Crime Correspondent

Susan Brown 33-year-old Canadian woman was denied bail when she appeared in the Arima Magistrates’ Court charged with possession on $1 million cocaine

Susan Brown 33-year-old Canadian woman was denied bail when she appeared in the Arima Magistrates’ Court charged with possession on $1 million cocaine

A 33-year-old Canadian woman was denied bail when she appeared in the Arima Magistrates’ Court charged with possession on $1 million worth o...

Zlatibor hotels, restaurants and resorts are now in the hands of the Mafia

money laundering activities by tycoons and crime bosses have found a home in Zlatibor and similar resort towns. It is a public secret that hotels, restaurants and resorts are now in the hands of the Mafia, even though documents pertaining to the businesses and properties are all in other people's names, the daily writes. This is not only a common occurrence in Zlatibor, but in Subotica, Palić, Vrnjačka Banja, Kopaonik, Novi Sad and Belgrade. However it seems that the highest concentration of “dirty money” can be found in the beautiful mountain resorts of Zlatibor. It is not only Serbian criminals that are working in Zlatibor, but crime bosses from Montenegro and the Republic of Srpska too, the daily writes. “Once upon a time they caused problems. Now they have changed into suits and are acting like businessmen, but they always get their jobs done the old-fashioned way, either illegally or on the edge of the law,” the daily states. In 2007, Milan Stamatović, president of the Čajetina municipality, called on the state institutions to deal with the problem, and for police in the region to receive technical and personnel support because of “the increased presence of the construction mafia and criminals.” <blockquote>“Zlatibor has been occupied by the construction mafia, which is legalizing dirty money through the purchase of property and the construction of buildings, especially apartments,” Stamatović wrote in his letter to the institutions. </blockquote>“Criminals from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina congregate here…They take out their guns in night clubs, consume and sell drugs, and club owners are afraid for their own safety,” he stated.

Zlatibor hotels, restaurants and resorts are now in the hands of the Mafia

money laundering activities by tycoons and crime bosses have found a home in Zlatibor and similar resort towns. It is a public secret that h...

Red Bull Cola traces of cocaine found in it.

Germany is considering a nationwide ban on the high-energy drink Red Bull Cola after traces of cocaine were found in it.Authorities in the s...

Three armed people barged into Air India’s cargo complex adjacent to the domestic airport here and escaped with 145 kg of gold and silver coins worth

In a sensational daylight robbery, at least three armed people barged into Air India’s cargo complex adjacent to the domestic airport here and escaped with 145 kg of gold and silver coins worth millions of rupees, officials said. The criminals armed with guns and revolvers barged into the high security zone at about 11.30 a.m. and attacked security guard S. Bhosle when he attempted to stop them, an Air India spokesperson said.At that time, some officials of Messrs Pidilite Industries were booking six packets of gold and silver coins, weighing 145 kg in all, at the cargo complex. The consignment was bound for Hyderabad.A police official said the company officials were in the process of screening the packets when the armed robbers barged in, threatened the security personnel and fled with four packets.They got into a car and disappeared from the scene of the crime within minutes.“We have put up road blocks all over the city and alerted security staff at all exit points to be on the lookout for the culprits,” the police official said. According to the Air India spokesperson, the injured security guard was admitted to a nearby hospital.

Three armed people barged into Air India’s cargo complex adjacent to the domestic airport here and escaped with 145 kg of gold and silver coins worth

In a sensational daylight robbery, at least three armed people barged into Air India’s cargo complex adjacent to the domestic airport here a...

Murder of 25-year-old James Galloway in Turangi

35-year-old man charged with the murder of 25-year-old James Galloway in Turangi on Saturday has been remanded in custody until next month.T...

Tamar Peebles of Brooklyn pleaded guilty to one count of attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance and one count of bribe receiving

Tamar Peebles of Brooklyn pleaded guilty to one count of attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance and one count of bribe receiving ...

Chris Lewis has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of smuggling cocaine worth £140,000 into Britain.

Chris Lewis has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of smuggling cocaine worth £140,000 into Britain.The former fast bowler, who took 93 wickets for England, hid the drug in fruit and vegetable juice tins stashed in his kit bag.The court was told drug barons used Lewis, 41, as a high-profile “mule”, believing his fame would guarantee his safe passage through customs.The jury at Croydon Crown Court heard how Lewis, who played in 32 Tests for England between 1990 and 1996, hid the drug in liquid form in the tins.He was stopped by customs officers at Gatwick Airport, following what he claimed was an innocent holiday visiting friends and family on the Caribbean island of St Lucia.When opened, the tins were found to contain 100% cocaine.Ex-London Towers basketball player Chad Kirnon, 27, who was co-accused of drug smuggling with Lewis, was also jailed for 13 years.The court heard the pair were stopped independently at the airport just after 5am on December 8 last year.They claimed to be travelling separately, but a Puma cricket bag Lewis was carrying was labelled with Kirnon’s name.Tom Wilkins, prosecuting, insisted the pair had been “acting together” to import the “very valuable consignment” in a “joint enterprise”.The jury was told that Lewis and Kirnon had known each other for two years and bumped into each other in north London last November.The trip was planned over a game of pool and they set out for Gatwick in the same taxi, the jury heard.But they fell out and during the trial they each blamed the other for setting them up.Lewis said: “When the officer said: ‘This isn’t juice, it’s cocaine,’ I thought it must be a mistake.“I’ve never even tried cocaine, I’ve never smuggled cocaine, or any other drug.”Peter Avery, assistant director of criminal investigations for the customs service, said after the case: “We have got the Olympic games coming up in 2012.“And clearly sportsmen and women will be targeted by organised criminal gangs from all over the world with a view to facilitating the importation of drugs into the UK"

Chris Lewis has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of smuggling cocaine worth £140,000 into Britain.

Chris Lewis has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of smuggling cocaine worth £140,000 into Britain.The former fast bowler, w...

Indo-Canadian gang hit Bodies of two men were found in the trunk of an abandoned car in rural Pickering

Bodies of two men were found in the trunk of an abandoned car in rural Pickering, killings with all the hallmarks of a gang hit. The bodies are suspected to be that of Indo-Canadians as a car full of Indo-Canadian men from Brampton paid a visit to the crime scene with one of the men saying in accented English that his brother had been missing for a while and he suspected one of the dead to be the missing man. "Our brother, he's been missing for the last two days, right?" said an Indo-Canadian man, who didn't identify himself. It's not clear yet if the family members are related to either of the dead men, Durham Det. Mitch Martin said. "The act doesn't appear to be random to me," Martin said, trying to calm fears of residents in the rural area. But although it appears the two victims were targeted, Martin didn't elaborate on the killings, saying the investigation is in its early stages. "We're looking for suspects, we don't have anybody in custody," he said. Detectives wouldn't confirm or deny reports the victims were shot and beaten, or comment on a motive in the region's second and third murders of the year But there was "trauma on both bodies," Martin said. The bodies, one of a Peel resident and the other whose hometown hasn't been revealed, were found around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday after an area resident reported a vehicle parked on Rosebank Rd., just north of Taunton Rd. The Ottawa Valley plays a role in the investigation, sources said. Other GTA police and the OPP are assisting in the investigation, Durham Police spokesman Dave Selby said. Traces of blood were found next to the car. Martin wouldn't confirm reports that the car was a rental from Toronto. Autopsies are expected to be performed today on the bodies that were kept in the vehicle as it was taken away for forensic examination.

Indo-Canadian gang hit Bodies of two men were found in the trunk of an abandoned car in rural Pickering

Bodies of two men were found in the trunk of an abandoned car in rural Pickering, killings with all the hallmarks of a gang hit. The bodies ...

Guiseppe Gregory, gunman sprayed bullets into the car he was in as it was being driven out of the car

Guiseppe Gregory, 16, from the Ardwick area of the city, had survived an earlier shooting three years ago.Shortly before midnight on Sunday ...

Gangland criminals will be tried in the same court as terrorists under new laws .

Gangland criminals will be tried in the same court as terrorists under new laws The move is among a raft of measures to be brought in by the end of the year as the Government tackles the country’s gangs. Attorney General Paul Gallagher has approved legislation to go to Cabinet tomorrow, allowing the DPP to prosecute major criminals in the nonjury court. The move is part of a major package of anti-gangland laws, including new 15-year sentences for directing or involvement with a criminal gang. Tougher sentences will also be imposed for those who threaten witnesses. The plans come after 10 gangland murders in Dublin alone this year. Charges have not been brought in relation to any of the killings at this point. It also follows an anti-crime march in Limerick yesterday, led by local businessman Roy Collins, whose son Steve was shot dead last month. It was attended by 5,000 people. The Attorney General's sign-off on the proposed laws indicate constitutional hurdles over the legislation have been overcome. Retired detective superintendent PJ Browne, who policed underworld crime in Dublin's south city, said the judiciary's response to the moves by Brian Cowen's Government will be crucial. He said courts have not always acted in the way expected to by the legislators. "You have to ask will this law be akin to the Drug Trafficking Act, where there is a mandatory 10-year sentence for certain drugs offences, which has never been accepted by the courts," he said. "Instead the judiciary has made its own mind up on the laws." The proposals are separate to the Criminal Justice (Surveillance) Bill, which is currently before the Oireachtas. That law governs the use of phone taps and other secret surveillance procedures against criminals. It will be voted on in the coming weeks and could be in force by the end of the year. The move to try gangland offenses in the three-judge Special Criminal Court has been used in the past by the DPP. Drug boss John Gilligan was tried and convicted on drugs offences, and his associate, Brian Meehan, was also found guilty of murdering journalist Veronica Guerin. The move to prosecute serious offences has been repeatedly called for by commentators, including Herald columnist Gerry O'Carroll. It has been welcomed by law enforcement agencies, but some experts have questioned how it may be implemented by the courts. The Special Criminal Court, at Green Street in Dublin, is usually used to try those suspected of terror offences. Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said that he wanted the same powers available to combat terror organisations to be applied to crime gangs. He said: "These are not decisions that any normal society would take lightly, but particularly in Limerick and in some places in Dublin, there is intimidation of people who have been involved in court case and we have to take cognisance of that." He outlined that internment of suspects was not an option but that more weight would be given to the evidence of gardai. "There is no doubt that the killing of Roy Collins showed clearly that these criminal gangs are willing to kill family members of people who become involved in court cases against them," he said. The Minister also said it is envisaged "that a new offence of directing a criminal gang would be created, along with an offence of involvement in criminal activity in association with a criminal gang, with a maximum penalty of 15 years". Mr Ahern said the aim was that such offences would be tried in the Special Criminal Court and that it would be more difficult for suspects to be awarded bail. There may also be post-release supervision similar to that used for sex offenders. "In essence," he said, "what we're trying to make available is that powers that were available to combating subversives organisations, terrorist organisations that would be similarly applied to criminal gangs."

Gangland criminals will be tried in the same court as terrorists under new laws .

Gangland criminals will be tried in the same court as terrorists under new laws The move is among a raft of measures to be brought in by the...

Haiti is a fragile state where armed gangs can be used to stir up trouble for political reasons

"Haiti is a fragile state where armed gangs can be used to stir up trouble for political reasons and abject poverty fuels discontent." See photos taken by award-winning photojournalist Ron Haviv »Even among the children. In Cité Soleil, a dozen street children start pummeling a young girl. It's not known why. But within seconds word has spread that a fight is on. Hordes of children with matted hair and ragged clothes race to the scene, glad of anything to relieve the monotony of yet another day with nothing to do. Weary parents pull their children away, leaving the shaken girl to escape.This is a far cry from the days when families ran for cover from daily gun battles. A few years ago, Cité Soleil was one of the most dangerous and destitute places on earth -- a shanty town torn apart by a vicious gang war for control of the area. United Nations troops have stabilized the security situation in Haiti, the western world's poorest country, and many gang members are either dead or behind bars. Nevertheless, violence still surrounds the 300,000 residents of Cité Soleil, fueled by hunger and the frustration of trying to survive on less than a dollar a day.I sidestep the brawling children and enter the home of a woman who has suffered more than most. A long-standing resident of Cité Soleil, 83 year old Elevanise Tidor was first caught in gangland crossfire in 1993. In 2004 she stepped into harm's away again when she was shot in the breast and stomach. As she undoes her faded dress to show the scars from her mastectomy, she tells me she was later hit by a car and now can hardly walk. Confined to a sparsely furnished corrugated iron shack, she worries about how her children and grandchildren are going to make ends meet."My body took the bullets, but my family has been hit the hardest," she says. "I can't work or do anything for them. My grandchildren often go to bed crying with hunger."That the victims of violence can suffer for years after the event is well-known, but in Cité Soleil the suffering can last a lifetime.With the help of the ICRC, a group of victims of the violence is aiding fellow sufferers. In 2007, Pierre Wilber founded REVICIS (Regroupement des victimes de Cité Soleil) after gang members beat him up for political reasons. REVICIS has already identified 300 victims and is now trying to get funds for social, psychological and legal help. "There are so many social problems in Cité Soleil that everyone here is a victim," he says. "But we give priority to people visibly scarred by violence, because they have suffered a double blow.Brice Osmer is one of the rare victims who can still work. In April 2005, he was caught in a shoot-out between UN troops and gang members. He was hit three times and lost an arm. Since then he walks the streets selling mobile phone time cards and bags of water."On a good day I earn a dollar, but it's thanks to my wife who sells food from dawn to dusk that my children don't starve."In 2004, at the height of the gang warfare, the Red Cross ensured that people had safe access to water. Previously, they had been risking their lives crossing frontlines to fill up their buckets.Today, the ICRC works with the water board, maintaining and running 53 communal water points across Cité Soleil, turning them on for a couple of hours 20 days a month.Prospere Borgelin works with the ICRC on its water project. He also works with other international organizations to improve living conditions in Ti-Haiti where he lives (Ti-Haiti is Creole for Petit Haiti, or Little Haiti.)Like other community leaders, he has seen the benefits of working closely with the humanitarian agencies and with the Brazilian troops from the U.N. stabilization mission responsible for security in Cité Soleil. "The troops have brought security. Communities are beginning to organize themselves. We see the results in that roads are being built, rubbish collected and sewage removed," he says.At considerable personal risk, Borgelin has helped the U.N. and the Haitian police arrest gang members in his neighborhood and continues to be vigilant.Like many in Cité Soleil, he fears that the U.N. will pull out before the Haitian police are ready to take over and that the streets will again echo to the sound of gunfire."Misery," he says, "breeds violence. And there's still plenty of misery in Cité Soleil."

Haiti is a fragile state where armed gangs can be used to stir up trouble for political reasons

"Haiti is a fragile state where armed gangs can be used to stir up trouble for political reasons and abject poverty fuels discontent....

Peter de la Serpe, who is suspected of involvement in several killings, had been due to give evidence in the trial

Peter de la Serpe, who is suspected of involvement in several killings, had been due to give evidence in the trial of 10 men and one woman c...

Jeff Hajebrahim, 44, and Alan Austin, 55,convicted at Bournemouth Crown Court of conspiracy to import class A drugs.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPNKR317ETfBz0A9d-EvYQ5Khw7zi7OJjWcJ1LmtK6KXw0Mjz5DD_j9psmEOG3nAA3gntIUWo-rIwOQjb7xMTtwgUK3wCCX10yukMYpr42cRMRLGHBy2blDcGapvjWqhaAvNGg2b8NEE/s1600-h/HAJEBRAHIM.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331649893912297698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNPNKR317ETfBz0A9d-EvYQ5Khw7zi7OJjWcJ1LmtK6KXw0Mjz5DD_j9psmEOG3nAA3gntIUWo-rIwOQjb7xMTtwgUK3wCCX10yukMYpr42cRMRLGHBy2blDcGapvjWqhaAvNGg2b8NEE/s400/HAJEBRAHIM.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 289px;" /></a> Gang of drug runners has been jailed for trying to smuggle millions of pounds worth of cocaine through Portsmouth.The five-strong crew picked up the drugs in Spain and then ferried them in to the UK through the city's ferry port.They successfully brought in five loads of cocaine worth several millions of pounds over two years. But on December 11, 2006, customs at Portsmouth stopped the gang's car and found 10kg of cocaine hidden in its fuel tank.Yesterday all five received jail sentences between them totalling 72 years. Judge Harvey Clark QC said: 'Almost every day I see the consequences of cocaine and heroin addiction.'Such addiction wrecks and destroys people's lives.'It causes moral disintegration and untold misery to those involved.'So it is small wonder that the courts show no mercy to those being involved in the importation of these pernicious drugs.'Jeff Hajebrahim, 44, and Alan Austin, 55, were the brains behind the operation.They lived a life of luxury in Brazil while arranging for huge quantities of cocaine to be shipped in to Madrid from South America.The pair – along with Hajebrahim's cousin Poria Abraham, 24, and Ali Tavakolinia, 39 – would then arrange for them to be picked up.They would hide the drugs in the fuel tanks of Vauxhall Corsas and then either drive them up through Europe and in to the UK themselves, or enlist couriers.One courier was Louise Brindle, 33, who was stopped by customs officers as she arrived in Portsmouth.The drugs which were found were examined and had Hajebrahim's fingerprints on them.Further investigations led police to the other three conspirators.Hajebrahim was extradited from Brazil and went on trial with his co-defendants at the start of the year.All five were convicted at Bournemouth Crown Court of conspiracy to import class A drugs.Detective Superintendent Russ Middleton, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: 'It was a complex investigation culminating in a lengthy trial and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and dedication in securing these convictions.'

Jeff Hajebrahim, 44, and Alan Austin, 55,convicted at Bournemouth Crown Court of conspiracy to import class A drugs.

Gang of drug runners has been jailed for trying to smuggle millions of pounds worth of cocaine through Portsmouth.The five-strong crew picke...

Zeta gang leader Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa, one of Mexico's 24 most-wanted drug traffickers arrested

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGK-s49ICeFyoZAL_EwLNbUNk8OoAwIw8Bn6l96E34PjTSHBcshpGqZH16JLvuq0M-9shVL_grkGSqrrhE60sFwgizr02GN3UFwfdNAibOkTw5wg0x6sPfYc22B9BWuhbQtwJVUaI7dTI/s1600-h/saucedo.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330469370814684050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGK-s49ICeFyoZAL_EwLNbUNk8OoAwIw8Bn6l96E34PjTSHBcshpGqZH16JLvuq0M-9shVL_grkGSqrrhE60sFwgizr02GN3UFwfdNAibOkTw5wg0x6sPfYc22B9BWuhbQtwJVUaI7dTI/s400/saucedo.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 145px; height: 232px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIU8HP7jj4hKfagCScBZjGPnuok0vNrrqDL9U2eKviualNSDes2ohqEO-xoC_DaJ7sz2piDZXeXjdfLHL97x6oJsw54Z9ExTGEho9GL7frfD2bl6YoJYEy7VotTffZKIcOvmLl7VqHyQ/s1600-h/sauceda.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330469364166067922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIU8HP7jj4hKfagCScBZjGPnuok0vNrrqDL9U2eKviualNSDes2ohqEO-xoC_DaJ7sz2piDZXeXjdfLHL97x6oJsw54Z9ExTGEho9GL7frfD2bl6YoJYEy7VotTffZKIcOvmLl7VqHyQ/s400/sauceda.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" /></a> Mexican police on Wednesday arrested suspected Zeta gang leader Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa, one of Mexico's 24 most-wanted drug traffickers.Sauceda Gamboa appears on a list of 24 alleged drug traffickers published by prosecutors in March. Authorities have offered rewards of up to $2.1 million for each suspect. Together with a list of 13 lower-ranking drug suspects, the group covers Mexico's most powerful cartel operators.With Sauceda Gamboa's arrest Wednesday at a home in the border city of Matamoros, across the border from Brownsville, Texas, authorities have arrested five of the 37 whose names appeared on the lists.Sauceda Gamboa, 44, was a former investigative police officer who played a founding role in the Gulf cartel starting in 1996, federal police said. <blockquote>"Because of his violent character, he was assigned ... to fight off the (rival) Pacific cartel," said Assistant Public Safety Secretary Gen. Javier del Real Magallanes.</blockquote> The Public Safety Department said the raid on the home was the result of intelligence work and tips.In a reflection of the current swine flu epidemic sweeping Mexico, Sauceda Gamboa was wearing a surgical mask as he was paraded before reporters by police, who also were wearing the masks in addition to the black ski-masks they normally use to hide their identities.Authorities said Wednesday they also seized five rifles and more than 4,500 rounds of ammunition in the raid, and detained a woman believed to be Sauceda Gamboa's wife, along with another man.Sauceda Gamboa helped the Gulf cartel move an average of 10 tons of cocaine and 30 tons of marijuana across the border each month, and briefly headed the gang, police said, although they acknowledged his personal involvement in the operation had declined in recent years.The Zetas are a violent drug gang based in the states along Mexico's Gulf coast, and have been involved in many of the killings that have taken more than 10,650 lives since 2006.

Zeta gang leader Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa, one of Mexico's 24 most-wanted drug traffickers arrested

Mexican police on Wednesday arrested suspected Zeta gang leader Gregorio Sauceda Gamboa, one of Mexico's 24 most-wanted drug traffickers...

Jose Ramirez Jr., 31, was arrested Thursday on a charge of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance

Jose Ramirez Jr., 31, was arrested Thursday on a charge of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 1 over 4 grams and under 200 grams in a drug-free zone, Wichita County court documents showed. Ramirez’s bond was set at $200,000 and he was in the Wichita County Jail Friday.According to the affidavit:Officers with the Wichita Falls Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit and SWAT Team executed a high-risk narcotics search warrant Thursday at 2115 Shepherd. Officers saw Ramirez, who was named in the warrant, leaving and stopped him. The home sits within 1,000 feet of the Wichita Falls High School soccer fields, which makes it a drug-free zone.Police seized 160 grams of cocaine, with a value of $16,000, from the home, a news release from the police department reported. Police also seized more than $800 in cash, two handguns, a shotgun, a 2005 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and a 2002 Chevrolet pickup.The charge is a first-degree felony offense, and a conviction could result in a penalty of five years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, according to police.

Jose Ramirez Jr., 31, was arrested Thursday on a charge of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance

Jose Ramirez Jr., 31, was arrested Thursday on a charge of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 1 over 4 grams an...

Carlton Brown, 51, had been out on licence since October, when officers found two wraps of cocaine in a car he was driving.

Carlton Brown, 51, had been out on licence since October, when officers found two wraps of cocaine in a car he was driving. Brown, who lives at the Stoneham Housing Association in Queens Road, Watford, was pulled over by police in London Road, St Albans, on Tuesday, March 24. After a search of the vehicle, police found just over two grams of the class A drug. Brown admitted it was his and pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine, at St Albans Magistrates Court on Friday. Brown told probation about his arrest and, despite the offence, has not been recalled to serve the remainder of his sentence. In mitigation the court was told Brown, who has a number of drug dealing convictions, had bought three wraps of cocaine out of boredom. After release from prison on previous occasions he has found work as a qualified bus driver, but “this time the work isn't there”. The court was told he lives on benefits in a room at the hostel and had started to “feel quite low” and "bored”. Although a drug dealer, he had never taken cocaine before, but bought three wraps just days before his arrest. He took one, but did not like it and planned to dispose of the other two, which he left in the passenger's side of the car, his defence said. He was going through a difficult time, but was really “trying to do the right things” the magistrates were told. The chairman of the bench said the guidelines recommended a medium level community order or fine for simple possession, which Brown has not been convicted of before. He was ordered to pay £252 in fines and costs. A forfeiture and destruction order was made on the drugs.

Carlton Brown, 51, had been out on licence since October, when officers found two wraps of cocaine in a car he was driving.

Carlton Brown, 51, had been out on licence since October, when officers found two wraps of cocaine in a car he was driving. Brown, who lives...

Yorgo Zero who fled to the UK has been jailed after he was caught dealing crack cocaine and heroin.

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vHX6ESBgBetMny0dzUO8GVtyW-3R6M86Eb9jqsYnXHts21Lm71y40gXzcMJVYDxu5VuXzTAh1AAaOR6cJX7aSJfSFeRkBY7-aQ3vtAvFK7na80xvxrKQ0PUDJorPBhnXy27n8gx2_-k/s1600-h/zero.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329426468147652802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vHX6ESBgBetMny0dzUO8GVtyW-3R6M86Eb9jqsYnXHts21Lm71y40gXzcMJVYDxu5VuXzTAh1AAaOR6cJX7aSJfSFeRkBY7-aQ3vtAvFK7na80xvxrKQ0PUDJorPBhnXy27n8gx2_-k/s400/zero.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" /></a> Yorgo Zero who fled to the UK has been jailed after he was caught dealing crack cocaine and heroin.Undercover police trapped Yorgo Zero, 26, during Operation Grassland – one of the UK's biggest ever operations to snare drug dealers.Zero, who sought refuge here in 2000, was jailed for four-and-a-half years at Leeds Crown Court.Prosecutor, Philip Adams, said undercover police set themselves up in a flat in Eastmoor, Wakefield, as a front for the drug sting operation.The court heard Zero, of Beech Avenue, Wakefield, was involved in selling crack cocaine and heroin to officers posing as users over a period of seven days last June. He met undercover officers at a number of locations to do the deals, including Linton Road at Eastmoor and Westgate in Wakefield city centre.When arrested in a restaurant in Wakefield last December he had 14 wraps of crack cocaine, six wraps of heroin and £773 cash stuffed down his underpants.Zero had admitted a string of charges related to dealing Class A drugs.Jailing him for four-and-a-half years, Judge Kerry Macgill said: "Drug dealers like you are not welcome in this country. It is a matter of discretion for the Home Secretary whether or not you are deported."Operation Grassland has seen sentences of over 100 years handed out to drug dealing criminals.Police arrested 105 people as officers tried to rid the city streets of dealers and drugs in Operation Grasslands.Raids were carried out in Agbrigg, College Grove, Eastmoor, Lupset, Portobello, Horbury and Ossett after officers were given information from members of those communities.So far 78 offenders have been through the courts and have been given jail sentences totalling 109 years.

Yorgo Zero who fled to the UK has been jailed after he was caught dealing crack cocaine and heroin.

Yorgo Zero who fled to the UK has been jailed after he was caught dealing crack cocaine and heroin.Undercover police trapped Yorgo Zero, 26...

Peter Kelly, aged 30, of Woodland Walk, Castlefield, admitted three counts of supplying heroin and cocaine in November.

Peter Kelly, aged 30, of Woodland Walk, Castlefield, admitted three counts of supplying heroin and cocaine in November.

Aaron Kelly, aged 27, of Woodland Walk, Castlefield, admitted five counts of supplying heroin and cocaine in November and December.

Aaron Kelly, aged 27, of Woodland Walk, Castlefield, admitted five counts of supplying heroin and cocaine in November and December.

John Waring, aged 31, of Woodland Walk, Runcorn, admitted three counts of supplying heroin in September.

John Waring, aged 31, of Woodland Walk, Runcorn, admitted three counts of supplying heroin in September.

Darren Hall, aged 24, of Bamford Close, Runcorn, admitted three counts of supplying heroin in September and December.

Darren Hall, aged 24, of Bamford Close, Runcorn, admitted three counts of supplying heroin in September and December.

Paul Cashen, aged 21, of Wavertree, admitted nine counts of supplying heroin and cocaine during October

Paul Cashen, aged 21, of Wavertree, admitted nine counts of supplying heroin and cocaine during October

Roy Taggart, aged 44, of Speke, admitted 11 counts of supplying heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in September and October.

Roy Taggart, aged 44, of Speke, admitted 11 counts of supplying heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine in September and October.

Eamon Tierney, aged 42, ofWindmill Hill, admitted four counts of supplying heroin and cocaine on October 7.

Eamon Tierney, aged 42, ofWindmill Hill, admitted four counts of supplying heroin and cocaine on October 7.

Peter Fortune, aged 22, of Old Sawn, admitted four counts of supplying heroin and cocaine in October.

Peter Fortune, aged 22, of Old Sawn, admitted four counts of supplying heroin and cocaine in October.

Connor Hart, aged 19, from Liverpool, admitted 10 counts of supplying heroin and cocaine between September and November.

Connor Hart, aged 19, from Liverpool, admitted 10 counts of supplying heroin and cocaine between September and November.

Bernard Shaw, aged 44, of Frodsham, admitted 10 counts of supplying heroin and cocaine between October and November.

Bernard Shaw, aged 44, of Frodsham, admitted 10 counts of supplying heroin and cocaine between October and November.

Gary Worsley, aged 47, of Cambridge Street, Widnes, admitted one count of supplying heroin on August 4.

Gary Worsley, aged 47, of Cambridge Street, Widnes, admitted one count of supplying heroin on August 4.

Lisa Wardle, aged 28, of Wavertree, admitted two counts of supplying cocaine and heroin on July 17.

Lisa Wardle, aged 28, of Wavertree, admitted two counts of supplying cocaine and heroin on July 17.

Georgina Grant, aged 46, of Levens Way, Widnes, admitted one count of supplying cocaine on August 13.

Georgina Grant, aged 46, of Levens Way, Widnes, admitted one count of supplying cocaine on August 13.