British villains have been joined by their Irish counterparts

You can run – but you can't hide from the gunmen on Spain's Costa del Crime | UK news | The Observer: "British villains have been joined by their Irish counterparts, partly as a result of the Irish authorities' increased activity in hunting down criminal assets. Last month Christy Kinahan, from Dublin, named by the Garda as a major player in drugs and arms, was arrested at his apartment near Marbella, in a co-ordinated series of raids across Europe that saw 11 properties in Spain turned over. There is also a powerful eastern European criminal presence: Russian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Albanian. Simultaneously, the Galician coast in the north-west of the country became the European gateway for the Latin American cocaine trade. Spain now has the highest percentage of cocaine use in Europe.
The 2001 film Sexy Beast epitomises the tanned and complacent British villain in Spain. It was preceded on the screen in 1984 by Stephen Frears's The Hit, in which Terence Stamp played a supergrass on the run from his former colleagues, and followed in 2005 by the less celebrated The Business. Danny Smith, remembered now with flowers to 'Tall Dan' outside the lounge, may have had only a walk-on part in the latest Costa drama, but he will not be the last young Briton to slump to a barroom floor with a bullet in his head."

You can run – but you can't hide from the gunmen on Spain's Costa del Crime | UK news | The Observer

You can run – but you can't hide from the gunmen on Spain's Costa del Crime | UK news | The Observer: "Ronnie Knight, wide-boy former husband of the actress Barbara Windsor, acted as the underworld's ambassador to the area. He had property in the hills outside Fuengirola which he described in his autobiography, Black Knight, as 'paradise found', missing only a decent Indian restaurant to make it perfection. When he went back to stand trial at the Old Bailey in 1995 on charges of handling stolen money, his barrister, the late Richard Ferguson QC, told the judge that his client's image as a 'swashbuckling figure basking in the sun in Spain' was an exaggeration."

gunmen on Spain's Costa del Crime | UK news | The Observer

You can run – but you can't hide from the gunmen on Spain's Costa del Crime | UK news | The Observer: "shooting at the Lounge Bar in Mijas, near Marbella on the Costa del Sol, last Saturday night belongs in the non-fiction section. The death of Danny Smith, 26, from Billericay in Essex, is the latest murder of a foreigner to be investigated by Spanish police in what has become a world of expat mayhem and one that reinforces the image of this once magical part of the Iberian peninsula as the Costa del Crime, a nickname acquired nearly 30 years ago."

body of a woman, said to be Latin American and in her 30’s, was found in a Málaga street

body of a woman, said to be Latin American and in her 30’s, was found in a Málaga street on Friday. National Police say the body, which was found in Calle Alcalde José María Carmona, showed signs of violence. They were called to the scene by a passerby at 0650am on Friday.

Police later arrested a Spanish man in his 20’s at his workplace in the city. He has not yet been named in reports, and sources close to the investigation quoted by 20minutos say the relationship between him and the victim was ‘minimal’.

An autopsy has determined that the cause of death was asphyxia.

Paul Charleston, from Leigh, was taken into custody on Mallorca in November 2008, along with another Briton, 38 year old Donna Maria Messe, of Seisdon

court case in Palma de Mallorca into a fraud where at least 35 Britons were defrauded of 6.8 million € has got underway.

The Britons were convinced to invest in a project to build 18,000 luxury flats in Bulgaria, brought into the scam by webpages and a phone campaign in 2007 and 2008. The calls were made from an office in Palma were a company was created with a legal capital of 3,000 €, and the callers used false names.

On the opening of the case on Friday, Prosecutor Pedro Horrach, asked ‘where is the money?’, saying it had ‘vanished into smoke’ in a web of companies set up in Bulgaria and Morocco, and ‘including Gibraltar and other financial havens’.

Horrach is demanding a 14 year prison sentence for the two accused, the 45 year old Briton, Paul Charleston, and the Canadian, Brian Geifing, both of whom were in court ‘elegantly dressed and handcuffed’, according to El País. Both men live on the island, drive top of the range cars, and send their children to the most expensive school in Mallorca.

Paul Charleston, from Leigh, was taken into custody on Mallorca in November 2008, along with another Briton, 38 year old Donna Maria Messe, of Seisdon, Staffordshire.

Euro Weekly News | Mijas shooting was not gang related, say family | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain

Euro Weekly News | Mijas shooting was not gang related, say family | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "distraught parents of 26-year-old Briton Daniel Smith who was killed last Saturday at the The Lounge bar in Riviera del Sol have criticised the media for suggesting the murder of their son was gangland related.
Today, June 11, they told this newspaper their son was killed after he intervened to help a young woman who was being bothered by the alleged murderer, and in no way was related to anything else. They say the man that was bothering the woman threatened to return, which he did, and shot their son. They also explained that Daniel tried to help customers who were at the bar at the time by clearing them out of harm’s way.
Yesterday, June 10, government minister in Malaga Hilario Lopez was reported in by Europa Press as dismissing the speculation that the incident was a settling of scores as the motive.
On Monday an Irish national was arrested in Coin suspected of being involved in the brutal attack."

Weapons found in house where Irish murder suspect arrested - The Irish Times - Thu, Jun 10, 2010

Weapons found in house where Irish murder suspect arrested - The Irish Times - Thu, Jun 10, 2010: "weapons cache during a search of the house where they arrested an Irishman suspected of shooting a man outside a Costa del Sol bar.
Detectives discovered hand grenades, detonators, ammunition and packages believed to contain explosives including dynamite, after a search of the house in Coin, southern Spain, and called in police bomb disposal experts.
Daniel Smith (24), was shot by a gunman on a motorbike on Saturday evening. The British citizen died at the scene after being shot in the head, chest and neck.
Spanish authorities yesterday said that the shooting was not believed to be linked to organised crime.
The suspect, aged 27, was arrested on Monday evening"

Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | Express Yourself :: Brits in Costa del Sol: Blood on the beaches

Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | Express Yourself :: Brits in Costa del Sol: Blood on the beaches: "Londoner Paul Feathers, 32, was stabbed to death in front of his girlfriend at his home in the down-market resort of Benalmadena. Police are still hunting two men. Then the naked body of a man was caught in offshore fishing nets on May 5. His killers cut off his hands and feet before putting a bag over his head and a heavy chain round his neck.

He was reported at the weekend to have been identified as a Brit – although the police officially say they are not sure who he was. The latest victim was British expat Daniel Smith. The 24-year-old died in a hail of bullets on Saturday night on the terrace of a bar in the popular holiday resort of Riviera del Sol, near Fuengirola.

Drinkers dived for cover as a gunman opened fire from a high-powered motorbike. The authorities said it had all the hallmarks of a gangland assassination. A 27-year-old Irishman is still being questioned about the killing and a local government spokesman has confirmed the discovery of explosives in a house where the chief suspect is believed to have been holed up.

He is also said to be linked to one of the passengers in a car which was targeted in a drive-by shooting two years ago near the resort of Estepona. Dublin gangster Paddy Doyle was shot dead in that attack. Police believe a Briton with strong contacts to the criminal underworld who is currently held in a Spanish jail is a key lynchpin linking many of these crimes."

Gambia police seize 2.5 tonnes of cocaine worth $1 billion, arrest 12 - Rest of World - World - The Times of India

Gambia police seize 2.5 tonnes of cocaine worth $1 billion, arrest 12 - Rest of World - World - The Times of India: "Gambian police seized 2.5 tonnes of cocaine bound for Europe and arrested a dozen suspected traffickers after a joint investigation with British detectives, a security source said on Tuesday.

West Africa has become a major transit point for Latin American narcotics as smugglers take advantage of generally weak surveillance in the vast region.

The cocaine, which has an estimated street value of around $1 billion, was found over the weekend hidden in a warehouse outside Gambia's capital Banjul, the source told Reuters.

He said a cache of guns and money was also seized. Gambian authorities began making arrests related to the case in mid-May and subsequently invited Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency to help, the source said."

cryptogon.com » $1 Billion Cocaine Bust in Gambia

cryptogon.com » $1 Billion Cocaine Bust in Gambia: "Gambian and British police seized more than two tonnes of cocaine worth about one billion dollars in a small fishing village — a record haul for West Africa, officials said Wednesday.
The operation highlighted the growing popularity of West Africa for South American drug cartels.
Fifteen people — South Americans, Europeans and Africans — working under cover of a fishing company on a tiny island were arrested following raids at Bonto on the tiny island near the Gambian capital Banjul, police said.
The 2.1 tonnes of cocaine was found in an underground bunker concealed behind a false wall in a warehouse used by the fishing company.
A senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that four Nigerians, three Ghanaians, two Venezuelans, and three Dutch nationals were arrested on May 12 after residents of Bonto tipped off police.
The 12 suspects appeared in court on three charges of drug trafficking on Wednesday. They pleaded not guilty and were remanded in police custody, an AFP correspondent reported.
Two Gambians and a Nigerian were arrested late Tuesday and a senior police official told AFP more arrests were expected."

Jamie Daniel throws food over fellow con in rage at sentence. | News Of The World

Jamie Daniel throws food over fellow con in rage at sentence. News Of The World: "CRAZED crime boss Jamie Daniel's beef about being banged up boiled over when he threw a plate of steaming-hot stew at another inmate.
The hood's broth-chucking strop came only hours after he'd been given a year's porridge for a road-rage attack.
Last night a source revealed the 52-year-old hood was in a foul mood when he arrived back in Glasgow's tough Barlinnie nick.
'Daniel was a man possessed - swearing and snarling like a wildman"

Martin Anthony Smith, 44, of North Shields, is wanted in connection with the rape of a child

Martin Anthony Smith, 44, of North Shields, is wanted in connection with the rape of a child under 16, gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16, indecent assault of a girl under 16 and the attempted rape of a girl under 16. He may be on the run with his wife and five-year-old daughter.

Mark Ronald Brown, 44, of Liverpool, is accused of being the head of a drug smuggling gang that conspired to bring hundreds of kilos of heroin into Br

Mark Ronald Brown, 44, of Liverpool, is accused of being the head of a drug smuggling gang that conspired to bring hundreds of kilos of heroin into Britain.

Jody Michael Flynn, 28, of Birkenhead, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Jody Michael Flynn, 28, of Birkenhead, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Stephen John Burnell, 56, of Scunthorpe, is wanted following a failure to surrender to custody after being convicted of a series of sex crimes. He was

Stephen John Burnell, 56, of Scunthorpe, is wanted following a failure to surrender to custody after being convicted of a series of sex crimes. He was facing a six-year jail sentence for offences including attempted rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child.

Michael Eddleston, 27, of Doncaster, is accused of three counts of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances

Michael Eddleston, 27, of Doncaster, is accused of three counts of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances

Fatah Benlaredj, 32, originally from Algeria, is wanted for the rape of a seven-year-old girl.

Fatah Benlaredj, 32, originally from Algeria, is wanted for the rape of a seven-year-old girl.

Joseph Stephen Morley, 46, of Liverpool, disappeared from prison in 2000 while serving a 15-year sentence for conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin

Joseph Stephen Morley, 46, of Liverpool, disappeared from prison in 2000 while serving a 15-year sentence for conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin

Stephen Henry Pitman, 53, of Chislehurst, southeast London, is accused of seven offences of of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Stephen Henry Pitman, 53, of Chislehurst, southeast London, is accused of seven offences of of conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Paul Walmsley, 40, who is wanted for heroin and cocaine trafficking

Paul Walmsley, 40, who is wanted for heroin and cocaine trafficking. He has been on the run for three years.Police are also appealing for help in finding Martin Smith, 44, suspected of raping a young girl.He is thought to be in hiding in Spain with his wife and five-year-old daughter.

Benjamin Murphy, 29, is wanted for a robbery in which a gang ram-raided a jewellers in Sheffield and escaped with £1.6m worth of diamond rings

Benjamin Murphy, 29, is wanted for a robbery in which a gang ram-raided a jewellers in Sheffield and escaped with £1.6m worth of diamond rings and watches.
Murphy, from Manchester, has been on the run since jumping bail 18 months ago.
Although South Yorkshire Police had confiscated his passport he was able to apply and get a replacement, claiming he had lost the original.
Two of Murphy's cousins are already serving long jail sentences for their part in the robbery, from which most of the jewellery is still missing.
Shop owner Gary Singleton said: "He's done a runner and got away with a lot and is living the high life. If he's done the crime he should be doing the time."
Are criminals hiding among tourists?
Murphy is described as stocky with green eyes, shaved, dark brown hair and Chinese dragon tattoos on his chest and right arm.

serious and persistent breaches of Gibraltar’s financial services legislation.

Financial Services Commission has today, pursuant to Section 11 of the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) Act cancelled the licences of the following licensed firms and persons ;
Gibland Secretarial Services Limited ; Licence No FSC00171B
Gibland Nominees Limited ; Licence No FSC00175B
Equity Nominees Limited ; Licence No FSC00174B
Equitar Management Limited ; Licence No FSC00172B
Gibter Management Limited ; Licence No FSC00173B
Cabor Trustees Limited ; Licence No FSC00430B
Meridian Trustees Limited ; Licence No FSC00890B
Marrache, Benjamin John Samuel ; Licence No FSC00736I
Marrache, Solomon S ; Licence No FSC00176I
The decision has been taken following an investigation into the affairs of the licensed entities and persons which in the opinion of the Commission have disclosed serious and persistent breaches of Gibraltar’s financial services legislation.
The Commission,while investigations continue, has taken immediate measures to safeguard the interests of the existing clients of these firms and has appointed Mr Frederick White Managing Director of Grant Thornton (Gibraltar) Limited of 6a Queensway, Gibraltar (Tel. 200 45502) as Authorised Administrator of all the above companies pursuant to the provisions of the Financial Services (Investment and Fiduciary Services) (Temporary Administration of Companies) Regulations 2010.

The Authorised Administrator will work closely with the clients of these firms in assisting them to transfer their business to other licensed entities at the earliest opportunity having regard to the particular needs of individual clients.

Marrache & Co Gibraltar bank account supposed to hold the company’s cash in fact had a balance of less than nine Euros and no credit facility.

Two senior executives at a prominent Gibraltar law firm, brothers Benjamin and Solomon Marrache, appeared before the Magistrates Court yesterday charged with false accounting in respect of E1.8m of client money.The two men were arrested on Tuesday and spent the night in police cells before being ferried to court in a police van.The two Marrache brothers were ushered by police through a side entrance to Central Police station just before 10am and appeared before the magistrate in a crowded courthouse a short while later.Attorney General Ricky Rhoda, appearing for the Crown, urged the magistrate to impose stringent bail conditions for fear that the two men might flee the jurisdiction.Keith Azopardi, the defence lawyer representing the Marrache brothers together with Samantha Sacramento, said there was no risk of them leaving Gibraltar because both were of previous good character and had strong family ties here.Stipendiary Magistrate Charles Pitto granted bail but set tough conditions on each defendant, in the form of two sureties to the value of £300,000 for each brother. The court also set a further financial condition of £150,000 in their own recognizance for each defendant.In simple terms, failure to appear at future court hearings could cost the defendants and their guarantors up to £900,000 in total.Both men also had to hand in their travel documents and agree to reside at their respective family homes, as well as report twice weekly to police.By the end of the day yesterday, a number of persons had stepped up to provide £600,000 in sureties for the release of the two men.At an hour-long hearing in the evening, Mr Pitto questioned the guarantors closely but accepted the sureties. The two brothers were released from custody later that evening.Yesterday’s developments in court were the opening shots in what will undoubtedly develop into a lengthy and complex case.Mr Rhoda said the sums of money involved “could be quite substantial”.He said the two men were currently facing “holding charges” and that more charges could follow at a later stage. The Attorney General also said there could be further arrests as a result of an ongoing police investigation.Earlier this week police raided several commercial and residential properties linked to Marrache & Co and seized documents and computers.Prosecutors allege that in January this year, the brothers falsified documents to conceal a shortfall of E1.8m of funds belonging to a company called Portino Comercio Internacional. One document, a letter signed by Solomon Marrache, purported to show that the money was held by the brothers on the client’s behalf. Another document, a letter signed by Benjamin Marrache, purported to give authority to Natwest bank to transfer the client’s money to a bank in Ireland.But prosecutors said that the Gibraltar bank account supposed to hold the company’s cash in fact had a balance of less than nine Euros and no credit facility.

arrested a 40-year-old man from Arriate, near Ronda, for a crime against public health when he was found to be in possession of 10 grams of cocaine

arrested a 40-year-old man from Arriate, near Ronda, for a crime against public health when he was found to be in possession of 10 grams of cocaine. Further to the arrest, charges have been pressed against the owner of the pub where the man was arrested. Upon search of the bar police found the establishment had no opening licence and found drugs and different weapons. It is also thought the owner permitted patrons to consume drugs freely in his bar.

arrested a 54-year-old man from Velez Blanco charged with a crime against public health after dismantling a drugs sale point

arrested a 54-year-old man from Velez Blanco charged with a crime against public health after dismantling a drugs sale point and seizing 49 grams of cocaine. The operation began after police observed unusual activity of people coming and going from an establishment in Velez after commercial hours. The clients were seen leaving the establishment putting small items in their pockets, making police suspect that drugs were being sold. They confirmed their suspicions and raided the establishment finding extremely pure rock cocaine as well as utensils and substances used for cutting and preparing drugs.

sentences of between two and nine years for three men charged with planning to kill a National Police officer

sentences of between two and nine years for three men charged with planning to kill a National Police officer who had previously arrested one of them for drug dealing. One of the accused, who owned the premises where the drugs were being distributed, is believed to have paid almost 300,000 euros to one of the others to carry out the murder. The hired killer then obtained a weapon and requested help from the third man accused, giving him the weapon. The plan never materialized and the men denied in Alicante Provincial Court ever having planned to kill the officer.

wearing blue overalls and armed with a gun stole 150 euros from a shop

wearing blue overalls and armed with a gun stole 150 euros from a shop in Ciudad Quesada, Rojales. Police are investigating and believe he may not have acted alone

arrested four people believed to have perpetrated a robbery on December 13 at an Orange mobile phone shop near the train station

arrested four people believed to have perpetrated a robbery on December 13 at an Orange mobile phone shop near the train station in the centre of Malaga in which 30,000 euros worth of latest generation mobile phones and laptop computers were stolen over the weekend. They entered the shop via an adjoining empty warehouse. This time, they were caught red-handed by the police after a citizen alerted that they had entered the office of a promoter. Two were caught inside with tools and wearing socks on their hands so they would not leave fingerprints. Outside, two other people were waiting in a car which contained some of the stolen mobile phones.

Man who died in hospital following an argument on the CV-905 road in Rojales, had been stabbed several times in the head.

Man who died in hospital following an argument on the CV-905 road in Rojales, had been stabbed several times in the head. The victim was from Madrid but lived in Torrevieja. The other man involved in the events, a 26-year-old resident of Rojales, is also in a serious condition in hospital as he was stabbed in the lung. He is under police guard and will be arrested by the Guardia Civil as soon as he is well enough and charged with manslaughter.It appears the two drivers had an altercation on the road and began to chase each other along the A-37 until they reached the roundabout in Rojales. Here, they got out of their cars and the deceased allegedly took out a knife and stabbed the other driver in the face and chest, leaving the knife in him. The killer grabbed the knife from his own body and stabbed his attacker, allegedly in self defence.

17 years in prison for a Guardia Civil officer who with the help of a friend who is facing the same sentence, allegedly killed a drug dealer

17 years in prison for a Guardia Civil officer who with the help of a friend who is facing the same sentence, allegedly killed a drug dealer who regularly supplied them with cocaine and who they owed 3,000 euros in 2006. The body was found abandoned in an olive grove in the town of Biar. Also on trial are the officer’s wife, his friend’s brother and a Local Police officer, all of whom are facing two years in prison.The two men used to take drugs together, but in October 2006, they killed their supplier. Now, at trial, each one is accusing the other.The officer admitted to taking cocaine and smoking marijuana, but denied he had any debts and said the deceased dealer always gave him the drugs as a gift. He said they had met when he was doing breathalyser tests and become so friendly that one lent the other more than 1,000 euros for his daughter’s communion. He claims his friend owed the victim money and told him to come to a petrol station in Montesa and he heard shots. Fearing he too might be shot, he claims he dragged the body into the boot of the car and after taking all the dealer’s belongings, they hid the body.His friend, who was a driver of the municipal tow-truck, on the other hand, says the Guardia Civil asked him to come to the meeting with the dealer because he owed him money, and gave him a loaded weapon. He claims they fought with the dealer and the gun went off, but he hid behind the car and heard several more shots.Both agree that they disposed of the body.