Limerick police are questioning five men as part of an investigation into gangland crime including three murders

It is understood three of those being held were arrested in prisons. Two others were arrested in Limerick.

They are being questioned about the murders of rugby player Shane Geoghegan, 28, Roy Collins, 34, and 20-year-old James Cronin.

They are also being questioning about other criminal activity, including a number of shootings.

Follow-up searches are continuing.

Garryowen rugby player Mr Geoghegan was shot dead near his home in Dooradoyle in November 2008; Mr Collins was shot as he worked in the family amusement arcade in Roxboro and Mr Cronin's body was found buried in undergrowth in a field near the railway line in Limerick city centre.

The Crips are outnumbered in New Jersey by the Bloods, but are rapidly growing,

The Crips are outnumbered in New Jersey by the Bloods, but are rapidly growing, especially in Elizabeth and Roselle. The gang originated in Los Angeles in the late 1960s. There primary colors are blue and purple. The Crips are also known for violent crimes within the gang itself

-The Crips are also organized by sets. The rank structure from bottom to top is as follows: LOC (foot soldier), B.G. (baby gangsta), Y.G. (young gangsta), G (gangsta now you’ve arrived), DEUCE G (second gangsta), FIRST G (first gangsta), 6-3 (Baby O.G.), 6-4 (O.G.), 00 (Double OG), 000 (Top Rank)

-Sullivan continued to stress that members of the community, especially parents and teachers listen to the language kids use, including the use of the rankings listed above. Crips will often use the signifier “C Up, B down” meaning Crips up, Bloods down (Bloods will use the reverse). This is present in graffiti as well.

-Identifiers include tattoos, clothing, and even grotesque burn marks in the shape of a C as displayed in a photo of a New Jersey prisoner presented during Sullivan’s presentation.

“If you hear this language being spoken, it can’t mean anything else,” Sullivan stated. “If you see a kid and he has a blue doo-rag, and a blue jersey and he’s throwing up hand signs that look like c’s and he’s talking about killing slobs, what do you think that means? It really can’t mean anything else,” he said.

Sworn enemies of the Crips, the Bloods are the largest criminal street gang in New Jersey

Sworn enemies of the Crips, the Bloods are the largest criminal street gang in New Jersey and are prevalent throughout Union County, especially in Elizabeth, Linden and Plainfield.

-The Bloods began in Los Angeles and emerged on the east coast in 1993 through inmate connections on Rikers Island.

-Red is the gang’s signature color, but they are also known to wear pink, green, and brown.

-Sullivan noted that each gang has a structure and a hierarchy. The Bloods are organized into individual subgroups called sets. The Bloods often use military rankings such as soldier, Lieutenant, and Five Star General to identify themselves.

-Identifiers include graffiti, clothing (such as red laces or red stitching in denim), tattoos (notably pit bulls, red hearts, “money over bitches” or MOB), hand signs, and language.

-All gangs have their own dialect that translates to their graffiti. This graffiti can often be found on sides of houses, warehouses, railroad overpasses, bridges, and sides of buildings. Like other gangs, the Bloods utilize graffiti to mark their territory; to signify which gangs “own” what neighborhood.

The "Baseball Team."leaders of a drug-trafficking network known as the "Baseball Team." Captured

Grande Prairie police have seized two kilograms of cocaine and charged three men, two of whom are believed to be leaders of a drug-trafficking network known as the "Baseball Team."

The cocaine seizure took place at an acreage near La Glace, about 50 kilometres northwest of Grande Prairie, where police from the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team also found firearms, a small marijuana grow-op and half a pound of marijuana.

In August, an ALERT spokesman said a one-kilogram brick of cocaine has a wholesale value of about $50,000, but can be sold as 3,000 half-gram "spitballs."

Police say the arrests are connected to a half-kilogram cocaine seizure and arrest last month of a Grande Prairie man affiliated with the Demon Soldiers motorcycle gang.

Grande Prairie residents Shaun Christopher Thexton, 40, and Bradley Joseph Demont, 25, as well as La Glace resident Clayton Kelly Buhler, 44, all face possession, trafficking and firearms charges.

Travis Douglas Oakes was high on cocaine when he was fatally shot by police

Travis Douglas Oakes was high on cocaine when he was fatally shot by police trying to resist arrest by the High Enforcement Auto Theft (HEAT) city police team at a southwest car wash, a toxicologist testified on Tuesday at an inquiry into his death.

Dr. Graham Jones said Oakes, 33, would have consumed at least five lines (about 500 milligrams) of the illicit drug in the hours leading up to his death just after 3 a.m. on March 18, 2009.

He had been under surveillance for six hours when the officers blocked his stolen Chevrolet Caprice at both ends of the Western Pride Car Wash. Oakes rammed the police vehicles in an attempt to escape before being killed.

"He would have been under the influence of cocaine at the time of his death," Jones told Crown lawyer Christine Nugent

Jones said such an amount of cocaine can have an adverse effect on a person, including bizarre behaviour such as excited delirium, and it can happen even if one is tolerant to the drug.

Under cross-examination, the toxicologist agreed with city police lawyer John Cordeau that the level of cocaine in Oakes' system was "consistent with an elevated level . . . showing significant use of cocaine in recent hours."

Const. Kerry Smith, a member of the HEAT team who kept Oakes under surveillance starting at 9 the previous night, said she was aware the suspect was wanted for baiting and taunting police, as well as vehicle theft, licence plate theft and robbery. She said during the surveillance, she and other officers saw Oakes drive to several convenience stores, plazas and liquor stores as if he was casing them to rob them.

However, she added, there was not an opportunity to safely arrest the man until he drove into the car wash and began to wash the car.

"There was no time during surveillance where there was a proper distance from Mr. Oakes to the vehicle where we could make an arrest," Smith said. When asked about a comment she made to other members of the HEAT team about four hours before the shooting, texting, "Maybe we can just shoot this guy, already," Smith said it was "an inappropriate comment, an attempt to use black humour to lessen the stress of the circumstances."

She said it "was not typical" to follow a suspect for six hours, as the team did that night, to effect an arrest.

"We followed as long as we needed to arrest," she said. "At this point he had attended so many addresses and the elevated level I felt had risen."

Smith said the earlier inappropriate comment had no bearing on the outcome that night.

extradition of six people suspected of providing guns to drug cartels.

Mexico's top cop Attorney General Marisela Morales has requested the extradition of six people suspected of providing guns to drug cartels. She told the Mexico's lower house of Congress last Wednesday three of the suspects are in Texas and three are in California. Morales did not mention the gun walking operation known as Fast and Furious nor did she name the individual suspects. But, according to the Latin American Herald Tribune, "One of the requests involves three people believed to have acquired a large number of weapons under the Fast and Furious program."

Morales has been under pressure from lawmakers to "punish those responsible" in the U.S for an ATF Phoenix program that supplied high-powered weapons to some of the most vicious killers on the planet. The number of Mexican citizens killed with guns purchased under the ATF operation　could number in the thousands, according to Chihuahua state prosecutor Patricia Gonzalez.

Last fall Gonzalez' brother Mario, a lawyer, was kidnapped and brutally murdered by cartel hit men who videotaped the grisly slaying. An ATF officer working out of the U.S. embassy in Mexico later told Ms. Gonzalez AK-47 assault rifles found in the killers' arsenal were linked to Fast and Furious.

By most accounts Mexican officials were kept in the dark while more and more guns were showing up at crime scenes south of the border.

In September, 2011 Attorney General Morales told the Los Angeles Times she heard about the deadly operation through news reports months after the murder of Agent Brian Terry.

It was then that we learned of that case, of the arms trafficking. In no way would we have allowed it, because it is an attack on the safety of Mexicans.

In fact, Morales was not even Attorney General when the news about the gun walking murders came to light. President Calderone appointed Morales, then Deputy Attorney General for Special Investigations Against Organized Crime, to her present position on March 31, 2011. A few weeks before taking over as Mexico's top law enforcement officer, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama presented Morales with the International Women of Courage Award at a ceremony in DC.

Most concede Morales is a courageous, smart and formidable leader. Her recent extradition request came with some tough talk.

We're going to get to the bottom of this and we're going to punish ... whomever is responsible for these (crimes).

[In the future] we will manage to have more cases of this nature and surely there will be many extraditions we are going to be requesting from authorities in the United States.

Mexico is free to punish those who violate the law by smuggling weapons into its territory.

Top U.S. officials Eric Holder, Hillary Clinton, Janet Napolitano and President Obama have denied any knowledge of the operation, so turning over criminal defendants for prosecution in Mexico seems unlikely. Morales said she will respect the "sovereignty" of both countries and that each nation has "a shared responsibility" to investigate and punish gun smugglers.

Even if Ms. Morales' request for extradition is nothing more than a political necessity to ward off the "concern and indignation" of the Mexican people, it does draw attention to a government program that resulted in a mass murder nightmare for our neighbor to the south.

foot-soldier of the notorious Malvern Crew street gang whose members once plagued parts of Scarborough

A foot-soldier of the notorious Malvern Crew street gang whose members once plagued parts of Scarborough is being kicked out Canada for belonging to an
organized crime group.

Raoul Andre Burton, 27, of Toronto, was one of 65 suspected members of the
gang rounded up in May 2004 by Toronto Police in Project Impact
The operation dismantled the Malvern Crew whose members were feuding with rival Galloway Boyz over turf.

Burton was charged with nine offences and sentenced to eight-months in jail

along with a pre-sentence custody of 165 days.

Toronto Police gang experts said he was a loyal Malvern foot-soldier who was a “good money-earner” for the gang.

Officers of the Canada Border Services Agency have been trying for years to

deport Burton, who arrived here from Jamaica at age 10 and never obtained

citizenship.

Members of an Immigration and Refugee Board ruled in a decision released

this month that Burton is a member of organized crime and inadmissable to Canada.

“The rivalry with the Galloway Boyz resulted in violence and murder,” the

board said. “The Malvern Crew resorted to violence, extortion and

murder to prevent rivals, such as the Galloway Boyz, from invading their

territory.”

Board member Ama Beecham said Burton was nabbed by police while arranging and

completing drug transactions in ounce quantities with six known members of

the Malvern Crew.

“He and others were discussing firearms and ammunition with

another Malvern Crew member,” Beecham said.

She said his convictions provide “prime evidence that he knowingly

participated in, and was personally implicated in, the criminal actions

involving the Malvern Crew.”

The board heard the Crew had a territory in the Malvern district of

Scarborough which they jealously guarded from the Galloway Boyz, who also

claimed parts of Scarborough as their territory.

“The Malvern Crew ... is simply a street gang that is territorial,” the

board said. “It is an organization which, whilst active, terrorized the community and had very little community support.”

No date has been set for Burton’s deportation from Canada.

He can appeal the decision to the Federal Court of Canada or to federal immigration officials.

Wild gang fight in US emergency room

 

A WILD gang fight involving at least a dozen thugs in a Bronx hospital emergency room ended in bloodshed when one gang member pulled a gun and began firing - wounding two hospital employees, police sources told the New York Post. Bullets ricocheted in the packed ER waiting room - with many children nearby - at Bronx Lebanon Hospital about 7:00pm local time. A 42-year-old security guard took a bullet in the groin and a 37-year-old male nurse was hit in the shoulder. "I heard the shots, three of them, pop, pop, pop," said nurse's aide Joi Cummings. "It was just chaos, total chaos. Everyone was running. I saw a security guard on the stretcher. "It's so sad. You go to a hospital to get help, you don't think you're going to get shot." The incident stemmed from a long-standing beef between members of the Riverpark Towers Crew (RPT) and their Burnside Money Getters rivals, police sources said. Related Coverage Two wounded in emergency room shooting Herald Sun, 2 days ago UK looks to US after riots Foundation, 10 days ago Judge 'to be in a coma for days' The Daily Telegraph, 1 Sep 2011 Authorities 'in denial' on gangs Herald Sun, 22 Aug 2011 Casualty a gang battleground Herald Sun, 20 Aug 2011 A member of RPT was being treated for a gash below his eye from a fight earlier in the day when he was alerted that guys from both gangs were in the waiting room, sources said. Police were questioning several people last night, but the shooter had escaped, sources said. No one had been charged by early today and the gun was not recovered. A hospital spokesman said employees "were able to stop the situation from progressing" because of their quick intervention.

Bandidos biker sues lawyer Andrew Fraser over book

 

Bandidos motorcycle gang member Robert (Kim) Sloan claims in court documents his "reputation and feelings have been seriously injured" by allegations in the book, Snouts in the Trough. In a writ lodged in the County Court this week Mr Sloan's lawyers said the author had defamed the bikie through allegations that he made a death threat in front of a bent policeman's relatives. The lawyers said the allegations were understood to mean that Mr Sloan was a "violent person" and a "menacing and malicious person". It said Mr Sloan had suffered because of the alleged defamation and would continue to suffer loss and damage. Mr Sloan, who said he had been told by his lawyers not to comment, is also suing the publisher, Hardie Grant Books, and wants damages with interest. Snouts in the Trough is about a corrupt former detective sergeant. Related Coverage TV: What's on The Box tonight Courier Mail, 2 Nov 2011 Bikies roll into Thailand tourist areas Courier Mail, 14 Oct 2011 Sarah Palin threatens lawsuit over book The Daily Telegraph, 27 Sep 2011 Alleged Bandidos bikie charged Herald Sun, 22 Aug 2011 Ferals at risk - Milne lawyer Herald Sun, 16 Aug 2011 Fraser was a well-known criminal defence lawyer in Melbourne until that detective led police raids in September, 1999 and uncovered Fraser's secret cocaine habit and dealings. Fraser had represented gangland figures such as Lewis and Jason Moran, as well as other high-profile figures, including Jimmy Krakouer. Fraser was jailed in 2001 for seven years for importing 5.5kg of cocaine, worth about $2.7 million, and was released in 2006. The publisher was unavailable for comment and Fraser could not be contacted.

Gangster dead in Vancouver daytime shooting

 

brazen gangland slaying in a busy area one block from a Vancouver police station has left witnesses to the Sunday morning shooting extremely shaken. A man dressed in black clothing approached the victim as he walked his dog and shot him six times in the chest from close range, according to witness accounts. A witness, who asked to be identified only as Sylvia, said she heard six gunshots. “It sounded like fireworks,” said Sylvia, who was enjoying a cappuccino at a nearby cafe just before 10 a.m. “We looked out the window and saw a hooded man — a man in a black hoodie and black pants. He just ran up the road.” She then noticed someone lying on the ground on the northeast corner of the intersection. “I ran over to see if he needed help,” said Sylvia. Two other passersby were already at his side. “They were checking for a pulse. He had a pulse for a short time,” she said. The witness said he had been shot six times in the chest. “There was a lot of bleeding. We ran back and got him a blanket. The police were there very quickly, in less than a minute, and after that emergency people took over.” While the victim’s body lay under a blanket, Vancouver police officers armed with large rifles searched for a suspect. Sylvia described the victim as a white man in his 20s who had been walking a dog before he was shot. Vancouver Police Department Const. Jana McGuinness confirmed the targeted shooting marked the city’s 13th homicide of 2011. “We do believe he has some gang links,” said McGuinness, who did not name the victim. After the shooting, the victim’s pet, a French bulldog, ran around frantically until one of the passersby managed to bring it under control.

DEFECTIONS between the Nomads and the Hells Angels bikie gangs could have sparked a spate of drive-by shootings, police said yesterday.

 Identifying ... The Nomads motorcycle gang's logo. Source: Supplied 

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But Gangs Squad commander Arthur Katsogiannis said the tit-for-tat violence was part of a dispute between individual bikies and not a war between the clubs.

Superintendent Katsogiannis and Middle Eastern Organised Crime Squad commander Deborah Wallace yesterday called for a end to the violence after shootings near the Ibrahim family home in Merrylands and at Ermington over the weekend.

Among possible motives for the violence was a number of recent defections between the clubs, known as "patching over", Supt Katsogiannis said.

"If this was a full scale war between the Nomads and the Hells Angels you would not have the shootings isolated at one particular area, they would be right around the metropolitan area and around the state," he said.

"It is a conflict between two or three individuals who are part of those gangs, and the conflict is solely between themselves and we're trying to resolve that."

Police have linked eight shootings since last Thursday to the dispute, including one inNorthmead where an innocent woman's house was sprayed with bullets as she slept.

In the last attack, a Merrylands home belonging to a member of the Ibrahim family was shot at on Saturday about 8.45pm. A black four-wheel drive was seen leaving the area after shots were fired, but no one was injured and there was no damage to the house.

In the later incident, police were called to a house at Ermington about 12.05am yesterday after the owner came home and discovered damage to the front of the house.

Police believe the damage to a wall and window was caused by a bullet. No one was in the house at the time.

Strike Force Felix, established to investigate the shootings, has made "significant inroads" about the identity of those involved and the cause of the dispute, Supt Katsogiannis said. "We want to reassure the public that we are doing everything possible."

Newfoundlanders arrested in RCMP drug bust

 

Two people from Newfoundland and Labrador have been arrested in an interprovincial drug bust against the Hells Angels motorcycle club. The accused are 41-year-old Scott Hutchings from Bell Island and Jocelyn Dunn, 26, from St. John's. The pair have been charged with conspiracy to traffic cocaine. They were both arrested on Friday afternoon in St. John’s. They were taken in a bust dubbed "Operation Longridge," which was led by the Ontario Provincial Police. According to a press release issued by the RCMP on Saturday the operation was “targeting members and associates of (an) outlaw motorcycle gang, specifically the Hells Angels Kitchener, Ontario chapter.” The release went on to state that Hutchings and Dunn were arrested in an undercover operation by the RCMP St. John’s Drug Section in cooperation with the Ontario Biker Enforcement Unit. In addition to arresting the two suspects police also seized $50,000 and an unreleased quantity of anabolic steroids. There were more arrests connected to this case made in Ontario but it is unclear at this time how many there were in total. Hutchings and Dunn will appear again in court on Monday.

Montreal criminal lawyer Gilles Doré — who has represented alleged Hells Angels — is in hospital with serious injuries

Montreal criminal lawyer Gilles Doré.

Montreal criminal lawyer Gilles Doré — who has represented alleged Hells Angels — is in hospital with serious injuries after being assaulted outside his home.

According to Radio-Canada, the 58-year-old lawyer was violently beaten outside his house in Montreal's tony Outremont neighbourhood Friday evening.

Without confirming his identity, police said the victim was found lying on the ground outside his house near Glendale and Pratt Avenues.

The victim was in a coma but later regained consciousness and was able to speak with detectives.

Police have no suspects.

Doré rose to prominence a decade ago when he defended high-ranking Hells members involved in Quebec's notorious 2002 mega-trial.

That mega-trial ended with the murder conviction of Maurice "Mom" Boucher, alleged biker kingpin.

Doré also represents several presumed Hells bikers arrested two years ago in a massive dragnet against organized crime.

The bust, known as Operation SharkQC, netted more than 100 arrests, including dozens of full-patch members of the notorious biker network, according to police.

Italy government hangs by thread as coalition crumbles

 

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's fate hung by a thread Friday and desertions from his crumbling centre-right coalition may have already robbed him of the parliamentary numbers he needs to survive. Berlusconi, caught in the crossfire from European powers and a party revolt at home, agreed at a G20 summit in France to IMF monitoring of economic reforms which he has long promised but failed to implement. But this may soon be irrelevant for the Italian leader, who will return to Rome later Friday to face what looks increasingly like a deadly rebellion by his own supporters. With financial markets in turmoil over the situation in Greece and Italy viewed as the next domino to fall in the euro zone crisis, calls are mounting for a new government to carry through reforms convincing enough to regain international confidence. Berlusconi has consistently rejected calls to resign and says the only alternative to him is an early election next spring, rather than the technocrat or national unity government urged by many politicians and commentators. Yields on 10-year Italian bonds reached 6.36 percent by early afternoon, creeping closer to 7 percent, a level which could trigger a so-called "buyers' strike" where investors take fright and refuse to buy the paper. Two deputies from Berlusconi's PDL party this week defected to the centrist UDC, taking his support in the 630-seat lower house of parliament to 314 compared with the 316 he needed to win a confidence vote last month. But at least seven other former loyalists have called for a new government and could vote against the 75-year-old media magnate. "The (ruling) majority seems to be dissolving like a snowman in spring," said respected commentator Stefano Folli in the financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore. Other commentators spoke of an "inexorable" revolt against Berlusconi. Even Defence Ministry undersecretary Guido Crosetto, a Berlusconi loyalist, said on television: "I don't know how many days or weeks the government has left. Certainly a majority relying on a few votes cannot continue for long." PATRONAGE Berlusconi, one of Italy's richest men, still has significant powers of patronage and he and his closest aides are expected to spend the weekend trying to win back support for a parliamentary showdown Tuesday. Some rebels have already threatened to vote against Berlusconi in the vote to sign off on the 2010 budget. Berlusconi faced concerted calls to resign when he lost a previous vote on this routine measure, which was almost unprecedented. Although it is not a confidence motion, he would come under huge pressure if he suffered a second defeat. "Unpopular prescriptions are necessary and this challenge cannot be faced with a 51 percent government," said UDC leader Pier Ferdinando Casini, in a reference to Berlusconi's weakness and a widespread feeling that the reforms can only be passed with a broad consensus. The premier has promised European leaders that he will call a formal confidence motion within 15 days to pass amendments to a budget bill incorporating new measures to stimulate growth and cut Italy's huge debt. That will be in the Senate where he has a more solid majority but it could still bring him down. Berlusconi, beset by a string of sex scandals and court cases, has consistently resisted pressure from groups ranging from a powerful business lobby to the Catholic Church to stand down.

Belizean Bloods have been charged with drug trafficking and passport fraud

 

Two dozen members of a Chicago street gang have been charged with drug trafficking and passport fraud, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday. The charges against the members of the Belizean Bloods street gang, said to operate in Chicago and Evanston, Ill., were contained in an indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, a release said. The charges arise from two coordinated investigations that included agents from multiple federal law enforcement agencies as well as the Chicago and Evanston Police Departments, the department said. In 2009, the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service began investigating alleged passport fraud by Belizean nationals, while at the same time the FBI and Evanston and Chicago police were investigating alleged narcotics trafficking by suspected members of the Belizean Bloods

Arrests of Mexican drug cartel leaders in Texas raise concerns

 

The recent arrests of three alleged drug gang leaders from Mexico and the shooting of a sheriff's deputy in South Texas are raising fears among some Lone Star State officials that the brutal drug wars plaguing Mexico are taking hold north of the Rio Grande. On Sunday, Deputy Hugo Rodriguez of Hidalgo County in the southern tip of Texas was shot several times when he pulled over a vehicle containing a person kidnapped by members of Mexico's Gulf Cartel, County Sheriff Lupe Trevino said. Rodriguez's bulletproof vest saved his life, Trevino said. "I have always said we have never reported spillover violence, but I have to say that this particular incident is our first example," Trevino said. Trevino said cartel leaders told members to enter the United States to search for marijuana stolen from the cartel. The Mexican gang used members of a Texas-based street gang, mostly illegal immigrants, to seek out the drugs, Trevino said. And three alleged high-ranking leaders of the Gulf Cartel have been arrested in Texas in the past two weeks after seeking refuge in the United States in the aftermath of internal gang warfare, according to federal court documents released this week. "Amazingly, these individuals are using Texas as a safe haven to protect themselves from the very violence that they have created," U.S. Senator John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, told reporters this week. The internal warfare was sparked by the September murder in Mexico of Samuel Flores Borrego, a top Gulf Cartel leader, according to the court documents. His death has led to a power struggle between two factions of the Gulf Cartel. DRUG ARREST Rafael Cardenas Vela, 38, the nephew of a co-founder of the Gulf Cartel, was arrested October 21 in Port Isabel, Texas, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He is charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute drugs and using a fraudulent passport. Two other Gulf Cartel members, Eudoxio Ramos Garcia and Jose Luis Zuniga Hernandez, have been arrested in Texas in the past week, according to ICE. All three arrests are related to the split in the Gulf Cartel, said Scott Stewart, vice president of tactical intelligence for the Austin-based private intelligence firm STRATFOR. "The friction between two parts of the Gulf Cartel has been brewing for the past couple of months, and now it appears it is breaking out into all out war," Stewart told Reuters on Thursday. "It is quite possible that the information that led to Cardenas' arrest was actually leaked to U.S. authorities by his rivals in the cartel." Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Wednesday wrote in a letter to President Barack Obama that the three arrests and the shooting of the deputy show that the administration is failing to secure the border. "I implore you to aggressively confront this escalating threat," Abbott wrote. A call to the White House press office was not immediately returned on Thursday. Monica Weisberg-Stewart, a McAllen business owner and the chairwoman of the security committee of the Texas Border Coalition, said incidents like the ones from the past two weeks aren't new in South Texas. "There is still less crime down here on the border than there is in most parts of the country," said Weisberg-Stewart, whose coalition includes elected officials and business owners. "What we need is to work on establishing a true sense of security, and not take reactive steps, which will give us a false sense of security."

Maurice Boland launches iTalk FM radio

 

THIS month radio presenter, Maurice Boland, will launch iTalk FM, a new radio station on the Costa del Sol. The radio station will be based at the Five Star Kempinski Hotel in Estepona, according to Boland. Presenters include: Mat Court, Jack Jackson, Stephen Ritson, Sheila Sanderson , David Jelley, Richie Allan, and Maurice Boland, according to a statement from the presenter.

A man who fled to Spain after being charged in connection with a terrifying robbery has been jailed for 10 years

 

A man who fled to Spain after being charged in connection with a terrifying robbery has been jailed for 10 years. Stephen Devalda provided a motorbike used by two robbers to get to and from the scene of a cash-in-transit raid. The robbers, who were carrying an imitation firearm and a machete, attacked a security guard collecting money from an Asda supermarket. Devalda, of Stanton Avenue, Salford, was arrested and charged in 2007 but he went on to skip bail and fled to Spain. A joint operation between the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and Spanish police was launched – and they tracked him down in Malaga in March. CCTV of the robbery Devalda, 28, who pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to rob and a bail offence, has now been handed a sentence of 10 years and three months behind bars. Detective Inspector Simon Cheyte said: “This was a pre-planned and violent attack which has left the security guard so traumatised and distressed that he has not been able to return to his normal work duties.  “This investigation was carried out by a small team over a protracted period of time. They showed dedication and determination to bring this offender to justice and their resolve to succeed has lead to the conviction of a member of an organised and dangerous criminal gang from the Salford area of Manchester. “Thankfully these types of offences are extremely rare but we take them very seriously and are committed to carrying out full and thorough investigations to identify those responsible. “This should demonstrate the lengths Lancashire Constabulary will go to in order to arrest people and bring them justice. I am pleased with the sentence and hope it sends a clear message that this type of offence will not be tolerated.” The court heard how the armed robbery was carried out at Asda, in Colne, in May 2005. Two men in crash helmets arrived on a motorbike. The security guard was attacked with a machete after being knocked to the ground. The victim had a handgun pushed into his neck and a demand was made for money. He was then hit over the helmet with such force that he fell to the floor. One of the robbers shouted 'kill him' to his accomplice. He was ordered to tell a colleague to pass money out. The terrified guard curled up in a ball as the machete was used to rain blows to his head and upper arms. The court heard how the ordeal left him with both physical and psychological injuries. He had three lacerations to the upper arms and £25,000 in cash was stolen. The robbers made off on the motorbike and later switched to a getaway vehicle. Devalda pleaded guilty on the basis that he had been recruited by someone else. His role had been limited to providing the motorbike. A second man, Andrew Moran, 25, from Salford, was also charged with conspiracy to rob in connection with the raid. He appeared at Burnley Crown Court in March 2009 after a six week trial and was remanded into custody by the judge pending the result of the jury’s deliberations. Moran then assaulted a Group 4 security member, vaulted over the dock and ran from the court building. The jury later returned a guilty verdict and he was convicted in his absence of conspiracy to rob, for which he is to be yet sentenced. Moran is still missing and this week was named one of Britain’s most wanted criminals as part of a national Crimestoppers appeal. Det Insp Cheyte said: “We are determined to get Moran back before the courts to serve the time for his crime and I would urge anyone with any information as to his whereabouts to come forward and contact the police.” Moran is described as being around 5ft 8in, of stocky build with cropped fair hair. He has a Manchester accent 

Police raided the Magog Motorcycle gang's New Plymouth headquarters yesterday

 

Police raided the Magog Motorcycle gang's New Plymouth headquarters yesterday as part of an operation targeting the Hells Angels. The Centennial Dr gang pad was one of two addresses searched locally while simultaneous warrants were carried out at Auckland properties, including the headquarters of the Hells Angels and other properties linked with the gang, by police and the Organised and Financial Crime Agency New Zealand (Ofcanz). A 56-year-old New Plymouth man, believed to be a member of the Magogs, was arrested and charged with conspiring to defeat the course of justice. He appeared in the New Plymouth District Court yesterday and was remanded on bail to reappear in the Manukau District Court on November 24. Nine men, five members of the Hells Angels and four associates were arrested and six firearms were seized in the Auckland raids. The men have been charged with intentional damage, commission of a crime while in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm except for some lawful, proper and sufficient purpose. The charges relate to alleged illegal hunting activities, without permits and without firearms licences over the past year. Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward of New Plymouth said 16 officers, including two from Ofcanz, were involved in the raids. Mr Coward said the charge the New Plymouth man faced was not connected to the charges in Auckland. "The offending relating to the New Plymouth man is isolated from the illegal hunting." Police believed there was a link between the gangs, but Mr Coward wouldn't elaborate. "We would be naive in thinking there wasn't," he said. No drugs or firearms were found in New Plymouth. Detective Inspector Grant Wormald, of Ofcanz said it was hoped the operation would disrupt a wide range of criminal activities the Hells Angels were involved in. "A number of Hells Angels gang members from around New Zealand have been prosecuted or are now on active charges ranging from possession and supply of methamphetamine to robbery, burglary and extortion," he said. "We have made arrests in Auckland, Napier, Tauranga and Nelson, where an undercover operation early this year put an end to offshoot gang the Red Devils. "Our goal is to investigate the crimes they are committing and disrupt their activities to the extent that it's very hard for them to operate at all.

Dead Man Inc.: 22 charged in indictment of white prison gang

 

Nearly two dozen alleged members of a homegrown prison gang that started in Maryland and spread across the country have been indicted on federal racketeering charges, including accusations of murder for hire, armed robbery and drug running, officials announced Wednesday. The members of Dead Man Inc., who refer to themselves as "dawgs" and espouse an anti-government philosophy, used contraband cellphones to direct activities and spread gang membership into South Baltimore, eastern Baltimore County, northern Anne Arundel County and several other states, authorities said. The 27-count indictment alleges that members shot and killed four people and conspired to kill others. Among those charged are the alleged co-founders, Perry Roark and James Sweeney. Roark, a 42-year-old Dundalk native who is referred to as the "supreme commander," was charged earlier this year in another killing, days before he was to be released from a 25-year prison term. Related Archives: Days before release, reputed gang leader charged in '94 murder Crime Beat: Coverage of Maryland gangs Interactive map: Baltimore City homicides Recent stories by Peter Hermann Baltimore Crime Beat blog City rape investigations questioned Baltimore County crime map Topics Criminal Laws Prisons Murder See more topics » Maps Baltimore, MD, USA "On our streets, this organization has been involved in street robberies, home invasions, property thefts, intimidation, assaults — you name it, they're involved in it," said Randall Jones Sr., an Anne Arundel County police commander. "The northern part of our county has been plagued by these individuals, and this is a major blow to this organization." Roark was close with members of the Black Guerrilla Family, law enforcement officials say, but that gang's rules prohibited him from joining because he is white. With the gang's blessing, officials say, Roark formed a gang at the Jessup prison in the late 1990s that, among other things, carried out killings for the BGF. Experts say the gang, known by the acronym DMI, offered another option for white inmates beyond white supremacists or biker gangs, and its membership grew to include prisoners affiliated with those organizations. There was a careful recruitment and screening process, with a top-down militarized structure that placed commanders in each prison, officials say. Members contend that their purpose is to foster brotherhood. Dead Man Inc. quickly earned a reputation for violence and a willingness to carry out attacks for drugs or money. Though not as well known as the Bloods and the Crips, the gang has been linked to a series of high-profile incidents and was profiled in 2009 on the History Channel's "Gangland" program. Corrections officials say they have confirmed more than 500 DMI members in Maryland prison facilities, about half the number of Bloods but seven times the membership of MS-13, a Hispanic gang that has garnered headlines for ruthless crimes. This week's indictment links the gang to four killings in 2009: the death of James Flanary, 23, in the 3900 block of S. Hanover St. on Feb. 16; the killing June 2 of Tony Geiger, 41, in the unit block of Old Riverside Road; the slaying Sept. 18 of 20-year-old Eugene Chambers in the 1600 block of Cypress St.; and the killing of Walter Milewski, 31, in the 4800 block of Carmella Drive in Halethorpe on Sept. 19. At least one of those charged, Dane Shives, 22, of Glen Burnie, is awaiting trial on separate charges. He is accused of murder in a double shooting in Brooklyn last year. U.S. Attorney for Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein said the case began 18 months ago when Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger visited his office to outline a murder case that he believed had a broader scope. Officials praised the results of increased cooperation among federal, state and local law enforcement and commended prison officials for sharing intelligence that helped police solve cases and work across jurisdictions. "When you look at the causes of violent crime, in many cases you find a connection to gangs," Rosenstein said. "We believe the key to continuing to reduce the violent crime and murder rate here in Baltimore City and throughout the state is to target the gangs and the leaders of the gangs who are fomenting this violence." An effort by prison officials years ago to disrupt the gang's leadership sent two top members to out-of-state facilities, which authorities said only served to broaden the gang's reach. One estimate put Dead Man Inc. membership in the thousands, in states that include Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, New York and Virginia. At Wednesday's news conference, Rosenstein added Pennsylvania and Texas to the list, and the FBI's recently released Gang Threat Assessment included North Carolina. Ryan Shifflet of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Gang Investigation Network, a group of law enforcement officers that shares gang intelligence, has said DMI "gained notoriety by becoming a murder-for-hire group, or doing hits or attacking other inmates in the prison system for money or contraband." Though once aligned with the Black Guerrilla Family, the indictment says, DMI "has gone through sporadic periods of conflict with other gangs, including the Bloods and the BGF, both in prisons and on the streets." Roark, who is accused of directing a number of assaults on inmates and others that are detailed in court papers, has achieved godlike status among followers, Shifflet said. "You've got tons of inmates who've never laid eyes on the man, but they know who he is and have heard he's 10 feet tall and bulletproof," Shifflet said. Rosenstein said 11 of the defendants named in the federal indictment were in custody, and that authorities had tracked down seven who were not in prison and were looking for the others.

Vietnamese-based organization known as the Catacutan Drug Crew.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Enlarge Image

An SUV is towed away from Arthur Street and McDermot Avenue Saturday afternoon after a shooting left one person dead.

Winnipeg police believe a spate of weekend shootings that killed two young men -- and left a teen fighting for survival -- are all linked to the city's drug and gang subculture.

However, sources told the Free Press Monday there appears to be no common thread between the three incidents, which all happened in a 24-hour period and pushed the city to an all-time homicide record.

The 33rd homicide victim of 2011 was 20-year-old Oudy Phrakonekham, shot while riding in a car through the Exchange District at 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Sources say he was gunned down at point-blank range in what was believed to be a targeted attack. Court records show he has no prior criminal involvement. A source said Phrakonekham is believed to have connections to a Vietnamese-based organization known as the Catacutan Drug Crew.

A founding member of that organization was recently raided by the Drug Enforcement Agency and Homeland Security in the United States on charges of conspiracy to export cocaine to Canada. That has caused instability within the organization, the source said.

"It's hard to say right now if this could be connected to that, or if it's just the usual competition-type violence you see," the source said.

The 34th homicide victim was a man whose name has not yet been made public, found shot in the parking lot of the Lincoln Motor Inn on McPhillips Street around 4:40 a.m. Sunday. A source identified him to the Free Press as Mohammed Omar, a known associate of the African Mafia street gang. Omar has a prior criminal record for drug possession, which led to a conditional discharge in 2006, according to court records.

Omar was a father of four children and lived with his common-law wife and mother in a home in St. Vital, said one of his friends.

Omar had come to Canada from Somalia in 1993 and worked as a cleaner at a city hospital, the friend said.

"(He had) absolutely beautiful children," said the friend, who said the children are aged nine, four, two and one.

Omar loved music, the friend said.

"He, personally, had a very good heart," she said.

The third shooting fell between the two slayings and also has gang connections. A 14-year-old boy who is linked to an aboriginal street gang was shot around 4:30 p.m. Saturday near Selkirk Avenue and Salter Street.

There is another common connection between the three incidents -- no arrests have been made in any of them.

Police sources say it is likely just a coincidence to have so many gun-related attacks in a short window of time. It's also the grim reality of life on Winnipeg streets, where police and prosecutors have been warning for months about the increasing number of criminals who are carrying firearms and apparently unafraid to use them.

Six of the city's 34 homicide victims in 2011 have died from gunfire.

Police are probing whether the Exchange District killing has any links to two other unsolved incidents from earlier this year, the source said.

Three men were shot and seriously injured in August while sitting inside a garage in a Transcona suburb. A witness told the Free Press at the time the gunman calmly walked up to the victims and fired at least six shots before fleeing. A source told the Free Press the incident is believed to be connected to organized crime.

Police were also exploring the possibility it was connected to the Aug. 6 stabbing death of Baljinder Singh Sidhu, 27, outside the Osborne Village Inn. Witnesses described a chaotic scene that involved members of several different race-based criminal organizations brawling in the street, ending with Sidhu being fatally attacked.

This weekend's violence comes just after the one-year anniversary of a triple shooting in the North End that left two victims dead and a 13-year-old girl wounded. No arrests have been made, but police recently revealed they believe those three attacks are linked and may have connections to the drug and/or gang world.

Report: Nevada Top 10 in Gang Members

 

Street gangs are a growing problem in southern Nevada. The FBI ranks Clark County as the 10th worst area in the nation for the number of gang members. More than 15,000 roam the streets, and those are just the ones authorities know about. The report shows the trends authorities are seeing in gangs. Biker gangs are getting more and more members. Hispanic-based gangs are expanding faster than other gangs. Twenty states, including Nevada, are seeing these same trends. Rachal Richardson used to have gang ties. Lights and sirens were something she was used to. Her ties to gang life are over, but not before being exposed to plenty of violence. The mother of four traded in violence and crimes scenes for a better life 10 years ago. She's not surprised Clark County is in the top 10 counties of the country when it comes to gang presence. "With sex is drugs and money and with that comes gangs, people trying to protect their turf, their name, or their pride," she said. With more than 15,000 gang members identified through the report, those who work closely with gang members say more needs to done. "We don't have enough money on prevention programs, where the kids can be involved and don't fall into that path of crime," said Esther Brown with the Embracing Project. Brown has never been in a gang, but moved to America from Spain and saw the need to reach out to those in gangs. She started the Embracing Project, a gang-prevention charity. "You are a gang member, let's look for solutions. What do you need so you can leave the gang. Some of the kids, it's difficult to leave the gang because their family are gang members," she said. She hopes this recent report opens the eyes of the community. "It's everywhere. People think, 'Oh, not in Summerlin. We don't have gang-bangers.' It's everywhere. Gang activity is everywhere," she said. Most of the gangs identified in this report are from street gangs. Two motorcycle gangs have seen a growth in Nevada, but gang-related drug activity in the report was fairly low compared to the overall gang presence in the state.

GANGSTER John Gizzi, jailed for plotting to sell “substantial” quantities of hard drugs

GANGSTER John Gizzi, jailed for plotting to sell “substantial” quantities of hard drugs, has had his prison sentence cut.

The 40-year-old was jailed at Caernarfon Crown Court for 11 years last March after admitting his part in a conspiracy to feed cocaine users in North Wales.

Gizzi, from Rhyl had more recently lived in St George, near Abergele, was described as the “principal organiser” of the plot to transport cocaine from Liverpool to supply dealers in Conwy and Denbighshire.

But yesterday three senior judges, sitting at the Court of Appeal in London, said the sentence was too long and cut it by one year from 11 to 10 years.

for pleading guilty and other mitigation, including family bereavements and good behaviour in prison.

Another gang member, Gregory Gorst, 31, from Brook Avenue, Towyn also had his sentence cut from five years and three months, to four and a half years.

But three other conspirators, sentenced to between four-and-a-half years and six years and eight months, had their appeals rejected.

The gang were caught after officers working on Operation Thunder, a covert surveillance operation on their activities, found cocaine with a street value of £162,000 in a taxi stopped at Queensferry in April last year. Officers also seized more than £70,000 in cash from vehicles used by the gang.

Lord Justice Moore-Bick sitting yesterday, with Mr Justice Irwin and Mrs Justice Thirlwall, said the plot had run from August 2009 until April 2010 and involved criminals in Liverpool supplying drugs to Gizzi’s gang to sell on.

During the police operation, cash totalling £70,500, and one block of compacted cocaine were intercepted. The judge said: “This was, on any view, a conspiracy to supply cocaine in very substantial quantities.

“The total that passed through the conspirators’ hands cannot, of course, be known, but the judge was entitled to find that it must have been much more than the one block that was actually seized.”

Lawyers for Gizzi argued he should have received a greater reduction in his sentence for pleading guilty and for other personal matters.

And those representing Gorst, said to be a “foot solider” at a much lower level, argued he had been too harshly punished for his relatively minor role.

The judges agreed and cut Gizzi’s sentence to 10 years and Gorst’s to four-and-a-half years, but rejected the three other challenges.

Christian Martin Suckley, 28, of Kinmel Bay, who was said to be a “senior member of the organisation”, had been jailed for six years and eight months.

John Etheridge, 31, of Llys Arthur, Towyn, was jailed for six years for his role as “foot solider”, having driven others to Liverpool on one occasion.

Michael Peter Bennett, 34, of Pen Lan, Towyn, who was jailed for four-and-a-half years, was said to be involved at the “lowest end” of the conspiracy, allowing his premises to be used for preparing drugs for onward supply.

Five other men were jailed for their part in the conspiracy. Karl Evans, 30, of Llys Nant, Towyn, described as Gizzi’s right-hand man in the conspiracy, was jailed for seven and a half years and taxi driver Derek Richards, 50, of Ocean View, Rhyl, was jailed for four and a half years.

Three Liverpool men – Kenneth Cain, 35, David Edward Clarke, 48, and Neil Sutemire – were jailed for between nine years and five years for their part in the conspiracy.

Hackers Challenge Mexican Crime Syndicate

 

The hackers’ message, delivered via YouTube by a man wearing a red tie and a Guy Fawkes mask, was as bold and risky as anything produced by the Zetas, Mexico’s most ruthless crime syndicate. But this time, the Zetas were the target. Connect With Us on Twitter Follow @nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines. They had kidnapped a geek with backup — a respected member of the hackers collective known as Anonymous. “You have made a great mistake by taking one of us,” said the video’s masked figure. “Release him.” Or else, the message said, the names of government officials, taxi drivers and journalists who worked with the Zetas would be published online. The goal, they said, was the arrest of these suspected collaborators, but was there a possibility they might be killed by a rival cartel? Yes, said self-identified members of Anonymous, acknowledging the danger. Beyond that, might the hackers also be targeted? Were they afraid? “Of course,” said a blog post on Monday. Still, some hackers said, it was time for Netizens to fight back in a country where the news media have been cowed into submission, and where the justice system is often complicit in heinous crimes that regularly go unpunished.  “We believe it is high time to say enough to the terrible situation caused by the falsehood of the government and lack of scruples of people who do not care about the welfare of their fellow human beings,” they posted. Anonymous appears to already have the information on collaborators. A person with knowledge of its operations, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals, said that online group conversations on Monday showed that the hackers have “a list of 100 or so of the major contacts of the Zetas.” It was not clear how they obtained the tally, or how accurate it was. And that appeared to be a major concern. A Facebook message on Sunday from one of the so-called hacktivists said there were indications that the Mexican government had tainted the Anonymous operation, known as OpCartel, “putting in doubt the quality of the information.” Whether Anonymous will publish what it has is unclear. The original YouTube message, uploaded on Oct. 6, said that Nov. 5 would be “a day to remember,” and the group has already provided a first strike. Last week, Anonymous defaced the Web site of a former Tabasco State prosecutor, Gustavo Rosario Torres, replacing his usual message with the image of jack-o’-lanterns and an announcement that Mr. Rosario “es Zeta.” But on Monday, in the wake of a security firm’s report highlighting the potential loss of life from naming names, there were more mixed messages. A steady stream of posts on Twitter referring to OpCartel revealed an intense debate over the benefits and costs of moving forward. On Twitter and in private e-mails — members of Mexico’s underground online media said — there appeared to be a widening gap between supporters and opponents of Anonymous’s mission. This may have been by design. The blog post announcing that OpCartel would continue emphasized that “anyone who is not properly protected should immediately and publicly disassociate themselves from this operation.” Several Twitter accounts that had been active on the topic fell silent. Several other members of Mexico’s online crime-reporting community said that OpCartel was causing internal strife, and that they had been asked by friends to stay away from anything having to do with the operation, even basic Twitter posts.   Fred Burton, a vice president at Stratfor, which published the report warning against the Anonymous plan, said that fears of reprisals were well founded. “Informants in that world are usually found dangling from a bridge or beheaded,” Mr. Burton said. Those identified by Anonymous would be vulnerable to rival gangs, he said, while the hackers and their supporters might also be targets. And because Mexico’s criminal groups have infiltrated Mexican law enforcement, which has access to sophisticated tracking software, anonymity online might not be enough protection. At least three people believed to have been online tipsters have been killed recently because of what their murderers described on public banners as snitching. Still, perhaps because of the danger — or perhaps because of the desperate need of many Mexicans for a sense of control as crime spirals — support for OpCartel continued to flow through the Web on Monday afternoon. Several Twitter users posted WikiLeaks cables with information about the Zetas. Others offered moral support. “You will never falter you will not fail, bring down the corruption,” wrote a user with the handle @fingers_digita. “PLZ be careful comrades, EXTREMELY dangerous,” wrote @AnonOWS, using the hash tag #justice for emphasis. Even those unsure about OpCartel said that it was significant as a citizen revolt. That was the core defense in the Anonymous blog post, which said a small task force was formed because “the voice of the people have clamored for help.” And according to some experts, regardless of whether OpCartel goes forward, the anger and outrage of Anonymous will be remembered, and channeled for another day. “This is not about a desire for information,” said Hector Amaya, a Mexican professor of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. “It’s about the need for a remedy.

Murder victim took second identity in witness protection program

 

Did the gunman who opened fire on upscale, normally tranquil Grandvista Cres. in Vaughan set out to murder Alexander Vucovic, a wealthy Yorkville jeweller, cocaine importer and entertainment district regular? Or was the shooter’s target really Kosto Barjaktarovic, a West Coast high-end car thief, gangster, suspected hit man and police snitch? Whatever the case, the result of the unsolved July 2 homicide was the same, since Vucovic and Barjaktarovic were the same person. Before he moved to the GTA, Vucovic, 37, lived in Vancouver under the name Kosto Barjaktarovic, associating with Indo-Canadian gangsters involved in a bloody feud. Barjaktarovic changed his name to Vucovic after testifying in 1995 against West Coast gangsters in a murder trial. He was briefly in an RCMP witness protection program — even playing hockey for a police-sponsored team — before returning to a life of crime. Someone who might be able to help untangle things for York Regional Police homicide investigators is Michael Costa of Woodbridge, but he is no longer believed to be in Canada. The Star has learned that Costa and Vucovic were romantically involved with the same woman in the GTA for several months. Costa and the woman were frequently seen in the downtown entertainment district, which Vucovic also frequented. York police have called Costa a “person of interest” in the Vucovic slaying. No charges have been laid against him. Meanwhile, Costa’s brother, Toronto police Const. Daniel Costa, 29, of Bolton, remains on paid suspension, accused of lying to York investigators between July 7 and Oct. 17 about his younger brother’s whereabouts. Daniel Costa, who previously had a clean record with police, is charged with perjury and due to return to Newmarket court on Dec. 1. Police have confiscated his passport.

Gangster suspect Freddie is bailed in Spain

 

SUSPECTED gangland boss 'Fat' Freddie Thompson is enjoying the Spanish sunshine after being freed on bail following a brief court appearance. Mr Thompson (30) was allowed to leave a Costa del Sol court a free man yesterday after more than a fortnight in jail in Ireland and Spain. He was told he was suspected of offences including drugs trafficking, money laundering and unlawful assembly, at the private court hearing in Estepona near Marbella. But he was spared more prison time after agreeing to bail conditions including the surrender of his passport and a ban on leaving Spain. Accomplices He has also been ordered to sign on at the court twice a month -- a requirement likely to bring him into contact with alleged accomplices John Cunningham and Christy Kinahan's sons Daniel and Christopher. Suspected gang boss Christy is in jail in Belgium after being extradited there in August. Mr Thompson's bail address has not been made public. A court source confirmed yesterday: "Frederick Thompson has been released on bail. "He has been informed he is under investigation for crimes including money laundering, unlawful assembly and drugs trafficking. Court "The three conditions of his bail are that he cannot leave Spain, hands in his passport to the authorities and signs on at court twice a month on days fixed by the court." Mr Thompson consented to extradition after being arrested in Dublin on a European arrest warrant on October 14. He spent 13 days in Cloverhill Prison before being flown to Spain last Friday. He is thought to have spent the weekend in prisons in Madrid and Alhaurin de la Torre near Malaga. He is said to be facing nine years in prison in Spain if convicted. Under Spanish law, he has not been officially charged with any crimes.

Fat FreddieThomson has been wanted in Spain for the past 18 months

30 year old Irishman, Freddie Thompson, known in the criminal world as ‘Fat Freddie', was arrested by the Garda in Dublin on October 21.

The arrest order dates from 18 months ago and was issued by the courts in Estepona, Málaga. The police consider that Thomson was a member of the Irish gang led by Christopher Kinahan, which was broken up by police in May 2010 in an operation codenamed ‘shovel’ which saw the arrest of more than 30 people in Spain, Ireland and the U.K. They were all linked to large scale drug and arms trafficking, as well as money laundering and other crimes committed on the Costa del Sol.

Thomson is now expected to declare before the court in Estepona this week. Police had thought that he could have been hiding in Holland.
He has been the most famous prisoner in the Clovenhill prison since his arrest.

Marbella police arrested a man considered to be a ‘frontman’ for the group, who was paid a monthly sum for the use of his name. Officially he owned luxury cars and businesses, when in fact he was almost pennyless.

Most of the money is thought to have been laundered in Brazil where real estate was purchased. 60 properties worth an estimated 150 million € have been impounded on the Costa del Sol in connection with the case.