Latest news with #Bentley
Sunday World
4 hours ago
- Sunday World
Notorious British drug trafficker Brian Charrington dies on Costa Blanca
The 68-year-old was waiting to hear whether he had to start a prison sentence in Spain over a 2013 cocaine seizure A notorious British drug trafficker with his own Wikipedia page has died on the Costa Blanca. Brian Charrington, an ex-associate of former international cocaine baron Curtis Warren, passed away in the early hours of yesterday morning at Marina Baixa Hospital in Villajoyosa near Benidorm. The 68-year-old was waiting to hear whether he had to start a prison sentence in Spain over a 2013 cocaine seizure. His defence lawyer had requested the suspension of the eight year jail term on health grounds. Charrington started out as a car dealer in Middlesborough but went on to own a Rolls Royce, Bentley, private jet and fleet of yachts thanks to his international drugs empire. In 2011 his fortune was put at £20 million. In the eighties he teamed up with Curtis Warren, whose personal fortune was so large he appeared on the Sunday Times Rich List, to import cocaine to the UK from Venezuela. The pair were arrested in early 1992 after a shipment of more than 900 kilos of cocaine sealed inside lead ingots in steel boxes was discovered. The subsequent trial collapsed after it transpired Charrington was a police informant for the North-East Regional Crime Squad. Britain's security forces went on to re-home him in Australia but his visa was revoked shortly after his arrival. He went on to build up links with north African drug dealers after relocating to Spain and laundered millions of pounds from a fortified villa on Spain's Costa Blanca which he used to bring hashish from Morocco across the border. He was acquitted in two drugs trials in the UK before being extradited to Germany and sentenced to seven years jail in 2003 for conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the country. Charrington was extradited to France following his release in 2006 to serve a two year prison term over the discovery of 650 kilos of hashish found on his yacht in the English channel in 1995. In 2004 he lost a civil suit against the Assets Recovery Agency over more than £2 million found in his loft which he and Curtis Warren disputed the ownership of. The civil recovery order against him and Warren was described at the time as the largest of its kind. Spanish police described Charrington after his 2013 arrest in Spain as "one of the ten most investigated criminals" by European police forces and "leader of an international gang of drug smugglers." Spanish police held Charrington in 2013 along with a number of other people including his French girlfriend Isabelle Robert and son Ray after a long-running investigation sparked by a tip-off from French police that he and Robert were smuggling cocaine into Europe from Venezuela. Their luxury villas in Calpe near Benidorm on the Costa Blanca were among a number of homes raided by police on July 4 2013. Brian Charrington News in 90 Seconds - July 23rd In a subsequent indictment in which prosecutors initially demanded an 18-year prison sentence for Charrington, they claimed he tried to erase information he had chalked on a blackboard in his office about amounts of cocaine and sale prices during the raid on his home. Police revealed at the time of the operation they had seized 220 kilos of cocaine worth £10 million at another apartment in Albir near Benidorm, said to have been smuggled into Spain through the nearby port of Altea. Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), Venezuelan police and a regional 18-member-state police organisation called Ameripol set up to fight drug trafficking, were also involved. Drug lord Charrington's original 2018 trial and conviction following the 2013 drug bust was quashed by Spain's Supreme Court over impartiality issues and a second trial had to be held. That resulted in an eight year five month prison sentence for the Brit criminal which his lawyers were trying to get him exempted from serving because of his poor health. The Spanish courts had yet to rule on Charrington's lawyer's request when he passed away. One of Brian's three grown-up children wrote on social media late last night: 'Rest in peace Dad.' The Brit criminal is understood to have been admitted to hospital shortly before his death.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Notorious Brit 'Wikipedia Narco' dies in Spain as family remembers 'crazy b***tard'
Brian Charrington, the infamous 'Teflon Don', was also known as the 'Wikipedia Narco' in Spain as he updated and corrected his own listing on the online encyclopedia A notorious British drug baron nicknamed "Teflon Don" because of his ability to evade justice has died in Spain. Brian Charrington was also known as the "Wikipedia Narco" in Spain as he updated and corrected his own online behind bars. He died in hospital in Spain after suffering a heart attack. He also had a lung condition possibly linked to his exposure to asbestos early in his working life, his family said today. His villa in Calpe, near Benidorm, was raided by police in 2013. He bought a Rolls-Royce, Bentley and a fleet of yachts from the proceeds of his crime. In 2011 his fortune was estimated at £20m. But he had spent many years behind bars, and at the time of his death he was waiting to see if he would have to serve time on a historic case, according to sources on his native Teesside. His son, also called Brian, announced his father's death in a Facebook post which received hundreds of messages of condolence. His dad, a former car dealer from Middlesbrough, worked with Colombia's most fearsome drug networks and UK gangsters including Curtis Warren. He had been sentenced to 15 years behind bars in 2018, but that was later reduced on appeal. His life story was straight out of a Netflix series. It involved huge quantities of cocaine, cash and court cases that once earned him the nickname "Teflon Don" because of his ability to escape prosecution. Brian had three children, Brian Junior, 48, Danny, 44, and Ray, 38. Brian Jnr told the Mirror: "He was a crazy b***tard. I cannot think of anything else to say really. He was just crazy." His role as a police informer was revealed at a trial in the 1990s which resulted in the collapse of the case against him. But Brian jnr added: "Those who knew him, knew that he was not really an informer. He never hid where he lived - he would not have been there if he had been an informer. "He had inside information at times, but he did not give information to the police." He lived for years in Spain, where he apparently kept crocodiles in his swimming pool. He was found guilty of a plot to import nearly 200 kilos of cocaine into Spain from South America in 2018. He was ordered by the court to pay more than £27m - 31 million euros - in fines. Spanish media referred to Charrington as "el narco de la Wikipedia" as he updated his own Wikipedia page with detailed information about his international criminal career. When Charrington was arrested in 2013, Spanish police said he was one of Europe's 10 most-wanted criminals. He was also thought to be one of Britain's richest. Customs officers suspected Charrington was flying to South America with Curtis Warren in the early 1990s. They met senior representatives of Colombia's Cali Cartel, a feared cocaine export operation featured in the 'Narcos' Netflix TV series. Charrington was arrested as his private plane touched down at Teesside in June 1992. When police raided his home in Nunthorpe they found 12 holdalls in his loft containing £1.7m in cash with traces of drugs. Charrington and Warren were both charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and set for a trial at Newcastle Crown Court in 1993. The case against the two men collapsed due to Charrington's role as a police informer. Warren, who walked free from court, is famously rumoured to have taunted a customs officer with the words: "Now I'm off to spend my £85m share and there's nothing you can do about it." He later denied he had said those words, but the boast added to his reputation for being 'cocky'.
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Witness: I was tasked with delivering RM2mil bribe to Guan Eng
KUALA LUMPUR: A key witness in Lim Guan Eng's corruption trial left the courtroom on edge today as he described how he was appointed to deliver millions in bribes to the former Penang chief minister eight years ago. Businessman G. Gnanaraja said the bribe was linked to the Penang Undersea Tunnel project, where he was appointed by Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (CZCSB) director Datuk Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli to act as a middleman to deliver the money to Lim. CZCSB was the company awarded the RM6.34 billion Penang undersea tunnel project. The DAP chairman who sat in the accused dock was calm while listening to Gnanaraja's testimony before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi. Gnanaraja said that between Aug 10 and 19, 2017, he and Zarul had multiple discussions about appointing him as the intermediary to deliver bribes to Lim. He said Zarul chose him based on trust and because he was not affiliated with any opposition parties at the time. Gnanaraja also revealed that he had used his company, Bumi Muhibah Holding Sdn Bhd, as the vehicle to channel bribe payments to Lim, as he was the sole person authorised to withdraw money from its bank account. "All the requests to set up the company and its account were made while I was with Lim in a car on the way to Publika on Aug 20, 2017. "Lim had personally viewed the company's Form 49 during a visit to my house on Aug 29, the same year. "He wanted to see the document to gain personal confidence in the company's management and the preparation of its documents. "Form 49 contained details of the company's directors, managers, and secretary," he said. Meanwhile, Gnanaraja said on Aug 18, 2017, he received RM2 million in cash from Zarul near Eastin Hotel in Petaling Jaya for the purpose of delivering it to Lim. "When I reached the hotel lobby, my driver parked my Bentley in front of Zarul's grey Mercedes S300. "Zarul, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, then stepped out of his car, retrieved two dark-coloured bags with hand straps, and placed them directly into the boot of my car. "I knew the bags contained cash because as he placed the first bag, he said '1M,' and repeated the same as he placed the second. By '1M,' I understood that he meant RM1 million. "When I arrived home, I transferred both bags into my office room. I saw that the bags contained bundles of RM100 cash notes in large quantities. "I did not count the bundles in either of the two bags," he said. However, the trial was cut short after Gnanaraja began coughing severely and said he was feeling unwell. On June 24, 2022, Zarul, when testifying as witness, admitted that he gave Lim RM2 million in cash after his company was awarded the three paired roads and undersea tunnel project by the Penang government. On the delivery of RM2 million to Lim, Zarul said he contacted Gnanaraja and told him that he wanted to give some "chocolates" to "big boss" on Aug 17, 2017. He said apart from the RM2 million cash, he also paid Lim a total of RM300,000 in three stages and RM500,000 twice as part of the 10 per cent cut from the profit of the project. Lim is facing four charges of using his position as the then Penang chief minister to solicit gratification to help Zarul's company secure the undersea tunnel project. He was alleged to have sought 10 per cent of the profit to be made by the company from Zarul. He was also accused of receiving RM3.3 million for himself and causing two plots of land belonging to the state government to be disposed of to two companies linked to the undersea tunnel project. The trial is set to resume on Aug 19.
Auto Blog
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Jaguar And Range Rover EVs May Arrive Even Later Than Expected
Range Rover Electric Delayed Again Back in 2020, JLR announced that it would reveal a Range Rover EV in September of that year. This was to be based on the MLA platform, but in the same year, the automaker delayed the reveal until November. Most recently, it said that the Range Rover Electric would arrive sometime toward the end of 2025 on the modified MLA-Flex architecture, but according to The Guardian, plans for a launch this year have been shelved, too. The news outlet reports that JLR has written to Range Rover Electric customers informing them that deliveries of the EV will only start sometime next year (assuming no further delays, of course). Jaguar's Controversial New EVs Also Delayed The report goes on to say that the production version of the Type 00 concept revealed by Jaguar last year has also been delayed by 'several months,' with Jaguar's second new EV (expected to be an SUV) naturally also being put on the back burner. Range Rover still has several combustion-powered vehicles to sell, but Jaguar has effectively wiped the slate clean, intending not to sell anything that isn't electric, so why the delay? According to The Guardian, JLR is giving itself 'time for more testing and for demand to pick up.' Compatriot carmaker Bentley has also delayed its first EV (until 2027), as have Lamborghini and Ferrari. The Italians cite weak demand for EVs, and it seems the Brits have the same problem. But demand isn't the only hurdle to overcome. Other Factors Make Profit Paramount Source: SH Proshots/Autoblog With U.S. trade policy continually shifting under the weight of existing and potential future tariffs, not to mention changing environmental policies, selling a luxury EV that originates outside of America is even more difficult than one manufactured here, and when these EVs will all cost over $100,000 anyway, the number of interested buyers shrinks even further. As we touched on at the outset, JLR's move into the electric space has been anything but smooth, and those numerous delays will have cost the company a lot of money. JLR surely wants to recoup some of that money with sales, but introducing an imperfect EV to an unreceptive market would be even more costly at this stage. Still, this is just a pause, and although the electric Velar is reportedly delayed beyond April 2026, plans for it, the full-size Range Rover EV, and others, including a Defender EV in 2027, have not been scrapped. About the Author Sebastian Cenizo View Profile
Forbes
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Don't Let The Bentley Flying Spur Fool You. It's As Fun As It Is Fancy
The new Bentley Flying Spur The Bentley Flying Spur might be the most fun car I've ever driven and I almost missed the chance. With a name and a reputation steeped in legacy, one that seems quaint and stuffy for its continued embrace of the past, the four-door five passenger ultra-luxury sedan seemed to me better suited for the chauffeured elite than the daily driver; I expected it would be fun to look at but less so to drive. However, with a 771 hp electric-boosted powertrain (and a slightly less powerful hybrid option) I had to take a spin. I expected it would be powerful and quiet in a large, lumbering sort of way. I was completely, and delightfully, wrong. Despite A Design Palette I Wouldn't Choose, I Was Smitten Design in a car like the Bentley Flying Spur is everything: It can comprise a significant portion of the cost; it is highly customizable and very personal. Once you plop down several hundred thousand and endure a months-long wait for a car, it better be to your liking. So when I took a look at the gray Flying Spur with an orange-accented gray interior, I thought, well, this isn't for me. But soon the details seeped in and I began to see the brilliance. The exterior Blackline Specification accents that surround the cut crystal headlights, split the hood and grille and span its lower quarters create a yacht-like feel as if it's slicing through the water, or in this case, air. Inside, Mandarin leather and stitching add an architectural feel to the tone-on-tone gray, chrome and gloss black, highlighting the the seats, the dash surround and 3D diamond leather door panels. It seems stark in photos, and that was my first reaction. But it's quite elegant once you put yourself at the center of the cabin and feel how the gray leather soothes and the orange excites; it's subdued and effervescent at the same time. And it was unexpected and appreciated. I never got tired of it. The drivers seat in our Bentley Flying Spur Speed test model Power Underfoot Lets You Fly Away From It All With two updated powertrains to choose from, the Bentley Flying Spur lineup, with four models, is now complete. Buyers can choose from the base model Flying Spur, which starts at about $250,000 or upgrade to the comfort-focused Azure model, both of which carry the brand's new twin turbo V8 hybrid engine that generates 671 hp and 686 pound-feet of torque. Or, buyers can opt for the faster and more powerful Flying Spur Speed with a starting price of about $272,000, or the ultimate in design, the Mulliner model, which starts at just under $300,000. These two are powered by the same plug-in hybrid electric-boosted twin turbo V8 engine found in the Bentley Continental Speed; it generates 771 hp and 738 pound-feet of torque. Both engines out-produce the power of the former W12 engine, a 12-cylinder powerhouse that had legions of fans. However, Bentley happily reports, the new hybrid V8s are winning over fans and outselling the former models. Buyers of the Speed and Mulliner models get another benefit: To be able to drive about 37 miles on all electric power, a bonus for those who don't love stops at the gas station. Even with all the hybrid power under the hood, the twin turbo V8 engine is still a thirsty beast; average fuel economy is estimated at about 20 MPG. The rear end of our Bentley Flying Spur Speed Driving The Bentley Flying Spur Is Incredibly Fun After driving both the Azure and the Speed (our Speed test model was priced at about $366,000 with options) I found that both deliver a quiet start, a throaty throttle response in sport mode and complete confidence on the highway. The only real question is, which Bentley Flying Spur to choose? This is really about personal preference more than powertrain; they are both incredibly capable. The throaty engine sound wasn't too much of a surprise; V8 engines are known for that. What was a surprise was the agile, easy and when asked, responsive drive experience that this sedan delivers. Even though the cabin is roomy and sublimely outfitted for luxury with options like reclining massaging front and rear seats and personal electronics for all passengers, Bentley's designers managed to keep the overall dimensions of the Flying Spur on the smaller side; its 209' length feels sleek thanks to wide-set wheels, a sloped roofline and rounded corners. Around town and on the highway, the Flying Spur was effortless to drive. But when I needed to pass slower traffic I seemed to only need ask and the Flying Spur obliged, zipping past other cars without hesitation. It never felt like an overwhelming amount of power but plenty to accomplish the task. And this is what made it so fun. Once you discover how easily the Flying Spur throws you back in your seat, you'll want to do it over and over. Being tossed back into the bolstered, channel-stitched leather seats is an incredible feeling and part of what makes this car so special. Even your rear seat passengers will feel thrill rather than annoyance, as I found out when ferrying my family around New Jersey, New York and Connecticut during my test drive. The Bentley Flying Spur Speed hood sculpture This Luxury Sedan Has An Actual Flying Spur On the multimedia screen you'll find an option to 'reveal or conceal' the Bentley Flying B, the only hood sculpture in the Bentley family. Press 'reveal' and a panel over the compartment moves over to allow the crystal and metal ornament to extend, its inner light shimmering over the grille. Press 'conceal' and it retracts into the hood. The Flying Spur, both the model's name and the icon, are an homage to the lineage of Arthur Johnstone, an original managing director of H.J. Mulliner coachbuilders. His family's crest is a flying spur, which signifies readiness and speed, and is derived from a spur that was delivered to Robert the Bruce to warn him to prepare for battle for the borders of Scotland; the crest was later awarded to the Johnstone family when Bruce became King of Scotland. Speed and readiness certainly define the modern Bentley Flying Spur. But so do quiet, comfort and luxury. What doesn't define it is lumbering stuffiness. Not just its ability to create an exciting interior and exterior, but by its sculpted nature that makes it more agile, sleek and drivable. Now in its fourth generation and celebrating 20 years since its modern re-introduction in 2005, don't dismiss the Bentley Flying Spur as your grandma's luxury car. I almost did and I would have missed out on one of the most fun cars on the road.
