Latest news with #Rolls
The Star
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Grim reality behind riverside city
Rising from the muddy fields on the Mekong riverbank in Laos, a lotus tops a casino in a sprawling city which analysts decry as a centre for cybercrime. Shabby, mismatched facades – including an Iberian-style plaza replete with a church tower, turrets and statues – stand alongside high-rise shells. The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) is the most prominent of more than 90 such areas established across the Mekong region in recent years, often offering people reduced taxes or government regulation. Analysts say the towers are leased out as centres operating finance and romance scams online, a multibillion-dollar industry that shows no signs of abating despite Beijing-backed crackdowns in the region. High-rise deception: People walking past buildings inside the GTSEZ. — AFP The GTSEZ was set up in 2007, when the Laos government granted the Kings Romans Group a 99-year lease on the area. Ostensibly an urban development project to attract tourists with casinos and resorts, away from official oversight international authorities and analysts say it quickly became a centre for money laundering and trafficking. The city has now evolved, they say, into a cybercrime hub that can draw workers from around the world with better-paying jobs than back home. Laundry hangs out to dry on the balconies of one high-rise building meant to be a tourist hotel, while the wide and palm-lined boulevards are eerily quiet. It is a 'juxtaposition of the grim and the bling,' according to Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group. It gives the 'impression of opulence, a sort of Las Vegas in Laos,' he said, but it is underpinned by the 'grim reality' of a lucrative criminal ecosystem. A Rolls-Royce is parked in front of the main entrance to the Kings Romans Casino. — AFP Horrendous illicit activities In the daytime, a few gamblers place their bets at the blackjack tables in the city's centrepiece Kings Romans Casino, where a Rolls Royce is parked outside. 'There are people from many different countries here,' said one driver offering golf buggy tours of the city, who requested anonymity for security reasons. 'Indians, Filipinos, Russians and (people from) Africa.' Cyberfraud compounds have proliferated in special economic zones across South-East Asia, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Kings Romans' importance as a 'storage, trafficking, deal-making and laundering hub (is) likely to expand,' it said in a report last year, despite crackdowns on illegal activities. The founder of the Kings Romans Group and the GTSEZ is Zhao Wei, a Chinese businessman with close links to the Laos government, which has given him medals for his development projects. He and three associates, along with three of his companies, were sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2018 over what it called 'an array of horrendous illicit activities' including human, drug and wildlife trafficking and child prostitution. Britain sanctioned him in 2023, saying he was responsible for trafficking people to the economic zone. 'They were forced to work as scammers targeting English-speaking individuals and subject to physical abuse and further cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment,' Britain's Treasury said. The same year and again last August, authorities in China and Laos cracked down on cyberfraud operations in the GTSEZ, raiding offices and arresting hundreds of suspects. Not what it seems: A 'Welcome to Laos' sign is seen at the Diamond Plaza tourist attraction inside the GTSEZ. — AFP Violence doesn't always pay With public anger in China mounting over both scamming itself and alleged kidnappings, Beijing instigated raids this year on centres in Myanmar and Cambodia. The operations primarily targeted Chinese workers, thousands of whom were released and repatriated, along with hundreds of other foreigners. Some say they are trafficking victims or were tricked and forced to scam people online, but some authorities say they are there voluntarily. Scammers have adapted by shifting their locations and targets, specialists say, and Horsey explained that trafficking and abuses have reduced as the business model has developed. 'If you're trying to scale and produce a huge business... violence doesn't always pay,' he said. 'It's better to have motivated workers who aren't scared, who aren't looking over their shoulder, who are actually free to do their job.' The United States Institute for Peace estimated in 2024 that Mekong-based criminal syndicates were probably stealing more than US$43.8bil (RM186bil) annually. The Laos government could not be reached for comment, but the official Lao News Agency said after last year's busts that the country was 'committed to decisively addressing and eliminating cyber scam' activity. — AFP
Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
The Most Powerful Rolls-Royce Ever Went Purple at Goodwood
While carmakers sent their latest rides up the Goodwood Hill Climb, the Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge kept a relatively low profile in the Stable Yard. But there was no escaping its stunning paint job. The standard Spectre, Rolls-Royce's first fully electric coupe, already blends silent power with effortless grace. But the Black Badge version takes that formula and cranks up the attitude. Finished in a striking shade of Vapour Violet, inspired by retro club culture, it was a proper head-turner. It's also the most powerful car Rolls-Royce has ever built. The Spectre Black Badge is more than an overpriced Tesla. Chief Executive Chris Brownridge calls it "the alter ego" of Rolls-Royce. New 23-inch forged wheels, a darkened Pantheon Grille with a glowing colored backplate, and blacked-out finishes across the Spirit of Ecstasy, badges, handles, and window surrounds make it abundantly clear this isn't an ordinary Rolls. Related: Rolls-Royce unveils details about its latest bespoke machine: the Black Badge Spectre Behind the serenity lies serious strength. With 650 hp and 793 lb-ft of torque, the Spectre Black Badge sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds. Rolls-Royce analyzed real-world driving data from select owners and found that they preferred short, powerful bursts of acceleration over sustained speed. That insight led to two new drive modes: Infinity Mode, which unlocks the car's full 650 hp and sharpens throttle response. And Spirited Mode, which is essentially launch control, releasing the full 793 lb-ft of torque for maximum acceleration. Even with all that muscle, the car remains effortlessly composed. Enhanced chassis dynamics, weightier steering, and revised damping join the Magic Carpet Ride to balance power with poise, like a true Rolls-Royce. Inside, the theatrics continue. The cabin is dressed in some of Rolls-Royce's most advanced materials yet, including a shimmering carbon and metal weave called Technical Fibre. It's laid by hand in a diamond pattern and polished to a mirror-like finish. The infinity symbol - a signature of Black Badge models - is stitched into the leather between the rear seats, while over 5,500 stars light up the dash in a cosmic display. Drivers can even personalize their dials with bold color themes through the SPIRIT system. It perfectly encapsulates its high-tech, high-drama persona. The Spectre Black Badge isn't just the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever made; it's the boldest. At Goodwood, it left a lasting impression. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Bangkok Post
14-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Las Vegas in Laos: the riverside city awash with crime
VAN PAK LEN, Laos - Rising from the muddy fields on the Mekong riverbank in Laos, a lotus tops a casino in a sprawling city which analysts decry as a centre for cybercrime. Shabby, mismatched facades –- including an Iberian-style plaza replete with a church tower, turrets and statues -- stand alongside high-rise shells. The Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) is the most prominent of more than 90 such areas established across the Mekong region in recent years, often offering people reduced taxes or government regulation. Traffic signs in the GTSEZ are in Chinese script, while everything from cigarettes to jade and fake Christian Dior bags are sold in China's yuan. Analysts say the towers are leased out as centres operating finance and romance scams online, a multibillion-dollar industry that shows no signs of abating despite Beijing-backed crackdowns in the region. The GTSEZ was set up in 2007, when the Laos government granted the Kings Romans Group a 99-year lease on the area. Ostensibly an urban development project to attract tourists with casinos and resorts, away from official oversight international authorities and analysts say it quickly became a centre for money laundering and trafficking. The city has now evolved, they say, into a cybercrime hub that can draw workers from around the world with better-paying jobs than back home. Laundry hung out to dry on the balconies of one high-rise building supposed to be a tourist hotel, while the wide and palm-lined boulevards were eerily quiet. It is a "juxtaposition of the grim and the bling", according to Richard Horsey of the International Crisis Group. It gives the "impression of opulence, a sort of Las Vegas in Laos", he said, but it is underpinned by the "grim reality" of a lucrative criminal ecosystem. - 'Horrendous illicit activities' - In the daytime a few gamblers placed their bets at the blackjack tables in the city's centrepiece Kings Romans Casino, where a Rolls Royce was parked outside. "There are people from many different countries here," said one driver offering golf buggy tours of the city, who requested anonymity for security reasons. "Indians, Filipinos, Russians and (people from) Africa." "The Chinese mostly own the businesses," he added. Cyberfraud compounds have proliferated in special economic zones across Southeast Asia, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Kings Romans' importance as a "storage, trafficking, deal-making, and laundering hub (is) likely to expand", it said in a report last year, despite crackdowns on illegal activities. The founder of the Kings Romans Group and the GTSEZ is Zhao Wei, a Chinese businessman with close links to the Laos government, which has given him medals for his development projects. He and three associates, along with three of his companies, were sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2018 over what it called "an array of horrendous illicit activities" including human, drug and wildlife trafficking and child prostitution. Britain sanctioned him in 2023, saying he was responsible for trafficking people to the economic zone. "They were forced to work as scammers targeting English-speaking individuals and subject to physical abuse and further cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment," Britain's Treasury said. The same year and again last August, authorities in China and Laos cracked down on cyberfraud operations in the GTSEZ, raiding offices and arresting hundreds of suspects. - Violence doesn't always pay - With public anger in China mounting, over both scamming itself and alleged kidnappings, Beijing instigated raids this year on centres in Myanmar and Cambodia. The operations primarily targeted Chinese workers, thousands of whom were released and repatriated, along with hundreds of other foreigners. Some say they are trafficking victims or were tricked and forced to scam people online, but some authorities say they are there voluntarily. Scammers have adapted by shifting their locations and targets, specialists say, and Horsey explained that trafficking and abuses have reduced as the business model has developed. "If you're trying to scale and produce a huge business... violence doesn't always pay," he said. "It's better to have motivated workers who aren't scared, who aren't looking over their shoulder, who are actually free to... do their job." Beijing realises it cannot completely stop criminality in the region, so prefers to manage it, he added. Chinese authorities can "pick up the phone" to Zhao and tell him: "Don't do this, limit this, don't target Chinese people", he said. That "is actually more valuable for China than trying to eradicate it everywhere and just lose all influence over it". The United States Institute for Peace estimated in 2024 that Mekong-based criminal syndicates were probably stealing more than $43.8 billion annually. Representatives of both the GTSEZ and Kings Romans did not respond to AFP's repeated requests for comment, while Zhao could not be reached.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Debock owner was investing proceed of crime in realty: ED
1 2 3 Jaipur: The owner of Debock Industries Ltd was investing the proceeds of financial fraud, amounting to over Rs 100 crore, in real estate. They were acquiring villas, housing schemes, hotels and resorts with wedding banquet halls. This was revealed by officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigating the money laundering case against the group. As the raids continued Saturday, an ED officer said, "We have seized Rs 78 lakh, property papers of 150 bighas of land, incriminating documents and evidence against the company." "They were building a resort near Chaksu for destination weddings. It has all the modern amenities, including lavish banquet halls and others to organise big and royal weddings. They were buying villas and hotels. Our team is assessing to calculate the proceeds of crime," the officer added. He said, "We have seized four luxury vehicles, including a Rolls Royce, Bentley, Land Cruiser, and Mercedes G Wagon Brabus, from the Vaishali Nagar office-cum-residence of the managing director of the Debock group, Mukesh Manveer Singh," the officer added. The ED conducted raids Friday at 12 locations across Jaipur and Kota, exposing a massive financial fraud exceeding Rs 100 crores by Debock Industries Ltd. The investigation was initiated following a complaint by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The operations targeted the premises of company owner Mukesh Manvir Singh and other key individuals allegedly involved in the scam, including Gaurav Jain and Jyoti Chaudhary.
Scottish Sun
05-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
‘Irreplaceable' 105-year-old Rolls Royce FOUND after it was stolen in hotel heist moments before European tour
The £300,000-plus vehicle was the owner's pride and joy ROLL BACK 'Irreplaceable' 105-year-old Rolls Royce FOUND after it was stolen in hotel heist moments before European tour Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A 105-YEAR-old Rolls Royce Silver Ghost stolen from a hotel in Essex has been recovered thanks to the power of the press. The irreplaceable vehicle went missing along with a trailer on the eve of an epic vintage car expedition to Helsinki and the Baltic States. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 A 105-year-old Rolls Royce Silver Ghost stolen from a hotel in Essex has been recovered Credit: STEVE FINN PHOTOGRAPHY 6 The irreplaceable vehicle vanished at a hotel in Essex Credit: STEVE FINN PHOTOGRAPHY 6 It has since been recovered after a schoolboy spotted the motor Credit: STEVE FINN PHOTOGRAPHY Rolls enthusiast Bryan Fitton, 82, was staying at Orsett Hall Hotel near Grays, Essex, when the theft happened in the early hours of June 29. The £300,000-plus vehicle and another 25 Rolls Royces were due to be loaded on the ferry at Tilbury Docks later that day ahead of a trip to Helsinki, Finland for a European tour. Bryan, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, said: 'To have the vehicle stolen ahead of dropping it off at Tilbury Docks for the ferry to Helsinki is absolutely heartbreaking, but this is a happy ending. 'I was hoping someone would spot the car as it's so rare and help me get the trip of a lifetime back on track – hence the reward and thankfully it worked. 'The car is full of irreplaceable parts – it's an original and has even got the original Lady on the grill. 'The car has been all over the world and is an advert for British motors – it's been everywhere and it was just appalling that it got stolen in Essex.' The 82-year-old was "heartbroken" at the loss and offered a reward of £2,000 for the safe return of his pride and joy. Orsett Hall Hotel declined to comment after the theft and said the matter was in the hands of Essex Police who had launched an investigation. "It was thanks to the power of the press that the car has been recovered," Bryan said. "A schoolboy spotted it and told his father he'd seen a lovey vintage car – his dad had seen the publicity about the theft and got in touch to help with the recovery. "Essex Police went to the area it was spotted in and recovered it intact on the trailer from a dirty old shed. "The vehicle has survived Hitler and World War Two and now it's survived a trip to Essex – I am delighted it has been recovered. "I am hoping the reward is a small fortune for the young lad and hope that shows him that doing the right thing in life pays off." The Sun has reached out to Essex Police for comment. The car came from a British Petroleum collection in Denmark decades ago via an auction at Bonhams. Eight new laws hitting drivers from July 1 including 'touch' rule where you can face jail over where you place hands Bryan has since spent years rebuilding the engine and exhibiting it round the planet. The Silver Ghost has toured England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, Portugal and Spain. But this was set to be retired company director Bryan's first trip to the Baltic States in the Silver Ghost. The 1920 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost's registration number is U 5694 and chassis number 39EE. Development of the Silver Ghost goes back to the start of the 20th century. Around 7874 Silver Ghosts were produced between 1907 and 1926, with American President Woodrow Wilson even owning one of the cars. It was named the best car in the world by Autocar in 1907. 6 Bryan Fitton had his Rolls stolen at Orsett Hall Hotel near Grays, Essex, Credit: STEVE FINN PHOTOGRAPHY 6 Bryan Fitton has exhibited the motor around the planet Credit: STEVE FINN PHOTOGRAPHY
