CRIME ON THE COSTAS is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
Mass protests continue in Egypt - Middle East - Al Jazeera English: "Protesters in the Egyptian capital are holding mass demonstrations, with a new wave of optimism reaching the pro-democracy camp following the release of the detained cyber activist, Wael Ghonim.
As demonstrations seeking an immediate end to Hosni Mubarak's rule enter their 15th day, protesters - set up in makeshift tents in central Cairo's Tahrir [Liberation] Square - are refusing to leave until their demands are met.
In a bid to counter the political challenge, the government offered on Monday a pay rise to public-sector workers, but the pro-democracy camp feels the government has conceded little ground in trying to end the current crisis.
'[The pay rise] doesn't mean anything,' Sherif Zein, a protester at Tahrir Square told Al Jazeera on Tuesday. 'Maybe it will be a short-term release for the workers ... but most of the people will realise what this is, it's just a tablet of asprin, but it's nothing meaningful.'
Zein said protesters had called for mass demonstrations and he believed the crowds of Egyptians would not let them down.
Mubarak's message has thus far clearly stated that he has no plans to leave office until his term is up in September."
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Airliner evacuated in Chile after bomb threat - BusinessWeek: "Chilean authorities evacuated passengers and crew from an Iberia airline flight to Madrid, Spain, following a bomb threat Sunday. Police said later they arrested a Chilean woman in the case.
Authorities said a team from Chile's civil aviation agency searched the airliner and found no explosives.
A police official, Alfred Chiang, said Sunday that investigators arrested a woman who had dropped off a passenger at the terminal. He said police were still trying to determine a motive for the call, which was made minutes before the airliner was to take off."
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Spain stands behind savings banks to stave off crisis: "Spain’s move to stand behind its ailing savings banks has staved off a full-blown financial crisis and saved the eurozone’s third largest deficit country from an immediate further downgrade of its sovereign debt.
The effect has been to strengthen bank balance sheets, helping the country prepare for the next round of European bank stress tests in July. Spain’s credit default swaps, which measure the cost of insuring government debt, rallied from 361 basis points on January 20 to 228bp on Friday morning last week.
The most important factor has been reform and consolidation of the cajas, or savings banks, which have been reduced from 45 to 17 over the past six months, according to the Spanish Treasury. Tough new capital ratios are overseen by the Fondo de Reestructuración Ordenada Bancaria (Frob)."
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Passengers in Spain revolt against overweight baggage fees | abc7news.com: "You may think you're upset about overweight baggage fees, but in Spain, there was revolt.
The discount carrier RyanAir kicked 100 passengers off a flight after they rose up in protest over a baggage fee.
RyanAir put out a statement saying the so-called 'mutiny' began when a student refused to pay for his oversized bag.
Pretty soon scores of passengers came to the student's defense. Police were called, the flight was delayed three hours, and the bag-fee protesters were not allowed back on the plane."
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Spain's salad growers are modern-day slaves, say charities | Business | guardian.co.uk: "The Costa del Sol is famous for its tourists and beaches but just behind them is a hidden world of industrial greenhouses where African migrants work in extreme conditions
The exploitation of tens of thousands of migrants used to grow salad vegetables for British supermarkets has been uncovered by a Guardian investigation into the €2bn-a-year (£1.6bn) hothouse industry in southern Spain.
Charities working with illegal workers during this year's harvest claim the abuses meet the UN's official definition of modern-day slavery, with some workers having their pay withheld for complaining. Conditions appear to have deteriorated further as the collapse of the Spanish property boom has driven thousands of migrants from construction to horticulture to look for work."
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Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy guitar legend, died from suspected heart attack - Northern Ireland, Local & National - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk: "Former Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore died from a suspected heart attack, an initial post-mortem examination has found.
Forensic experts told a court in Spain's Costa del Sol that the Ulster rocker died of natural causes, hours after starting a six-day holiday with a girlfriend.
Last night it emerged his funeral is likely to be held in Brighton, where the 58-year-old had been living, rather than his home city of Belfast.
Moore was found dead in a hotel room during the early hours of Sunday morning"
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Politics - Returned the 18 immigrants intercepted patera in Motril - ADN.es: "The National Police has proceeded this afternoon to return to Morocco of 18 Moroccan immigrants were intercepted in the last small boat that arrived in Motril (Granada) on Friday night.
Police have taken by bus to the immigrants, all male and elderly, and from there to Algeciras to Ceuta in a fast boat and later hand them over to Moroccan authorities at the border, according to Efe reported to police.
Maritime Service Members Civil Guard intercepted on the night of Friday, about 13 miles off the coast of Granada, a small boat and carrying wood in Moroccan immigrants."
Tunisia issues arrest warrant for deposed dictator - Telegraph: "America promised its help in pursuing Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and relatives who have been accused of looting the Tunisian economy over the course of a 23-year dictatorship.
Demonstrators in Tunis had demanded swift action on recovering billions of pounds of lost wealth and many believe that the old guard from Mr Ben Ali's government clinging to positions of power lack the will to pursue those who had fled abroad.
However Mr Ben Ali has fled to Jeddah where he enjoys the protection of the Saudi Arabian royal family, which has a tradition of sheltering deposed dictators from demands for justice.
High level diplomatic interventions pressed the government to demonstrate that it was prepared to promote democracy in the North African state. Mr Ben Ali fled after the country was paralysed by protests following the suicide of a market trader after falling foul of the regime.
Jeffery Feltman, the US assistant secretary of state, visited Tunis to meet the government and opposition, the most senior official to visit since Mr Ben Ali's departure."
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Bargain hunters enjoy stripped down offer - Telegraph: "Under the slogan 'Come in undressed and go out dressed', the company, which has outlets in Spain and Portugal, promised a matching top and lower garment to the first 100 people who appear at selected branchesust dressed in their underwear.
Pedro Soares and Ivan Silva told Lusa News Agency that they were the first to arrive at the Lisbon store at 1am, waiting until 9am when the doors opened and they were entitled to take home an outfit of their choice for free.
“I have a woolly jumper and a pair of trousers, which would have cost €250 (£210). I really like this brand and like this I can take the clothes without paying for them,” said 20 year old Pedro"
Georgian mafia henchman extradited to Spain | Olive Press Newspaper | News Spain: "right-hand man of Georgian mafia boss is being extradited to Spain.
Leon Lann, aka Leonid Kaplan, managed Costa del Sol real estate investments for gang leader Zakhar Kalashov.
Kalashov was sentenced in Spain earlier this year and Lann was recently nabbed in Moscow.
Russian-born mafioso is charged with laundering money from arms trafficking through property investments.
Spanish prosecutors believe Lann invested over 5.5 million euros of Kalashov’s money through Costa del Sol firms Suninvest 2000 and Elvira Invest."
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Strip club assault charge: "Christopher Brian Neilson, 28, has been charged with assaulting Maxwell Chapman about 6am on Tuesday.
CCTV footage showed Mr Chapman being knocked unconscious with an elbow strike to the head before his attacker walked away. He has regained consciousness but remained in intensive care yesterday.
Neilson appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Charged with intentionally and recklessly causing serious injury over the incident outside Showgirls Bar 20 in King Street, in the city, he did not apply for bail.
An out-of-sessions hearing was told he was on bail from Queensland on firearms charges following a raid on December 2 that allegedly netted a pistol, shotgun and ballistic vest.
Neilson said he and his partner were in Melbourne for ''a fresh start''. ''I realise I'm a bit of a monster at the moment …'' he told the bail justice.
He was remanded to reappear in March."
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Euro Weekly News | 1093 days since Amy Fitzpatrick vanished | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "1,093 days since teenager Amy Fitzpatrick vanished into thin air near her home on the Costa del Sol. Amy's disappearance on New Year’s Day, 2008, has left her Irish mother Audrey Fitzpatrick distraught. But despite it being almost three years to the day since she last saw her daughter, she has not given up hope.
Making a fresh call for help from the public to provide information, she says: “It could be residents in the area, it could be anyone who was on holiday in the area at the time, it could be anyone at all,” she says.
“Please keep your ears and eyes open. Please send us any information you have no matter how insignificant it may seem."
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'Drug lord' gets bail: "ALLEGED drug lord Hakan Ayik - one of Australia's most wanted men - has been granted bail by a Turkish Cyprus court despite fleeing capture there before.
Ayik is alleged to be the co-ordinator of a drugs syndicate stretching across several countries and involving the Comanchero bikie gang, corrupt port officials and Chinese Triads.
After leaving Australia earlier this year, Ayik, a dual Turkish and Australian citizen, learnt he was at risk of arrest if he returned, so settled on the Turkish side of Cyprus. That sparked a five-month game of cat-and-mouse, until his capture last week."
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Euro Weekly News | Marbella-based British company named in nation-wide fraud | Costa del Sol | News | The Largest English Language Newspapers in Spain: "GUARDIA CIVIL are investigating a possible fraud which has affected parents with children in schools throughout Spain. A company based in Marbella, Forward Press (Europe) Ltd, organized a short story contest for young writers in schools all over the country.
Diplomas were handed out to the winners. It then offered parents the chance of having their children’s stories published for just €13, something which hundreds agreed to.
They paid via bank transfer or internet and should have received the books in September.
However, so far no books have been published and Guardia Civil are encouraging parents to contact them and report the problem so they can prove the fraud.
The Penal Code establishes that there is no crime if the quantities are less than €400, but if Guardia Civil can prove the fraud was ‘en masse’ something can be done.
Forward Press (Europe) Ltd is the Spanish-based subsidiary of Forward Press Ltd in the UK, a Spanish daily reports."
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Wanted drug trafficker arrested in Calahonda bar | Olive Press Newspaper | News Spain: "TWO British thugs have been snatched by Spanish police.
Dennis Patrick O’Brien of Liverpool, 61, and a 43-year-old Mancunian known by initials K.P.G have been arrested last week on Mijas Costa.
The arrests have been coordinated by Spain’s National Police and UK’s Serious Organised Crime Unit as part of operation Captura.
O’Brien was arrested in Trafalgar Bar at the Calahonda del Sol urbanisation. He’s a key member of the Kelly family from the Garston area of Liverpool and has been on the run for four years.
O’Brien has a pending life sentence for smuggling one and a half tones of cocaine into the UK. He also has charges for ambushing armoured bank vans and has a murder charge for the killing on William Osu in 1982."
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WikiLeaks: How U.S. tried to stop Spain's torture probe | McClatchy: "Don't indict former President George W. Bush's legal brain trust for alleged torture in the treatment of war on terror detainees, warned Mel Martinez on one of his frequent trips to Madrid. Doing so would chill U.S.-Spanish relations.
Rather than a resolution, though, a senior Spanish diplomat gave the former GOP chairman and housing secretary a lesson in Spain's separation of powers. 'The independence of the judiciary and the process must be respected,'' then-acting Foreign Minister Angel Lossada replied on April 15, 2009. Then for emphasis, 'Lossada reiterated to Martinez that the executive branch of government could not close any judicial investigation and urged that this case not affect the overall relationship.''
The case is still open, on the desk of a Spanish magistrate, awaiting a reply from the Obama administration on whether it will pursue a probe of its own."
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PressTV - 'UK behind 2009 Iran assassinations': "terrorists involved in the assassination of three people in the western Iranian city of Marivan last year have confessed that British intelligence services were behind the attack.
The terrorists shot dead the second son of Mamousta Mostafa Shirzadi, Marivan's Friday prayers leader, along with two of his friends on July 5, 2009. The three victims were Sunnis.
Following a month of investigation, Iran's intelligence and police forces arrested several suspects, who, when questioned, confessed to having committed the crime with the help of a British Intelligence agent.
The terrorists told a Tehran Revolutionary Court headed by Justice Abolghasem Salavati on Wednesday that the British agent offered them a significant sum of money as well as British residency permits along with other incentives in exchange for carrying out the terrorist act."
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Net closes on Assange: arrest by British police expected in days - Home News, UK - The Independent: "Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, is expected to be arrested in the coming days after Swedish prosecutors filed a new warrant with British authorities.
The Independent revealed yesterday that a procedural error with the European Arrest Warrant had delayed the arrest of the 39-year-old Australian, who is wanted in Sweden over sexual allegations but has been in England since October.
Police in Gothenburg claim they have now submitted a fresh warrant to the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Soca is expected to instruct Scotland Yard to arrest Mr Assange and have him appear before an extradition hearing – although as of last night the Metropolitan Police had yet to receive the warrant."
More than 200,000 € worth of fake 500 € notes have been found in the room of a Málaga hotel. As if in a Hollywood film the notes were found behind the air conditioning grill in one of the rooms by a worker in the in the city centre.
The room supervisor noted that the grill had been forced and found the notes behind, then calling the National Police.
The notes have been set to Madrid to confirm they are counterfeit, and an investigation has been opened as to who could have left them there. Police think it could have been part of a fraud attempt.
Christopher Kinahan and his two sons, Christy Junior and Daniel walked out of the Albolote Prison in Granada on Friday
María del Carmen Gutiérrez Henares, in Court Number 3 in Estepona authorised the release from prison for his two sons, Christy Junior and Daniel, with bail set at 60,000 € for each one of the three.
Reports indicate that they all left the Albolote prison in Granada on Friday
They have been held on remand since May when the police arrested them as part of an operation, codenamed Shovel, which extended across five countries.
Kinahan has been ordered to present himself to the court every Monday as part of the bail conditions, and has had his passport withdrawn. He is accused of heading a grand network of organised crime, which distributed drugs across Europe and offered money laundering services to other drug dealers.
Intelligence services from five countries took part in the Shovel operation, which saw some 30 arrests in Spain, Ireland and the UK. Most of the arrests were in Marbella, Estepona and Fuengirola. 60 properties worth 150 million € were impounded and the ownership of some 50 others in Brazil is being investigated.
Kinahan is also linked to the February 2008 shooting of a 28 year old in an Estepona urbanisation.
Police consider him to be highly intelligent and say that is why he has managed to appear distant from the criminal activities, although he has been sentenced in Ireland for both drug trafficking and financial crimes. Irish police say he spent his time in jail perfecting his Dutch and Spanish languages.
