the Confederation of Passenger Transport. John Hurst, FSB Wales chairman, said: "I am delighted that Josh will be joining FSB to lead the Wales team at what is a vital time for Welsh businesses. "With an economy still facing significant challenge and an election approaching in May 2026, our smaller businesses will need a strong voice and passionate advocates." Mr Miles said he was looking forward to championing the sector. Mr Miles said: "Our smaller businesses are the very best of the Welsh economy and I'm excited to have the chance to take up the role of head of Wales at FSB."
Business News Wales
a day ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
New Head of Wales Appointed at FSB
The Learning and Work Institute Wales Inspire Awards at Cardiff City Hall. 14th September 2023. Credit: Natasha Hirst Wales' largest business representative body, FSB (Federation of Small Businesses), has appointed Joshua Miles as their new Head of Wales. Josh's appointment follows the upcoming departure of current Head of Wales Ben Cottam. Josh will start his new role in October. Josh joins FSB from his current role as Director of the Learning & Work Institute in Wales, a leading organisation promoting lifelong learning and employment. Prior to that, Josh was the Director of the Confederation of Passenger Transport and earlier in his career, Josh had also held policy roles at FSB and CITB (Construction Industry Training Board). Working alongside FSB's volunteer members, Josh will lead FSB's professional team in Wales supporting the needs of thousands of businesses across the country, growing networks and championing their interests to decision making at all levels of Welsh politics and public life. John Hurst, FSB Wales Chair, said: 'I am delighted that Josh will be joining FSB to lead the Wales team at what is a vital time for Welsh businesses. With an economy still facing significant challenge and an election approaching in May 2026, our smaller businesses will need a strong voice and passionate advocates. Josh's experience of policy, the economy, smaller businesses and of the landscape of decision making in Wales and more widely across the UK, will be a huge asset to our efforts to lead the conversation for businesses in Wales. We are excited to welcome Josh to the team later this year.' Josh added: 'Our smaller businesses are the very best of the Welsh economy and I'm excited to have the chance to take up the role of Head of Wales at FSB to help tell the story of small businesses and all the potential there is in our SMEs for growing our economy and communities. I'm looking forward to working alongside our volunteers, and what I know is a great professional team across Wales and the UK to grow FSB's voice, relationships and impact.'
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
$153 million of cocaine found hidden in banana shipment in Russia
Russia said Wednesday it had seized 1,800 pounds of cocaine hidden under a shipment of bananas, calling it its largest bust of drugs from Latin America this year. Russia's customs service, working jointly with the FSB security service, said it had uncovered a batch worth "more than 12 billion rubles ($153 million)" stashed in banana containers. The cocaine packages — disguised in briquettes bearing the label of a French luxury fashion brand — were discovered in a "hidden cavity" under the bananas, it added. In a post on social media, the Federal Customs Service of Russia released images of the cocaine and said service dogs helped sniff out the hidden drugs. Customs officials said they carried out the bust after a tip-off from "foreign colleagues about the intention of a South American criminal group to organize a smuggling channel for cocaine supplies to Russia." It said an investigation had been opened into large-scale drug trafficking, a charge that in Russia carries maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Russia has a zero-tolerance policy towards drug use and smuggling, handing heavy sentences to those convicted of trafficking small amounts of narcotics -- including foreigners. Cocaine smuggling into Russia has surged over the past two years, according to Russia's Izvestia newspaper. Drug traffickers are increasingly looking to the country as a transit hub, in part because the Ukrainian port of Odesa has become inaccessible due to the war in Ukraine, the paper said. Cocaine has been found hidden in banana shipments across the globe in recent months. In May, employees at a Norwegian fruit distributor discovered a packet of cocaine in a box of bananas, alerting customs officials who found a stash of 147 kilos. Last December, authorities in the Dominican Republic confiscated nearly 9.5 tons of cocaine from a banana shipment at the country's most important seaport. In August 2024, customs agents seized more than 200 pounds of cocaine at the port in Greece from a ship carrying the fruit. The month before that, police dogs in Ecuador helped find more than six tons of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment headed to Germany. In March last year, Bulgarian customs officials confiscated about 170 kilograms of cocaine from a ship transporting bananas from Ecuador. The month before that, British authorities said they found more than 12,500 pounds of cocaine hidden in a shipment of the fruit, breaking the record for the biggest single seizure of hard drugs in the country.
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
Russia seizes $150 mn cocaine haul hidden in banana shipment
Russia said Wednesday it had seized 820 kilograms (1,800 pounds) of cocaine hidden under a shipment of bananas, calling it its largest bust of drugs from Latin America this year. Cocaine smuggling into Russia has surged over the past two years, according to Russia's Izvestia newspaper. Drug traffickers are increasingly looking to the country as a transit hub, in part because the Ukrainian port of Odesa has become inaccessible due to Russia's offensive, the paper said. Russia's customs service, working jointly with the FSB security service, said it had uncovered a batch worth 'more than 12 billion rubles ($153 million)' stashed in banana containers. The cocaine packages -- disguised in briquettes bearing the label of a French luxury fashion brand -- were discovered in a 'hidden cavity' under the bananas, it added. It carried out the bust after a tip-off from 'foreign colleagues about the intention of a South American criminal group to organise a smuggling channel for cocaine supplies to Russia'.
