california-cops-battle-booby-traps-fires

Crime Scene KC: "Someone set a fire at a police building in Hemet, California, and police believe it's the latest in a string of attacks on their department, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Some of the previous attempts have been pretty outrageous. A gas main was rigged to fill the offices of their gang task force. A booby trap was set up outside one building, rigged to fire a gun whenever someone opened a security gate. Several city vehicles were torched, and a suspicious device was left under one officer's vehicle. Authorities blame a white-supremacist gang in the area."

Chinese gangs step into gap left by mafia

Chinese gangs step into gap left by mafia: "Chinese gangs have exploited a gap in Italy’s crime world, expanding into northern and central cities while the traditional mafia concentrates on the country’s south.
Italian police targeted the Chinese gangs in raids across the country this week, arresting 24 people with suspected links to a multibillion euro money-laundering operation.
Officers seized illegal factories and other assets as part of the operation.
Since 2006, the organisation had laundered and funnelled to China more than 2.7 billion euros (£2.1bn pounds) from prostitution, sale of counterfeit goods, exploitation of illegal immigrants, tax evasion and other crimes committed in and around the Tuscan cities of Florence and Prato, an industrial town home to a large community of Chinese migrants.
Police arrested 17 Chinese and seven Italian nationals under suspicion of mafia association and took control of 73 companies and 181 pieces of real estate and seized 166 luxury cars, said a police statement."

arrests, made on June 10, may be part of a war between two gangs from Liverpool, which have already claimed a number of lives

Six British men aged between 37 and 62 were arrested in Amsterdam earlier this month on suspicion of plotting a gangland killing, the Parool reported on Friday.

All but two of the men have been released from custody, police said. The arrests were made following a tip-off from the British serious crimes squad.

Two men were arrested on the street, three after a car chase and one during a raid on a house.
Three automatic rifles, a revolver, pistol and a quantity of ammunition were also seized.

A police spokesman said the arrests, made on June 10, may be part of a war between two gangs from Liverpool, which have already claimed a number of lives, he said.

Jamaican to Face Charges in New York - NYTimes.com

Jamaican to Face Charges in New York - NYTimes.com: "Christopher Coke, a reputed gang leader from Jamaica accused of running a major smuggling operation of drugs and guns in the United States, was scheduled to be flown to New York from Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, on Thursday after waiving his right to an extradition hearing in Jamaican courts, officials said.

Reuters
Alleged gang leader Christopher Coke wore a wig and hat in this mug shot after his arrest in Jamaica.
Related
Disguises May Have Helped Jamaican Drug Lord Elude Arrest (June 24, 2010) Appearing briefly before a Jamaican magistrate, Mr. Coke, dressed casually and speaking in a soft voice, agreed to forgo a legal challenge and to face trial in federal district court in Manhattan.
“We look forward to this process unfolding swiftly, we hope,” said Rebecca Park, a spokeswoman at the United States Embassy in Kingston.
In a statement released by his lawyers, Mr. Coke said he would vigorously fight the charges and expected to return to Jamaica a free man. He said he was not challenging his extradition because he wanted to put an end to the bloodshed the country has experienced since an arrest warrant was issued for him late last month."

captured Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, 42, an alleged trafficker in guns and drugs who is also wanted in the United States

Bellingham, Whatcom County Life, Travel, Books | Bellingham Herald: "Ending a monthlong search that has cost 76 people their lives, Jamaican authorities on Tuesday captured Christopher 'Dudus' Coke, 42, an alleged trafficker in guns and drugs who is also wanted in the United States.
Acting on a tip, police captured Coke in St. Catherine parish on the outskirts of Kingston. He was dressed like a woman and wearing a wig, police said.
Coke was in the company of the Rev. Al Miller, who earlier had mediated the surrender of Coke's brother, Leighton, to police. Coke was on his way to surrender at the U.S. Embassy in Kingston when he was stopped at a police checkpoint, Miller told a Reuters reporter."

Hells Angels among 11 busted in drug sweep | Canada | News | Ottawa Sun

Hells Angels among 11 busted in drug sweep | Canada | News | Ottawa Sun: "- Police say at least 11 people with ties to Hells Angels were arrested in a massive drug sweep in the Montreal area Tuesday morning.
Montreal police, with Surete du Quebec and other regional police forces, raided a number of homes in the Montreal area and the Abitibi region in Quebec at about 6 a.m.
Police say the 11 arrested so far were Hells Angels members or close friends and family to the members of the outlaw motorcycle gang.
According to officer Yannick Ouimet of the Montreal police, the raids were successful in dismantling a large cocaine and marijuana sales and distribution network.
A press conference to outline the full scope of the raids is set for Monday afternoon"

Detectives investigating five gang-related shootings in Santa Ana | bertagna, gang, street - News - The Orange County Register

Detectives investigating five gang-related shootings in Santa Ana | bertagna, gang, street - News - The Orange County Register: "teenager was shot to death by two teenagers on bicycles and a 16-year-old was shot up to five times in separate gang attacks Tuesday as a surge of gang-related violence continues in this city, with seven shootings since Friday.An 18-year-old man survived being shot in the face over the weekend. No one was hit during the other shootings, police said.
Santa Ana police blocked off the the 1700 block of S. Evergreen in Santa Ana to investigate a shooting where a 16-year-old was shot up to five times Tuesday. Details about Tuesday's shooting were sketchy, but officers were searching for a Hispanic man in a blue shirt and a blue New York Yankees cap.After a weekend of violence, gunfire erupted again Tuesday afternoon, leaving a 17-year-old boy dead and a 16-year-old boy fighting for his life as he was shot as many as five times, according Cpl. Anthony Bertagna of the Santa Ana Police Department.No arrests have been made. Both boys claim they have no ties to gangs."

Suspected Gang Member Charged With Intimidating Jurors - Defense & Process - The Chicago Criminal Law Blog

Suspected Gang Member Charged With Intimidating Jurors - Defense & Process - The Chicago Criminal Law Blog: "Suspected street gang member Brian D. Long was charged with attempting to intimidate prospective jurors in a gang-related murder trial, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Assistant State's Attorney Greg Sams said Brian Long was seen illegally communicating with jurors and also copied down their names from their juror name badges. Raul Perez-Gonzalez is being tried on first-degree murder charges related to a January 2009 shooting in Elgin believed to be gang-related.
Judge T. Jordan Gallagher ordered a mistrial in the trial of Raul Perez-Gonzalez.The judge ordered Brian Long to be brought before the bench after he learned of the incident, questioned him and then ordered him taken into custody. Brian Long's Illinois criminal defense attorney was not quoted or mentioned in the article, but lawyers usually advise their clients about such rules of the court.
Greg Sams said he believes there ought to be changes in the way jurors are identified by name badges and allowed to roam the court between sessions, as quoted in the Chicago Daily Herald:
'These potential jurors are out there with family of the defendant, family of the victim, potential witnesses and potentially disruptive parties, shall we say, in this situation. That's probably not the best way to have it.'"

27 Outlaw biker gang members indicted across nation - Valley 911

27 Outlaw biker gang members indicted across nation - Valley 911: "press release issued Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Virginia, announces the indictment of the national president and 26 members/associates of the American Outlaw Association motorcycle gang. Among them is Brett Longendyke, 32, who, the indictment states, is an Outlaws member in the Copper Region and serves as the Manassas/Shenandoah Valley Chapter Enforcer."

As Italian firms fall victim to the recession, Mafia fills the void - Europe, World - The Independent

As Italian firms fall victim to the recession, Mafia fills the void - Europe, World - The Independent: "Italy's feared mobs are taking advantage of the recession by moving from their traditional southern strongholds to buy up legitimate businesses in the country's rich north to launder their vast earnings from cocaine and extortion rackets, anti-mafia judges have told The Independent.
One magistrate said yesterday that mobsters from 'Ndrangheta, Italy's biggest crime syndicate, were investing in respectable businesses from construction firms to pizza restaurants.
Magistrates say that the climate of fear is such that only three of 50 victims of an extortion racket have agreed to appear in court for a major trial next week of 39 suspected mafiosi and their associates. If they appeared, they would be eligible for compensation."

As Italian firms fall victim to the recession, Mafia fills the void - Europe, World - The Independent

As Italian firms fall victim to the recession, Mafia fills the void - Europe, World - The Independent: "Italy's feared mobs are taking advantage of the recession by moving from their traditional southern strongholds to buy up legitimate businesses in the country's rich north to launder their vast earnings from cocaine and extortion rackets, anti-mafia judges have told The Independent.
One magistrate said yesterday that mobsters from 'Ndrangheta, Italy's biggest crime syndicate, were investing in respectable businesses from construction firms to pizza restaurants.
Magistrates say that the climate of fear is such that only three of 50 victims of an extortion racket have agreed to appear in court for a major trial next week of 39 suspected mafiosi and their associates. If they appeared, they would be eligible for compensation."

2 admit plotting to kill fellow Camden gang member | Philadelphia Inquirer | 06/09/2010

2 admit plotting to kill fellow Camden gang member | Philadelphia Inquirer | 06/09/2010: "Two members of Camden's Nine Trey Headbustas street gang admitted in court this week that they plotted to kill a fellow gang member in 2007, authorities said Tuesday.
Juan Vargas, 27, of Philadelphia, and Dionicio Adams, 28, of Camden, pleaded guilty Monday in Superior Court in Camden to conspiring to murder Nathaniel Clay, the state Attorney General's Office said. Investigators learned of the plan and arrested the men before it could be carried out.
Adams said in court that he was 'posted up' outside Clay's home on the 1500 block of Thorn Street in Camden and either had a gun or access to one, according to Peter Aseltine, spokesman for the Attorney General's Office. He planned to shoot Clay as he left the house, Aseltine said."

Gangster Gets Long Prison Sentence - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento

Gangster Gets Long Prison Sentence - Sacramento News Story - KCRA Sacramento: "Woodland gang member has been sentenced to a long prison sentence after a conviction of robbery and attempting to dissuade a witness.
Yolo County Superior Court Judge Timothy Fall on Friday sentenced norteno gang member Anthony Vasquez to 38 years and 8 months to life in state prison.
District Attorney Jeff Reisig's office said Vasquez shot someone on May 5, 2008.
Prosecutors said Vasquez made arrangements to buy marijuana from the victim. When the victim arrived to meet him for the sale, Vasquez got into the back seat of the victim's car.
As the victim began to show the marijuana to Vasquez, Vasquez grabbed the marijuana and shot the victim in the chest from the back seat, the prosecution said."

Bloods Gang Busted in the Bronx - New York News - Runnin' Scared

Bloods Gang Busted in the Bronx - New York News - Runnin' Scared: "Thirty-eight reputed members of the Bloods were indicted in connection with a shooting in the Bronx, racking up an array of charges including attempted murder, assault, conspiracy, drug charges and gun possession. That's pretty much gangs in a nutshell. According to NY1, 32 of the suspects are in custody while the other six are being hunted. Apparently, a Rikers inmate ordered a hit on a 19-year-old male. Caught in the crossfire was a 15-year-old girl walking home from school."

Highway robbers and railway bandits are riding high

Mexico | Highway robbers and railway bandits are riding high in Mexico, pulling off brazen daylight heists and inflicting serious damage on the national economy.

“It’s getting worse and worse every day,” said Luis Alvarez Marcen of the Mexican Insurers Association.

Train robberies occur an average of 4.5 times a day, and parts of Mexico are so rife with truck hijackings that a newspaper labeled them “Bermuda Triangles,” referring to the Atlantic Ocean region where ships and planes supposedly have vanished.

Along some major highways, armed gangs take control of one fully loaded 18-wheeler after another. They unhitch the tractor-trailers and hitch them onto their own cabs, hauling the loot away.

“They can do it in less than two minutes,” said Gustavo Passa, the regional safety and security manager for Ryder System, a global transportation and logistics company with headquarters in suburban Miami.

A highway cargo trade group in Mexico, known by its Spanish initials as Canacar, reported more than 10,000 highway thefts of cargo last year, a 40 percent spike over the previous year. No figures are available yet for 2010.

Using government data, the Mexican Association of Security and Industrial Satellite Companies estimated that losses from cargo theft last year amounted to about $9 billion, or nearly 1 percent of the country’s economic output, said the group’s secretary, Adrian Charansonnet.

One audacious technique of highway robbers is to masquerade as police officers, including fake uniforms and patrol cars.

Mexican groups were active in every region of the US.

Gangs were moving an estimated $40bn (£27bn) in cash back into Mexico across the border each year, it added.
Mexico has long been the main conduit for illicit drugs smuggled into the US but this report suggests that the efforts to halt the flow on both sides of the border have had only a limited impact, the BBC's Richard Lister reports from Washington.
In 2007 the US pledged $1.4bn (£0.9bn) over three years to fight the drugs cartels but the following year heroin production in Mexico rose from 17 to 38 metric tonnes.
This, the report says, led to lower heroin prices and more overdose deaths in the US.

football star Adriano transferred a large sum of money to a notorious drug lord held responsible for the downing of a police helicopter last year.

Brazilian prosecutors said Wednesday there were "strong indications" football star Adriano transferred a large sum of money to a notorious drug lord held responsible for the downing of a police helicopter last year.
State prosecutors said in an emailed statement that after taking a deposition from Adriano, they would now request that a judge give them permission to examine data from the player's bank accounts and telephones.
Prosecutors said they were focusing on the alleged transfer last December of US$33,000 from Adriano to a drug lord wanted by police.
"The Public Ministry considers extremely serious the facts that have made the player a suspect and there are strong indications that he has transferred money to the drug trafficker Fabiano Atanasio da Silva," the prosecutor's note read.
Officials are also looking into conspiracy to sell illegal drugs and the possession of unlawful weapons by organized crime groups as part of the investigation — though there was no indication Adriano was involved in those aspects of the case.
Adriano has denied any wrongdoing. He did not speak to the press after talking with prosecutors. After-hours calls to the office of the attorney who accompanied him to the prosecutor's office were not returned.
Adriano has not been charged with any crimes, and it was not clear what charges he could possibly face.
Late Wednesday, a spokesman for Rio's civil police said they, too, were seeking a deposition from Adriano in connection to the same investigation.

Club owner may yield to police

Club owner may yield to police: "Montreal police contend the club is actually controlled by Richard Goodridge, 41, a convicted criminal with strong ties to street gangs. Police investigators have already testified they have concerns the bar could be the site of an 'imminent reply' to a March 18 shooting that is believed to have been an attempt on the life of Ducarme Joseph, a former street gang leader. Last month, the liquor board agreed to temporarily revoke the club's permit and police are seeking to have it revoked permanently.
Goodridge and Joseph are believed to be enemies. Two people were killed inside Flawnego, Joseph's clothing boutique in Old Montreal, in the March 18 incident.
Courtecuisse informed Daniel Lord and Jean Robert, the two RACJ registrars hearing the case, that Vallera might make a decision that could end the hearing today. This was just as Det.-Sgt. James Paixao, a Montreal police expert on street gangs, was about to testify regarding Goodridge's past. Paixao is considered the key witness in the hearing.
A witness who testified before Paixao told the board that Goodridge was tied to the Hells Angels more than a decade ago, during the biker gang war, a conflict that stretched from 1994 to 2002 and resulted in the deaths of more than 150 people."

The Santa Barbara Independent Family Secrets

The Santa Barbara Independent Family Secrets: "Ruben Mize, on trial for the murder of 16-year-old Lorenzo Carachure.
First, his cousin, Christopher Diaz, took the stand to testify that Mize admitted to stabbing the victim. Then he listened to a tape from a secret wire Diaz — a confidential informant for authorities for some time — wore, on which Mize says he “stuck” the victim in the neck. Mize also seems to indicate on the recording that he participated in another stabbing, as well."

Cops fear club is a target

Cops fear club is a target: "Police fear that someone loyal to Ducarme Joseph, a former street gang leader, will attempt to 'reply' to the March 18 shooting inside a clothing boutique in Old Montreal that left two people dead. They also fear that reply will be carried out at Club Temptation, a scenario that comes with the high risk of innocent victims. Constable Yves Rousseau reiterated that while Joseph, who owns the Flawnego clothing boutique and is currently behind bars, was not injured in the shooting, police believe he was the intended target.
Rousseau stopped short of describing Goodridge as a suspect in the double slaying, but testified that police know of 'a certain amount of animosity' that existed between Joseph and Goodridge at the time of the shooting. Six years ago, the men were allies in a gang called the 67s. But an internal conflict caused Goodridge to leave the gang in 2004."

London Wired News - Fourteen arrested in gang crime crackdown in Manchester

London Wired News - Fourteen arrested in gang crime crackdown in Manchester: "Fourteen people have been arrested and guns seized in police raids targeting gang-related crime in Manchester.
The raids in Longsight and Moss Side follow a violent incident in Selworthy Road, Moss Side, in April, police said.
A group of men threatened each other with machetes and baseball bats in front of residents on 10 April.
The people being held are aged 17 to 31. Eleven were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, two on firearm offences and one on drugs offences.
Two guns were found in a house Barnhill Street, Moss Side, and an air rifle was found in nearby Whitnall Street, police said."

Mass Grave Of Possible Gang Violence Victims Found In Mexico | ChattahBox News Blog

Mass Grave Of Possible Gang Violence Victims Found In Mexico | ChattahBox News Blog: "tip from a man arrested last week has led to the discovery of what appears to be a mass grave of victims of drug violence, in an abandoned silver mine in the Taxco region.
There are between 20 and 25 bodies so far discovered, all thrown down a mineshaft at different times.
A man — who has remained unnamed — was arrested Friday, and gave the tip that led police to the grisly discovery.
The bodies had their arms and feet tied behind their backs, and the cause of death, and whether they were dead prior to the fall from the mineshaft, is unknown."