NewzIntel.com

Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Parliament condemns Russia’s brutal attacks on Ukrainian civilians

    Source: European Parliament 3

    In a resolution, MEPs strongly condemn Russia’s ongoing war crimes in Ukraine, expressing firm support for the investigations of the International Criminal Court.

    The text, approved on Wednesday by 507 votes in favour, 77 against, and with 45 abstentions, states that Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which was launched in February 2022, has shattered peace and stability in Europe and gravely undermined global security. It underscores that Russia remains the most significant and direct threat to European security. MEPs emphasise that Russia bears sole responsibility for its war of aggression and that there can be no impunity for violations of human rights, war crimes, or other breaches of international law committed by Russian forces and officials. They also express deep outrage at Russia’s brutal attacks on civilians and the indiscriminate targeting of civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, stressing that the systematic and deliberate targeting of civilians and, in particular, the deportation of children may constitute a genocidal strategy orchestrated by Moscow.

    More than 70 000 Ukrainians are missing

    With the human cost of Russia’s war rising day by day, the resolution states that Russia is still committing heinous war crimes against innocent civilians. According to the Ukrainian authorities, approximately 16 000 Ukrainian civilians are currently known to be detained in Russia and the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, although the real figures are likely to be significantly higher. MEPs also highlight that more than 70 000 Ukrainians – including civilians, children, and military personnel – are officially listed as missing. They strongly condemn the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) by Russian forces, which they say constitutes war crimes and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. They also express full support the International Criminal Court’s ongoing investigations into the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia and welcome the recent agreement between the Council of Europe and Ukraine on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

    Russia must be pressured to end its war of aggression

    Saying that all those responsible for war crimes perpetrated in Ukraine must be held accountable, MEPs also urge Russia to agree immediately to implement a comprehensive ‘all-for-all’ exchange of POWs. They believe that in order to pressure Russia to end its war of aggression, beginning with a sustained ceasefire, substantially more effective military, economic, political and diplomatic efforts and measures must be applied by the EU and like-minded partners. They also urge the EU to push ahead with the confiscation of immobilised Russian state assets in order to support Ukraine, saying that the legal pathways to do so are available, and that the lack of action is an inexcusable failure on the part of European governments.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: BaFin warns consumers about the website mega-platz.pro

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) warns consumers about the company MegaPlatz and the services it is offering. BaFin suspects the unknown operators of the website mega-platz.pro of offering consumers financial, investment and cryptoasset services without the required authorisation.

    The content of the website is identical to other platforms that BaFin has previously warned consumers about and that display the same opening sentence: “Upgrade Your Trading With…”.

    BaFin is issuing this information on the basis of section 37 (4) of the German Banking Act (Kreditwesengesetz – KWG) and section 10 (7) of the German Cryptomarkets Supervision Act (Kryptomärkteaufsichtsgesetz).

    Please be aware:

    BaFin, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt – BKA) and the German state criminal police offices (Landeskriminalämter) recommend that consumers seeking to invest money online should exercise the utmost caution and do the necessary research beforehand in order to identify fraud attempts at an early stage.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Oral question – Access to baby formula in Gaza – O-000023/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for oral answer  O-000023/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 142
    Lynn Boylan (The Left), Kathleen Funchion (The Left), Barry Andrews (Renew), Jonas Sjöstedt (The Left), Daniel Attard (S&D), Maria Ohisalo (Verts/ALE), Leoluca Orlando (Verts/ALE), Mélissa Camara (Verts/ALE), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Cecilia Strada (S&D), Mimmo Lucano (The Left), Rudi Kennes (The Left), Irene Montero (The Left), Leila Chaibi (The Left), Nikos Pappas (The Left), Anthony Smith (The Left), Ana Miranda Paz (Verts/ALE), Benedetta Scuderi (Verts/ALE), Saskia Bricmont (Verts/ALE), Jaume Asens Llodrà (Verts/ALE), Catarina Martins (The Left), Manon Aubry (The Left), Maria Walsh (PPE), Merja Kyllönen (The Left), Estrella Galán (The Left), Matjaž Nemec (S&D), Irena Joveva (Renew), Danilo Della Valle (The Left), Thomas Bajada (S&D), Dario Tamburrano (The Left), Gaetano Pedulla’ (The Left), Michael McNamara (Renew), Rima Hassan (The Left), Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (Renew), Carolina Morace (The Left), Evin Incir (S&D), Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (S&D), Hanna Gedin (The Left), Arash Saeidi (The Left), Giuseppe Antoci (The Left), Nina Carberry (PPE), Seán Kelly (PPE), Barry Cowen (Renew)

    Since the start of Israel’s latest blockade of Gaza on 2 March 2025, the humanitarian crisis has worsened to unprecedented levels. According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the entire population of Gaza is facing high levels of acute food insecurity. Between mid-March and mid-July, in the most likely scenario, half of the population of the Gaza Strip (1.11 million people) is expected to face catastrophic conditions (IPC Phase 5), the most severe level in the IPC Acute Food Insecurity scale.

    In recent weeks, it has become clear that the availability of baby formula is severely limited in Gaza and that babies are starving due to the lack of formula and the malnutrition of their mothers, who are unable to breastfeed. Without access to breast milk or formula, babies are starved, leaving them more vulnerable to illness and to organ failure.

    Will the Commission:

    • 1.utilise every mechanism available to force Israel to end its illegal blockade and bombardment of Gaza?
    • 2.develop a specific mechanism to support humanitarian assistance for children and their mothers, including nutritional and child development support?
    • 3.seek to ensure that Israel is held accountable, before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, for its deliberate starvation of children?

    Submitted: 7.7.2025

    Lapses: 8.10.2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – European Union policies insufficient on the prevention of genocide – E-001691/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The ‘Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide’ provided the first international legal definition of genocide and establishes a duty for states to prevent and punish this crime. All Member States are parties to the Genocide Convention.

    All Member States are also Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which includes genocide as one of the core crimes.

    The EU has the strengthening of human rights at its very core, including with regard to genocide and crimes against humanity. This is both an internal and external priority, remaining high on the agenda of the EU’s foreign and security policy.

    The best point of departure is early action. The EU works together with the United Nations and partners around the globe to strengthen the global protection of human rights and address early warning signs that could point to genocidal behaviours.

    Member States are required to criminalise racist or xenophobic acts and public incitement to hatred, including online. The EU’s strategy on combating antisemitism[1] aims to put the EU in the global lead in this area.

    Through its 2020-2027 Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy[2], the EU aims to combat intolerance, harassment, and violence based on ethnic origin, religion or belief.

    To date, the EU has allocated EUR 20 million to the Global Initiative Against Impunity, funding projects tackling impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It includes specific support to the work of the EU Genocide Network.

    This network was established to facilitate cooperation between national authorities of Member States when investigating and prosecuting core international crimes.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-discrimination/racism-and-xenophobia/combating-antisemitism/eu-strategy-combating-antisemitism-and-fostering-jewish-life-2021-2030/about-eu-strategy_en.
    • [2] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-action-plan-human-rights-and-democracy-0_en.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: SARS gets largest chunk of Treasury Budget transfers

    Source: Government of South Africa

    SARS gets largest chunk of Treasury Budget transfers

    National Treasury has been allocated R91.835 billion over the medium-term, with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) receiving the largest component of the transfers.

    Tabling National Treasury’s Budget Vote in Parliament, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said the department’s budget (excluding direct charges) over the medium-term is R91.835 billion, which is an average growth rate of 6.2% from 2024/25 – 2027/28.

    “The largest component is for transfers to SARS, which is allocated R45.760 billion (or 49.8%) of the department’s budget for operations and capital projects over the medium-term.

    “This is an increase of R8 billion of the SARS baseline compared to the 2024 Estimate of Expenditure. Part of this increase is to improve effectiveness in revenue collection by enhancing their ability to collect debt through better systems, increasing staff capacity and modernising their processes to establish e-invoicing for VAT, instant payment systems and upgrades of customs infrastructure,” Godongwana said on Tuesday.

    Last week, National Treasury published monthly debt collection data from SARS for the first time to monitor progress and improve transparency.

    The budget allocation per economic classification over the medium-term is as follows:

    • R3.422 billion on compensation of employees;
    • R6.983 billion on goods and services;
    • R78.554 billion on transfers and subsidies;
    • R89 million on payment of capital assets, and
    • and R2.786 billion on payment for financial assets.

    Sustainable public finances

    National Treasury’s Annual Performance Plan 2025/26 sets out clear and ambitious programmes to realise its goals of job creation, lowering poverty and greater inclusion. 

    “In terms of restoring sustainability and the impact of our public finances, a review of how the government spends money has been central to our policy efforts. To achieve all of our national priorities we need to realise much greater efficiencies on the spending side,” the Minister said.

    As such there are new reviews that government plans to conduct, namely:

    • An audit of ghost workers in the public service using a data-driven approach that links administrative and financial databases to identify bogus and non-existent employees and immediately remove them from the system.
    • An infrastructure conditional grant review. This will assess why provinces and municipalities underspend, why projects are not delivered on time and within budget, and where relevant, why the quality of the deliverables is poor; and
    • A review of the remuneration of executives and board members of public entities. The aim is to develop a standardised framework for all schedule three public entities, based on their mandates, areas of influence, and the complexity of a given organisation.

    Financial Action Task Force grey list

    With South Africa completing all 22 recommended action items outlined by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Minister stressed that the country must continue to strengthen the laws to fight illicit and corrupt financing.

    “Lastly, I am happy to say that our endeavors, not just the National Treasury’s but the government’s as a whole, to remove South Africa from the Financial Action Task Force grey list, are succeeding,” he said.

    South Africa was placed on the FATF grey list due to deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) regime.

    The FATF recently confirmed that South Africa has substantially completed its action plan and warrants an on-site assessment. 

    The on-site assessment will be to verify that the implementation of AML/CFT reforms has begun and is being sustained, and that the necessary political commitment remains in place to sustain implementation in the future.

    The on-site visit will take place before the next FATF Plenary, and, if the outcome of the visit is positive, the FATF will delist South Africa from the greylist at its next Plenary in October 2025. Preparations for the on-site visit have commenced.

    “A General Laws Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorism Financing Bill, to further improve our ability to combat money laundering, terrorism financing and proliferation financing, is being finalised for another round of public comment, and tabling in Parliament in the third quarter of 2025.

    “Similarly, the National Treasury has made substantial progress implementing the State Capture Commission recommendations through multiple concrete actions. SARS investigations have recovered R4.8 billion in unpaid taxes, while professional bodies like the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) have imposed consequence management including disbarment,” the Minister said.

    The Financial Intelligence Centre launched the ‘Enablers Project’ with law enforcement to trace state capture fund flows, and a 10-year ban was imposed on Bain & Co (currently under litigation).

    “Critically, a central register now tracks dismissed officials and those who have resigned during their disciplinary processes across all government spheres,” Godongwana said. – SAnews.gov.za

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Systems Analysis, AI and Big Data: Results of the Scientific Conference at SPbPU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    The XXIX International Scientific and Practical Conference “System Analysis in Design and Management” (SAEC-2025) was held at the Polytechnic University.

    The event was organized by the scientific and pedagogical school “System Analysis in Design and Management” based on the Higher School of Computer Technologies and Information Systems of the Institute of Computer Science and Cybersecurity of SPbPU with the support of the Southern Federal University and the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation.

    The conference was attended by about 300 representatives of universities and research organizations from Russia and 19 foreign countries. 114 reports were presented, in addition to plenary sessions, there were seven scientific sections, two round tables, a discussion track and a visiting session in Taganrog (Southern Federal University).

    The plenary sessions were chaired by Violetta Volkova, professor at the Higher School of Computer Science and Information Technologies, Vladimir Kozlov, professor at the Higher School of Computer Science and Information Technologies, and Svetlana Shchepetova, professor at the Department of Modeling and Systems Analysis at the Financial University.

    On the first day of the conference, its scientific secretary, Associate Professor Svetlana Shirokova read out the opening remarks of the Chairman of the Program Committee, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Igor Kalyaev. Professor Peres Krichtin Fabio Luis, Special Coordinator for International Relations with the Russian Federation, delivered a welcoming speech via video link on behalf of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

    The following people gave reports on global problems of developing the methodology of systems analysis, data dimensionality, spatial planning and design of the environment of the future, system principles of model integration, systems analysis and development of weapons systems, as well as the peculiarities of the development of Russian higher education in modern conditions: President of the Southern Federal University, Academician of the Russian Academy of Education Marina Borovskaya; Head of the Scientific Direction “Mesoeconomics, Microeconomics, Corporate Economics” of the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Scientific Director of the Department of Modeling and Systems Analysis of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Head of the Department of Institutional Economics of the State University of Management, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Georgy Kleiner; Head of the Department of Mathematical Modeling of Nonlinear Processes of the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Full Member of the Academy of Military Sciences; Professor of St. Petersburg State University Vladimir Khalin. The rationale for the need to open the specialty “System Analysis, Management and Information Processing” was presented in the report by Vladimir Kozlov, Violetta Volkova and Associate Professor Artem Efremov.

    At the end of the plenary session, the director of the Center for Technological Support of Education at Moscow Polytechnic University, Ilya Volnov, gave a report entitled “The Method of Analogies and Synthesis of the Sphere Approach.”

    Lively discussions arose in the section “Philosophical, methodological and general theoretical problems of systems theory and systems analysis”. The reports characterizing the current state of the sciences on systems and methods of systems analysis were discussed, including the report of the head of the department of philosophy of information and cognitive processes of the Institute of Philosophy of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Andrei Kolesnikov on arithmotronics; a joint report of professor of the University “Narxoz” (Almaty, Kazakhstan) Mafura Uandykova and professor of the Financial University Svetlana Shchepetova on the problem of interaction between the system and the individual in the era of digitalization; a joint report of professor of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Fabio Luis Peres Krichtin and his colleagues from the Polytechnic School, research laboratories of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the Federal University Fluminense (Niteroi, Brazil).

    On the second day, the following scientific sections were held: “Mathematical Methods and Models of Systems Analysis in Technical and Socio-Economic Systems”, “Information and Cyber-Physical Systems”, “Measuring Information Technologies”, “System Analysis in the Management of Enterprises, Territorial Complexes, Research and Other Organizations”, “Transport Systems”, “System Analysis in the Educational Process and Management of Higher Education”.

    Employees of the SPbPU Digital Engineering School organized two round tables. Under the leadership of Marina Bolsunovskaya, Associate Professor of the Higher School of Computer Science and Information Systems, Head of the Laboratory of Industrial Systems of Stream Data Processing at the SPbPU School, a round table was held on Data Analysis in Complex Technical and Production Systems. Under the leadership of Alexey Gintsyak, Head of the Laboratory of Digital Modeling of Industrial Systems at the SPbPU School of Project Activity and Innovations in Industry, a round table was held on Integration of Methods of Systems Analysis and Artificial Intelligence in Economics and Construction.

    The discussion track on the problem of “Ideology of engineering complex systems in the conditions of increasing chaos of pre-singularity” (the moderator is the methodological director of the National Association of Enterprise Architects, a full member of the RMA Evgeny Zinder) attracted great interest. For example, a student of MIREA – Russian Technological University and junior specialist of the company “Uveon – Cloud Technologies” Nikolay Leonov presented evidence of the usefulness of using the XGBoost method for predicting security incidents in information systems.

    Also giving presentations and participating in discussions were Sergey Vasiliev, a lecturer at the TOP Computer Academy, Roman Khursin, an analyst at Ravelin LLC, Yuri Lyamin, an associate professor at the Department of Applied Informatics and Security at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Elena Romanova, a senior lecturer at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Kirill Skripkin, an associate professor at the Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Maxim Smirnov, a member of the NAAP Council.

    At the final plenary session, Boris Sokolov, Chief Researcher at the St. Petersburg Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, presented a report on the development and use of digital twins of complex objects based on the qualimetry of models and polymodel complexes. Professor Igor Arefyev and Associate Professor Olga Afanasyeva of the St. Petersburg Mining University spoke about the use of artificial intelligence to build cognitive models of weakly structured problems of system analysis. Professor Violetta Volkova, in collaboration with Yuri Cherny, Head of the Center for the Study of Informatics Problems at the Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, prepared a report entitled “A Look at the Problem of Big Data from the Point of View of A. A. Denisov’s Philosophy and Theory of the Information Field.”

    The meeting in Taganrog was devoted to the topic “Cognitive Modeling of Complex Systems and Artificial Intelligence”. There, Zinaida Avdeeva, a senior research fellow at the V. A. Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, expressed an important idea for complex open systems that forecasts should begin with an analysis of the current state of the system, reflected in regulatory documents, and presented a cognitive analysis of the main ones.

    At the end of the conference, its participants proposed organizing a permanent seminar and information portal, where they could continue discussing the development directions of systems sciences, and primarily the problems of target setting, big data and artificial intelligence.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of women and girls.

    The ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, chief justice of the Taliban, had committed the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds against girls, women and other persons non-conforming with the Taliban’s policy on gender, gender identity or expression.

    Since the Islamist Taliban returned to power in 2021 it has clamped down on women’s rights, including limits to schooling, work and general independence in daily life.

    The Taliban condemned the warrants as an example of hostility towards Islam.

    “We neither recognise anything by the name of an international court nor do we consider ourselves bound by it,” the Taliban government’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, added in a statement.

    It is the first time judges of the ICC have issued a warrant on charges of gender persecution.

    “While the Taliban have imposed certain rules and prohibitions on the population as a whole, they have specifically targeted girls and women by reason of their gender, depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms,” the court said.

    The full warrants and details on the specific incidents they are based on remain under seal to protect witnesses and victims, the court said.

    NGOs hailed the warrants and called on the international community to back the ICC’s work.

    “The international community should fully back the ICC in its critical work in Afghanistan and globally, including through concerted efforts to enforce the court’s warrants,” Human Rights Watch International Justice director Liz Evenson, said in a statement.

    The ICC has been under increased criticism from non-member states such as the United States, Israel and Russia.

    Last year the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 on suspicion of deporting children from Ukraine.

    Neither Russia nor Israel is a member of the court and both deny the accusations and reject ICC jurisdiction.

    Last month the United States imposed sanctions on four ICC judges including two who were involved in a ruling that allowed prosecutors to open a formal investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, including alleged crimes committed by American troops.

    The ICC said it was an attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution that provides hope and justice to millions of victims.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government revises traffic-related fees and fixed penalties

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Government announced today (July 9) a proposal to adjust four traffic-related fees, including tunnel tolls, licence fees for electric private cars, the maximum fee level of parking meters, and fixed penalties for traffic offences.

    The spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, “The 2025-26 Budget announced that the Government would focus on reviewing traffic charges and fixed penalties that have not been adjusted for many years. Our overall considerations are to enhance traffic management and maintain public fiscal discipline, reflecting the principles of ‘cost recovery’ and ‘user pays’.”

    To this end, the Government has formulated a total of four legislative amendments:

    (1) Road Tunnels (Government) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2025 – Adjustment of tunnel tolls

    Adopting a science-based approach, the Government has reviewed the tolls for government tunnels and major roads, in the order of priority, adhering to four charging principles: traffic management needs, efficiency first, public transport first, and “user-pays”. After comprehensively considering these four principles and the specific circumstances of each tunnel and major road, it has been decided to propose increasing the tolls for the Aberdeen Tunnel and Shing Mun Tunnels, and to introduce a toll for the use of the Central Kowloon Bypass. The new tolls for the Aberdeen Tunnel and Shing Mun Tunnels will be effective on September 21, 2025, while toll collection for the Central Kowloon Bypass will commence when it is fully commissioned in 2026. The toll scheme is summarised as follows:
     

      Current toll
    (Fixed toll for all vehicles throughout the day)    		 Proposed toll
    (Fixed toll for all vehicles throughout the day)
    Aberdeen Tunnel $5 $8
    Shing Mun Tunnels $5 $8
    Central Kowloon Bypass
    (Yau Ma Tei Section Tunnel)    		 / $8

    The spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, “The tolls for the Aberdeen Tunnel and Shing Mun Tunnels have not been adjusted for 34 years, during which time inflation has exceeded 130 per cent, resulting in operational deficits. The $8 toll is expected to have a minimal impact on traffic, and the adjusted tolls will enable the tunnels to achieve break-even in operations. On the other hand, the Central Kowloon Bypass will alleviate the current traffic congestion on major trunk roads in Kowloon, offering a shorter route with higher speeds, making it highly attractive to drivers. If no toll is charged for the use of the Central Kowloon Bypass, it is expected that its utilisation rate will approach a saturation point shortly after its commissioning. Taking into account the views of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Transport (TP) and the community, and in order to attract more motorists to use the bypass and hence achieve an effective traffic diversion, the Government is proposing an $8 toll. The proposed toll level will effectively divert approximately 20 per cent of the overall traffic from saturated major roads in Kowloon, while reserving about 15 per cent of spare capacity of the Central Kowloon Bypass to accommodate future traffic growth. It will also recover nearly 80 per cent of basic operational costs; and according to the efficiency-first principle, the fees payable by commercial and public transport vehicles will be consistent with the moderate toll charged for smaller private cars.”

    The spokesperson continued, “We have also reviewed other government tunnels and trunk roads in accordance with the four major principles. In summary, taking into account the traffic management needs and traffic flow of other government tunnels and trunk roads, the traffic flow of alternative routes, as well as future transport infrastructure projects related to each route, such as the commissioning of new alternative routes, we recommend maintaining the current tolling arrangements for the time being and reviewing them again at an appropriate time.”

    (2) Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulation 2025 – Rationalising the licence fee structure and levels for electric private cars

    The existing licence fees for electric private cars are charged by vehicle unladen weight, and the licence fees for fuel-propelled private cars are about six times more than that for electric private cars. The Government proposes to revise the annual licence fee structure for electric private cars by charging licence fees based on their rated power. A five-tier licence fee structure for electric private cars based on their rated power will be introduced, and the fee levels will be suitably adjusted, which would take five phases over six years to complete, to align with technological advancements and practices in other regions. The new licence fee structure will take effect from November 1, 2025, and will apply to newly registered electric private cars, while existing electric private cars will be granted a four-month grace period. Details are as follows:
     

    Rated power of electric private cars (kW) Annual licence fee ($)#*
    November 1, 2025, to
    February 28, 2027
    (with a 4-month grace period)    		 March 1, 2027, to
    February 29, 2028    		 March 1, 2028, to
    February 28, 2029    		 March 1, 2029, to
    February 28, 2030    		 March 1, 2030, onwards
    ≤ 75 1,500 1,750 2,000 2,500 3,000
    > 75 – 125 2,000 2,500 3,000 4,000 5,000
    > 125 – 175 2,500 3,500 4,500 5,500 7,000
    > 175 – 225 3,000 4,500 6,000 7,500 9,000
    > 225 5,000 6,500 8,000 9,500 11,000
    # Exclusive of the Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Fund levy (at $114 per vehicle annually).
    * The fee for a licence for four months is 35 per cent of that for an annual licence, plus an additional fee of $30.

    Licence fee concessions will be offered to eligible disabled electric private car owners (see note).

    The spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, “Taking into account the views of the LegCo TP, the adjustment of electric private cars licence fees will be implemented in five phases to provide the public with a longer adaptation period. Upon adjustments, the new annual licence fee levels for electric private cars will still be 25 per cent (fifth tier) to 40 per cent (first tier) lower than the current licence fees for fuel-propelled vehicles, to continue encouraging motorists to switch to electric vehicles and promote environmental protection. According to the current type distribution of licensed electric private cars, 99 per cent of the vehicles fall within the first, second and third tiers, while the proportions of vehicles in the fourth and fifth tiers are only 1 per cent and 0.1 per cent respectively. As electric vehicles become increasingly popular, with a wider range of brands and models available on the market, and given that electric vehicles have lower energy, repair and maintenance costs compared to fuel-propelled vehicles, we expect that electric vehicles will remain appealing to motorists even after the rationalisation of annual licence fee structure and levels.”

    (3) Road Traffic (Parking) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 – Adjustment of parking meter charges

    To optimise the use of limited parking resources, the Government proposes to increase the maximum fee for metered parking from $2 per 15 minutes to $4 per 15 minutes, viz. a maximum fee of $16 per hour to increase the turnover of vehicles using metered parking spaces to meet the short-term parking needs of motorists. The new charges for metered parking spaces will take effect from September 28, 2025. The fees for metered parking spaces for goods vehicles, buses and coaches will be maintained at the existing level.

    (4) Proposed Motion for Resolutions under the Fixed Penalty (Traffic Contraventions) Ordinance (Cap. 237) and the Fixed Penalty (Criminal Proceedings) Ordinance (Cap. 240) – Adjustment of fixed penalties for traffic offences

    To enhance traffic safety and ensure a smooth traffic flow, the Government proposes to increase the fixed penalty for illegal parking from the current $320 to $400 (a 25 per cent increase). The fixed penalties for 19 other traffic offences related to road safety and traffic congestion (details in the Annex) will be increased from the current range of $320 to $1,000 to a new range of $480 to $1,500 (a 50 per cent increase). The penalty amounts for other traffic offences will remain unchanged.

    The spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, “The fixed penalty levels for illegal parking and most of the traffic contraventions have remained unchanged for 31 years, and their deterrent effect may have been offset by inflation during this period. In fact, the fixed penalty levels of traffic contraventions in Hong Kong are much lower than those of various overseas regions. We have observed that the numbers of certain traffic offences continue to trend upwards or remain at a persistently high level. Adjusting the penalty amounts for these traffic offences will help enhance the deterrent effect, thereby safeguarding traffic safety and maintaining smooth traffic flow. At the same time, the Government will strive to increase the supply of parking spaces to meet parking demand as far as possible.”

    The Road Tunnels (Government) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulation 2025, the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulation 2025, and the Road Traffic (Parking) (Amendment) Regulation 2025 will be gazetted on July 18 and tabled at the LegCo on July 23 for negative vetting. As for the penalties for traffic violations under the Schedules to the Fixed Penalty (Traffic Contraventions) Ordinance (Cap. 237) and the Fixed Penalty (Criminal Proceedings) Ordinance (Cap. 240), the LegCo may amend them by resolution under positive vetting. The Secretary for Transport and Logistics will move a motion at the LegCo meeting on July 30 to pass the resolutions. The regulatory details and effective dates are specified in respective amendment regulations and the proposed resolutions, and relevant information is set out in the LegCo brief issued by the Government today.

    Note: No licence fee shall be payable where the rated power of an electric private car owned by an eligible disabled person does not exceed 75 kilowatts. Where the rated power of the electric private car exceeds 75 kilowatts, the annual licence fee payable shall be calculated by the deduction from the prescribed annual licence fee payable in respect of its rated power which does not exceed 75 kilowatts.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ17: Combating online investment scams

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by Professor the Hon Priscilla Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (July 9):

    Question:

         According to the data provided by the Government in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council in June this year, the Police recorded a total of 1 534 cases of online investment scams involving an amount of about $1.02 billion in the first four months of this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (1) given that the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has launched anti-scam publicity and education programmes targeting three common investment scam scenarios, whether the Government has formulated specific measures to support SFC’s anti-scam publicity programmes, so as to raise public vigilance against investment scams; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (2) whether it has plans to strengthen its co-operation with the SFC to update and enhance investor education, so as to ensure that investors can effectively identify and guard against emerging investment risks as well as evolving fraudulent practices and technologies; and

    (3) whether it has devised further strategies or allocated additional resources to extend the impact of the “Don’t be Sucker” anti-scam publicity campaign launched by the SFC, so as to enable more investors to benefit from the campaign and avoid becoming victims of online investment scams; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,

         The Government attaches great importance to investor education, and is committed to supporting the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and its subsidiary, the Investor and Financial Education Council (IFEC), in enhancing the financial literacy of the public through various means and channels. In consultation with the Security Bureau, the SFC and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), my reply to the various parts of the question is as follows.

    (1) and (2) In the first five months of 2025, there were 1 849 cases of online investment scams recorded by the Police, involving about $1.24 billion. The Government accords high priority to investor protection, and strives to combat online investment scams through two main directions, namely promotion and enforcement.

         On promotion, the Government, together with the SFC and the IFEC, has been striving to enhance investors’ anti-financial scam capabilities, raise the public’s knowledge in relevant financial products, and remind investors of the risks associated with digital finance.

         In March 2025, the IFEC in collaboration with various stakeholders organised the “Hong Kong Money Month” with the theme of “Guard against Fraud Thrive with Resilience” to comprehensively promote anti-scam messages by publicising anti-scam information targeting different segments of the community through cross-media promotion. The promotion videos recorded a total of 20.6 million views during the promotion period. In the face of ever-changing technology and evolving fraud tactics, the IFEC has also introduced various anti-financial scam education resources, animated videos, online seminars, etc to educate the public on safeguarding against investment scams including “ramp and dump” schemes, social media investment groups, fraudulent trading apps or investment platforms, impersonation scams, deepfake technology and phishing messages, etc. The IFEC website also features fraud prevention online games and an anti-scam online quiz, enabling the public to gain anti-scam knowledge through engaging and interactive games.

         The IFEC launched Hong Kong’s first digital financial education experiential learning centre, the IFEC FinEd Hub, in March 2024 to offer investment and anti-scam education to a wider audience through immersive and interactive learning experiences. The FinEd Hub features various interactive anti-scam games for visitors to learn how to identify and respond to various financial scams. As of end-June 2025, the FinEd Hub has recorded over 26 500 visits, with the vast majority of visitors indicating that their visit had enhanced their anti-scam knowledge.

         On the other hand, the HKMA has introduced “Money Safe” with banks to provide an extra layer of security to customers’ bank deposits. “Money Safe” enables customers to segregate a portion of their deposits maintained at banks, protecting them from fund outflows through online and other channels. When releasing the protected deposits, customers would need to undertake extra verification process by staff at bank branches. All retail banks will fully implement “Money Safe” by the end of this year.

         As regards enforcement actions against online investment scams, given that most fraud cases in Hong Kong currently involve the use of stooge accounts for receiving funds, targeting such accounts is an effective way to disrupt the fraud value chain. In the first five months of 2025, the Police arrested a total of 3 028 persons in connection with various fraud and money laundering offences, about 70 per cent of whom were holders of stooge accounts. Since the end of 2023, the Police have also applied to the courts to invoke section 27 of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 455) to seek enhanced penalties for cases involving stooge accounts, so as to strengthen deterrence. There have been cases where convicted stooge account holders received sentences increased by more than 30 per cent.

         The Hong Kong Police Force, together with the police authorities of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Malaysia, Maldives, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand, has also conducted the first joint operation under the anti-fraud cross-boundary co-operation platform “FRONTIER+” to jointly combat cross-boundary fraud criminal activity. The operation successfully identified and dismantled multiple cross-boundary fraud syndicates, resulting in the arrest of 1 858 persons and involving 9 268 fraud cases, including investment fraud. In addition, noting the increase in online investment scams at the beginning of 2025, the Hong Kong Police have, over the past few months, held press conferences from time to time and stepped up publicity through various channels to remind the public to remain vigilant.

    (3) The SFC launched a new anti-scam campaign “Don’t be Sucker” in December 2024 to caution the public against common tactics used in fraudulent schemes. An original cartoon character “Shui Yu”, symbolising an impulsive and gullible personality that easily fall prey to investment scams, debuted in the campaign.

         Complementing the SFC’s focused promotion of three common scams that the public should avoid (namely online romance scams, impersonation, and deceptive tips from financial influencers), the SFC has rolled out an original campaign theme song and a music video featuring “Shui Yu”, which has recorded over one million views within about three months since its launch. As of end-June 2025, the SFC has published about 50 posts on the social media platform of “Shui Yu”, which has attracted more than 1 500 followers and over 423 000 views by unique users.

         To further promote anti-scam messages through “Shui Yu”, the SFC has produced “Shui Yu”-themed messaging app stickers to spread anti-scam messages in a light-hearted way. Apart from various online and offline advertisements, the SFC extended the “Don’t be Sucker” anti-scam publicity campaign through MTR station commercials and a TV infotainment programme in May to June 2025, garnering more than 1.6 million views in estimate.

         In fact, the Government has been proactively enhancing public awareness of various kinds of scams. The Police have set up the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre since July 2017 to consolidate the efforts of the Police in combating and preventing scams, and have introduced various initiatives including the 24-hour enquiry hotline “Anti-Scam Helpline 18222”, and the “Upstream Scam Intervention” scheme to actively identify potential scam victims.

         In addition, the Police have introduced an anti-scam mascot “The Little Grape” since June 2020 to explain the latest tactics of scammers and disseminate simple anti-scam messages in a friendly and interactive manner. Various “The Little Grape” anti-scam promotional campaigns have also been organised over the past five years. Thanks to these initiatives and the collective efforts of the community, the annual growth rate of scam cases has significantly decelerated from nearly 90 per cent in 2020 to 11.7 per cent last year, indicating a rise in public awareness of scam prevention.

         Going forward, the Government will continue to support relevant organisations and stakeholders in collaboratively launching targeted promotion activities to raise the anti-scam awareness of the public.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ6: Indecent assault cases on public transport

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is a question by the Hon Lam San-keung and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (July 9):

    Question:

    In recent years, there have been sporadic cases of indecent assault on public transport which arouse public concern. On the other hand, there are views that physical contact between individuals is difficult to be avoided in crowded vehicle compartments and could be mistaken for indecent assault. Moreover, society’s expectations for safety, comfort and mutual respect among passengers on public transport are increasing. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) of the number of indecent assault cases occurred on public transport that the Police received in each of the past five years, and the percentage of these cases out of the total number of cases occurring on public transport; the number of convictions among these indecent assault cases; whether it knows the average time taken by the courts to adjudicate these indecent assault cases; and

    (2) whether it will consider introducing women-only or men-only zones or compartments on public transport mass-carriers (e.g. the MTR and franchised buses); if so, of the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that?

    Reply:

    President,
     
    The Police attach great importance to all cases involving sexual offences and are dedicated to investigating each of them thoroughly, with particular focus on offences taking place on public transport. At present, sexual offences occurred on public transport are mainly indecent assault cases (i.e. offence of indecent assault under the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200)), for which offenders shall be liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 10 years. There are also cases of voyeurism and unlawful recording or observation of intimate parts (commonly known as “upskirt photography”), both of which carry a maximum penalty of five years of imprisonment under the Crimes Ordinance.

    The Police will continue to strengthen patrols by uniformed and plain-clothes officers in relevant areas, and will work closely with public transport operators to jointly combat indecent assault and its related offences on public transport. In parallel, the Police will step up publicity and education efforts to enhance public awareness and encourage members of the public to report crimes.

    In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the reply to the Member’s question is as follows:

    (1) In the past five years, the number of reports received by the Police on sexual offences occurred on public transport/interchanges/transport stations, including offences of indecent assault, voyeurism and unlawful recording or observation of intimate parts under the Crimes Ordinance, accounted for about seven per cent to 21 per cent of all offences occurred on public transport. Please refer to the Annex for details. For the first five months of 2025, the Police received a total of 141 relevant reports, which accounted for about 14 per cent of the total number of offences occurred on public transport/interchanges/transport stations.

    The Government maintains neither a breakdown on the number of convictions of the above sexual offences by place of occurrence nor relevant statistics on the time taken by courts to adjudicate such cases.

    (2) As to whether women-only or men-only zones or compartments shall be introduced on various mass public transport modes (such as MTR and franchised buses), a number of considerations are relevant. The public transport system in Hong Kong carries a total patronage of more than 11 million passenger trips daily, with the MTR and franchised buses being the main travelling means handling over 5 million and 3.7 million passenger trips per day respectively.

    The MTR is one of the railway systems with the most frequent services in the world. In 2024, the heavy rail and light rail operated over 2.71 million trips, with train services reaching about one train in every two minutes during peak hours.

    The MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) has made reference to some overseas experience but assessed that it would not be appropriate to introduce women-only or men-only compartments in the MTR network. At present, during peak hours, the MTR system is generally crowded at platforms (especially at interchange stations), and the MTRCL has to make good use of the space on platform as well as inside train compartment to ease the passenger flow. Introducing dedicated train compartments would affect the management of passenger flow at stations and platforms, as well as the flow of passengers between train compartments. In addition, most of the MTR train compartments are of open design and it is operationally difficult to control passengers to follow the arrangement. Therefore, the MTRCL has no plan at this stage to introduce dedicated train compartments.

    To prevent crimes of indecent assaults in the railway premises, the MTRCL has put up posters at stations to step up the promotion of anti-crime messages on indecent assaults. Passengers are encouraged not to remain silent, and report incidents or crimes of indecent assaults immediately to the Police or station staff.  The MTR station staff are properly trained to assist the Police in combating crimes.  In addition, the MTRCL and the Police hold regular anti-crime meetings to share information about the latest crime trend and intelligence, and to deliberate on specific strategies to combat crimes. The MTRCL also organises publicity activities in collaboration with the Police (including regular anti-crime publicity activities organised annually) so as to raise passengers’ anti-crime awareness.

    In respect of franchised buses, many routes have high occupancy rates during peak hours. As there is limited space in the compartments and passengers board and alight in the same aisle, setting up dedicated areas inside the compartments will affect the passenger-carrying efficiency of buses. In addition, it will be operationally difficult to ensure that passengers follow the arrangements. Franchised bus companies will co-operate with the police to enhance efforts in combating crimes.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police and council achieve positive change in Glenorchy

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Police and council achieve positive change in Glenorchy

    Wednesday, 9 July 2025 – 4:08 pm.

    Tasmania Police and Glenorchy City Council Mayor Sue Hickey have today championed the positive impact high-visibility policing is having in the community.
    At a joint media event in Glenorchy on Wednesday, Inspector Jason Klug and Ms Hickey highlighted recent police data which showed a 16 per cent reduction in total offences in the Glenorchy division over the past 12 months.
    There were 4578 total offences in the 2023-24 financial year, compared with 3848 total offences in the 2024-25 financial year.
    Youth offences in 2023-24 were 928 and fell to 731 in 2024-25, a reduction of 21 per cent.
    Audio and photographs from Wednesday’s media event are available here.
    Inspector Klug said results since the implementation of Taskforce Respect in mid-May had been particularly encouraging.
    “What we’ve seen in regard to calls for police assistance in the CBD is that our calls have reduced by about 40 per cent since the introduction of Taskforce Respect, so these are some really positive figures,” Inspector Klug said.
    “But we’re not going to take our foot off the pedal.
    “We’re going to continue the hard work that we’re doing. We’re going to continue working with our partners across the Glenorchy area to ensure that our community is safe, and feels safe, and enjoys the wonderful public spaces we have.”
    Inspector Klug said community engagement and collaboration with local business and the Glenorchy City Council was key to making a positive change.
    Supporting police, Ms Hickey thanked officers from Taskforce Respect and the wider police service for their work in targeting anti-social behaviour and retail crime in Glenorchy, and backed the continuation of the taskforce.
    Ms Hickey said the council would continue to deliver programs to help reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, including a youth engagement program with additional activities on offer in the school holiday period.
    “Seeing our youth engagement officers and police working directly with young people, whether it’s by having a game of street basketball or just being available for a quiet chat and understanding any issues they may be dealing with, is something I am particularly proud of as Mayor,” she said.
    “Our young people are part of our community too, and they do not deserve to be tarnished by the same brush wielded by a minority of their peers who do the wrong thing.”
    Ms Hickey said council youth engagement staff would be running basketball sessions in the Glenorchy CBD each day of the school holidays, with other school holiday activities available at the Moonah Arts Centre, ranging from beatboxing workshops to art programs.
    These activities can be accessed by visiting the Moonah Arts Centre website – www.moonahartscentre.org.au
    As part of the council’s ongoing collaboration with Tasmania Police, Crime Stoppers and Neighbourhood Watch, a pop-up stall focusing on community safety will be held at Northgate Shopping Centre on Thursday, from 11am to 3pm.
    Attendees will have the opportunity to speak directly with Inspector Klug and Glenorchy Council’s Safe City Lead, Ben Hughes.
    If you need to report a crime, contact police on 131 444 or you can report anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.au
    CAPTIONS:
    Glenorchy City Council Mayor Sue Hickey and Tasmania Police Glenorchy Inspector Jason Klug, with members of Taskforce Respect, working to target anti-social behaviour and retail crime in Glenorchy. (Picture: Tasmania Police)
    Tasmania Police Constable Emily Griggs, from Taskforce Respect, has been working with the community to bring positive change to incidents of retail crime and anti-social behaviour in Glenorchy. (Picture: Tasmania Police)

    MIL OSI News –

  • Latest Red Sea attack on Greek ship kills four crew, wounds two

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A drone and speedboat attack off Yemen killed four seafarers on a Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier, an official with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday, the second incident in a day, following months of calm.

    Traffic in the Red Sea, a key waterway for oil and commodities, has dropped since Yemen’s Houthi militia aligned with Iran began targeting ships in 2023 in what it called solidarity with Palestinians under assault in Israel’s war in Gaza.

    The deaths on the Eternity C, the first involving shipping in the Red Sea since June 2024, take to eight the total of seafarers killed in the Red Sea attacks.

    One more injured crew died on board after the attack, a source with knowledge of the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

    The Houthis have not commented on the Eternity C, but hours earlier claimed responsibility for a strike on another Liberia-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier, the MV Magic Seas, off southwest Yemen on Sunday, saying the vessel sank.

    “After several months of calm, the resumption of deplorable attacks in the Red Sea constitutes a renewed violation of international law and freedom of navigation,” IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said on Tuesday.

    The U.S. State Department condemned the “unprovoked Houthi terror attack on the civilian cargo vessels MV Magic Seas and MV Eternity C”, as demonstrating the threats the Houthis posed to freedom of navigation and regional security.

    Washington “will continue to take necessary action to protect freedom of navigation and commercial shipping,” it added in a statement.

    The Eternity C’s operator, Cosmoship Management, was not immediately available to comment.

    Eternity C, with 21 Philippine nationals and a Russian making up a crew of 22, was adrift and listing after the attack with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from manned speed boats, maritime security sources told Reuters.

    Greece was in diplomatic talks with Saudi Arabia over the incident, sources said, as two maritime security firms, including Greece-based Diaplous, prepared to mount a rescue mission for the crew trapped on Eternity C.

    An official with Aspides, the European Union’s mission assigned to help protect Red Sea shipping, also said at least two other crew were injured. Earlier, Liberia’s shipping delegation told a U.N. meeting that two crew were killed.

    The Houthis released a video they said depicted their attack on the Magic Seas, including the Mayday call, explosions, and the vessel’s ultimate submersion. Reuters could not independently verify the footage.

    The vessel’s manager said the information about the sinking could not be verified.

    But Joshua Hutchinson, managing director of maritime security firm Ambrey, told Reuters it had a response vessel in the area and confirmed the Magic Seas had gone down.

    All crew on the Magic Seas were rescued by a passing merchant vessel and arrived safely in Djibouti on Monday, Djibouti authorities said.

    Since November 2023, the Houthis have disrupted commerce by launching hundreds of drones and missiles at vessels in the Red Sea, saying they were targeting ships linked to Israel.

    While the Houthis struck a ceasefire with Washington in May, the militia has vowed to keep attacking ships it says are connected with Israel.

    “Just as Liberia was processing the shock and grief of the attack against Magic Seas, we received a report that Eternity C again has been attacked … causing the death of two seafarers,” Liberia’s delegation told a session of the International Maritime Organization.

    ‘ELEVATED RISKS’

    Both vessels attacked were part of commercial fleets whose sister vessels have called at Israeli ports over the past year.

    “The pause in Houthi activity did not necessarily indicate a change in underlying intent,” said Ellie Shafik, head of intelligence with the Britain-based maritime risk management company Vanguard Tech.

    “As long as the conflict in Gaza persists, vessels with affiliations, both perceived and actual, will continue to face elevated risks.”

    The Philippines has urged its seafarers, who form one of the world’s largest groups of merchant mariners, to exercise their right to refuse to sail in “high-risk, war-like” areas, including the Red Sea after the latest strikes, its department of migrant workers said.

    Shipping traffic through the region has shrunk about half from normal levels since the first Houthi attacks in 2023, said Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer with shipping association BIMCO.

    “This reduction in traffic has persisted due to the ongoing unpredictability of the security situation,” Larsen said. “As such, BIMCO does not anticipate the recent attacks will significantly alter current shipping patterns.”

    Monday’s attack on Eternity C, 50 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s port of Hodeidah, was the second on merchant vessels in the region since November 2024, an official at Aspides said.

    On Monday, Israel’s military said it had struck Houthi targets at three Yemeni ports and a power plant, in its first attack on Yemen in a month.

    The Houthis say their attacks are an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza where Israel’s military assault since late 2023 has killed more than 57,000 people, Gaza authorities say.

    The Israeli assault has unleashed a hunger crisis, internally displaced the entire population of Gaza and spurred accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court.

    Israel denies the accusations.

    The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered in October 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, Israeli tallies show.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Massive cocaine seizure: Frontex supports crackdown on sea smuggling

    Source: Frontex

    More than 3 tons of cocaine have been stopped from reaching Europe’s streets thanks to a large-scale international operation targeting maritime drug smuggling. Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, played a central role in co-leading the action, which ran throughout June.

    Operation White Sea V focused on smuggling routes in the Atlantic, the North Sea, and the English Channel. It brought together forces from 12 countries, including Belgium, France, Spain, and the United Kingdom, along with Frontex, Europol, and MAOC-N.

    • 3.3 tons of cocaine seized
    • 951 ships tracked
    • 119 ships inspected
    • 13 arrests

    One of the biggest hauls came on 23 June, when Belgian authorities found 647 kg of cocaine hidden deep inside a tanker from Brazil docked in Zeebrugge. Five crew members were arrested and remain in custody.

    Frontex provided real-time ship tracking, aerial surveillance flights, and deployed six cross-border crime officers to support boarding and inspection teams on the ground, including during the Zeebrugge operational period.

    Operation White Sea V, which took place in the month of June, reflects a growing trend of traffickers using the sea to smuggle large quantities of cocaine. Frontex remains fully committed to supporting Member States in disrupting organized crime and keeping European borders secure.

    Frontex played a key part in the operation by tracking nearly 1 000 ships and providing the tools needed to support national teams. We sent six of our experts to assist with inspections on the ground, including the one that led to the major  seizure in Zeebrugge.

    We also contributed from the air, coordinating 12 surveillance flights over key sea routes. These flights, which covered nearly 25 hours in total, helped spot suspicious activity and guide enforcement teams.

    The operation highlights a worrying trend in sea-based cocaine smuggling. Frontex will continue working closely with national authorities to fight organized crime and protect Europe’s borders.

    The European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) tackles the most important threats posed by organized and serious international crime affecting the EU. EMPACT strengthens intelligence, strategic and operational cooperation between national authorities, EU institutions and bodies, and international partners. EMPACT runs in four-year cycles focusing on common EU crime priorities.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Grigorenko: Roskomnadzor blocked over 44 thousand fraudulent sites last year

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Dmitry Grigorenko at a working meeting at Roskomnadzor

    July 8, 2025

    Working meeting at Roskomnadzor

    July 8, 2025

    Dmitry Grigorenko at a working meeting at Roskomnadzor

    July 8, 2025

    Dmitry Grigorenko and Minister of Communications and Mass Media Maxim Shadayev at a working meeting at Roskomnadzor

    July 8, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Grigorenko at a working meeting at Roskomnadzor

    Roskomnadzor is actively involved in the Government’s systematic work to protect citizens from fraudsters. This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko during a working meeting at Roskomnadzor.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the department has a number of information systems that can identify and block fraudulent websites and calls. In 2024 alone, more than 44,000 fraudulent resources used to steal personal data and financial resources were blocked. Roskomnadzor’s system processes over 455 million calls daily, of which about 1.2 million are calls with a spoofed number. Fraudsters use such numbers to deceive users.

    The agency is also taking part in the discussion of the second package of measures to combat fraud. Among the measures is the creation and implementation of a service based on artificial intelligence that will identify suspicious calls and warn citizens about telephone scammers.

    Dmitry Grigorenko recalled that at the beginning of this year, a government package of measures was adopted, including 30 initiatives to protect citizens from cybercriminals. It has already entered into force. In particular, a ban was introduced on the use of instant messengers for employees of government agencies, banks and telecom operators when interacting with clients. In addition, messages with access codes to government services are now blocked if the subscriber is talking on the phone when sending such a message.

    A law on criminal liability for droppers – individuals who provide their bank cards or e-wallets for the transfer of illegal funds – has also come into force. Criminal liability will only apply to those who knowingly received a reward for transferring details to criminals. The fact of payment is the key evidence of intent. Those who transferred the data for free (for example, out of ignorance or under pressure) will not be punished.

    “The government is systematically working to improve the level of security for citizens in the digital environment, and Roskomnadzor plays a significant role in it. The agency promptly identifies and blocks fraudsters’ schemes. Last year alone, more than 44,000 fraudulent websites were blocked, and Roskomnadzor stops over a million suspicious calls every day. Now, together with Roskomnadzor and other interested agencies, we are working on additional measures to combat fraudsters on the Internet,” said Dmitry Grigorenko.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE training on arms control enhances border security in Turkmenistan

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE training on arms control enhances border security in Turkmenistan

    Opening of an OSCE-organized training course on Combatting Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), Conventional Ammunition (CA) and Explosives, Ashgabat, 4 July 2025, OSCE (OSCE) Photo details

    An OSCE-organized training course on Combatting Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), Conventional Ammunition (CA) and Explosives took place from 1 to 4 July 2025 in Ashgabat.
    The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, in close co-operation with the Conflict Prevention Centre/Forum for Security Co-operation of the OSCE Secretariat, organized the course to strengthen the existing institutional capacities of border, customs, police and other law enforcement bodies in the area of combating illicit trafficking of SALW, CA and Explosives.
    The training course presented the Frontex Handbook on Firearms and shared European and international good practices and experiences in the fight against illicit trafficking of SALW, ammunition and explosives at the borders. In addition, this course offered comprehensive training in SALW/CA identification, documentation, post-seizure record-keeping and tracing, focusing on the target groups.
    In his address at the opening of the training course, William Leaf, Acting Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, said: “As the largest regional security organization in the world, representing one billion people, the OSCE supports all 57 participating States in their efforts to improve comprehensive security through a number of OSCE commitments related to border security and management.”
    “Illicit trafficking and uncontrolled spread of SALW, ammunition, and explosives—pose threats across the OSCE region, and the OSCE works with the Organization’s 57 participating States to mitigate these risks,” stressed Leaf.
    “As frontline defenders, border and customs officers play a key role in identifying and preventing such threats,” he added.
    The course was delivered by international experts from the German Bundeswehr Verification Centre (BwVC), Interpol, and Forum for Security Co-operation of the OSCE Secretariat.  Applying concrete example-based exercises, the experts involved trainees in practical exercises that were carefully tailored to control measures at the border crossing points and enhance co-operation between various services at the borders, in particular between border police/ guards and customs.
    The training course was organized within the framework of the Centre’s extrabudgetary project “Strengthening State Border Service Capacities of Turkmenistan” and financially supported by the Government of Germany. The training efforts reflect the OSCE’s commitment to significantly supporting the fight against the proliferation of illicit firearms and related threats.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Afghanistan: ICC’s arrest warrants against Taliban leaders is an important step towards justice for Afghan women, girls and LGBTQI persons – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    Responding to the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the Taliban Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the Taliban Chief Justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, for their suspected responsibility for the crime against humanity of gender persecution in Afghanistan, Agnès Callamard, Secretary General at Amnesty International, reiterates:

    “The announcement is an important development that gives hope, inside and outside the country to Afghan women, girls, as well as those persecuted on the basis of gender identity or expression, such as members of the LGBTQI community. This is a crucial step to hold accountable all those allegedly responsible for the gender-based deprivation of fundamental rights to education, to free movement and free expression, to private and family life, to free assembly, and to physical integrity and autonomy.

    “Amnesty International also calls on the international community to recognize gender apartheid as a crime under international law in order to strengthen efforts to combat institutionalized regimes of systematic oppression and domination imposed on the grounds of gender.”

    Background  

    On 8 July 2025, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “the Court”) has issued, in the context of the Situation of Afghanistan, warrants of arrest for Mr Haibatullah Akhundzada, Supreme Leader of the Taliban, and Mr Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the Taliban, who have exercised de facto authority in Afghanistan at least from 15 August 2021.

    In 2023, Amnesty International published its report, The Taliban’s war on women, on the crime against humanity of gender persecution against women and girls in Afghanistan. The 2022 report, Death in Slow Motion: Women and Girls Under Taliban Rule,also documented the Taliban’s widespread, systematic, and intentional attacks on the rights of women, together with the use of torture and other ill-treatment and enforced disappearance. The discriminatory restrictions on the rights of women and girls affect all spheres of their lives, and they are institutionalized through the Taliban’s policies, decisions, and laws.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Aggravated robbery – Rapid Creek

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    NT Police are calling for information in relation to an aggravated robbery that occurred in Rapid Creek early this morning.

    Around 2:15am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of a stolen motor vehicle on Aralia Street. It is alleged that when the victim was exiting his parked car, he was approached by a male who was armed with a knife and demanding his vehicle keys.

    The victim subsequently surrendered his keys, and the alleged offender entered the victim’s Mitsubishi X-Trail and fled the scene. The victim observed multiple other unknown individuals enter the vehicle a short distance away.

    Police attended and patrols of the area were conducted; however, the stolen vehicle and offenders remain outstanding.

    Crime have carriage and investigations are ongoing.

    Police urge anyone with information or CCTV in the area to make contact on 131 444. Please quote reference number P25183138. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lummi Nation member indicted for assault by strangulation of ex-partner

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – A 48-year-old member of the Lummi Nation was arraigned in federal court today on an indictment charging him with assault by strangulation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Marc Cagey Oreiro entered a plea of not guilty. Trial is scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Lauren King on August 25, 2025.

    According to records filed in the case, on May 23, 2025, Oreiro assaulted the victim in the master bedroom of a home on Lummi Nation tribal land. Oreiro pushed the victim onto the bed and alternated strangling her with his hands and forearm causing the victim to experience difficulty breathing. While she was pinned to the bed, Oreiro hit her multiple times, punching her in the head, back, stomach, side, and ear. He struck her in the ribs with his knee and knelt on her chest and repeatedly threatened to kill her.

    Lummi Police officers arrived at the door after a housemate called police. After searching the home, police arrested Oreiro who physically fought with officers. The victim was found crying in the master bedroom closet where Oreiro had ordered her to hide from police. The victim was transported by medics for treatment of her injuries. She had bruises on her face, ears, and bruising and abrasions on her neck.

    Oreiro was originally charged in tribal court. Following the initial FBI investigation, Oreiro was charged by criminal complaint, and on June 25, 2025, the grand jury returned an indictment.

    Assault by strangulation is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00.

    The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI Safe Trails Task Force and the Lummi Nation Police.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee. Ms. Lee serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: RGV man sent to prison after using girlfriend and minor to pass through checkpoint with illegal alien

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 42-year-old resident of Rio Grande City has been ordered to federal prison for unlawfully transporting an illegal alien, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Jason Al Venecia pleaded guilty March 26.

    U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Venecia to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Venecia took his girlfriend and her minor daughter with him to smuggle the illegal alien to facilitate passage through the checkpoint.

    On Jan. 2, Venecia approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint in a Cadillac SRX. Authorities noticed two adult males in the front and an adult and minor female in the backseat. During initial inspection, the front male passenger admitted to being in the United States illegally.

    He was from Mexico with no authority to be in the United States.

    Law enforcement found multiple proof of life videos in Venecia’s cell phone from illegal aliens after they had crossed the Rio Grande River. There were text messages telling Venecia he would be paid $1,250 when the illegal aliens made it to their next destination.

    While on bond awaiting sentencing, Venecia was caught assisting his girlfriend during her own attempt to smuggle illegal aliens further into the United States. His bond was subsequently revoked and ordered into custody where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Venecia’s girlfriend has since pleaded guilty to her separate case prosecuted in the McAllen Division.

    Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Pruitt prosecuted the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Harlingen man imprisoned for possession of child sexual abuse material

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 47 year-old Harlingen man has been sentenced for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Rico Deangelo Longoria pleaded guilty April 1.

    U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. considered information in several victim impact statements and ordered Longoria to serve 121 months in federal prison. He was further ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Additionally, he was ordered to pay $60,500 in restitution to the victims of the offense.

    During the sentencing, the court emphasized the seriousness of the offense. Judge Rodriguez read excerpts from victim impact statements indicating documented abuse in the material found in Longoria’s possession which highlighted enduring trauma and lifelong consequences inflicted on them. The court noted the mere possession and viewing of such material perpetuates their suffering.

    “Viewing or possessing child pornography is not some private, harmless activity,” said Ganjei. “The minor victims are repeatedly traumatized by the dissemination and viewing of the recording of the most horrific moments of their lives. This sentence sends a message that this conduct will be met forcefully in the Southern District of Texas.”

    Authorities had discovered a computer associated with a specific IP address in Harlingen engaging in downloading and distributing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In February, they executed a federal search warrant of his residence and located a phone hidden inside the water tank of a toilet.

    Forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of 337 images and 47 videos of CSAM. The files included images of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

    Longoria will continue in custody following the sentencing where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    FBI conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Charged with Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man has been charged for engaging in a scheme to defraud multiple lenders by using the personally identifiable information of a Hudson County man to submit fraudulent loan applications to obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Humza Khan, 28, of New York, New York, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Khan appeared on July 2, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    Around December 2020, Khan submitted loan applications to secure a $150,000 accounts receivable finance loan on behalf of a Florida-based specialty pharmacy in which Khan had a financial interest. Khan used the personal information of an elderly individual who lived in Hudson County, New Jersey—including their name and social security number—in the loan application without permission, in order to conceal that Khan was receiving the loan proceeds.  Based on those fraudulent misrepresentations, the victim lenders provided Khan with approximately $150,000. 

    The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The aggravated identity theft count carries an additional consecutive mandatory minimum term of two years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; and special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation leading to the charges.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney George Brandley of the Health Care Fraud and Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.

    The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

                                                     ###

    Defense counsel:  Zach Intrater, Esq. and Daniela Manzi, Esq.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: South Bay CEO Sentenced For Employment Tax Crimes

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN JOSE – A California man was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for a decade-long scheme to avoid paying over employment taxes to the IRS.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: John Comeau, of Santa Clara, was the CEO of Vivid Inc., a company that provided metal coating services to industrial customers in California and elsewhere. Vivid Inc. employed as many as 40 employees at any given time.

    Comeau was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees and then paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.

    From the first quarter of 2010 through the fourth quarter of 2019, Vivid Inc. paid its employee a total of over $8.8 million in wages. During this period, Comeau collected and withheld taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees but did not pay over all the taxes owed to the IRS. He also caused false quarterly employment tax returns to be filed with the IRS, underreporting Vivid’s wages by more than $5 million.

    To conceal his scheme, Comeau caused accurate tax forms to be issued to certain employees. These tax forms reported higher wages than the amounts Vivid had reported to the IRS. Comeau also issued tax forms, such as Wage and Tax Statement, Form W-2, to other Vivid employees that underreported their wages. When an employer underreports wages paid to their employees, it may negatively impact those employees’ Social Security benefits, as those forms are used by the Social Security Administration to compute benefits owed to an employee.

    Instead of paying his taxes, Comeau used some of the funds to maintain a comfortable lifestyle that included a $3 million home and luxury cars.

    In total, Comeau caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $1.1 million.

    In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts ordered Comeau to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,153,948 in restitution to the IRS.

    United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen made the announcement.

    IRS-CI investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilham Hosseini and Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Murder Suspects Arrested in Memphis by U.S. Marshals

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Memphis, TN – The U.S. Marshals (USMS) Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force (TRVFTF) arrested 1st degree murder suspect Kemarion Ward, age 19, in Memphis, Tennessee today. In an unrelated case they also arrested Thaddius Brown, age 29, for Murder 2.

    On December 10, 2023, Germaniee Stephens was found shot to death in Indianola, Mississippi. Sunflower County, Mississippi, issued an arrest warrant for Kemarion Ward on January 24, 2024, for this crime. The fugitive investigation was adopted on February 9, 2024, by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, Oxford, Mississippi office.

    It came to light that Ward was in the Memphis, Tennessee area. The Gulf Coast Task Force immediately began working with the U.S. Marshals Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force. The Two Rivers Task Force went to a residence in the 3100 block of Duke Ellington Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. Ward was found there and taken into custody without incident. At the time of this release, he is at the Shelby County Detention Center awaiting extradition.

    The U.S. Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force based out of Brooklyn, New York, began a fugitive investigation on Thaddius Brown on June 24, 2025. Brown was wanted by New York for Murder 2. When the investigation revealed that Brown had fled to the Memphis area, investigators with the New York/New Jersey Task Force traveled to Memphis and joined hands with the Two Rivers Task Force to locate the fugitive.

    Approximately one hour after Ward was taken into custody, members of the Two Rivers Task Force located Brown at a residence at the 6400 block of Crossbrook. He was taken into custody without incident and at the time of this release awaits extradition at the Shelby County Detention Center back to New York City.

    The U.S. Marshals Service Two Rivers Violent Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force within Western Tennessee. The TRVFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Gibson County Sheriff’s Deputies, Memphis and Jackson Police Officers, Tennessee Department of Correction Special Agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Since 2021, the TRVFTF has captured over 3,000 violent offenders and sexual predators.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maryland Couple Sentenced for $20M Insurance Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State of California

    A Maryland husband and wife were sentenced today to 12 years in prison and four years in prison, respectively, after their convictions for a scheme to commit insurance fraud.

    The following is according to court documents and evidence presented at trial: James and Maureen Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 40 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth, and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. The Wilsons also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that Wilson used to pay premiums on fraudulently obtained life insurance policies.

    To conceal the fraud, the Wilsons transferred the money they made from the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. The Wilsons filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which did not report as income or pay tax on the approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively, they made from the fraud.

    In addition to their prison sentences, Judge Deborah K. Chasanow for the District of Maryland ordered both Wilsons to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $16 million in restitution to victims of the insurance fraud scheme and $2.7 million in restitution to the United States. She also ordered the Wilsons to forfeit approximately $14.8 million in seized funds.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of The Attorney General.

    Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorney Stephanie Williamson of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maryland Couple Sentenced for $20M Insurance Fraud Scheme

    Source: US State of California

    A Maryland husband and wife were sentenced today to 12 years in prison and four years in prison, respectively, after their convictions for a scheme to commit insurance fraud.

    The following is according to court documents and evidence presented at trial: James and Maureen Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 40 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth, and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. The Wilsons also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that Wilson used to pay premiums on fraudulently obtained life insurance policies.

    To conceal the fraud, the Wilsons transferred the money they made from the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. The Wilsons filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which did not report as income or pay tax on the approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively, they made from the fraud.

    In addition to their prison sentences, Judge Deborah K. Chasanow for the District of Maryland ordered both Wilsons to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $16 million in restitution to victims of the insurance fraud scheme and $2.7 million in restitution to the United States. She also ordered the Wilsons to forfeit approximately $14.8 million in seized funds.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of The Attorney General.

    Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorney Stephanie Williamson of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Couple Sentenced for $20M Insurance Fraud Scheme

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A Maryland husband and wife were sentenced today to 12 years in prison and four years in prison, respectively, after their convictions for a scheme to commit insurance fraud.

    The following is according to court documents and evidence presented at trial: James and Maureen Wilson, of Owings Mills, conspired to defraud insurance companies by obtaining over 40 life insurance policies for applicants by mispresenting their health, wealth, and existing life insurance coverage. The total death benefits from these policies exceeded $20 million. The Wilsons also conspired to defraud individual investors to obtain funds that Wilson used to pay premiums on fraudulently obtained life insurance policies.

    To conceal the fraud, the Wilsons transferred the money they made from the fraud through multiple bank accounts, including accounts in the name of trusts. The Wilsons filed false individual income tax returns for 2018 and 2019, which did not report as income or pay tax on the approximately $5.7 million and $2 million, respectively, they made from the fraud.

    In addition to their prison sentences, Judge Deborah K. Chasanow for the District of Maryland ordered both Wilsons to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $16 million in restitution to victims of the insurance fraud scheme and $2.7 million in restitution to the United States. She also ordered the Wilsons to forfeit approximately $14.8 million in seized funds.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of The Attorney General.

    Trial Attorneys Shawn Noud and Richard Kelley of the Tax Division, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Phelps and Philip Motsay for the District of Maryland, and Trial Attorney Stephanie Williamson of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: OmegaPro Founder and Promoter Charged for Running Global $650M Foreign Exchange and Crypto Investment Scam

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Puerto Rico charging two men for their alleged roles in operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international investment scheme that defrauded victim investors of over $650 million.

    According to court documents, Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, was a founder, strategic consultant, and promoter of OmegaPro, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, led OmegaPro’s operations in Latin America and parts of the United States, including Puerto Rico.

    “As alleged, the defendants preyed upon vulnerable individuals in the U.S. and abroad, defrauding them of over $650 million by making false promises of substantial returns and that their money was safe,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to prosecuting these bad actors and pursuing justice for their many victims. Thanks to the dedicated work of our multiagency and international law enforcement partners, we are leading efforts to combat these complex and insidious digital asset investor scams.”  

    “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants operated a global fraud scheme through OmegaPro that deceived investors with false promises of extraordinary returns, only to misappropriate hundreds of millions of victim funds,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain committed to dismantling international financial schemes that target U.S. victims — including here in Puerto Rico — and to recovering illicit proceeds through criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture.”

    “The FBI will not stand by while the American public is defrauded,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Through coordination with our partners, these individuals will have to defend their actions in a court of law.”

    “This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin – stealing over $650 million from everyday people and vanishing it into virtual currency. These weren’t just scams; they were precision-engineered betrayals. Our job is to stand up for those who’ve been exploited and continue our cross-agency collaboration until those responsible are brought to justice.”

    “This case highlights the critical role international partnerships play in dismantling transnational financial fraud schemes that exploit global markets and victimize unsuspecting investors,” said International Operations Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains committed to working with our partners worldwide to disrupt criminal networks that weaponize emerging technologies to conceal illicit profits and defraud the public.”

    Sims and co-conspirators established OmegaPro in or about January 2019, and Reynoso joined a few months later, in or about April 2019. As alleged, the defendants and others operated and promoted OmegaPro as a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme for investors to purchase “investment packages,” which the defendants and others falsely promised would generate 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange (forex) trading by elite traders. Investors were instructed to purchase these investment packages using virtual currency.

    According to court documents, Sims allegedly misled victims by vouching for OmegaPro’s trading performance and the skills of the hired traders and by falsely advertising the safety of investment in OmegaPro. Reynoso allegedly falsely and misleadingly represented that OmegaPro was operating pursuant to a legitimate license and, at other times, that OmegaPro was not subject to any country’s legal rules. The indictment alleges that Sims and Reynoso, together with co-conspirators, hosted lavish OmegaPro promotional events and trainings all over the world including, for example, projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, at an event in Dubai. The objective of these promotional events allegedly was to convince existing and prospective investors that OmegaPro was a legitimate enterprise that offered a path to wealth and a luxurious lifestyle.

    Further, Sims, Reynoso, and their co-conspirators used social media to display their expensive vacations and cars, as well as their designer clothes and watches. The indictment alleges that through the defendants’ and others’ misrepresentations, OmegaPro raised over $650 million in virtual currency from thousands of investors. After OmegaPro announced that it had suffered a network hack, Reynoso and others told victims in or about January 2023 that their investments were secure and that OmegaPro was transferring their investments to another platform called Broker Group. Despite these representations, victims were unable to withdraw money from either their OmegaPro accounts or their accounts at Broker Group, resulting in millions in victim losses.

    The more than $650 million in funds raised from victims allegedly was first sent to virtual currency wallet addresses controlled by OmegaPro executives and then allegedly transferred to OmegaPro insiders and high-ranking promoters to disperse the funds and obscure their origins. As alleged, Sims and Reynoso both profited millions from this scheme.

    Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Sims and Reynoso each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

    The FBI, IRS-CI, and HSI New York are investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit, HSI Bangkok, HSI Bogota, HSI Frankfurt, HSI Istanbul, HSI London, HSI Miami, HSI New Delhi, HSI The Hague, the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, and the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), an alliance between the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the U.K., and IRS-CI.

    Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Gottfried for the District of Puerto Rico and on detail to the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

    If you believe you were potentially victimized by OmegaPro or have information relevant to this investigation, please visit the FBI’s Victim Witness website at forms.fbi.gov/victims/omegaprovictims or contact OmegaProVictims@fbi.gov.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: OmegaPro Founder and Promoter Charged for Running Global $650M Foreign Exchange and Crypto Investment Scam

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Puerto Rico charging two men for their alleged roles in operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international investment scheme that defrauded victim investors of over $650 million.

    According to court documents, Michael Shannon Sims, 48, of Georgia and Florida, was a founder, strategic consultant, and promoter of OmegaPro, and Juan Carlos Reynoso, 57, of New Jersey and Florida, led OmegaPro’s operations in Latin America and parts of the United States, including Puerto Rico.

    “As alleged, the defendants preyed upon vulnerable individuals in the U.S. and abroad, defrauding them of over $650 million by making false promises of substantial returns and that their money was safe,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Criminal Division is committed to prosecuting these bad actors and pursuing justice for their many victims. Thanks to the dedicated work of our multiagency and international law enforcement partners, we are leading efforts to combat these complex and insidious digital asset investor scams.”  

    “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants operated a global fraud scheme through OmegaPro that deceived investors with false promises of extraordinary returns, only to misappropriate hundreds of millions of victim funds,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “We remain committed to dismantling international financial schemes that target U.S. victims — including here in Puerto Rico — and to recovering illicit proceeds through criminal prosecution and asset forfeiture.”

    “The FBI will not stand by while the American public is defrauded,” said Assistant Director Joe Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Through coordination with our partners, these individuals will have to defend their actions in a court of law.”

    “This case exposes the ruthless reality of modern financial crime,” said Chief Guy Ficco of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “OmegaPro promised financial freedom but delivered financial ruin – stealing over $650 million from everyday people and vanishing it into virtual currency. These weren’t just scams; they were precision-engineered betrayals. Our job is to stand up for those who’ve been exploited and continue our cross-agency collaboration until those responsible are brought to justice.”

    “This case highlights the critical role international partnerships play in dismantling transnational financial fraud schemes that exploit global markets and victimize unsuspecting investors,” said International Operations Assistant Director Ricardo Mayoral of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains committed to working with our partners worldwide to disrupt criminal networks that weaponize emerging technologies to conceal illicit profits and defraud the public.”

    Sims and co-conspirators established OmegaPro in or about January 2019, and Reynoso joined a few months later, in or about April 2019. As alleged, the defendants and others operated and promoted OmegaPro as a multi-level marketing (MLM) scheme for investors to purchase “investment packages,” which the defendants and others falsely promised would generate 300% returns over 16 months through foreign exchange (forex) trading by elite traders. Investors were instructed to purchase these investment packages using virtual currency.

    According to court documents, Sims allegedly misled victims by vouching for OmegaPro’s trading performance and the skills of the hired traders and by falsely advertising the safety of investment in OmegaPro. Reynoso allegedly falsely and misleadingly represented that OmegaPro was operating pursuant to a legitimate license and, at other times, that OmegaPro was not subject to any country’s legal rules. The indictment alleges that Sims and Reynoso, together with co-conspirators, hosted lavish OmegaPro promotional events and trainings all over the world including, for example, projecting the OmegaPro logo onto the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, at an event in Dubai. The objective of these promotional events allegedly was to convince existing and prospective investors that OmegaPro was a legitimate enterprise that offered a path to wealth and a luxurious lifestyle.

    Further, Sims, Reynoso, and their co-conspirators used social media to display their expensive vacations and cars, as well as their designer clothes and watches. The indictment alleges that through the defendants’ and others’ misrepresentations, OmegaPro raised over $650 million in virtual currency from thousands of investors. After OmegaPro announced that it had suffered a network hack, Reynoso and others told victims in or about January 2023 that their investments were secure and that OmegaPro was transferring their investments to another platform called Broker Group. Despite these representations, victims were unable to withdraw money from either their OmegaPro accounts or their accounts at Broker Group, resulting in millions in victim losses.

    The more than $650 million in funds raised from victims allegedly was first sent to virtual currency wallet addresses controlled by OmegaPro executives and then allegedly transferred to OmegaPro insiders and high-ranking promoters to disperse the funds and obscure their origins. As alleged, Sims and Reynoso both profited millions from this scheme.

    Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted, Sims and Reynoso each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.

    The FBI, IRS-CI, and HSI New York are investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit, HSI Bangkok, HSI Bogota, HSI Frankfurt, HSI Istanbul, HSI London, HSI Miami, HSI New Delhi, HSI The Hague, the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia, and the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5), an alliance between the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the U.K., and IRS-CI.

    Trial Attorneys Ariel Glasner and Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Gottfried for the District of Puerto Rico and on detail to the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case.

    If you believe you were potentially victimized by OmegaPro or have information relevant to this investigation, please visit the FBI’s Victim Witness website at forms.fbi.gov/victims/omegaprovictims or contact OmegaProVictims@fbi.gov.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: California Bay Area CEO Sentenced for Employment Tax Crimes

    Source: US State Government of Utah

    A California man was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for a decade-long scheme to avoid paying over employment taxes to the IRS.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: John Comeau, of Santa Clara, was the CEO of Vivid Inc., a company that provided metal coating services to industrial customers in California and elsewhere. Vivid Inc. employed as many as 40 employees at any given time.

    Comeau was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees and then paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.

    From the first quarter of 2010 through the fourth quarter of 2019, Vivid Inc. paid its employee a total of over $8.8 million in wages. During this period, Comeau collected and withheld taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees but did not pay over all the taxes owed to the IRS. He also caused false quarterly employment tax returns to be filed with the IRS, underreporting Vivid’s wages by more than $5 million.

    To conceal his scheme, Comeau caused accurate tax forms to be issued to certain employees. These tax forms reported higher wages than the amounts Vivid had reported to the IRS. Comeau also issued tax forms, such as Wage and Tax Statement, Form W-2, to other Vivid employees that underreported their wages. When an employer underreports wages paid to their employees, it may negatively impact those employees’ Social Security benefits, as those forms are used by the Social Security Administration to compute benefits owed to an employee. 

    Instead of paying his taxes, Comeau used some of the funds to maintain a comfortable lifestyle that included a $3 million home and luxury cars.

    In total, Comeau caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $1.1 million.

    In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts for the Northern District of California ordered Comeau to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,153,948 in restitution to the IRS.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilham Hosseini for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Bay Area CEO Sentenced for Employment Tax Crimes

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    A California man was sentenced today to a year and a day in prison for a decade-long scheme to avoid paying over employment taxes to the IRS.

    The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: John Comeau, of Santa Clara, was the CEO of Vivid Inc., a company that provided metal coating services to industrial customers in California and elsewhere. Vivid Inc. employed as many as 40 employees at any given time.

    Comeau was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees and then paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.

    From the first quarter of 2010 through the fourth quarter of 2019, Vivid Inc. paid its employee a total of over $8.8 million in wages. During this period, Comeau collected and withheld taxes from the wages of Vivid’s employees but did not pay over all the taxes owed to the IRS. He also caused false quarterly employment tax returns to be filed with the IRS, underreporting Vivid’s wages by more than $5 million.

    To conceal his scheme, Comeau caused accurate tax forms to be issued to certain employees. These tax forms reported higher wages than the amounts Vivid had reported to the IRS. Comeau also issued tax forms, such as Wage and Tax Statement, Form W-2, to other Vivid employees that underreported their wages. When an employer underreports wages paid to their employees, it may negatively impact those employees’ Social Security benefits, as those forms are used by the Social Security Administration to compute benefits owed to an employee. 

    Instead of paying his taxes, Comeau used some of the funds to maintain a comfortable lifestyle that included a $3 million home and luxury cars.

    In total, Comeau caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $1.1 million.

    In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge P. Casey Pitts for the Northern District of California ordered Comeau to serve three years of supervised release and pay $1,153,948 in restitution to the IRS.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney Mahana Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilham Hosseini for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –