Latest news with #gangcrime
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Watford man jailed for attempted murder after Bushey shooting
A man who fired nine shots towards a house in a gang-related incident has been sentenced to 22 years in incident took place at Woolmerdine Court in Bushey, Hertfordshire, last September. Hertfordshire Police said no-one was Jawara, 19, of Leveret Close, Watford, fled the scene on an electric motorbike on 15 September but was arrested 11 days who denied the charges, was found guilty at St Albans Crown Court of two counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. Det Sgt George Lewin said the sentence "reflects the utmost seriousness of these crimes and the level of risk his actions posed to the public".He added: "Whilst violent incidents of this nature are thankfully uncommon, I hope this lengthy jail term sends a strong message and reassurance to residents across Hertfordshire that firearms and gang-related offending will simply not be tolerated." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Swinney 'open' to crackdown on organised crime gangs amid spiralling levels of violence
John Swinney has insisted he is 'open' to tougher action to tackle gangland criminals after he was accused of 'dangerous complacency' on the issue. The First Minister pledged to consider any proposals to strengthen legislation to tackle criminal gangs in the wake of Scots Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr being gunned down in a pub in Spain. His comments came after Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay condemned the 'dangerous complacency' of SNP ministers on organised crime for failing to tackle the problem. He demanded that proceeds of crime laws are tightened to 'turn the tables' on the gangs. Mr Swinney said: 'I am open to making sure that we have got the correct legislative framework in place to deal with criminality in our country. That's why the Government brings forward legislation. 'Mr Findlay is making suggestions about an area of policy that could be considered for strengthening. I am perfectly willing to consider that, because I don't want anybody to benefit from criminal activity in our society, and I want people to be punished accordingly. 'The Government will always keep legislation under review, but it has to be acknowledged that we have in our criminal justice authorities, the police and the Crown Office have been successful in apprehending, imprisoning, interrupting and disrupting organised crime in this country, and I give the public the assurance that, under my Government's leadership, that will be sustained in the years to come.' The fatal shooting of Monaghan and Lyons Jnr in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol prompted speculation that the killings were linked a gangland feud playing out in the central belt since March. Mr Findlay, a former journalist who had acid thrown in his face by a hired hitman carrying a knife when he answered his door in Glasgow in 2015, raised the issue of gangland violence at First Minister's Questions yesterday. He said: 'These parasites grow rich by preying on society's most vulnerable.. These cowards cause terror and death with guns, knives and firebombs. These thugs go after journalists, politicians, businessmen, police and prison officers. 'Organised crime is out of control and communities are living in fear. Does John Swinney accept that the Scottish Parliament has failed to tackle organised crime in Scotland?' Mr Swinney said he agreed that organised crime is 'intolerable' and unacceptable, requires the forensic attention of police and criminal justice authorities, but said he didn't agree that Holyrood has failed to tackle organised crime. Mr Findlay said organised crime is 'rarely on the agenda' under successive SNP and Labour administrations and wasn't even mention in the Scottish Government's five-year justice strategy. He said: 'I got into politics because I couldn't understand why politicians don't talk about its malevolent reach and devastating harm.' He said frontline officers believe the decision to reduce police numbers 'inevitably fuels organised crime'. Mr Findlay said there is 'a dangerous complacency to this Government's approach' to organised crime and that under-25 sentencing guidelines 'are part of the problem'. On the shootings in Spain, Mr Swinney said: 'These are live police investigations, so I am not able to comment on these particular issues, they are being pursued by the Spanish authorities. 'But what I do say to parliament is that any individual involved in criminal activity, no matter their age, must be aware of the severity of the punishments that exist. That is the right position for people to hear from this parliament.' Mr Findlay said criminals and their enablers 'no longer fear the proceeds of crime' and demanded an 'urgent and radical overhaul'. He said: 'According to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, one drug dealer made more than £126 million, but they can find only £118,000-worth of his assets. 'Proceeds of crime needs an urgent and radical overhaul. We must turn the tables on the drugs gangs so that they live in fear.'
CNA
23-05-2025
- CNA
Must-see: CNA's 3-part series inside the drug trade, on the frontline of a global war
*Names have been changed. GOTHENBURG/ANTWERP/BANGKOK: Wearing his hoodie, sunglasses and a mask, the drug dealer sat motionless on an icy park bench, ready to confess the cold truth of his trade. 'I've been close to death a couple of times,' said *Anders, who has been selling drugs since he was 14. 'It's nothing glamorous like a lot of people think. It's a tough life. You never sleep. You're never safe.' He slowly unwrapped a crinkly plastic bag, revealing an unmistakable white lump. 'The purest cocaine you'll find in Gothenburg right now,' he said. 'This is about 20 or 25 grammes. And this one I'll sell for around 15,000 Swedish krona (US$1,560).' In his gang, new recruits are getting younger, some as young as 12, lured by the prospect of quick cash, he said. 'They're like my little brothers. And we're loyal to each other, so if I tell them to go and shoot someone, they'll do it.' Sweden is battling a wave of drug-related gang violence. Already, the country witnessed 33 bombings in January. And the number of murder case suspects aged below 15 surged by 200 per cent last year compared to 2023. Drug abuse is also rising, not only in Sweden but globally. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that 292 million people used drugs in 2022, an increase of 20 per cent over a decade. Some 64 million people were suffering from drug use disorders, with only one in 11 in treatment. The World Health Organization estimated that about 600,000 people died worldwide from drug overdose in 2019. What is behind this drug addiction crisis? CNA traverses the front lines of various countries to investigate the world of illicit substances in Addicted. This three-part documentary series offers a rare, unfiltered look at the global production, trafficking and consumption of traditional and synthetic drugs. It also looks at the impact of legalising drugs on young people and communities, and how authorities and activists are fighting back against the rise in drug-related violence and crime. Here are three things that will grab you as it premieres tonight on air and on CNA Insider's YouTube channel: 1. SEE THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE Deep in the lawless, cartel-run jungles of Colombia, where 60 per cent of the world's coca was grown in 2023 — the plant used to make cocaine — CNA managed to gain access to a coca farmer following elaborate negotiations. In front of the cameras, but hidden in a makeshift shed, *Carlos demonstrated how he made coca paste, the main ingredient in cocaine. Shredding coca leaves with a scythe before dumping them into chemical-filled plastic barrels, he then added petrol to 'wash' the mixture thrice, stirred in sulfuric acid and sieved the sludge through cloth. Fumes rose thick and acrid as he cooked the brew over an open flame. What was left was a yellowish oil that solidified into a paste. 'One gramme of this paste can sell for 2,000 pesos (US$0.50). We call this base cocaine,' he said. For farmers like him, life is never safe. Armed guerrillas rule the area he lives in, and residents are not allowed to leave home after 7pm. 'We can be attacked from the air by helicopters, (or) on the ground by coca eradication teams, army and narcotics police,' he said. Six decades of conflict, fuelled by the cocaine trade, has displaced eight million people and claimed at least 450,000 lives in his country. But making cocaine 'is the only thing that's generating employment for us', he added. 'We farmers don't have another alternative because we've been abandoned by the government.' While cocaine originates from South America, its destination is often half a world away. In Belgium, the Port of Antwerp has developed a reputation as Europe's cocaine-import capital. 'The most common modus operandi that's still being used to traffic drugs is what we call the 'rip-on/rip-off,'' said Bob van den Berghe, deputy head of UNODC's passenger and cargo border team. This refers to criminal organisations in source countries hiding drugs in shipping containers, which are recovered later by insiders in destination nations, such as port workers. It is not easy to keep this under control, according to Kristian Vanderwaeren, administrator-general of Belgian customs. '(By) giving (the criminals) information about where a container is put, you can earn 50,000 euros,' he cited. Smugglers are also becoming more sophisticated, concealing cocaine in legal goods such as avocados, bananas and coffee as well as timber and textiles. In 2023, Belgian officials seized 121 tonnes of cocaine. But such concealment methods make it 'very complicated to detect' the drug nowadays, said van den Berghe. Smugglers will even dissolve cocaine in water and put it on clothes, said Anders the Swedish drug dealer. 'Then you have, like, a paste, and you dry it.' 2. WITNESS THE IMPACT OF DECRIMINALISATION In Thailand, the young are also being lured — with the unrestricted sale of cannabis. The first time *Dao tried the drug, she was around 13 or 14. 'My senior invited me to try cannabis cookies,' the 15-year-old student recounted. 'After that I felt nauseous, and I threw up. I had a very bad headache.' Thailand legalised recreational marijuana use in 2022. That year, the percentage of cannabis users aged 18 to 19 increased tenfold to 20 per cent, said Rasmon Kalayasiri, an associate professor of psychiatry at Chulalongkorn University. 'The danger is that edible cannabis comes in the form of snacks, like brownies or jelly, which don't look scary or dangerous (and) which make people eat more,' said Prani Paveenchana, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Bangkok. 'It's incredibly easy to buy,' added Yosakorn Khunpakdee, coordinator of the Youth Network Against Cannabis. 'Do they check the buyer's age? No.' Another student, 16-year-old *Kiet, recounted how trying cannabis last year affected him. 'I came to school just to nap. I was in a daze, dull and drowsy,' he said. 'I looked shabby and thin. … My (academic) performance was bad. My memory was impaired.' Thailand is currently tightening control of marijuana use, with a fresh plan to require medical certificates for buying cannabis. Three years after decriminalisation, the impact has been felt not just among the young. 'Some tourists have consumed too much cannabis, causing them to lose control, sometimes leading to suicides,' said Paisan Limstit, a committee member at Thammasat University's Health Laws and Ethics Centre. 'There have been several cases of Thai people committing suicide too.' Over in Canada, there is a fentanyl crisis. The synthetic drug, 100 times stronger than morphine, was behind three in four opioid-related overdose deaths last year. Between January 2016 and last September, there were almost 51,000 apparent opioid deaths, mostly involving fentanyl. 'What started happening was, states on the US side started legalising medical marijuana,' said crime reporter Kim Bolan. 'Suddenly, black market cannabis wasn't as much of a (lucrative) product … (so criminals) started making synthetic drugs.' To encourage addicts to seek treatment, the province of British Columbia launched a pilot in 2023 that permitted the possession of small amounts of hard drugs, such as heroin and methamphetamine, for personal use in specific locations. 'What ended up happening was that a significant number of people taking those drugs were using them as a currency on the street and trading them for deadly fentanyl anyway,' said Elenore Sturko, a British Columbian legislative assembly member. In the year that followed decriminalisation, opioid-related deaths also rose by nearly 5 per cent. Last April, British Columbia's premier reversed the decriminalisation pilot in public spaces, citing the need to 'keep people safe' and stop public disorder. 3. MEET THE PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE ON THE GROUND In Karachi, Pakistan, a mix of religion and going cold turkey is the treatment strategy for recovering addicts in a sparse facility. As they huddled on the floor of Detox Ward (B), they turned their palms upwards in prayer. 'We harness their willpower to keep them going through the detox phase,' said Umair Ansari, the manager of Sunshine Rehabilitation Welfare Centre. The centre's conditions are grim, but these patients are the lucky ones. Drug addiction treatment is available to fewer than 30,000 drug users a year, in a country with 6.7 million drug users who consume narcotics like cannabis and meth. 'The happiness we used to get after an hour of taking drugs, now we feel that happiness for 24 hours,' said one recovering addict. 'Alhamdulillah (All praise is due to Allah), we now have everything.' Over in Saraburi, central Thailand, the Wat Thamkrabok Temple is battling the country's drug abuse crisis with its ancient Buddhist methods. Nearly three million individuals or approximately 4.6 percent of Thailand's population are synthetic drug users. Over 95 percent of these drug addicts are between 15 to 59 years old, the prime working age. 'The first five days (here) are a battle against the lingering toxins in their body. And against their memories and emotions,' said Phra Ajahn Vichit Akkajitto, the temple's vice abbot. New inductees line up against a long drain before downing a potent herbal shot. Almost instantly, they double over while retching, as others cheer them on. 'This is Hua Ya Bamrung, (a herb plant) essential for detoxification and recovery,' said Akkajitto. 'As drugs are consumed, alkaloids and other toxins accumulate in the body. This process helps flush them out daily.' Patients here also sweat out more toxins in herbal steam rooms and spend their days exercising and meditating under the monks' guidance. One unexpected face among the recovering addicts is Elena, a Russian ex-meth user who has been here for two months. 'I lost my husband. I lost my family,' she said. 'And I came to a point where probably I (would) either die or just do something drastic.' 'I was lucky that my friends brought me here,' she added. 'You have to understand, … we're unwell people. And then eventually, gradually, you see how people start getting better.' Last but not least, CNA got to see how those in Singapore who were once caught up in drugs are trying to help others avoid the same fate. Former drug addict Andrew Ong, co-founder of Break the Cycle, is one such individual. 'We ride (bicycles) to break the cycle of recidivism,' said Ong. 'As a way to reintegrate, right, and to make new friends.' 'As an ex-offender myself, I understand that (breaking) a habit is very difficult. You can't just say 'I quit' or 'I stopped.' You need to replace a bad habit with a good habit.' Besides giving members a sense of belonging and an outlet to release stress through sports, Break the Cycle has also helped ex-offenders struggling to get back on their feet. Bernard Lim, a former drug addict, recalled how the interest group helped him when he struggled to land a skilled job after leaving a halfway house. Besides sponsoring him for upgrading courses to become a specialised mechanic in Brompton bicycles, Break the Cycle also connected Lim to his current employer. 'That gradually helped me to move away from my old addictions,' said Lim.
Malay Mail
16-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Penang police intensify hunt for suspects linked to slain gang leader after Bayan Lepas shootout
GEORGE TOWN, May 16 — Police have identified several other individuals believed to be involved with the man who was killed in a shootout at Jalan Lintang Bukit Jambul, Bayan Lepas, near here yesterday. Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said efforts to track down those linked with the killed gunman, who was the gang leader, are being intensified. 'Based on our investigations, the man who was gunned down is the 'head of the gang' and they were involved in various types of crimes, including armed robbery, house break-ins and self-service laundrette thefts in the state. 'Investigations are ongoing, including on the eight individuals we arrested yesterday and we are obtaining further information regarding their activities,' he told a media conference here today. Yesterday, police confirmed that a man suspected of being involved in armed robbery, house break-ins and self-service laundrette thefts in Penang was killed in a shootout with the police at about 4.05 pm. Further checks revealed that the 35-year-old man had 34 previous criminal records, 15 related to narcotics. — Bernama
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- RNZ News
Lower Hutt man Sunia To'ofohe's meth stash leads to 14-year prison sentence
By Catherine Hutton, Open Justice reporter of Sunia Mano To'ofohe in the dock during his sentencing in the High Court at Wellington. Photo: Mark Mitchell / NZME A man was found with enough methamphetamine stashed in his bedroom to reportedly supply the Wellington region with more than two months' worth of the drug. The stockpile was so large that Sunia Mano To'ofohe, a Comanchero gang member, failed to convince a judge it was to feed his own addiction. It was discovered after To'ofohe was stopped by police at a Levin service station in May 2023, driving back from Auckland. The 45-year-old was unaware he was the subject of Operation Elusive, which investigated the supply of methamphetamine in Wellington. Searching To'ofohe's Holden Commodore and later the bedroom at his Lower Hutt flat, police found 11kg of methamphetamine, $547,000 cash, a Ruger rifle and 57 rounds of ammunition. Police also found cocaine, GBL, 1,4-Butanediol, LSD, oxycodone and cannabis. Scales, a money counter, plastic bags and methamphetamine pipes were additionally retrieved from the property. At his trial in February, the jury heard To'ofohe's bedroom was so crammed, it took police all night to search it, with extra staff called in to help. To'ofohe was convicted of 14 charges, including possessing methamphetamine, cocaine, oxycodone, LSD, GBL and 1,4-Butanediol for supply, possession of cannabis for sale, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and supplying methamphetamine. On Thursday, To'ofohe was sentenced in the High Court at Wellington by Justice Cheryl Gwyn. She said police estimated the 11kg of methamphetamine found in To'ofohe's bedroom would have supplied the Wellington region for 9.5 weeks. Sunia Mano To'ofohe, pictured at sentencing in the High Court at Wellington, was estimated by police to possessed 24.1kg of methamphetamine at one point. Photo: Mark Mitchell / NZME The judge said police also estimated that at one point, To'ohohe had possessed 24.1kg of the drug, which his lawyer Keith Jefferies didn't dispute. To'ofohe maintained he was unjustly charged and convicted, and claimed he was holding the drugs for someone else. In sentencing, Justice Gwyn said she had to decide what role To'ofohe played in the operation. Crown prosecutor Tim Bain submitted To'ofohe had a leading role, noting the sheer scale of the methamphetamine and drugs involved went well beyond feeding a personal drug habit. There was a clear expectation of profit, with To'ofohe texting about how much money he was making. But Bain said To'ofohe's plans were never realised, because after he had paid off a million-dollar debt, police had intervened before he could start making a profit. Encrypted messages found on To'ofohe's phones showed he was able to supply drugs, without demanding immediate payment, Bain said. And there was clearly a financial benefit, with designer sneakers and bags found in his bedroom. A forensic analysis of To'ofohe's spending showed he spent $386,000 on online gambling while unemployed, Bain said. But Jefferies argued there was no conclusive evidence his client had a leading role, with no evidence of a commercial operation and the encrypted messages were to his client's girlfriends and friends. Jefferies said his client had a gambling problem, which had spiralled out of control. To'ofohe kept the drugs in an unlocked room in a flat he shared with others and the assets he had weren't significant for a man of his age. Justice Gwyn found To'ohohe had a significant, but not a leading, role in the operation. But she didn't accept To'ofohe's claims he was holding the drugs for someone else. Given the quantities of drugs and money involved, as well as the equipment police had seized, it was clearly a commercial operation, she said. Justice Gwyn said although the structure of the operation wasn't clear, there was no evidence this was a gang drug-dealing operation run by the Comancheros. While she acknowledged it was a large-scale operation, it wasn't particularly sophisticated. Turning to the issue of To'ofohe's addiction, Justice Gwyn said she was persuaded by the alcohol and drug report that To'ofohe had a drug addiction. The court heard To'ofohe had been working but quit his job just before Covid to move to Auckland. But the Covid lockdowns had left him stranded in Hamilton and once they'd been lifted, he'd returned to Wellington. In the year leading up to his arrest, he felt depressed, socially isolated and had become reliant on methamphetamine. He said he was using 1-2g a day, requiring $2000 a week to fund his addiction. But Justice Gwyn was sceptical about To'ofohe's claims around methamphetamine use, noting the amount police seized went well beyond feeding an individual's addiction. She accepted that while there was evidence of addiction, it was not the sole motivation for To'ofohe's offending and she granted a 5 percent discount for it. She also allowed a 10 discount for personal factors, well short of the 35 percent Jefferies had asked for. Adopting a starting point of 18 years' jail and adding six months for the firearm charge, and after taking into account personal factors and the time To'ofohe had spent on electronically monitored bail, Justice Gwyn reached an end sentence of 14 years and 10 months' jail. She declined to impose a minimum period of imprisonment, which the Crown had sought. The judge said To'ofohe was at the stage in his drug recovery journey that, with the right support, he might be able to put himself on a different path. She was also mindful of his young children and his desire to be a part of their lives. * This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
