Category: Crime

MIL-OSI Global: Want to go viral this #Halloween? It’s all about tapping into fun, fears and alogorithms
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anastasia Denisova, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, University of Westminster

Here they come: an apron and tattoos that make you look like chef Carmy from The Bear, or weird insect-like accessories resembling the infamous Paris Fashion Week bedbugs – new year, new over-the-top inventive Halloween trends. Thanks to the proliferation of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, we’re in for a treat for this year’s online Halloween extravaganza.

What used to be a traditional holiday celebrated with reverence by the people remembering the religious meaning of All Hallow’s Eve, or simply an excuse for phantasmagorical parties by those who didn’t, Halloween is now exhibiting a whole new digital layer.

Last year, the hashtag #Halloween was viewed three billion times in a week. We live in a time of “information fatigue”, “information anxiety” or even “infobesity”, as some academics call our oversaturated media environment, with plentiful, often unpleasant stimuli coming from the news and social media.

No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

Read more from Quarter Life:
All this badly affects our biological systems, which have not developed as fast as the media environment. As a result, we are overwhelmed, anxious, overstimulated and struggling with processing so much information. It is hard to cut through this noise, whether you’re a journalist, politician, influencer or just someone having fun in a pumpkin latte costume.

In my research on viral journalism, I discovered that even professional communicators struggle to keep up with the changes in social media algorithms and various new functions of these platforms. Many feel discouraged by the non-transparency of social media giants and prefer to rely on classic principles of strong reporting and creative presentation formats. But what are the triggers for media virality for those who still want their posts to explode online?

Not a virus, but a choice

Halloween, like St Valentine’s Day and other annual celebrations, presents a chance to be the new viral sensation, simply because using the hashtag #Halloween instantly grants additional visibility.

Virality stands on two pillars – the opaque algorithms of social networks, and people’s emotional reactions. Unlike viruses, from which the word “viral” originates, virality online is not a malady, but a choice. People instinctively choose content that will satisfy their needs. These can be having something to think about, or a distraction, so we don’t have to think about other things going on in the world.

Engagement with stories online is seldom rational – research has shown that emotions dominate our relationship with news and social media. The feelings of awe, anger and anxiety are the strongest predictors for a post to go viral.

So how, when creating content, do we achieve the coveted reaction of “awe”? This feeling can be described in a variety of ways, from a religious epiphany, to deep appreciation because we’re impressed, to the sense of calm experienced through nature. This is where the theory of memes can help.

Halloween costumes on social media are, essentially, wearable and broadcastable memes. These, as my book Internet Memes and Society explains, are half-baked jokes and weird cryptic artefacts that tempt users to figure out why they are supposed to be funny.

Memes are used as everyday language, political tools, and “fast-food” media. Will a costume based on Only Murders in the Buildings’ Christmas fitness influencer make it to viral stardom? Will it be another take on the brat summer? Or perhaps some twisted commentaries on the cost-of-living crisis?

Theories of humour and Halloween costumes

I predict that virality this season will demand either to go full-on maximalist, or be understated and minimalist. The theories of humour stand on three pillars: humour as release, humour as aggression, and humour as incongruity.

Perhaps we will also see the manifestations of what Plato called comedy as scorn: “Taken generally,” the ancient Greek philosopher mused, “the ridiculous is a certain kind of evil, specifically a vice.” Expect the highest-earning or most influential celebrities to be shoved off their pedestal and roundly mocked in a Halloween costume.

What about incongruity? Some of the more absurd costumes from last year featured a drink coaster and a paper bag, or a man dressed as a ULEZ street camera. These examples generate a reaction of awe, surprise and glee, making the posts worthy of sharing.

And finally, release. Humour is invaluable when it comes to dissipating worries or letting off steam. The recent viral sensation from the music band The Kiffness’ “Eating the cats” ft Donald Trump hilariously reimagined a phrase from the US presidential debate as a soft reggae hit – and a hit it has become, amassing eight million views in a matter of weeks.

This Halloween will surely see a couple of TikTokers dressed as cats, or dogs, or even “a catalogue of other things to eat”. Humour allows us to reveal the ridiculousness of certain political claims, and therefore serves as a soothing tool that unites people and challenges those in power through mockery.

Virality as modern mythology

Virality – memes included – forms the modern mythology. The media informs our collective identities and often the things we think about, which means the themes of this Halloween will most likely reveal what people are scared of as a way to release those fears.

Who will people mock because they feel intimidated by a particular public figure’s power, wealth, talent, influence, looks or profile (aggression). Or who or what do people find awe-inspiring or puzzling this year (incongruity)?

After all, Halloween is the one time of the year that reminds people of the medieval carnivals of the 14th century – the only time jesters and critics could come to the main square and have a go at the king. The digital carnival (as academics like myself sometimes call the digital mockery of the elites) is not limited to a specific time in the year.

The never-ending flow of ridicule, sarcasm and dressing up online never ceases to amaze viral studies academics. But the end of October sees a particular concentration of this subversion, attracting the attention of the digital crowds seeking to laugh at the rich, famous and powerful.

People form and negotiate cultural codes through viral cultures, by choosing what posts to share, like, and comment on. Through these interactions, valuable meanings and identities emerge, and it will be fascinating to see which meanings the collective beehive wants to focus on this Halloween 2024. Whether that’s Carmy Berzatto in his blue apron or the cats and dogs of Springfield.

Anastasia Denisova does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Want to go viral this #Halloween? It’s all about tapping into fun, fears and alogorithms – https://theconversation.com/want-to-go-viral-this-halloween-its-all-about-tapping-into-fun-fears-and-alogorithms-242166
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Florida Company Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Sell Misbranded N95 Masks to Hospital in Early Months of COVID-19 Pandemic

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Massachusetts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Two individuals also pleaded guilty to misbranding N95 masks and conspiracy to commit price gouging

BOSTON – A Florida company, and two individuals associated with the company, have pleaded guilty to charges associated with shipping facemasks that were misbranded as N95 respirators, and price gouging hospitals, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

JDM Supply LLC (JDM) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce misbranded devices into interstate commerce with intent to defraud or mislead, in violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Daniel Motha, 40, of Miami, Fla., and Jeffrey Motha, 36, of Norfolk, Mass., also pleaded guilty to one count of introduction of misbranded devices into interstate commerce and one count of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for Daniel Motha and Jeffrey Motha on March 4, 2025 and JDM on March 25, 2025. In August 2023, a third individual, Jason Colantuoni of Norfolk, Mass, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit price gouging in connection with this investigation.

In the spring of 2020, during the earliest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, JDM and a company identified as “Company 1” conspired to ship facemasks that were misbranded as National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)-approved, N95 respirators. One hospital accepted and paid for hundreds of thousands of purported N95 masks that were manufactured by Company 1 and sold by JDM. Ultimately, the hospital did not use the masks, which were eventually returned to Company 1. JDM misled the hospital into believing that the Company 1 masks were NIOSH-approved N95s, when in fact they were not.

In August 2020, a NIOSH lab tested a sample of the Company 1 masks that had been shipped to the hospital. The masks tested between 83.94% and 93.24% filtration efficiency, thus falling below the 95% minimum level of filtration efficiency required for N95 respirators.

Daniel Motha and Jeff Motha conspired to use JDM to exploit and profit off of the critical need of hospitals and healthcare workers for scarce N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. They accumulated N95 masks from various sources and then sold the N95 masks through JDM to hospitals in Massachusetts, and elsewhere, at prices in excess of the prevailing market price.

The charge of conspiracy to introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device with intent to defraud or mislead, brought against JDM, provides for a fine of $500,000 or twice the pecuniary gain or loss of the offense, whichever is greater and up to five years of probation. The charge of introduction or delivery for introduction into interstate commerce a misbranded device provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of $100,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit price gouging in violation of the Defense Production Act provides for a sentence of up to one year in prison; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of up to $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Brady and Howard Locker of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Postal Workers

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

BOSTON – A Boston woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to the armed robberies of United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carriers on Nov. 29, 2022 in Mattapan, Mass. and Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Mass.

Myesha Lewis, 22, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States, aiding and abetting and two counts of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees, aiding and abetting. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Feb. 10, 2025. In May 2023, Lewis was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-defendant Kenneth Demoshane.

USPS has seen a rise in the use of arrow keys to facilitate the theft of U.S. Mail. An arrow key is a specific key designed to open designated blue USPS collection boxes in a specific area. These arrow keys are the property of USPS and it is a federal offense for an unauthorized person to possess one. Since July 2022, there have been at least 23 assaults on USPS letter carriers while in the performance of their official duties in Boston and surrounding cities and towns. These incidents included the attempted or successful robbery of USPS arrow keys from letter carriers. Additionally, of these 23 incidents, 15 of the robberies were instances where the perpetrators were reportedly armed with a knife, firearm, or both.

On Nov. 29, 2022, in Mattapan, Lewis and Demosthene forcibly robbed a USPS letter carrier of an arrow key. Demosthene approached the letter carrier and said, “I’m going to need your master key,” before reaching into the letter carrier’s mail satchel and grabbing the arrow key. The key was secured around the letter carrier’s belt with a brass chain. The force used to physically break the brass chain caused the letter carrier to be pulled off the front steps. Lewis and Demosthene then fled the scene in a rental vehicle.

On Dec. 16, 2022 in Hyde Park, Lewis and Demosthene robbed another USPS letter carrier of an arrow key at knife point. Demosthene approached the USPS letter carrier and said, “Give me your f****** arrow key.” The letter carrier put their hands in the air as the defendants attempted to remove the arrow key, at first by force pulling at the chain. Lewis and Demosthene then attempted to cut it with the knife, eventually breaking it loose and fleeing the scene on foot.

In October 2024, Demosthene was sentenced to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

The charges of robbery of any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail matter or of any money or other property of the United States each provide for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Want to go viral this #Halloween? It’s all about tapping into fun, fears and algorithms
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anastasia Denisova, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, University of Westminster

Here they come: an apron and tattoos that make you look like chef Carmy from The Bear, or weird insect-like accessories resembling the infamous Paris Fashion Week bedbugs – new year, new over-the-top inventive Halloween trends. Thanks to the proliferation of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, we’re in for a treat for this year’s online Halloween extravaganza.

What used to be a traditional holiday celebrated with reverence by the people remembering the religious meaning of All Hallow’s Eve, or simply an excuse for phantasmagorical parties by those who didn’t, Halloween is now exhibiting a whole new digital layer.

Last year, the hashtag #Halloween was viewed three billion times in a week. We live in a time of “information fatigue”, “information anxiety” or even “infobesity”, as some academics call our oversaturated media environment, with plentiful, often unpleasant stimuli coming from the news and social media.

No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

Read more from Quarter Life:
All this badly affects our biological systems, which have not developed as fast as the media environment. As a result, we are overwhelmed, anxious, overstimulated and struggling with processing so much information. It is hard to cut through this noise, whether you’re a journalist, politician, influencer or just someone having fun in a pumpkin latte costume.

In my research on viral journalism, I discovered that even professional communicators struggle to keep up with the changes in social media algorithms and various new functions of these platforms. Many feel discouraged by the non-transparency of social media giants and prefer to rely on classic principles of strong reporting and creative presentation formats. But what are the triggers for media virality for those who still want their posts to explode online?

Not a virus, but a choice

Halloween, like St Valentine’s Day and other annual celebrations, presents a chance to be the new viral sensation, simply because using the hashtag #Halloween instantly grants additional visibility.

Virality stands on two pillars – the opaque algorithms of social networks, and people’s emotional reactions. Unlike viruses, from which the word “viral” originates, virality online is not a malady, but a choice. People instinctively choose content that will satisfy their needs. These can be having something to think about, or a distraction, so we don’t have to think about other things going on in the world.

Engagement with stories online is seldom rational – research has shown that emotions dominate our relationship with news and social media. The feelings of awe, anger and anxiety are the strongest predictors for a post to go viral.

So how, when creating content, do we achieve the coveted reaction of “awe”? This feeling can be described in a variety of ways, from a religious epiphany, to deep appreciation because we’re impressed, to the sense of calm experienced through nature. This is where the theory of memes can help.

Halloween costumes on social media are, essentially, wearable and broadcastable memes. These, as my book Internet Memes and Society explains, are half-baked jokes and weird cryptic artefacts that tempt users to figure out why they are supposed to be funny.

Memes are used as everyday language, political tools, and “fast-food” media. Will a costume based on Only Murders in the Buildings’ Christmas fitness influencer make it to viral stardom? Will it be another take on the brat summer? Or perhaps some twisted commentaries on the cost-of-living crisis?

Theories of humour and Halloween costumes

I predict that virality this season will demand either to go full-on maximalist, or be understated and minimalist. The theories of humour stand on three pillars: humour as release, humour as aggression, and humour as incongruity.

Perhaps we will also see the manifestations of what Plato called comedy as scorn: “Taken generally,” the ancient Greek philosopher mused, “the ridiculous is a certain kind of evil, specifically a vice.” Expect the highest-earning or most influential celebrities to be shoved off their pedestal and roundly mocked in a Halloween costume.

What about incongruity? Some of the more absurd costumes from last year featured a drink coaster and a paper bag, or a man dressed as a ULEZ street camera. These examples generate a reaction of awe, surprise and glee, making the posts worthy of sharing.

And finally, release. Humour is invaluable when it comes to dissipating worries or letting off steam. The recent viral sensation from the music band The Kiffness’ “Eating the cats” ft Donald Trump hilariously reimagined a phrase from the US presidential debate as a soft reggae hit – and a hit it has become, amassing eight million views in a matter of weeks.

This Halloween will surely see a couple of TikTokers dressed as cats, or dogs, or even “a catalogue of other things to eat”. Humour allows us to reveal the ridiculousness of certain political claims, and therefore serves as a soothing tool that unites people and challenges those in power through mockery.

Virality as modern mythology

Virality – memes included – forms the modern mythology. The media informs our collective identities and often the things we think about, which means the themes of this Halloween will most likely reveal what people are scared of as a way to release those fears.

Who will people mock because they feel intimidated by a particular public figure’s power, wealth, talent, influence, looks or profile (aggression). Or who or what do people find awe-inspiring or puzzling this year (incongruity)?

After all, Halloween is the one time of the year that reminds people of the medieval carnivals of the 14th century – the only time jesters and critics could come to the main square and have a go at the king. The digital carnival (as academics like myself sometimes call the digital mockery of the elites) is not limited to a specific time in the year.

The never-ending flow of ridicule, sarcasm and dressing up online never ceases to amaze viral studies academics. But the end of October sees a particular concentration of this subversion, attracting the attention of the digital crowds seeking to laugh at the rich, famous and powerful.

People form and negotiate cultural codes through viral cultures, by choosing what posts to share, like, and comment on. Through these interactions, valuable meanings and identities emerge, and it will be fascinating to see which meanings the collective beehive wants to focus on this Halloween 2024. Whether that’s Carmy Berzatto in his blue apron or the cats and dogs of Springfield.

Anastasia Denisova does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Want to go viral this #Halloween? It’s all about tapping into fun, fears and algorithms – https://theconversation.com/want-to-go-viral-this-halloween-its-all-about-tapping-into-fun-fears-and-algorithms-242166
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Cybercriminals Are Stealing Cookies to Bypass Multifactor Authentication
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

The FBI Atlanta Division is warning the public that cybercriminals are gaining access to email accounts by stealing cookies from a victim’s computer. A “cookie” is a small piece of data that a website sends to your computer, allowing the website to remember information about your session, such as login details, preferences, or items in your shopping cart. “Remember-Me cookies” are tied specifically to a user’s login and often last for 30 days before expiring. This type of cookie helps a user login without having to keep putting in their username, password, or their multifactor authentication (MFA). Typically, this type of cookie is generated when a user clicks the “Remember this device” checkbox when logging in to a website:
If a cybercriminal obtains the Remember-Me cookie from a user’s recent login to their web email, they can use that cookie to sign-in as the user without needing their username, password, or multifactor authentication (MFA). For these reasons, cybercriminals are increasingly focused on stealing Remember-Me cookies and using them as their preferred way of accessing a victim’s email. Victims unknowingly provide their cookies to cybercriminals when they visit suspicious websites or click on phishing links that download malicious software onto their computer

Here are tips to protect yourself from putting yourself at risk:
- Regularly clear your cookies from your Internet browser.
- Recognize the risks of clicking the “Remember Me” checkbox when logging into a website.
- Do not click on suspicious links or websites. Only visit sites with a secure connection (HTTPS) to protect your data from being intercepted during transmission.
- Periodically monitor the recent device login history from your account settings.
Anyone who is a victim of an account takeover or Internet scam should report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.
MIL Security OSI –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Big River — Have you seen this stolen flat deck trailer?

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Chaleur Region RCMP is seeking the public’s help locating a stolen flat deck trailer in Big River, N.B.

The theft is believed to have occurred sometime in the overnight hours of October 28, 2024, at an open field near Route 430 and Highway 11 in Big River.

The flat deck trailer is described as a beige 1984 Travel Taurus, with New Brunswick licence plate TAS 688, and vehicle identification number 27129.

If you have seen the trailer since October 28, or if you have information that could help further the investigation, please contact the Chaleur Region RCMP at 506-548-7771. Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), by downloading the secure P3 Mobile App, or by Secure Web Tips at www.crimenb.ca.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ship Management Company Fined $1.75M for Failing to Maintain an Accurate Oil Record Book that Concealed Unauthorized Discharges at Sea

Source: US State of Vermont

Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., a Mexican corporation that managed several ships, including the M/V Suhar, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal district court in Pensacola, Florida, for creating and providing false records to the U.S. Coast Guard to conceal its illegal discharge of oily bilge waste into the ocean, which is a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS).

The charge stems from a Coast Guard investigation of the ship once it arrived in Pensacola on Aug. 25, 2023. The Suhar is a 7,602 gross ton Panamanian-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier that routinely hauled cement from Tampico, Mexico, to Pensacola. Since March 2021, day-to-day operation of the ship was undertaken by Gremex, which was responsible for hiring all crew, and ensuring compliance with all policies on protection of the environment in accordance with international regulations. After boarding the ship to determine compliance with all applicable laws, Coast Guard personnel determined that the vessel’s crew had regularly discharged untreated oily bilge water into sea in a manner that bypassed onboard pollution control equipment, and then falsified the ship’s oil record book to conceal these discharges.

As part of normal vessel operations, large ocean-going ships like the Suhar generate oily bilge water that periodically needs to be discharged for the vessel to operate safely. The United States and Panama are both parties to an international treaty known as MARPOL, which regulates and limits the at-sea discharge of oily bilge water. To satisfy these marine pollution requirements, vessels typically discharge oily bilge water after it has been processed through an oily water separator, a piece of onboard pollution control equipment which removes oil from bilge water prior to discharge. Ships are required to maintain an oil record book that documents all discharges of oily bilge water so authorities can monitor ships for compliance with these international requirements. Federal law requires that foreign ships arriving at U.S. ports maintain an accurate oil record book.

Consistent with a sentencing recommendation jointly proposed by the government and Gremex, the court sentenced the company to pay a $1.75 million fine, serve a four-year term of probation and commit to developing and implementing an environmental compliance plan that will be in effect during the time the company is on probation.

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida made the announcement.

The Coast Guard’s Investigative Service investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Joel La Bissonniere of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Love for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Dan Goldman Works to Protect the Rule of Law From Presidential Abuses of Power
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)

The ‘Investigative Integrity Protection Act’ Would Prevent Sitting Presidents from Dismissing Own Active Criminal Prosecutions

Read the Bill Here

Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Congressman Adam Schiff (CA-30) in introducing the ‘Investigative Integrity Protection Act,’ which would prevent a sitting president from dismissing an active criminal prosecution against him or herself, including through coercion of an attorney general by the president or anyone acting on the president’s behalf.

“The Rule of Law dictates that no person should be the judge and jury of his own case, yet Donald Trump has promised to throw out the federal criminal cases against him if he becomes President,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “Trump used the power of his office in many ways during his first term, so it is imperative that we codify the guardrails necessary to protect our nation from descending into dictatorship.”

In the event that an Attorney General would seek to dismiss any criminal prosecution against the president, the Investigative Integrity Protection Act would:
Only allow the court to grant a dismissal after having considered a number of factors, including whether the Attorney General was appointed with the intent of dismissing any criminal prosecution against the President;
Congressman Goldman remains committed to protecting American democracy from those who wish to undermine and destroy it.

As his first bill in Congress, Goldman introduced the ‘Early Voting Act,’ which would require at least a 14-day window of in-person early voting for federal elections across the country. The bill would also require that election officials maximize polling place accessibility and would take steps to address unacceptably long wait-times for voters in line to cast their ballots and for election results by mandating that election officials start processing and scanning ballots at least 14 days prior to Election Day.

In February 2024, the Congressman cosponsored the ‘Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act’ to protect citizens the from intimidation and mass mobilizations of paramilitary groups. This legislation would federally prohibit those in private paramilitary organizations from conducting activity with firearms.
MIL OSI USA News –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Teenager convicted of murdering woman in Hackney

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

A teenager has been convicted of the murder of Lianne Gordon in Hackney.

Lianne Gordon was sheltering behind her front door at home when she was shot and killed on 5 December 2023. While she might not have been the intended target, we know that her needless death was a consequence of a gang dispute.

A 17-year-old boy [A] appeared at the Old Bailey where, following trial, he was convicted on Wednesday, 30 October, of the murder of Lianne Gordon.

He was also found guilty of affray, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of a bladed article and two counts of attempted murder, He had earlier pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class A drugs.

He will be sentenced at the same court on Monday, 2 December.

The court heard that police were called at 18:28hrs on Tuesday, 5 December 2023, to reports of a shooting outside an address in Vine Close, E5. Officers and paramedics from the London Ambulance Service attended and found three people with gunshot wounds.

Despite the efforts of the emergency services to save her, Lianne Gordon, 42, sadly died at the scene.

Two other people, a 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy, were taken to hospital for treatment to injuries that were not life threatening.

The defendant was arrested at his home address on 8 December 2023.

Officers searched his home address and recovered Class A drugs, a machete, a ‘burner phone’ and drug paraphernalia.

A search of his IT equipment showed that, after he returned home from the shooting, he conducted 65 searches on news sites and social media relating to a ‘fatal shooting in Hackney’ and ‘Lianne Gordon’. He was charged with murder on 9 December 2023 and remanded in custody.

Footage seized by officers also showed the defendant approaching the two male victims as they stood outside Lianne Gordon’s home on Vine Close. He fired shots at them both as they attempted to hide behind parked cars.

It was at this point that Lianne, realising she was in danger, attempted to close the door, but the teenager was able to shoot her before she could do so. That single shot ended her life and a post-mortem examination confirmed that Lianne had died from a gunshot wound to the head.

Forensic officers recovered shell casings from the scene and ballistic scientific testing confirmed that the gun that was used in Lianne’s murder was also used in an incident on 2 December 2023 where shots were fired close to the entrance to Vine Close. On that occasion there were no reported injuries.

A glove was found in a search of the 17-year-old’s home address. This had his DNA and firearm residue on it, linking him to the fatal shooting.

Officers would later seize song lyrics, composed by the defendant in his cell, that were a self-congratulating outline of the murder and the shootings.

Detective Chief Inspector Joanna Yorke who led the investigation said: “The defendant was a known gang member with previous involvement in drugs and violence. Lianne Gordon was a mother of two who was shot dead for reasons we may never know or fathom.

“I am pleased that the murderer will face the consequences of his actions, but also that he will spend years of his life in a place where he can no longer pose a threat to the community.

“While nothing can bring Lianne back, I sincerely hope that today’s verdict brings some comfort to her loved ones.”

A/Ch Supt Brigid Beehag-Fisher, responsible for policing in Hackney and Tower Hamlets said: “I welcome today’s result which has brought justice to the family of Lianne Gordon. Whilst this verdict will not bring back a mother to her family, it does bring some closure to her family, friends and the local community who have been impacted by this tragic event.

“We are committed to tackling gun crime and serious violence across London and today’s verdict is testament to the hard work of the team taking violent and dangerous individuals off the streets and protecting our local communities.

“If you know someone who is carrying a weapon or involved with serious violence, I ask you to come forward to the police or via the independent charity Crimestoppers to prevent another tragedy like this from happening again.”

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NTPC Ltd develops Indigenous Catalyst for Methanol production from Flue Gas CO2 in collaboration with Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehradun

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 30 OCT 2024 5:31PM by PIB Delhi

CO2 mitigation is one of critical challenge being faced by fossil fired power plant. Therefore, capturing CO2 from the flue gas and converting it to valuable fuel & chemicals is in focus, globally.

NETRA, the R&D wing of NTPC, has developed Indigenous Catalyst for Hydrogenation of CO2 to Methanol in collaboration with Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehradun. A catalyst is an essential component for any chemical synthesis. After characterization of catalyst, long duration quantitative & qualitative performance assessment of catalyst is being carried out in a specially designed 10 Kg/day methanol pilot plant. Here, 1 mole CO2 and 3 moles of H2 passed through fix bed down flow reactor. The purity of methanol produced by this catalyst is more than 99%.

NTPC has taken significant strides in its commitment towards greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, setting a benchmark for sustainable practices in the energy sector. NTPC Green Energy Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC, is aggressively pursuing initiatives aimed at reducing its carbon footprint, in line with global climate action targets and India’s pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.

***

JN/ SK

(Release ID: 2069594) Visitor Counter : 27

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee against Torture Commend Kuwait on Positive Measures to Prevent Torture, Raise Questions on the Independence of the Judiciary and the Death Penalty

Source: United Nations – Geneva

The Committee against Torture today concluded its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Kuwait, with Committee Experts commending the State on positive measures introduced to combat torture, while raising questions on the independence of the judiciary and the application of the death penalty.

Peter Vedel Kessing, Committee Expert and Rapporteur, commended Kuwait for all the positive measures taken, including new laws and regulations to prevent torture.

Abdul Razzaq Rawan, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Kuwait, asked if the State party could inform the Committee of any legislative amendments or developments aimed at establishing the judiciary as an authority that was independent of the executive authority, and granting it the full authority to manage the affairs of judges and supervise the preparation of relevant regulations? What measures had been taken to implement the constitutional principle guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary and to implement the requirements of article 163?

Mr. Vedel Kessing said the number of death sentences and executions carried out had reportedly increased, particularly since 2022. How many persons had been sentenced to death over the last five years and how many of those persons had been executed? Was it correct that a person could be sentenced to death for crimes not involving intentional killing, for example drug-related crimes? Allegedly, the abolition of the death penalty would be incompatible with Islamic Sharia, which was the main source of all Kuwaiti domestic legislation, including criminal law. Would this also apply to a moratorium for the execution of death sentences?

The delegation said judges needed to be fully competent and qualified in the field of law or Sharia and did not have the right to exercise political activities. Judges could not be removed from their posts unless disciplinary measures were issued against them. If judges were related to the accused by four degrees, they were required to recuse themselves from proceedings. The Ministry of Justice could not get involved in daily cases or the running of the judiciary. The judiciary was fully independent; there was no involvement from the executive or the parliament in the judiciary.

The delegation said the death penalty was one of last instance, the maximum penalty issued in the Criminal Code of Kuwait. It was only enacted for the most serious crimes and was not in contradiction with Islamic Sharia. At any stage of proceedings, the accused murderer could appeal, or ask for a lighter or reduced sentence, rather than the death penalty. From 2022 to 2024, there were 80 penalties reduced from the death penalty to a lighter sentence, with people even being released in some cases. In the case of a woman who was pregnant, the death penalty could not be carried out until the child was born. Minors could not be subjected to the death penalty.

Introducing the report, Naser Alhayen, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said the accession of Kuwait to the Convention against Torture in 1996 was a pioneering step towards promoting rights and preserving freedoms. Since the submission of the fourth periodic report, Kuwait had taken steps to strengthen the legislative framework related to combatting torture. These efforts were represented in the issuance of decree-law no. 93 of 2024, which clearly stipulated the definition and prohibition of torture. The new law tightened the penalties imposed on perpetrators of torture crimes, and strictly criminalised any act of discrimination or ill treatment.

In closing remarks, Claude Heller, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation for the dialogue which had been very constructive. The Committee aimed to contribute to the improvement of human rights in all States.

Mr. Alhayen, in concluding remarks, thanked the Committee for the dialogue. Kuwait was fully committed to the implementation of all international standards and human rights and would continue the constructive dialogue with the Committee and the international community.

The delegation of Kuwait consisted of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Defense; the Ministry of Social Affairs; the Ministry of Information; the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Education; the Central System for the Remedy of Situations of Illegal Residents; the Public Authority of Manpower; and the Permanent Mission of Kuwait to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee will issue concluding observations on the report of Kuwait at the end of its eighty-first session on 22 November. Those and other documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, will be available on the session’s webpage. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, and webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public on Thursday, 31 October at 3 p.m. to conclude its consideration of the third periodic report of Namibia (CAT/C/NAM/3).

Report

The Committee has before it the fourth periodic report of Kuwait (CAT/C/KWT/4).

Presentation of Report

NASER ALHAYEN, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said the accession of Kuwait to the Convention against Torture in 1996 was a pioneering step towards promoting rights and preserving freedoms. Since the submission of the fourth periodic report, Kuwait had taken steps to strengthen the legislative framework related to combatting torture. These efforts were represented in the issuance of decree-law no. 93 of 2024, which clearly stipulated the definition and prohibition of torture. The new law tightened the penalties imposed on perpetrators of torture crimes, and strictly criminalised any act of discrimination or ill treatment. This decree was a milestone in the State’s efforts to strengthen the rule of law and protect human rights, and it imposed severe penalties of up to life imprisonment for certain crimes. A decree had also been adopted which redefined measures for receiving complaints relating to human rights.

Kuwaiti legislation included comprehensive protection for women and criminalisation of all forms of violence against them. The protection from domestic violence law no. 160 of 2020 was issued, which established shelters for victims of domestic violence, and the possibility of reporting violence. A child protection centre was also established. The Supreme Council for Family Affairs was working on establishing the third centre for protection from domestic violence and the rehabilitation of survivors. Law no. 21 of 2015 guaranteed the rights of the child, prohibiting children from deliberately being subjected to any physical or psychological abuse and punishing those who violated these provisions.

Specialised enforcement departments had been established to implement family court rulings and settle family disputes. Social security and insurance were provided to persons with disabilities. Monthly financial allocations were provided, in addition to a cash allowance for hiring a domestic worker or a driver to meet their daily needs. During the first half of 2024, the number of residents in social care homes reached 518 people, including 362 citizens and 165 non-citizens. These homes provided integrated rehabilitation and training programmes focused on reintegration.

The protection of the rights of contracted workers was a top priority for Kuwait, and this was highlighted in law no. 68 of 2015 on the protection of the rights of contracted workers. Since the adoption of the law, the situation of domestic workers had improved substantially, as strict laws had been imposed to prevent the exploitation of these workers and ensure them full legal protection. Inspection campaigns were conducted periodically on domestic labour recruitment offices and agencies to ensure that they applied the law; these campaigns issued fines in the event procedures were not followed.

Law no. 91 of 2013 aimed to criminalise all forms of human trafficking and provide legal protection for victims. The National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons was established, as well as a specialised prosecutor to investigate these cases. There had been a significant decrease in the number of trafficking crimes committed from 82 cases in 2020 to nine cases in 2023. A special system had been established for the early identification of victims by training workers at border crossings and hospitals to detect signs of exploitation. Victims were then transferred to care centres where they received medical, psychological and legal support.

Kuwait had adopted an approach that achieved more security for detainees by subjecting all prisons to the supervision of the judicial authority, represented by the Public Prosecution, which was an independent authority. The current system guaranteed every detainee the right to access a lawyer from the first moment of detention, and ensured that all detainees obtained their legal rights, and were granted an independent medical examination.

Mechanisms had been developed which allowed detainees or their families to submit confidential complaints for immediate investigation, with any official found to be involved in ill treatment held accountable. Advanced training programmes for police officers and prison staff had been developed in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with a special focus on practical aspects related to dealing with detainees. Mr. Alhayen concluded by emphasising Kuwait’s full commitment to human rights and to cooperation with the international community.

Questions by Committee Experts

ABDUL RAZZAQ RAWAN, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Kuwait, congratulated Kuwait for the desire expressed with regards to continued cooperation and dialogue with the Committee. The Committee congratulated Kuwait on announcing a number of important initiatives and legislation. The Committee also congratulated the State party on the fact that half the delegation were women, and that the delegation represented multiple sectors, reflecting the importance of the Convention.

The Committee congratulated Kuwait for the work of the National Standing Committee on follow-up and communications that prepared the report, while asking for further clarification around the work of this body. What was the number of organizations which attended consultations for preparing the report, and how did these consultations impact the report? Could the State party elaborate further on the place of the Convention within the national legal system, in particular article 70 of the Kuwaiti Constitution? What was the impact of this jurisprudence in the country? To what extent was there an application of the provisions of the Convention by law enforcement officers?

Decree-law no. 93 of 2024 amended some provisions of the Kuwaiti Penal Code, with a new article which stipulated that the punishment of a public official who caused physical or psychological harm to a person, or induced him to confess to committing a crime, would face imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years and a fine not exceeding 5,000 dinars. Penalties for torture should be proportionate to the acts committed and the damage resulting from them. Torture leading to death was a crime that should be treated as more severe than murder, and should have its own punishment to distinguish it from ordinary murder. Could the State party comment on this?

Could the State party also comment regarding article 37 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allowed the use of “any means” during investigations to obtain evidence, provided that it was not contrary to public morals or infringed on the rights and freedoms of individuals? What procedural safeguards prevented coercion to remove confessions during interrogations and pretrial detention? What legal texts and legislative measures ensured the exclusion of torture from national legislation on amnesty and immunities? What was being done to fill this gap at the legislative level and in practice? The Convention obliged States parties to prevent and prohibit torture in all circumstances, including a state of emergency, war or any other exceptional circumstance. What were the State’s planned future actions to implement this commitment?

The Committee was satisfied with the provisions of paragraph 126 of the national report, in particular the requirements of articles 158 and 159 concerning the prohibition of coercion or inducement of the accused to make statements and the invalidity of a confession obtained under duress or torture. Could current examples be provided of judicial decisions invalidating confessions of accused persons as a result of torture?

The Committee had questions regarding the right of detainees to challenge the lawfulness or necessity of their detention. What actions had been taken to establish safeguards currently, or in the future, as well as the measures taken to enforce respect for them by law enforcement officials? What measures had been taken with regard to the control of records in all places of deprivation of liberty? Was there a centralised national information register that included all the data of the records in the detention centres in the country?

The Committee had expressed concern that judges were appointed by the Supreme Judiciary Council. There was also concern about the independence of foreign judges due to a lack of career security. Could the State party inform the Committee of any legislative amendments or developments aimed at establishing the judiciary as an authority that was independent of the executive authority, and granting it the full authority to manage the affairs of judges and supervise the preparation of relevant regulations? This included the conditions for managing the judiciary, appointing judges, tracking their careers, including their dismissal and promotion, and the conditions for appointing foreign judges to ensure their job security. What measures had been taken to implement the constitutional principle guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary and to implement the requirements of article 163?

The Committee had previously recommended that the State party adopt a legislative and institutional framework that incorporated international standards on asylum. Was this on the legislative agenda? While noting the decisions reported in the report whereby the daily fines imposed in many cases had been abolished, what measures had been taken to give effect to the Committee’s previous recommendation to amend the laws imposing such fines? What was the nature of cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and could any statistics be provided?

What measures were taken during the period under review to ensure that no person was returned to a country where they were in danger of being subjected to torture or ill treatment? Were those concerned with expulsion, return or extradition informed that they were entitled to seek asylum and appeal against deportation decisions? What legal and practical safeguards existed to ensure the right of persons for whom deportation orders had been issued, to have their cases reviewed by a competent judicial body? How many cases of return, extradition and expulsion had been carried out by the State party during the reporting period in exchange for diplomatic assurances?

Did Kuwaiti law and jurisprudence allow for universal jurisdiction, which was the following and prosecution of crimes of torture, so as to establish jurisdiction in all cases and to ensure that perpetrators did not go unpunished? If the State received a request for extradition from a State where Kuwait had no extradition agreement or treaty, what were the legislative and administrative measures needed to ensure that the Convention could be invoked as a legal basis for extradition? Had the State ever refused a request by another State for the extradition of an individual suspected of the crime of torture? Had it initiated any criminal proceedings against that individual as a result? If so, could information on the status and results of these proceedings be provided?

Could the delegation provide the Committee with information on any specialised programmes aimed at raising awareness of law enforcement officials, including security and prison personnel, and the measures adopted by the State party to prevent torture? Had any programmes been adopted and implemented to train police cadets and officers in non-coercive investigative techniques? Could information be provided on the assessment, review and updating of interrogation rules for persons who had been subjected to any form of arrest, detention or imprisonment? What did the State of Kuwait intend to do to fulfil the obligation of monitoring practices related to interrogation, methods of detention, and treatment of persons arrested?

The Committee would appreciate receiving information on the cases in which the legal provisions on the protection of witnesses and medical professionals documenting acts of torture and ill treatment had applied, in particular cases where these provisions had not been respected and action that had been taken against persons who had violated these legal requirements? Taking into account the legal amendments on torture, did Kuwait intend to accompany these amendments by allocating legal provisions related to the protection of victims, witnesses and medical experts in criminal law?

Article 14 of the Convention obligated States parties to provide a legislative framework for the right of victims to effective remedy and adequate compensation. What measures would be taken to give effect to this commitment through the adoption of legislation and institutional requirements? What measures of reparation and compensation, including court-ordered rehabilitation methods, had been made available to victims of torture and ill treatment or their families since the consideration of the previous periodic report? Were programmes being implemented to provide reparation to victims of torture and ill treatment, including health and psychological rehabilitation?

PETER VEDEL KESSING, Committee Expert and Rapporteur, asked what progress had been made to establish a fully independent National Human Rights Institution in line with the Paris Principles? Did the Government agree with reports that some law enforcement officers still engaged in abuse and ill treatment during arrest or interrogation? How many complaints of torture and ill treatment had been received over the last three years and what was the outcome of these complaints?

Were the three institutions which could investigate allegations of torture – the Office of the Public Prosecution, the General Directorate for Oversights and Inspection in the Ministry of Interior, and the National Bureau for Human Rights – completely independent from the Government as required under the Convention? Would the State party consider establishing a fully independent institution that could investigate violations of the Convention in an effective and impartial way? How many complaints had the Bureau received over alleged torture and ill treatment over the last three years? What was the outcome of these cases?

Overcrowding in prisons continued to be a significant problem, particularly in the central prison. The prison population was reported to be at an occupancy rate of 126 per cent in 2023. What efforts that had been taken to improve the living conditions in prisons? Was the Government considering additional efforts since the problem with overcrowding had not been solved? What progress had been made on the building of the new prison?

A law reportedly allowed the use of shackling of hands and feet for up to a month and the deprivation of certain types of food for a week as disciplinary punishment. How many detainees had been shackled over the last three years? What kind of offence warranted this punishment? How many detainees had been deprived of food over the last three years?

How could a prisoner make a complaint over ill treatment in the prison? How many complaints of ill treatment had been received over the last three years and what was the outcome of these cases? Was it correct that some officers only received a decrease in their salaries as a penalty for having subjected detainees to torture and other forms of ill treatment? How many visits had the International Committee of the Red Cross undertaken to places of detention from 2019 and onwards? How many announced and unannounced visits had the National Bureau for Human Rights carried out to places of detention over the last three years? How had Kuwait followed-up and implemented the recommendations from the independent institutions visiting places of detention in Kuwait?

The number of death sentences and executions carried out had reportedly increased, particularly since 2022. How many persons had been sentenced to death over the last five years and how many of those persons had been executed? Was it correct that a person could be sentenced to death for crimes not involving intentional killing, for example drug-related crimes? Allegedly, the abolition of the death penalty would be incompatible with Islamic Sharia, which was the main source of all Kuwaiti domestic legislation, including criminal law. Did this also apply to a moratorium for the execution of death sentences?

The delegation had provided important information on steps taken to improve the protection of foreign workers, including reviewing the laws, improving working conditions, and criminalising trafficking, which were positive steps. However, it was reported that there was a high death rate among migrant workers who carried out dangerous work, particularly in construction sites. How many migrant workers had died in Kuwait over the last three years? What measures were taken to protect migrant workers from ill treatment and exploitation? Why was a domestic worker not allowed to freely resign and change workplace? Why did they need the consent of or authorisation from the employer to change workplace?

The Committee appreciated the steps taken by Kuwait to counter domestic and sexual violence. Could marital rape be punished in Kuwait? Were there concrete court cases where martial rape had been punished as a criminal offence? What was the outcome of the court cases involving violence against women? In how many cases were the accused persons convicted for a crime and what were the sentences? Was the Government considering a ban on corporal punishment in all settings?

There had been reported concerns that Bidoon citizens were being denied access to education, health care and employment, and faced mass arrests, torture and abuse when trying to exercise their right to freedom of peaceful assembly. Did the Government accept the criticism and recommendations from the United Nations Human Rights Committee and from other sources, and was it willing to improve conditions for the Bidoons?

A Committee Expert said prolonged solitary confinement was proven to undermine the standards outlined in the Convention. Under what circumstances was incommunicado detention authorised? Would the State party consider abolishing incommunicado detention?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the National Standing Committee on follow-up and communications was established in 2019. This Committee was delegated to respond to reports regarding the human rights situation in Kuwait and was assigned with preparing periodic reports presented to international bodies, and coordinating with non-governmental organizations working in the field of human rights. The Committee was operational and was present in the meeting. Its staff received the necessary training to support its mandate. This Committee had been in contact and coordinated with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The promulgation of the 1996 law approving the adoption of the Convention meant that this instrument was part of the national legal framework in Kuwait. A judge could invoke the Convention in the issuance of verdicts. There was no need for another process or procedure for the Convention to be part of national legislation. A new text in the legislation included a penalty for using torture to extract a confession. A new law punished every official who had acquiesced to a request of torture.

Any official or service provider who inflicted physical or mental harm against a person or their family members, or forced them to provide statements thereof, could be found guilty of torture. The punishment was a sentence of not more than five years and not less than 5,000 dinars. There was also a criminalisation of discrimination in connection with torture. If torture led to death, then a person was charged with the crime of a deliberate murder. The sentence was then death, and there was no harsher punishment.

The Public Prosecutor conducted investigations and interrogations into charges of torture. Defendants could deny such charges. Everything took place under the supervision of the courts. A defendant could adhere to the invalidity of such a confession. If a confession was obtained under torture, then it was dismissed by the court. The court resorted to many principles related to the invalidity of confessions extracted under torture. In a case when a police officer had forced a defendant to provide a confession, the defendant was acquitted. Acquittal was premised on the examination of evidence in the case.

If a detainee requested a medical evacuation, medical care was provided under the supervision of the police. Anyone sentenced to imprisonment had their names recorded in an electronic system which was supervised by multiple agencies. If their detention period exceeded the terms stipulated in the law, there was a notification, and those in charge were held accountable.

Judicial safeguards were in place, including that the individual had the right to know the reason for their arrest. If the individual could not appoint a lawyer, the State had the right to appoint a lawyer for them. All questioning should be done by specialist bodies, and it was up to the judge to release the person or keep them in detention. Detainees could appeal at any stage of the judgement. Questioning could only be conducted by trained, specialised staff, not just the police. The accused individual had the right to request an examination to ensure there were no injuries, which needed to be included in the investigation report. The arrested individual had the possibility of appointing somebody to witness this.

Judges needed to be fully competent and qualified in the field of law or Sharia and did not have the right to exercise political activities. Judges could not be removed from their posts unless disciplinary measures were issued against them. If judges were related to the accused by four degrees, they were required to recuse themselves from proceedings. The Ministry of Justice could not get involved in daily cases or the running of the judiciary. They could recommend the appointment of judges when necessary. Kuwait had chosen to ensure a separation of powers. The judiciary was fully independent; there was no involvement from the executive or the parliament in the judiciary.

Currently, there were no persons subject to a decision of exile or expulsion. If such a decision was taken, it was implemented in cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, allowing the affected persons to be supported. All foreign individuals could not be exonerated from fines imposed upon them. Any individual who had received fines was obliged to pay them before being deported. In cases where people were unable to pay the fines, they could pay them subsequently in cooperation with third parties.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the definition of the crime of torture was challenging, as there was a need to define what behaviours constituted torture. For example, if an individual was compelled to disclose information under duress, this could equate to torture, even if they were not subject to physical constraint. One did not have to be the perpetrator of torture to be covered by the acts under the law; individuals could be sanctioned as a standby witness. Any physical act of torture was a crime and the Kuwaiti legislator had established as a minimum threshold, a three-year imprisonment. If the acts committed had long-term impacts and were severe, the sanctions would be increased. Pre-mediated crimes could be punished by life imprisonment or the death penalty. The crime of torture was an absolute crime, and mitigating circumstances could not be used to downplay or excuse acts of torture.

Awareness campaigns had been rolled out on national radio and television stations to make the public aware of the serious nature of the act of torture. Social media networks had published advertisements and short awareness-raising videos and clips. The campaign aimed to ensure that violence was not seen as mainstream or normal, whether in schools or in the family. All channels were used to repeat this point. A robust checking system was in place to monitor campaigns and check results. Steps were taken to ensure unjustified violence was never promoted or mainstreamed, and to crack down on misinformation which could foster unrest and discrimination. Producers who violated requirements were held accountable. There were rare cases where scenes of violence had been broadcast, for example during the COVID-19 pandemic. These were immediately followed up on and assessed, and action was taken to hold those responsible to account.

Initiatives had been conducted to be conducive to awareness raising in schools, to ensure victims of violence could have access to support. All measures were taken to support the psychological wellbeing of women. Around 60 clinics provided women victims of violence with psychological support. Specialised non-governmental organizations worked with victims of domestic violence and conducted training for self-defence. Each State had rules for interrogation and treating any person who was under arrest, in such a way to ensure there were no acts of torture involved. There first needed to be a medical observation of the entire body of the arrested person prior to interrogation, and they were then given the opportunity to meet with a lawyer. If the arrested person did not speak Arabic, they would receive the support of an interpreter.

In the cases of detention, the detainee was entitled to all communication tools, access to a lawyer, and the ability to communicate with their family members to inform about their whereabouts. All cases involving compensation for acts of torture were actioned through a special administration. From 2020 to 2023, there were only nine torture complaints. Torture was not considered a phenomenon or a scourge in Kuwait.

The National Bureau for Human Rights conducted training and developed content to disseminate a general culture about human rights, and also contributed to building programmes on human rights training in schools. The protection and promotion of human rights was promoted through a website, social media networks, and awareness raising campaigns. This year, the Bureau participated in a conference on local and regional initiatives for human rights. The Bureau supported rehabilitation and penitentiary centres and could conduct visits to places of detention, women’s shelters, and other institutions without any clearance needed. Investigations against the police were conducted in the event of complaints. If it was found that these complaints were legitimate, sanctions were imposed, including the loss of salary or job.

Twenty-one memorandums of understanding had been signed with other countries to govern the issue of domestic workers. Kuwait heeded its commitments under the International Labour Organization conventions. A hotline was provided to all workers, enabling them to file complaints at any time. One hundred and fifty-three inspection campaigns had been conducted in July. Seven violations against domestic workers had been recorded in 2024.

Any domestic worker could request a change of employment without requiring the approval of their previous employer. An awareness campaign which targeted domestic workers was being rolled out, focused on raising awareness for current and prospective domestic workers about their rights, as well as promoting the hotlines and contact points they might need.

Being held incommunicado in isolation cells could only be imposed in specific circumstances, for example if the person was self-harming while in detention. The death penalty was one of last instance, the maximum penalty issued in the Criminal Code of Kuwait. It was only enacted for the most serious crimes and was not in contradiction with Islamic Sharia. At any stage of proceedings, the accused murderer could appeal, or ask for a lighter or reduced sentence, rather than the death penalty. From 2022 to 2024, there were 80 penalties reduced from the death penalty to a lighter sentence, with people even being released in some cases. In the case of a woman who was pregnant, the death penalty could not be carried out until the child was born. Minors could not be subjected to the death penalty.

The crime of rape was defined with the non-presence of consent. Consent was a constant, including in a marriage. If consent had not been given, this was recognised as being a rape and was defined as a rape in the Criminal Code. If marital rape occurred, this was criminalised and the perpetrator was punished. This relied on the woman registering a complaint of rape. The existing legislation in Kuwait did meet the requisite standards. The sanctions and punishments were commensurate with the degree of harm suffered.

Crimes of sexual violence had multiplied, including rape and non-consensual sexual relationships with minors. Some of the sentences handed down for these cases were life imprisonment, with the minimum sentences being 15 years in certain circumstances. This highlighted that the justice system was working as it should in Kuwait, with perpetrators being duly sanctioned.

The State did not currently intend to lift its reservations to the Convention, as doing this would pose a risk to the State’s sovereignty. Any detainee who had health concerns where their lives were at risk were assessed by doctors, and in some cases could be provided with a conditional release.

The Government was continuing its tireless efforts to address the issue of stateless persons. An action plan had been adopted which served as a roadmap. There were 10,260 stateless persons in Kuwait who were currently in the regularisation process. People undergoing this process received long-term resident permits and received medical insurance cards.

Kuwait guaranteed the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The country had signed 15 extradition agreements, which were bilateral agreements between Kuwait and third parties. In the event no treaty was in place, Kuwait referred to the principle of reciprocity.

Laws and regulations punished terrorist acts and crimes, money laundering, and the financing of terrorism. Kuwait had a specialised department on combatting terrorism, money laundering and terrorism financing. Twenty-eight terrorist cases had been registered over the past four years. Thirty-five inmates currently were being held in prison for being associated with a group which presented a threat to the nation.

Kuwait had rehabilitation and mental health follow-up programmes for persons in institutions, which allowed these persons to avoid relapse. Therapy sessions were conducted, in which persons were evaluated at the psycho-social level and evaluated from a general risk perspective before they were discharged. A social and family integration programme was in place for persons with disabilities. Allowances were provided for personal assistants and drivers. Five hundred and eighteen persons were in social care institutions. These included persons with severe psychological and motor disabilities.

Questions by Committee Experts

ABDUL RAZZAQ RAWAN, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Kuwait, said torture was a serious and grave crime within international human rights law. Therefore, it was absurd that there were no provisions thereon, and the Committee insisted on this. Mr. Rawan commended the provisions in the civic law of Kuwait, which provided for reparations. Could the delegation explain in detail the course of the reforms undertaken by Kuwait? Were there any special education programmes to support the Convention among law enforcement officers?

All countries were recommended to provide training in the provisions of the Istanbul Protocol. Did Kuwait provide such training? Was there a law which governed the use of forensic medicine in Kuwait? The Convention considered mechanisms monitoring deprivation of liberty as an effective means to combat torture. It was hoped that Kuwait would ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention. Regarding fundamental legal safeguards, it was vital for family members to be notified of one’s place of detention. Could clarifications be provided on whether this was complied with?

PETER VEDEL KESSING, Committee Expert and Rapporteur, commended Kuwait for all the positive measures taken, including new laws and regulations to prevent torture. It was understood that the State was willing to tighten the penalty for torture to more than five years, which was commensurate with the gravity of the crime. This was commendable. What was to process from here on? When could it be hoped that there would be changes? Would the Government apply for international accreditation for the National Bureau for Human Rights? Was it common to have video or audio recordings of police interrogations? If there were allegations against a police officer, who would investigate that complaint?

Could a domestic worker easily terminate a contract with a month’s notice, or were they always required to supply a reason? It was encouraging to learn that Kuwait was considering a ban on the use of shackles. Could the State be more specific on the timeline? Had the new prison been built to tackle the issue of overcrowding? Could updated statistics be provided on deaths in custody? Had deaths in custody been investigated? What measures were being taken to prevent these kinds of deaths?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said sovereignty was a sensitive issue, all the more so when international texts and treaties departed from national legislation. The State of Kuwait was firmly resolved to prosecute and punish any act of torture, irrespective of the perpetrator of that act. The law on protection from corporal punishment 2020 expressly prohibited any act of violence against a child. A unit was set up which responded to complaints of ill treatment against children, including corporal punishment. Immediate investigations were launched into allegations of abuse in schools. Any report of abuse needed to be followed up on immediately.

The Office of the Prosecutor was mandated to prosecute crimes brought before it, including torture. Once the Office was seized with a case of torture, an effective streamlined system ensured a rapid investigation into the reported case of torture. The Public Prosecutor’s Office was also an independent, oversight body which enacted measures to ensure oversight of places of deprivation of liberty. Since 2009, it had the right to carry out visits to verify the conditions of places of deprivation of liberty. The visits were also used to ensure that there were not acts tantamount to torture, ill treatment or abuse being carried out.

If an act of torture had led to a loss of life, the sentence would be toughened up to the death penalty. If a doctor believed a patient in hospital ran the risk of being tortured, they would report it to the police unit in the hospital which would take legal measures against the perpetrator.

Around 53,000 domestic workers had changed careers to jobs in the public sector. When a suspect or defendant was under interrogation, they were informed of their rights. Twenty-two cases of detention without grounds between 2020 and 2024 had been referred to the competent judicial authorities, who referred the cases to the competent courts. A decree regulated the suspension of a police officer, following reports of excessive use of force.

A study was being conducted to amend the article in regard to the use of discipline of inmates. It was hoped that this amendment would see the light of day, and the article would then be in line with the Mandela and Bangkok Rules. Remand in custody was limited by law and could not be extended. The provision of a hotline was a safeguard, which was open to Kuwaitis or non-Kuwaitis to lodge any abuse of their rights, including complaints against police officers. Kuwait would recommend that the National Bureau for Human Rights seek accreditation under the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.

Question by a Committee Expert

ABDUL RAZZAQ RAWAN, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Kuwait, said the judiciary had a fundamental role in preventing torture and implementing the provisions of the Convention. It was hoped the State would take into account shortcomings which could impact the work of the judges and judiciary into account.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the judicial authority in Kuwait was fully independent of the executive and legislative authority; these were separate powers. In practice, there was no interference whatsoever. Rules might imply an interference, but in practice, this was not the reality. The Kuwaiti judiciary and the Office of the Prosecutor General were fully independent from a technical standpoint.

Closing Remarks

CLAUDE HELLER, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation for the dialogue which had been very constructive. The Convention was respectful of sovereignty. The Committee aimed to contribute to the improvement of human rights in all States.

NASER ALHAYEN, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the dialogue. Kuwait was fully committed to the implementation of all international standards and human rights and would continue the constructive dialogue with the Committee and the international community.

Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

CAT24.019E

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Earth’s climate will keep changing long after humanity hits net-zero emissions. Our research shows why

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne

Shutterstock

The world is striving to reach net-zero emissions as we try to ward off dangerous global warming. But will getting to net-zero actually avert climate instability, as many assume?

Our new study examined that question. Alarmingly, we found reaching net-zero in the next few decades will not bring an immediate end to the global heating problem. Earth’s climate will change for many centuries to come.

And this continuing climate change will not be evenly spread. Australia would keep warming more than almost any other land area. For example if net-zero emissions are reached by 2060, the Australian city of Melbourne is still predicted to warm by 1°C after that point.

But that’s not to say the world shouldn’t push to reach net-zero emissions as quickly as possible. The sooner we get there, the less damaging change the planet will experience in the long run.

New research examines if climate change will stop once the world reaches net-zero emissions.
Shutterstock

Reaching net-zero is vital

Global greenhouse gas emissions hit record highs in 2023. At the same time, Earth experienced its hottest year.

Analysis suggests emissions may peak in the next couple of years then start to fall. But as long as emissions remain substantial, the planet will keep warming.

Most of the world’s nations, including Australia, have signed up to the Paris climate agreement. The deal aims to keep global warming well below 2°C, and requires major emitters to reach net-zero as soon as possible. Australia, along with many other nations, is aiming to reach the goal by 2050.

Getting to net-zero essentially means nations must reduce human-caused greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible, and compensate for remaining emissions by removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere elsewhere. Methods for doing this include planting additional vegetation to draw down and store carbon, or using technology to suck carbon out of the air.

Getting to net-zero is widely considered the point at which global warming will stop. But is that assumption correct? And does it mean warming would stop everywhere across the planet? Our research sought to find out.

Centuries of change

Computer models simulating Earth’s climate under different scenarios are an important tool for climate scientists. Our research used a model known as the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator.

Such models are like lab experiments for climate scientists to test ideas. Models are fed with information about greenhouse gas emissions. They then use equations to predict how those emissions would affect the movement of air and the ocean, and the transfer of carbon and heat, across Earth over time.

We wanted to see what would happen once the world hit net-zero carbon dioxide at various points in time, and maintained it for 1,000 years.

We ran seven simulations from different start points in the 21st century, at five-year increments from 2030 to 2060. These staggered simulations allowed us to measure the effect of various delays in reaching net-zero.

We found Earth’s climate would continue to evolve under all simulations, even if net-zero emissions was maintained for 1,000 years. But importantly, the later net-zero is reached, the larger the climate changes Earth would experience.

Warming oceans and melting ice

Earth’s average temperature across land and sea is the main indicator of climate change. So we looked at that first.

We found this temperature would continue to rise slowly under net-zero emissions – albeit at a much slower rate than we see today. Most warming would take place on the ocean surface; average temperature on land would only change a little.

We also looked at temperatures below the ocean surface. There, the ocean would warm strongly even under net-zero emissions – and this continues for many centuries. This is because seawater absorbs a lot of energy before warming up, which means some ocean warming is inevitable even after emissions fall.

Over the last few decades of high greenhouse gas emissions, sea ice extent fell in the Arctic – and more recently, around Antarctica. Under net-zero emissions, we anticipate Arctic sea ice extent would stabilise but not recover.

In contrast, Antarctic sea ice extent is projected to fall under net-zero emissions for many centuries. This is associated with continued slow warming of the Southern Ocean around Antarctica.

Importantly, we found long-term impacts on the climate worsen the later we reach net-zero emissions. Even just a five-year delay would affect on the projected climate 1,000 years later.

Delaying net-zero by five years results in a higher global average surface temperature, a much warmer ocean and reduced sea ice extent for many centuries.

Australia’s evolving climate

The effect on the climate of reaching net-zero emissions differs across the world.

For example, Australia is close to the Southern Ocean, which is projected to continue warming for many centuries even under net-zero emissions. This warming to Australia’s south means even under a net-zero emissions pathway, we expect the continent to continue to warm more than almost all other land areas on Earth.

For example, the models predict Melbourne would experience 1°C of warming over centuries if net-zero was reached in 2060.

Spell out GMST (global mean surface temperature?) in chart? Is listed as global average in caption??

Net-zero would also lead to changes in rainfall in Australia. Winter rainfall across the continent would increase – a trend in contrast to drying currently underway in parts of Australia, particularly in the southwest and southeast.

Knowns and unknowns

There is much more to discover about how the climate might behave under net-zero.

But our analysis provides some clues about what climate changes to expect if humanity struggles to achieve large-scale “net-negative” emissions – that is, removing carbon from the atmosphere at a greater rate than it is emitted.

Experiments with more models will help improve scientists’ understanding of climate change beyond net-zero emissions. These simulations may include scenarios in which carbon removal methods are so successful, Earth actually cools and some climate changes are reversed.

Despite the unknowns, one thing is very clear: there is a pressing need to push for net-zero emissions as fast as possible.

Andrew King receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather and the National Environmental Science Program.

Tilo Ziehn receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather and the National Environmental Science Program.

– ref. Earth’s climate will keep changing long after humanity hits net-zero emissions. Our research shows why – https://theconversation.com/earths-climate-will-keep-changing-long-after-humanity-hits-net-zero-emissions-our-research-shows-why-241692

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cambodia stops publishing details of new citizenships issued to foreigners – The Straits Times

Source: United States Institute of Peace

SINGAPORE – Cambodia has stopped publishing data on new citizenships issued by the kingdom to foreigners, in the wake of the $3 billion money laundering probe in Singapore.

Checks by The Straits Times and investigative journalism group, Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), showed that the last time new citizenship details were published was in February.

The latest Royal Gazette, published on Sept 27, did not contain any new citizenship data.

Observers had zoomed in on the ease of access to Cambodian citizenship and passports after it emerged that nine of the 10 foreigners arrested in August 2023 in the probe in Singapore held Cambodian passports.

All 10 were originally from China, which does not recognise dual citizenship.

In 2018, Cambodia moved to allow foreign immigrants to request citizenship through the naturalisation process.

To be granted citizenship, foreigners have to maintain good behaviour and morality, and have no convictions for serious crime.

They must also legally reside in Cambodia for more than seven years, be able to speak Khmer, and understand the local culture and history.

Of the nine foreigners apprehended in Singapore, at least five were convicted for online gambling or were wanted by the authorities in China.

They are Wang Dehai, Vang Shuiming, Su Jianfeng, Chen Qingyuan and Su Wenqiang.

Another 17 associates of the 10 foreigners held Cambodian passports as well.

They include Su Binghai, Su Yongcan, Wang Huoqiang, Su Shuiming, Su Shuijun, Su Fuxiang and Chen Mulin.

Cambodia had averaged around 50 new citizens every month between January 2020 and August 2023, with details published monthly in the Royal Gazette.

After the raids in Singapore, the kingdom granted citizenship status to only four individuals in total between September 2023 and December 2023.

A representative from the Royal Embassy of Cambodia in Singapore told ST on Sept 18 that it could not confirm the figures as it does not have access to the data.

The representative added that he was unable to confirm if Cambodia’s citizenship by investment scheme, or naturalisation process, is still in place.

ST had also reached out to government spokesman Pen Bona, the Prime Minister’s spokesman Meas Sophorn, the office of the council of ministers, and Cambodia’s immigration office.

Established in 1996, the kingdom’s law on nationality also allows foreigners to obtain citizenship through investment in the nation.

Under the law, foreigners who invest a minimum of US$300,000 (S$384,000) in the country, or donate at least US$250,000 to the economy, will have the right to apply for citizenship.

Mr Jacob Sims, a visiting expert on transnational crime at the United States Institute of Peace, told ST that for years, Cambodia’s citizenship for investment scheme has served as a channel for individuals from sophisticated organised crime syndicates to migrate.

Said Mr Sims: “The removal of that data from the public record helps to obscure the nature of the relationship between Cambodian state actions and those criminals, as well as the sheer volume of monied crime actors Cambodia has absorbed in recent years.”

By removing the once publicly available data, Cambodia can protect those who have purchased citizenship while shielding the government from international scrutiny, he said.

Associate Professor Kristin Surak from the London School of Economics and Political Science said that not all countries strictly vet citizenship by investment applications.

She added: “I would say the scheme is very easy to exploit in Cambodia because the government does not do its due diligence. It has issues with corruption and does not have an effective bureaucratic process to ensure applications are properly checked and vetted.”

Name changes have also made it harder for the authorities to track criminals.

Dr Surak, the author of The Golden Passport: Global Mobility For Millionaires, pointed out that many applicants in the past have changed their names.

“This makes it extremely easy for someone to take on a new identity, making Cambodia a target for those with criminal intent to take advantage of,” she added.

One such example is casino kingpin She Zhijiang. ST previously reported on She and his links to scam operations in Myanmar and Cambodia.

She, who was originally from China, became a naturalised citizen of Cambodia in 2017. He then changed his name to Tang Kriang Kai.

He was arrested in Thailand in August 2022 and is currently fighting deportation to China.

Businessman David Yong, chief executive of Evergreen Group Holdings, had similarly obtained Cambodian citizenship.

Yong, who is currently facing four charges in Singapore of falsifying accounts, obtained Cambodian citizenship some time in 2023 and changed his name to Duong Dara.

He was arrested on Aug 1, just three months after he appeared in Netflix series Super Rich In Korea.

Yong’s lawyer said in court that he had surrendered his Cambodian passport to the authorities in Phnom Penh in June 2024.

In response, the authorities in Singapore said they wrote several times to their Cambodian counterparts in August to confirm the fact, but have yet to receive any reply.

Of the 10 foreigners convicted in Singapore’s largest money laundering case, eight were deported to Cambodia – which has an extradition treaty with China.

Wang Dehai was deported to the UK, while Vang Shuiming was deported to Japan.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: FBI Chicago, Illinois Attorney General’s Office Seeking Information about Multiple Suspects in Jewelry Store Armed Robberies in Bridgeview

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

Douglas S. DePodesta, special agent in charge of the Chicago Division of the FBI, and Kwame Raoul, attorney general for the State of Illinois, are seeking information about four masked suspects involved in armed robberies taking place at four jewelry stores across three states between July 13, 2023, and September 14, 2024. Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact the FBI.

The robberies in question have taken place at jewelry stores in Bridgeview, Illinois, as well as in Michigan and Missouri. According to law enforcement, suspects alternately carried an AR-style rifle, handgun, and hammer, and wore costume face masks. The FBI on October 30 released surveillance video footage of robberies that took place at stores in Bridgeview, Illinois, and Dearborn, Michigan. The video and images of the costume masks are available at fbi.gov/wanted/seeking-information.

“The perpetrators of these crimes showed a blatant disregard for public safety and the rule of law during the commission of these brazen robberies,” DePodesta said. “Their actions will haunt these victims for a lifetime, and we’re asking for the public’s help to bring them to justice before someone is killed. We encourage the public to take a good look at the images we’ve released today and contact us with tips before these violent individuals strike again.”

JEWELRY STORE ROBBERIES

Unknown Suspects Bridgeview, Illinois; Dearborn, Michigan; and Winchester, Missouri July 13, 2023; January 9, 2024; August 7, 2024; and September 14, 2024

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: The Pig Butchering Invasion Has Begun – Wired

Source: United States Institute of Peace

Scam compounds have also been broken up in Peru and Sri Lanka. And there has even been alleged trafficking in truly unexpected places like the Isle of Man, a British territory where almost 100 people were working between 2022 and 2023 as part of a pig butchering operation, according to a BBC investigation from August.

“The People’s Republic of China–origin criminal groups that are behind these sophisticated forms of scamming are looking to build networks and hubs all around the globe simply because this is so lucrative,” says Jason Tower, the country director for Burma and a long-time security analyst covering China and Southeast Asia at the United States Institute of Peace.

Pig butchering scam centers rely upon multiple layers of criminality to operate, encompassing the recruitment of trafficked people, running scam centers on a day-to-day basis, the development of technology to scam thousands of people, and the sophisticated money laundering required to process billions of dollars. As Chinese authorities have cracked down on Chinese-speaking criminal organizations operating scam centers across Southeast Asia, the groups have likely continued to spread their operations, albeit at a smaller scale.

“I would say it was an intentional hedging strategy, seemingly to diversify the geographic basis of operation and ultimately ensure business continuity,” says John Wojcik, an organized crime analyst at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “But at the same time, I think it’s also an immediate reaction to mounting law enforcement pressure and regulatory tightening in this region.”

In addition to the geographic spread of pig butchering operations, researchers note that there has also been a shift in the people targeted by traffickers to “work” in scam compounds. “Over the past two years, the countries targeted for recruitment have gradually shifted westward,” says Eric Heintz, a global analyst at human rights organization International Justice Mission.

Many trafficking victims within the early years of pig butchering were based in Southeast Asian countries, but this soon shifted to South Asian nations such as India and Nepal, Heintz says. “We have since seen recruitment posts targeting East African nations like Kenya and Uganda, and then West African countries like Morocco, and then, most recently, we have seen posts targeting El Salvador.”

As always, the spread and evolution of pig butchering is driven by how profitable it can be. Researchers say that another alarming trend involves people from around the world choosing to go work in scam centers or even being liberated from forced labor and returning to keep working voluntarily. As long as the money keeps coming in, pig butchering will keep spreading around the world.

“Fraud is not being seen as a serious crime—not like drugs, not like terrorism,” Humanity Research Consultancy’s Chiang says. “Globally, we need to start shifting that idea, because it creates the same kind of damage, and maybe even more because the amount of money we’re talking about is so huge. We are racing against time.”

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Aiken man arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material* and related chargesRead More

Source: US State of South Carolina

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of William Daniel Mayes, 54, of Aiken, S.C. on seven charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, S.C. Probation, Parole, and Pardon, and Homeland Security Investigations, all also members of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.

Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Mayes. Investigators state Mayes recorded a person without their consent and possessed files of child sexual abuse material.

Mayes was arrested on October 29, 2024. He is charged with five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, third degree (§16-15-410), a felony offense punishable by up to ten years imprisonment on each count; and two counts of voyeurism (§16-17-470(B)), a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment for a first offense on each count.

The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

* Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant. Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason.

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Anderson man arrested on 10 Child Sexual Abuse Material* chargesRead More

Source: US State of South Carolina

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced the arrest of Christopher Lee Hagood, 45, of Anderson, S.C., on 10 charges connected to the sexual exploitation of minors. Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigators with the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office made the arrest. Investigators with the Attorney General’s Office, also a member of the state’s ICAC Task Force, assisted with the investigation.

Investigators received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which led them to Hagood. Investigators state Hagood distributed files of child sexual abuse material.

Hagood was arrested on October 22, 2024. He is charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, second degree (§16-15-405), a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment on each count.

This case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Wilson stressed all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.

* Child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, is a more accurate reflection of the material involved in these heinous and abusive crimes. “Pornography” can imply the child was a consenting participant. Globally, the term child pornography is being replaced by CSAM for this reason

MIL OSI USA News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Bean Named 2024 Hero of Main Street
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Aaron Bean Florida (4th District)

WASHINGTON—The National Retail Federation (NRF) recently presented U.S. Congressman Aaron Bean (FL-04) with the Hero of Main Street Award. Congressman Bean earned this honor for his tireless work during the 118^th Congress to prioritize small businesses and empower a vibrant retail industry.

In Florida, retail directly supports more than 2.3 million local jobs and contributes more than $357.4 billion in economic activity.

“As a former small business owner, I know firsthand the burdens small businesses face. As a member of the House Small Business Committee, I’m committed to restoring optimism and advancing solutions to make it easier for owners to invest, hire, and watch their enterprises grow.”

BACKGROUND

Congressman Bean has introduced and supported the following pieces of legislation on behalf of the Fourth District’s small businesses and retail sector:
- Passed H.R. 4666, We Want Our Money Back Act: Requires the Inspector General of the SBA to report to Congress with quarterly updates on the ongoing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) fraud investigations.
- Introduced H.R. 9033, the Let American Businesses Be on Record (LABOR) Act: Requires the Department of Labor (DOL) to hold panels with small business owners, as part of the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA), which will be impacted during the rulemaking process so that changes can be made before the rule is finalized.
- Introduced H.R. 2744, the Freedom from Government Competition Act of 2023: Increases opportunities for private industries to provide goods and services without the threat of taxpayer-funded government competition. This bill puts American businesses first and saves taxpayer dollars from duplicative and wasteful spending.
- Introduced H.R.7984, the Rural Small Business Resilience Act: Would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to improve access to disaster assistance and relief programs for rural business owners to efficiently mitigate effects of natural disasters.
- Cosponsored H.R. 4721, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act: Permanently extends tax deductions for small and family-owned businesses, giving them greater flexibility to invest in new employers, expansion, or their communities.
- Cosponsored H.R. 895, the Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act: Would deter future attacks on U.S. retailers by enhancing federal coordination, establishing an aligned multi-agency response, and creating new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail theft.
###

MIL OSI USA News –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Ship Management Company Fined $1.75M for Failing to Maintain an Accurate Oil Record Book that Concealed Unauthorized Discharges at Sea

Source: United States Attorneys General

Gremex Shipping S.A. de C.V., a Mexican corporation that managed several ships, including the M/V Suhar, pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal district court in Pensacola, Florida, for creating and providing false records to the U.S. Coast Guard to conceal its illegal discharge of oily bilge waste into the ocean, which is a felony violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS).

The charge stems from a Coast Guard investigation of the ship once it arrived in Pensacola on Aug. 25, 2023. The Suhar is a 7,602 gross ton Panamanian-flagged ocean-going bulk carrier that routinely hauled cement from Tampico, Mexico, to Pensacola. Since March 2021, day-to-day operation of the ship was undertaken by Gremex, which was responsible for hiring all crew, and ensuring compliance with all policies on protection of the environment in accordance with international regulations. After boarding the ship to determine compliance with all applicable laws, Coast Guard personnel determined that the vessel’s crew had regularly discharged untreated oily bilge water into sea in a manner that bypassed onboard pollution control equipment, and then falsified the ship’s oil record book to conceal these discharges.

As part of normal vessel operations, large ocean-going ships like the Suhar generate oily bilge water that periodically needs to be discharged for the vessel to operate safely. The United States and Panama are both parties to an international treaty known as MARPOL, which regulates and limits the at-sea discharge of oily bilge water. To satisfy these marine pollution requirements, vessels typically discharge oily bilge water after it has been processed through an oily water separator, a piece of onboard pollution control equipment which removes oil from bilge water prior to discharge. Ships are required to maintain an oil record book that documents all discharges of oily bilge water so authorities can monitor ships for compliance with these international requirements. Federal law requires that foreign ships arriving at U.S. ports maintain an accurate oil record book.

Consistent with a sentencing recommendation jointly proposed by the government and Gremex, the court sentenced the company to pay a $1.75 million fine, serve a four-year term of probation and commit to developing and implementing an environmental compliance plan that will be in effect during the time the company is on probation.

Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida made the announcement.

The Coast Guard’s Investigative Service investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Joel La Bissonniere of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Love for the Northern District of Florida prosecuted the case.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Former Officer Pleads Guilty to Embezzling More than $30,000 from DC Department of Corrections Union

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

           WASHINGTON – Andra Parker, 65, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from a D.C. Department of Corrections Labor Union.

           The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG).

           Parker, a former D.C. Corrections officer, served as Chairman of the Labor Committee, an organization that represents all members of the D.C. Department of Corrections, from June 2018 through approximately April 2019. As Chairman, Parker had full access to the Labor Committee’s bank accounts to carry out his official duties and was issued a debit card.

           As part of his guilty plea, Parker admitted that he misappropriated more than $30,000 of union funds to pay for unofficial travel, lodging, and entertainment for him and his friends. For example, he spent more than $7,000 on a trip to New York city for his friends and him, including $4,000 on rooms and expenses at a Times Square hotel, more than $370 on tickets to a New York Knicks game, and an additional $616 on tickets to Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. He also spent more than $2,000 in union funds to purchase four tickets to a Diana Ross concert in North Bethesda, Maryland.

           The Honorable Rudolph Contreras, who accepted Parker’s guilty plea, scheduled sentencing for March 6, 2025.

           This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the DOL-OIG. Assistance was also provided by the DOL – Office of Labor-Management Standards.

           This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Gold and Kondi Kleinman of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Sonalika Chaturvedi.

23cr0186

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Independence Man Sentenced for Child Pornography

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today after being identified in two separate federal investigations sharing videos and images of child pornography online.

Joseph L. Schutz, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 13 years and four months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Schutz to 10 years of supervised release following incarceration. Schutz will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.

On Oct. 24, 2023, Schutz pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography over the internet and one count of possessing child pornography.

An FBI task force officer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, posing undercover as an adult female, was conducting an investigation utilizing the Kik Messenger application in May 2020. The undercover officer joined multiple private groups dedicated to individuals interested in child pornography and whose members openly shared such material within the group. Schutz admitted that he received multiple videos and images of child pornography within one of these Kik groups, and also shared multiple videos and images of child pornography within the group.

On May 14, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Schutz’s residence. Investigators found 18 images of child erotica and eight images of child pornography on Schutz’s cell phone.

In July and August 2022, an FBI investigator in Texas communicated online with Schutz while conducting an undercover investigation. The undercover investigator posed as a 13-year-old female. Between July 28 and Aug. 1, 2022, Schutz invited the undercover investigator into a Kik group dedicated to the exchange of child pornography. During that time, Schutz admitted, he shared multiple videos of child pornography within the group.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Luna. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Project Safe Childhood

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of Ammunition

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on October 19, 2024, AVERY JULIEN (“JULIEN”), age 28, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). JULIEN faces up to 15 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.

According to court records, on September 14, 2022, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies and New Orleans Police Department officers executed a search warrant at JULIEN’s New Orleans residence after learning that JULIEN may have committed a carjacking in Jefferson Parish. During the search of his residence, two firearms, a Sig Sauer Model P229, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Sig Sauer Model P250, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, were located in JULIEN’s bedroom.

Federal law prohibits convicted felons, such as JULIEN, from possessing firearms. In 2018, JULIEN was convicted of felonies in two separate cases in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. JULIEN knew he had been convicted of these felonies at the time that he possessed the ammunition. United States District Judge, Brandon S. Long, will sentence JULIENon February 4, 2025.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Public Integrity Unit.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Eleven Minneapolis Gang Members Charged with RICO Conspiracy, Murder in Aid of Racketeering, and Drug Trafficking Offenses

Source: United States Attorneys General 4

A federal grand jury in Minneapolis returned an 18-count indictment yesterday against 11 alleged members of the Lows — a violent Minneapolis street gang — for crimes including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, gun trafficking, and drug trafficking.

“According to the indictment, these defendants are leaders, organizers, and members of the Lows street gang, a violent gang that allegedly committed multiple murders and attempted murders and trafficked in guns and drugs, including fentanyl,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Violent gangs that engage in bloody street wars and peddle deadly drugs endanger our communities. The Criminal Division, along with our local, state, and federal partners, is committed to holding violent criminals accountable, including by bringing racketeering charges.”

“The Lows are an exceptionally violent criminal street gang that has terrorized north Minneapolis for nearly 20 years. Through threats and violence — shootings and murders — the Lows have long sought to establish dominion over large swaths of our city,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota. “My office will continue to respond to gang violence by treating it as the organized criminal activity it is. This indictment is an important step in dismantling a violent street gang that has devastated families and communities in north Minneapolis.”

“More than 100 people lose their lives to gun violence every day in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “There will never be a time where this will be considered acceptable. Our ATF agents put forth solid investigative work in this case utilizing crime gun intelligence that without a doubt aided the case announced today. ATF is happy to work alongside each of our partners in this investigation, and we are grateful to the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Luger, and the entire team for taking up this challenging RICO case.”

“The charges in this indictment reflect our unwavering commitment to bringing violent criminals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “For too long, the Lows have inflicted pain and spread fear in north Minneapolis. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are determined to remove this threat from our communities and help restore a sense of security to all who call this city home.”

“Today’s indictment provides a stark reminder that violence and drug trafficking go hand-in-hand,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division. “These were not victimless crimes. Communities were hurt. The DEA will continue its unwavering focus to remove threats of violence and hold accountable the individuals responsible for inflicting fear on the streets of Minneapolis.”

“The individuals named in this indictment allegedly engaged in homicide, and illegal drug and firearms trafficking, which created an atmosphere of terror and disrupted countless lives in this community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Chicago Field Office. “These charges represent a pivotal milestone in our commitment to restore safety and uphold justice in the communities we serve. Working with their federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, IRS-CI special agents will continue to follow every financial trail to dismantle the networks fueling these criminal enterprises. We stand united against the violence and fear that street gangs have inflicted upon our communities in Minneapolis and elsewhere.”

“The Lows, and criminal organizations like them, wreak havoc on our communities, threatening the safety of our communities on a daily basis through their many acts of violence, murder, and narcotics and firearms trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul. “HSI St. Paul will continue to foster a strong collaboration with our law enforcement partners to bring an end to the chaos these criminal organizations inflict on our local communities.”

“This multi-count indictment against ranking members of the Lows gang is an excellent example of multiple law enforcement agencies combining their expertise and resources to conduct investigations with the common goal of taking down violent leaders perpetuating street violence involving guns and narcotics,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Denver Division. “These RICO charges aim to remove these allegedly violent offenders from our community. U.S. Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking operations to keep USPS customers and employees safe from greedy drug traffickers who favor profit over human lives.”

As alleged in this indictment, the defendants were members of the Lows criminal street gang, which has been in existence in Minneapolis since approximately 2004. The Lows are primarily active in the northside of Minneapolis. They allegedly traffic in firearms and narcotics, including fentanyl, and use threats, intimidation, and violence to protect their territory, reputation, illicit proceeds, and power.

The indictment charges that the defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering — that is, unlawful acts of violence, gun trafficking, and narcotics trafficking — for the benefit of the Lows enterprise. These acts include seven alleged murders or attempted murders involving a total of ten victims.

The 11 defendants, all from Minneapolis, have been indicted for the following crimes:

Ashimiyu Alowonle II, 38, also known as Cash, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Timothy Callender III, 26, also known as Lil’ Tim, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Glenn Carter III, 23, also known as G5 and Bossman Carter, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Carter is charged with committing a murder on May 14, 2022, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Victor Collins, 22, also known as Vic, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and possessing a firearm a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Collins is charged with committing a murder and an attempted murder on Feb. 27 as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Damari Douglas, 20, also known as Mari, is charged with RICO conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a machine gun. Douglas is charged with committing a murder on Dec. 3, 2023, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Deontae Jackson, 35, also known as Leef, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Shannon Jackson, 32, also known as Shakedown, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jackson is charged with committing a murder on April 27, 2023, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Robert Knights Jr., 19, also known as CMB Rob and Lil’ Rob, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Albert Lucas V, 20, also known as Abk Sav, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Lucas is charged with committing multiple murders and an attempted murder on Feb. 27 and May 6, 2021, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Kaprice Richards, 23, also known as Kap, is charged with RICO conspiracy and using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Richards is charged with committing an attempted murder on May 29, 2022, and a murder on April 27, 2023, as racketeering acts in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Cartrelle Smith, 27, also known as Poo Moe, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

If convicted, the defendants face a range of penalties, including up to life in prison for racketeering conspiracy involving acts of murder, using a firearm to commit murder, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after the consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

ATF, FBI, DEA, IRS-CI, HSI, USPIS, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Trial Attorney Jared Engelking of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

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 –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Eleven Minneapolis Gang Members Charged with RICO Conspiracy, Murder in Aid of Racketeering, and Drug Trafficking Offenses

Source: US State Government of Utah

A federal grand jury in Minneapolis returned an 18-count indictment yesterday against 11 alleged members of the Lows — a violent Minneapolis street gang — for crimes including Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, gun trafficking, and drug trafficking.

“According to the indictment, these defendants are leaders, organizers, and members of the Lows street gang, a violent gang that allegedly committed multiple murders and attempted murders and trafficked in guns and drugs, including fentanyl,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Violent gangs that engage in bloody street wars and peddle deadly drugs endanger our communities. The Criminal Division, along with our local, state, and federal partners, is committed to holding violent criminals accountable, including by bringing racketeering charges.”

“The Lows are an exceptionally violent criminal street gang that has terrorized north Minneapolis for nearly 20 years. Through threats and violence — shootings and murders — the Lows have long sought to establish dominion over large swaths of our city,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger for the District of Minnesota. “My office will continue to respond to gang violence by treating it as the organized criminal activity it is. This indictment is an important step in dismantling a violent street gang that has devastated families and communities in north Minneapolis.”

“More than 100 people lose their lives to gun violence every day in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division. “There will never be a time where this will be considered acceptable. Our ATF agents put forth solid investigative work in this case utilizing crime gun intelligence that without a doubt aided the case announced today. ATF is happy to work alongside each of our partners in this investigation, and we are grateful to the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Luger, and the entire team for taking up this challenging RICO case.”

“The charges in this indictment reflect our unwavering commitment to bringing violent criminals to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “For too long, the Lows have inflicted pain and spread fear in north Minneapolis. Together with our law enforcement partners, we are determined to remove this threat from our communities and help restore a sense of security to all who call this city home.”

“Today’s indictment provides a stark reminder that violence and drug trafficking go hand-in-hand,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division. “These were not victimless crimes. Communities were hurt. The DEA will continue its unwavering focus to remove threats of violence and hold accountable the individuals responsible for inflicting fear on the streets of Minneapolis.”

“The individuals named in this indictment allegedly engaged in homicide, and illegal drug and firearms trafficking, which created an atmosphere of terror and disrupted countless lives in this community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Chicago Field Office. “These charges represent a pivotal milestone in our commitment to restore safety and uphold justice in the communities we serve. Working with their federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, IRS-CI special agents will continue to follow every financial trail to dismantle the networks fueling these criminal enterprises. We stand united against the violence and fear that street gangs have inflicted upon our communities in Minneapolis and elsewhere.”

“The Lows, and criminal organizations like them, wreak havoc on our communities, threatening the safety of our communities on a daily basis through their many acts of violence, murder, and narcotics and firearms trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul. “HSI St. Paul will continue to foster a strong collaboration with our law enforcement partners to bring an end to the chaos these criminal organizations inflict on our local communities.”

“This multi-count indictment against ranking members of the Lows gang is an excellent example of multiple law enforcement agencies combining their expertise and resources to conduct investigations with the common goal of taking down violent leaders perpetuating street violence involving guns and narcotics,” said Inspector in Charge Bryan Musgrove of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Denver Division. “These RICO charges aim to remove these allegedly violent offenders from our community. U.S. Postal Inspectors are committed to continuing our work to dismantle drug trafficking operations to keep USPS customers and employees safe from greedy drug traffickers who favor profit over human lives.”

As alleged in this indictment, the defendants were members of the Lows criminal street gang, which has been in existence in Minneapolis since approximately 2004. The Lows are primarily active in the northside of Minneapolis. They allegedly traffic in firearms and narcotics, including fentanyl, and use threats, intimidation, and violence to protect their territory, reputation, illicit proceeds, and power.

The indictment charges that the defendants engaged in a pattern of racketeering — that is, unlawful acts of violence, gun trafficking, and narcotics trafficking — for the benefit of the Lows enterprise. These acts include seven alleged murders or attempted murders involving a total of ten victims.

The 11 defendants, all from Minneapolis, have been indicted for the following crimes:

Ashimiyu Alowonle II, 38, also known as Cash, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Timothy Callender III, 26, also known as Lil’ Tim, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Glenn Carter III, 23, also known as G5 and Bossman Carter, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Carter is charged with committing a murder on May 14, 2022, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Victor Collins, 22, also known as Vic, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; and possessing a firearm a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Collins is charged with committing a murder and an attempted murder on Feb. 27 as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Damari Douglas, 20, also known as Mari, is charged with RICO conspiracy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a machine gun. Douglas is charged with committing a murder on Dec. 3, 2023, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Deontae Jackson, 35, also known as Leef, is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Shannon Jackson, 32, also known as Shakedown, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jackson is charged with committing a murder on April 27, 2023, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Robert Knights Jr., 19, also known as CMB Rob and Lil’ Rob, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Albert Lucas V, 20, also known as Abk Sav, is charged with RICO conspiracy; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death; and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Lucas is charged with committing multiple murders and an attempted murder on Feb. 27 and May 6, 2021, as a racketeering act in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Kaprice Richards, 23, also known as Kap, is charged with RICO conspiracy and using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death. Richards is charged with committing an attempted murder on May 29, 2022, and a murder on April 27, 2023, as racketeering acts in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy.

Cartrelle Smith, 27, also known as Poo Moe, is charged with RICO conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

If convicted, the defendants face a range of penalties, including up to life in prison for racketeering conspiracy involving acts of murder, using a firearm to commit murder, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after the consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

ATF, FBI, DEA, IRS-CI, HSI, USPIS, Minneapolis Police Department, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.

Trial Attorney Jared Engelking of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Garrett S. Fields and David M. Classen for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.

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 –

January 25, 2025

MIL-OSI: Amundi: Third quarter and nine-month 2024 results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Amundi: Third quarter and nine-month 2024 results

Net income¹^,²up +16% Q3/Q3 and record assets under management at €2.2 trillion

Strong growth in earnings and revenues		Q3 – adjusted net income¹^,² at €337m, fast-growing: +16.1% Q3/Q3 Thanks to revenue growth (+10.5%) and positive jaws effect Q3/Q3 cost/income ratio improvement at 52.9%³ 9 months – adjusted net income¹^,² at €1,005m, up +10.4% 9M/9M Earnings per share²: €1.65 for Q3, €4.91 for 9M

Record AuM & dynamic MLT inflows⁵		Record assets under management³: €2,192bn at 30 September 2024, up +11% year-on-year Q3 net inflows³ of +€2.9bn, or +€14.5bn excluding the exit from a large, low-income institutional mandate⁴ +€9.1bn in MLT assets⁴^,⁵^,⁶ Solid commercial momentum of Asian JVs: +€5.3bn

Continued strategic progress		ETFs⁶: +€8bn in Q3 net inflows, now more than €250bn in assets under management Third-party distribution: +€7bn Q3 net inflows, with contribution from all regions and asset classes Asia: +€7bn in Q3 net inflows, from JVs and direct distribution in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China Technology: revenues +42% Q3/Q3 Victory Capital: approval⁷ of the partnership with Amundi secured at EGM, transaction expected to close in Q1 2025

Paris, 30 October 2024

Amundi’s Board of Directors met on 29 October 2024 under the chairmanship of Philippe Brassac, and reviewed the financial statements for the third quarter and the first 9 months of 2024.

Valérie Baudson, Chief Executive Officer, said:
« Amundi’s results in the third quarter of 2024 demonstrate our ongoing strategic progress and continued growth potential. Our Q3 net profit¹^,²of €337m, increased by +16% compared to the same period in 2023 and exceeded one billion euros over 9 months. Assets under management reached a record level of €2.2 trillion.

We have been able to support our clients whatever their profile and needs, which has resulted in a high level of net inflows in our strategic development areas, namely Asia, Third-Party Distributors, and ETFs.

By putting clients at the heart of our strategy and by continuing to develop the areas of expertise that primarily seek to meet their needs, we are ideally positioned to seize growth opportunities in the savings industry. »

* * * * *

Further progress in achieving our 2025 Ambitions plan

Q3 2024 saw key areas of focus under the “2025 Strategic Ambitions” plan contribute to activity and earnings growth.

ETFs exceeded €250bn in assets under management at the end of September, up +31% year-on-year, thanks in particular to very dynamic net inflows reaching +€17bn over 9 months, including +€8bn in Q3. This places Amundi in second place in the European market in terms of net inflows this quarter⁸. these inflows are well diversified across equity and fixed income products, with a high share of products classified as responsible investment⁹ in net inflows (+€3bn, or 34% market share in flows in this market segment). Amundi has had many commercial successes this quarter: for example, the Amundi ETF Stoxx Europe 600 is the best-selling (+€0.85bn) European equity ETFs in Q3, the Amundi ETF Euro Government Tilted Green Bond, launched last year, saw its assets under management exceed €3bn after gathering +€1.1bn since the beginning of the year, and the Amundi ETF Prime ACWI exceeded €1bn in assets under management 8 months after its launch.
Third-Party Distribution reached €377bn in assets under management at the end of September, up +24% year-on-year, with net inflows +€19bn for 9 months 2024, and +€7bn in Q3, thanks to contributions from all regions and asset classes, from ETFs, treasury products and active management;
Asia assets under management increased by +17% year-on-year to €458bn; net inflows for 9 months 2024 stood at +€30bn with a significant contribution from Amundi’s Indian JV SBI MF, which now has €278bn in assets, up +19% year-on-year (+€18bn in net inflows); €103bn of total Asian assets under management come from direct distribution excluding JVs (+20% year-on-year), with net inflows for 9 months 2024 standing at +€3bn in Japan, +€2.4bn Singapore, +€1.4bn Hong Kong and also +€1.7bn in China outside the two JVs, mainly with institutional clients;
The Technology & Services offering is also experiencing strong growth, with technology revenues of €54m over 9 months, up +28% compared to the same period in 2023, and even +42% Q3/Q3; the Fund Channel fund distribution platform exceeded €490bn in assets at the end of September 2024; during the quarter it signed a distribution agreement with ING Germany and integrated the fintech AirFund into its ecosystem to digitise access to private markets; Fund Channel was also ranked “Best Distribution Platform” for the third consecutive year by the consulting and research firm Platforum;
In fixed income expertise, Amundi now manages €1,160bn in assets¹⁰ across a wide range of solutions, from treasury products to target maturity funds, offering attractive returns and capital protection; fixed income net inflows stood at +€46bn¹⁰ over 9 months and +€14bn¹⁰ in Q3 thanks to sustained activity in active bond strategies (+€11bn excluding JV) and ETFs (+€2.5bn);
The partnership project with Victory Capital reached an important milestone with shareholder approval of resolutions⁷ necessary to finalise the transactions, expected in Q1 2025. As a reminder, this partnership aims at creating a larger US investment platform, via the contribution of Amundi US to Victory Capital in return for Amundi taking a 26%-stake of the combined entity as well as 15-year distribution agreements, to serve the clients of both companies; Amundi would thus have a greater number of US and global management expertise to offer its clients. The transaction, which involves no disbursement of cash, is expected to bring a low single-digit accretion for Amundi shareholders, with an increase in the contribution of our US operations to the adjusted net income and EPS.

Activity

Market environment

In the third quarter of 2024, equity markets¹¹ increased by +1.1% in average compared to the previous quarter and by +15.6% compared to Q3 2023. The European bond markets¹² also rose, reflecting the shift in monetary policy and the ECB’s decision to cut rates. Year-on-year, our benchmark index¹² increased by +6.3% in Q3 2024 compared to Q3 2023 and by +2.1% compared to Q2 2024. The market effect is therefore positive on the evolution of Amundi’s revenues and net income.

When compared to the 2021 averages used as a reference for the 2025 Ambitions plan, the market effect is only slightly positive.

The European asset management market continues its gradual recovery. Open-ended fund volumes¹³, at +€213bn in the third quarter, continued to be driven by treasury products (+€93bn) and passive management (+€75bn). Nevertheless, the third quarter recorded positive flows in medium- to long-term active management for the second quarter in a row (+€45bn), driven by fixed income strategies (+€69bn).

High level of activity over the quarter in MLT assets⁵, assets under management at a record level of €2.2tn

Activity this quarter continues to be marked, like the rest of the European market, by risk aversion among retail clients. However, Amundi performed well, driven in particular by ETFs, bond solutions, third-party distributors and Asia. Excluding the exceptional exit from a low-income insurance mandate⁴, net inflows were positive in all major medium- to long-term areas of expertise (passive, active, structured products and real assets), in all client segments (Retail, Institutional and JV), and in all major markets (France, Italy, Germany, Asia and the United States).

Amundi’s assets under management at 30 September 2024 increased by +11.1% year-on-year (compared to the end of September 2023) and by +1.6% quarter-on-quarter (compared to the end of June 2024), to €2,192bn, an all-time high.

In the third quarter of 2024, the market and currency effect amounted to +€32.5bn (+€175.9bn over a year) and Amundi generated positive net inflows of +€2.9bn. As announced at the time of the second quarter results publication, this amount includes the exit of a low-income multi-asset mandate⁴ with a European insurer, of €11.6bn.

Adjusted for this exit⁴, net inflows for the quarter were +€14.4bn of which +€9.1bn in MLT Assets⁵. It was positive in active management (+€4.3bn) and ETFs (+€7.8bn), partially offset by outflows from index strategies. Structured products and real and alternative assets also recorded positive net inflows (+€0.8bn), while treasury products were flat (+€0.1bn).

Finally, the JVs¹⁴continued their solid commercial momentum, with net inflows of +€5.3bn, reflecting a positive contribution from India (SBI MF, +€6.0bn) and South Korea (NH-Amundi, +€0.4bn), partially offset this quarter by slight net outflows in China (ABC-CA) despite continued open-ended net inflows.

By Client Segment, Retail recorded net inflows of +€6.3bn, of which +€1.3bn in MLT assets⁵, with contrasting developments according to the sub-segments:

Third-Party Distributors had another very good quarter in terms of total net inflows (+€6.8bn); all regions contributed to these inflows, which were highly diversified across asset classes, with positive contributions from ETFs, treasury products but also active management (+€1.5bn);
Risk aversion has a larger impact on the activity of partner network clients in France (+€1.1bn) and outside France excluding Amundi BOC WM (-€0.9bn), despite the good performance of structured and treasury products as well as bond strategies; Sabadell’s network in Spain continues its sales momentum (+€0.4bn);
In China, Amundi BOC WM posted net outflows this quarter (-€0.7bn), as the maturities of fixed-term funds were not offset by open-ended fund subscriptions.

Excluding the loss of the low-income insurance mandate already mentioned⁴, the Institutional segment recorded very positive inflows in MLT Assets⁵(+€7.8bn), in all sub-segments: Institutional & Sovereigns with +€4.4bn, CA & SG insurance mandates with +€2.4bn thanks to the continued recovery of the traditional life insurance Euro contracts this quarter, Corporates and Employee Savings (+€1.0bn) thanks to net inflows in short-term bond products from corporates. Net outflows in Treasury Products (-€4.9bn) are to a large extent seasonal.

Results

Sustained growth in net income, +16% Q3/Q3 to €337m, and more than €1bn in the 9 months of 2024

Adjusted data²

In the third quarter of 2024, adjusted net income²reached €337m, up +16.1% compared to the third quarter of 2023. Since the second quarter, it includes Alpha Associates, whose acquisition was finalised in early April.

The growth in net income was mainly due to organic revenue growth, amplified by operating efficiency, which led to a positive jaws effect, and by the very strong momentum of Asian JVs. These results were achieved against the backdrop of continued client risk aversion, and inflation.

Adjusted net revenues² reached €862m, up +10.5% compared to the third quarter of 2023.

The sustained growth in net management fees, up +9.2% compared to the third quarter of 2023, to €805m, reflects the good level of activity and the increase in average assets under management excluding JVs (+8.6% over the same period);
Performance fees (€20m) doubled compared to the third quarter of 2023 (€10m), a low basis of comparison; however, they were down compared to the second quarter of 2024 (€50m) due to the lower level of crystallisation¹⁵ in the third quarter than in the second and fourth quarters, as it does every year; however, the performance of Amundi’s management is at a good level, with more than 71% of assets under management ranked in the first or second quartiles according to Morningstar¹⁶ over 1, 3 or 5 years and 257 Amundi funds rated 4 or 5 stars by Morningstar as of 30 September;
Amundi Technology’s revenues, at €20m, continued to grow steadily (+41.8% compared to the third quarter of 2023; +13.0% compared to the second quarter of 2024), confirming the development of this business;
Finally, the Financial and other income² amounted to €17m, down slightly compared to the third quarter of 2023 and previous quarters.

The increase in operating expenses², by +7.4% compared to the third quarter of 2023, to €456m, remains lower than the increase in revenues (+10.5%) over the same period, thus generating a positive jaws effect which reflects the Group’s operational efficiency.

The increase is mainly due to:

the first consolidation of Alpha Associates;
the provision for individual variable remuneration in line with the increase in results;
and finally the acceleration of investments in development initiatives according to the axes of the 2025 Ambitions Plan, particularly in technology.

The Cost income ratio improved to 52.9% in adjusted data² compared to the same quarter last year, and remains in line with the 2025 target and at the best level in the industry.

The Adjusted gross operating income²(EBIT) amounted to €406m, up +14.2% compared to the third quarter of 2023, reflecting double-digit revenue growth amplified by operational efficiency.

Income from equity-accounted companies, which reflects Amundi’s share of the net income of minority JVs in India (SBI MF), China (ABC-CA), South Korea (NH-Amundi) and Morocco (Wafa Gestion), was up +36.5% compared to the third quarter of 2023, to €33m, representing 10% of adjusted net income, reflecting the good level of activity in India and Korea.

Adjusted earnings per share²in the third quarter of 2024 reached €1.65, up +16.0%.

Accounting data in the third quarter of 2024

Accounting Net income Group share amounted to €320m and includes non-cash charges related to acquisitions, in particular the amortisation of intangible assets related to distribution and client contracts (-€24m before tax in the quarter including the corresponding new charges related to Alpha Associates, see details in p. 11), representing a total of -€17m after tax.

Accounting earnings per share in the third quarter of 2024 reached €1.56.

In the first 9 months of 2024, adjusted net income²amounted to €1,005m, up +10.4%, reflecting the same trends as in the third quarter:

Adjusted net revenues² grew by +7.3% compared to the first 9 months of 2023, to €2,573m, reflecting as in the quarter the sustained growth in management fees (+6.6%) and the strong increase in Amundi Technology’s revenues (€54m, +28.2%) and financial and other income² (€67m, +38.2%); performance fees, on the other hand, were down by -2.0% to €88m;
Adjusted operating expenses² are well controlled with an increase of +5.9% compared to the first 9 months of 2023, at €1,356m, resulting in a positive jaws effect;
Adjusted cost income ratio² stands at 52.7%.

Adjusted gross operating income² was €1,217m, up +8,9% compared to the first 9 months of 2023, showing a higher growth rate than revenue growth thanks to operating efficiency.

Income from equity-accounted companies increased by +28.6% compared to the first 9 months of 2023, to €94m.

Adjusted earnings per share²for the first 9 months of 2024 reached €4.91, up +10.1% compared to the first 9 months of 2023.

Accounting data for the first 9 months of 2024

Accounting Net income Group share amounted to €956m and includes non-cash charges related to acquisitions, in particular the amortisation of intangible assets related to distribution and client contracts (-€68m before tax in the 9 months including the corresponding new charges related to Alpha Associates, see details on p. 11), representing a total of -€49m after tax in the first 9 months of 2024.

Accounting earnings per share for the first 9 months of 2024 reached €4.67.

To be noted for the fourth quarter and full-year 2024

Success of the capital increase reserved for employees – The capital increase reserved for employees “We Share Amundi”, announced on 23 September 2024, is expected to be completed tomorrow, 31 October 2024. This operation offered for the seventh consecutive year a subscription of shares at a discount.

It was once again a great success this year: more than 2,000 employees in 15 countries subscribed to this capital increase, for a total amount of €36.3m. This represents nearly two out of three employees in France and more than two out of five worldwide.
This transaction, which is in line with the existing legal authorisations voted by the Shareholders’ Meeting on 12 May 2023, reflects Amundi’s desire to involve its employees not only in the development of the Company but also in the creation of economic value.

The impact of this transaction on earnings per share will be very limited: the number of shares to be created will be 771,628 (i.e. ~0.4% of the share capital before the transaction).
This issue will bring the number of shares making up Amundi’s share capital to 205,419,262 as of 31 October 2024, i.e. a share capital increased to €513,548,155.
Employees will now hold around 1.7% of Amundi’s capital, compared to 1.3% before the transaction. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Amundi Group will record in its consolidated financial statements a charge relating to the subscription discount of €12.3m before tax.

On the basis of the Finance Bill presented by the French government, an exceptional tax contribution on the profits of large companies would apply to Amundi, whose turnover in France for tax purposes is more than €3bn.

* * * * *

APPENDICES

Adjusted income statement²of the first 9 months of 2024 and 2023

(€m)	9M 2024	9M 2023	% chg. 9M/9M

Net revenue – Adjusted	2,573	2,397	+7.3%
Management fees	2,364	2,217	+6.6%
Performance fees	88	89	-2.0%
Technology	54	42	+28.2%
Net financial & other net income	67	49	+38.2%
Operating expenses – Adjusted	(1,356)	(1,280)	+5.9%
Cost income ratio – Adjusted (%)	52.7%	53.4%	-0.7pp
Gross operating income – Adjusted	1,217,	1,117,	+8.9%
Cost of risk & other	(7)	(5)	+24.5%
Equity-accounted companies	94	73	+28.6%
Income before tax – Adjusted	1,305	1,185	+10.1%
Corporate tax	(302)	(277)	+8.8%
Non-controlling interests	2	3	-25.2%
Net income, Group share – Adjusted	1,005	910	+10.4%
Depreciation of intangible assets after tax	(49)	(44)	+11.6%
Integration costs net of tax	0	0	NS
Net income, Group share	956	866	+10.3%
Earnings per share (€)	4.67	4.25	+10.0%
Earnings per share – Adjusted (€)	4.91	4.46	+10.1%

Adjusted income statement²of the third quarter of 2024

(€m)	Q3 2024	Q3 2023	% chg. Q3/Q3	Q2 2024	% chg. Q3/Q2

Net revenue – Adjusted	862	780	+10.5%	887	-2.9%
Management fees	805	737	+9.2%	794	+1.3%
Performance fees	20	10	+97.3%	50	-58.9%
Technology	20	14	+41.8%	17	+13.0%
Net financial & other net income	17	19	-10.6%	26	-34.0%
Operating expenses – Adjusted	(456)	(424)	+7.4%	(461)	-1.1%
Cost income ratio – Adjusted (%)	52.9%	54.4%	-1.5pp	51.9%	+1.0pp
Gross operating income – Adjusted	406	356	+14.2%	426	-4.8%
Cost of risk & other	(2)	(3)	-36.0%	(5)	-63.4%
Equity-accounted companies	33	24	+36.5%	33	-0.1%
Income before tax – Adjusted	437	377	+15.9%	454	-3.9%
Corporate tax	(101)	(88)	+14.9%	(105)	-3.8%
Non-controlling interests	1	1	-23.5%	0	NS
Net income, Group share – Adjusted	337	290	+16.1%	350	-3.7%
Depreciation of intangible assets after tax	(17)	(15)	+17.9%	(17)	+1.2%
Integration costs net of tax	0	0	NS	0	NS
Net income, Group share	320	276	+16.0%	333	-4.0%
Earnings per share (€)	1.56	1.35	+15.9%	1.63	-4.0%
Earnings per share – Adjusted (€)	1.65	1.42	+16.0%	1.71	-3.7%

Evolution of assets under management from the end of 2020 to the end of September 2024¹⁷

(€bn)	Assets under management	Net inflows	Market & Forex Effect	Scope effect			Change in AuM vs. previous quarter
As of 31/12/2020	1,729				/	+4.0%
Q1 2021		-12.7	+39.3		/
As of 31/03/2021	1,755				/	+1.5%
Q2 2021		+7.2	+31.4		/
As of 30/06/2021	1,794				/	+2.2%
Q3 2021		+0.2	+17.0		/
As of 30/09/2021	1,811				/	+1.0%
Q4 2021		+65.6	+39.1		+148¹⁸
As of 31/12/2021	2,064				/	+14%
Q1 2022		+3.2	-46.4		/
As of 31/03/2022	2,021				/	-2.1%
Q2 2022		+1.8	-97.75		/
As of 30/06/2022	1,925				/	-4.8%
Q3 2022		-12.9	-16.3		/
As of 30/09/2022	1,895				/	-1.6%
Q4 2022		+15.0	-6.2		/
As of 31/12/2022	1,904				/	+0.5%
Q1 2023		-11.1	+40.9		/
As of 31/03/2023	1,934				/	+1.6%
Q2 2023		+3.7	+23.8		/
As of 31/06/2023	1,961				/	+1.4%
Q3 2023		+13.7	-1.7		/
As of 30/09/2023	1,973				/	+0.6%
Q4 2023		+19.5	+63.8		-20
As of 31/12/2023	2,037				/	+3.2%
Q1 2024		+16.6	+63.0		/
As of 31/03/2024	2,116				/	+3.9%
Q2 2024		+15.5	+16.6		+8
30/06/2024	2,156					+1.9%
Q3 2024		+2.9	+32.5		/
30/09/2024	2,192					+1.6%

Total over one year between September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2024: +11.1%

Net inflows +€54.5bn
Market & exchange rate effects +€175.9bn
Scope effects -€12.2bn
(disposal of Lyxor Inc. in Q4 2023, first consolidation of Alpha Associates in Q2 2024)

Details of assets under management and net inflows by client segments¹⁹

(€bn)	AuM 30.09.2024	AuM 30.09.2023	% change /30.09.2023	Net flows Q3 2024	Net flows Q3 2023	Net flows 9M 2024	Net flows 9M 2023
French networks	138	126	+9.1%	+1.1	+0.9	+0.3	+4.6
International networks	167	156	+7.1%	-1.6	-1.0	-4.4	-3.2
o/w Amundi BOC WM	3	4	-26.9%	-0.7	-0.5	-0.5	-3.3
Third-party distributors	377	305	+23.5%	+6.8	+2.1	+19.2	+4.1
Retail	681	587	+16.1%	+6.3	+2.0	+15.1	+5.6
Institutional & Sovereigns (*)	518	489	+6.0%	-9.3	+17.9	+1.4	+14.4
Corporates	113	97	+16.0%	+2.3	-3.8	-5.8	-7.4
Employee savings plans	92	84	+9.8%	-0.5	-0.9	+2.5	+2.6
CA & SG insurers	428	406	+5.3%	-1.2	-3.9	+0.5	-9.6
Institutional	1,151	1,076	+6.9%	-8.7	+9.3	-1.4	+0.0
JVs	360	310	+16.0%	+5.3	+2.4	+21.3	+0.7
Total	2,192	1,973	+11.1%	+2.9	+13.7	+35.0	+6.3

Details of assets under management and net inflows by asset classes¹⁹

(€bn)	AuM 30.09.2024	AuM 30.09.2023	% change /30.09.2023	Net flows Q3 2024	Net flows Q3 2023	Net flows 9M 2024	Net flows 9M 2023
Equity	527	443	+18.9%	-0.7	+7.0	+0.0	+2.0
Multi-assets	274	274	-0.0%	-15.4	-5.9	-22.3	-17.0
Bonds	732	624	+17.3%	+12.8	+7.7	+36.8	+10.1
Real, alternative & structured assets	114	124	-8.3%	+0.8	-1.1	+1.5	+2.4
MLT ASSETS excl. JVs	1,647	1,465	+12.4%	-2.5	+7.8	+16.1	-2.4
Treasury products excl. JVs	185	198	-6.5%	+0.1	+3.5	-2.4	+8.0
Assets excl. JVs	1,832	1,663	+10.1%	-2.4	+11.3	+13.6	+5.6
JVs	360	310	+16.0%	+5.3	+2.4	+21.3	+0.7
TOTAL	2,192	1,973	+11.1%	+2.9	+13.7	+35.0	+6.3
*o/w MLT assets*	*1,973*	*1,745*	*+13.1%*	*+3.4*	*+11.3*	*+34.9*	*-0.7*
*o/w Treasury products*	*219*	*229*	*-4.2%*	*-0.5*	*+2.5*	*+0.1*	*+7.1*

Details of assets under management and net inflows by management type and asset classes¹⁹

(€bn)	AuM 30.09.2024	AuM 30.09.2023	% change /30.09.2023	Net flows Q3 2024	Net flows Q3 2023	Net flows 9M 2024	Net flows 9M 2023
Active management	1,136	1,022	+11.1%	-7.1	-1.9	+2.2	-15.6
Equity	208	187	+11.4%	-2.3	-1.6	-5.4	-2.5
Multi-assets	263	265	-0.9%	-15.7	-6.3	-23.4	-18.2
Bonds	665	570	+16.6%	+10.8	+6.1	+31.0	+5.1
Structured products	43	35	+22.3%	+0.8	-0.2	+2.7	+2.9
Passive management	397	319	+24.5%	+3.8	+10.8	+12.4	+10.8
ETFs & ETC	251	192	+31.1%	+7.8	+3.6	+17.3	+8.0
Index & Smart Beta	146	127	+14.5%	-4.0	+7.2	-5.0	+2.8
Real & alternative assets	71	89	-20.5%	+0.0	-0.9	-1.2	-0.5
Real assets	67	63	+4.8%	+0.2	-0.3	-0.1	+0.2
Alternative assets	4	25	-83.8%	-0.2	-0.6	-1.1	-0.7
MLT ASSETS excl. JVs	1,647	1,465	+12.4%	-2.5	+7.8	+16.1	-2.4
Treasury products excl. JVs	185	198	-6.5%	+0.1	+3.5	-2.4	+8.0
TOTAL ASSETS excl. JVs	1,832	1,663	+10.1%	-2.4	+11.3	+13.6	+5.6
JVs	360	310	+16.0%	+5.3	+2.4	+21.3	+0.7
TOTAL	2,192	1,973	+11.1%	+2.9	+13.7	+35.0	+6.3

Details of assets under management and net inflows by geographical areas¹⁹

(€bn)	AuM 30.09.2024	AuM 30.09.2023	% change /30.09.2023	Net flows Q3 2024	Net flows Q3 2023	Net flows 9M 2024	Net flows 9M 2023
France	987	903	+9.3%	+2.8	+4.1	+12.8	-1.2
Italy	202	197	+2.7%	-10.8	-1.5	-13.8	-2.2
Europe excl. France & Italy	421	353	+19.2%	+1.9	-0.8	+6.0	+6.0
Asia	458	392	+17.0%	+7.4	+3.4	+29.6	-0.3
Rest of the world	124	129	-4.3%	+1.7	+8.4	+0.4	+4.0
TOTAL	2,192	1,973	+11.1%	+2.9	+13.7	+35.0	+6.3
*TOTAL outside France*	1,204	1,070	+12.5%	+0.1	+9.6	+22.2	+7.5

Methodology Appendix

Accounting & adjusted data

Accounting data – These include the amortization of intangible assets, recorded as other income, and since Q2 2024, other non-cash expenses spread according to the schedule of payments of the earn-out until the end of 2029; these expenses are recognized as deductions from net income, in finance costs.

The aggregate amounts of these items are as follows for the different periods under review:

Q1 2023: -€20m before tax and -€15m after tax
Q2 2023: -€20m before tax and -€15m after tax
Q3 2023: -€20m before tax and -€15m after tax
9M 2023: -€61m before tax and -€44m after tax
2023: -€82m before tax and -€59m after tax
Q1 2024: -€20m before tax and -€15m after tax
Q2 2024: -€24m before tax and -€17m after tax
Q3 2024: -€24m pre-tax and -€17m after tax
9M 2024: -€68m before tax and -€49m after tax

There were no significant integration costs recorded in the third quarter as a result of the acquisition of Alpha Associates

Adjusted data – in order to present an income statement closer to economic reality, the following adjustments are made: restatement of the amortization of distribution contracts with Bawag, UniCredit and Banco Sabadell, intangible assets representing the client contracts of Lyxor and, since the second quarter of 2024, Alpha Associates, as well as other non-cash charges related to the acquisition of Alpha Associates; such depreciation and amortization and non-cash expenses are recorded as a deduction from net revenues.

Acquisition of Alpha Associates

In accordance with IFRS 3, recognition of Amundi’s balance sheet as at 01/04/2024:

goodwill of €290m;
an intangible asset of €50m representing client contracts, depreciable on a straight-line basis until the end of 2030;
a liability representing the conditional earn-out not yet paid, for €160m, including an actuarial discount of -€30m, which will be amortized over 6 years.

In the Group’s income statement, the following is recorded:

amortization of intangible assets for a full-year expense of -€7.6m (-€6.1m after tax)
other non-cash expenses spread according to the schedule of payments of the earn-out until the end of 2029; These expenses are recorded as deductions from net income, as finance costs.

In Q3 2024, the amortization of intangible assets was -€1.9m before tax (-€1.5m after tax) and non-cash expenses were -€1.4m before tax (i.e. -€1.1m after tax). Over the first 9 months of 2024, these expenses are respectively -€3.8m and -€2.9m (-€6.6m in total), since they only started in Q2.

Alternative Performance Measures²⁰

In order to present an income statement that is closer to economic reality, Amundi publishes adjusted data that excludes the depreciation of intangible assets and, since the second quarter of 2024, Alpha Associates, as well as other non-cash charges related to the acquisition of Alpha Associates.
Adjusted, normalized data are reconciled with accounting data as follows:

= accounting data

= adjusted data

(m€)	9M 2024	9M 2023	Q3 2024	Q3 2023	Q2 2024

Net operating income	2,452	2,307	825	747	844
Technology	54	42	20	14	17
Net financial income and other income	(1)	(13)	(6)	(1)	3
Adjusted net financial income and other income	67	49	17	19	26

Net revenues (a)	2,505	2,336	838	760,	864,
– Depreciation of intangible assets before tax	(65)	(61)	(22)	(20)	(22)
– other non-cash charges relating to Alpha Associates	(3)	0	(1)	0	(1)
Net revenues – Adjusted (b)	2,573	2,397	862,	780,	887

Operating expenses (c)	(1,356)	(1,280)	(456)	(424)	(461)
– Integration costs before tax	0	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses – Adjusted (d)	(1,356)	(1,280)	(456)	(424)	(461)

Gross operating income (e) = (a) + (c)	1,149	1,056	382	335	403
Gross operating income – Adjusted (f) = (b) + (d)	1,217	1,117	406	356	426
Cost-income ratio (%) -(c)/(a)	54.1%	54.8%	54.4%	55.9%	53.4%
Cost-income ratio – Adjusted (%) -(d)/(b)	52.7%	53.4%	52.9%	54.4%	51.9%
Cost of risk & other (g)	(7)	(5)	(2)	(3)	(5)
Equity-accounted companies (h)	94	73	33	24	33
Income before tax (i) = (e) + (g) + (h)	1,237	1,124	413	356	431
Income before tax – Adjusted (j) = (f) + (g) + (h)	1,305	1,185	437	377	454
Income tax (k)	(283)	(260)	(94)	(82)	(98)
Income tax – Adjusted (l)	(302)	(277)	(101)	(88)	(105)
Non-controlling interests (m)	2	3	1	1	0
Net income, Group share (o) = (i)+(k)+(m)	956	866	320	276	333
Net income, Group share – Adjusted (p) = (j)+(l)+(m)	1,005	910	337	290	350

Earnings per share (€)	4.67	4.25	1.56	1.35	1.63
Adjusted earnings per share (€)	4.91	4.46	1.65	1.42	1.71

Shareholding

	30 September 2023		31 December 2023		30 September 2024
(units)	Number of shares	% of share capital	Number of shares	% of share capital	Number of shares	% of share capital
Crédit Agricole Group	141,057,399	68.93%	141,057,399	68.93%	141,057,399	68.93%
Employees	3,042,292	1.49%	2,918,391	1.43%	2,751,891	1.34%
Treasury shares	1,297,231	0.63%	1,247,998	0.61%	958,031	0.47%
Free float	59,250,712	28.95%	59,423,846	29.04%	59,880,313	29.26%

Number of shares at end of period	204,647,634	100.0%	204,647,634	100.0%	204,647,634	100.0%
Average number of shares year-to-date	204,050,516	–	204,201,023	–	204,647,634	–
Average number of shares quarter-to-date	204,425,079	–	204,647,634	–	204,647,634	–

Average number of shares on a pro rata basis.

The average number of shares is unchanged between Q2 and Q3 2024, it increased by +0.1% between Q3 2023 and Q3 2024 and by +0.3% between the first 9 months of 2023 and the same period of 2024;
A capital increase reserved for employees will be carried out on October 31, 2024. 771,628 shares were created (approximately 0.4% of the share capital before the transaction), bringing the share of employees to about 1.7% of the capital, compared to 1.34% at September 30, 2024, before the transaction.

Financial communication calendar

Q4 and Full Year 2024 Results: February 4, 2025
Q1 2025 earnings release: April 29, 2025
Annual General Meeting: May 27, 2025
Q2 and H1 2025 earnings release: July 29, 2025
Q3 and 9-month 2025 results: October 28, 2025

About Amundi

Amundi, the leading European asset manager, ranking among the top 10 global players²¹, offers its 100 million clients – retail, institutional and corporate – a complete range of savings and investment solutions in active and passive management, in traditional or real assets. This offering is enhanced with IT tools and services to cover the entire savings value chain. A subsidiary of the Crédit Agricole group and listed on the stock exchange, Amundi currently manages close to €2.2 trillion of assets²².

With its six international investment hubs²³, financial and extra-financial research capabilities and long-standing commitment to responsible investment, Amundi is a key player in the asset management landscape.

Amundi clients benefit from the expertise and advice of 5,500 employees in 35 countries.

Amundi, a trusted partner, working every day in the interest of its clients and society.

www.amundi.com

Press contacts:
Natacha Andermahr
Tel. +33 1 76 37 86 05
natacha.andermahr@amundi.com

Corentin Henry
Tel. +33 1 76 36 26 96
corentin.henry@amundi.com

Investor contacts:
Cyril Meilland, CFA
Tel. +33 1 76 32 62 67
cyril.meilland@amundi.com

Thomas Lapeyre
Tel. +33 1 76 33 70 54
thomas.lapeyre@amundi.com

Annabelle Wiriath

Tel. + 33 1 76 32 43 92

annabelle.wiriath@amundi.com

WARNING

This document does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or purchase, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of Amundi in the United States of America or in France. Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States of America absent registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The securities of Amundi have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and Amundi does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States of America or in France.

This document may contain forward looking statements concerning Amundi’s financial position and results. The data provided do not constitute a profit “forecast” or “estimate” as defined in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/980.

These forward looking statements include projections and financial estimates based on scenarios that employ a number of economic assumptions in a given competitive and regulatory context, assumptions regarding plans, objectives and expectations in connection with future events, transactions, products and services, and assumptions in terms of future performance and synergies. By their very nature, they are therefore subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could lead to their non-fulfilment. Consequently, no assurance can be given that these forward looking statement will come to fruition, and Amundi’s actual financial position and results may differ materially from those projected or implied in these forward looking statements. [In particular, conditions to completion of the announced transaction between Amundi and Victory Capital, may not be satisfied and such transaction may not be completed on schedule, or at all; risks relating to the expected benefits or impact of the transaction on Victory Capital’s and Amundi’s respective businesses are contained in their respective public filings.]

Amundi undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward looking statements provided as at the date of this document. Risks that may affect Amundi’s financial position and results are further detailed in the “Risk Factors” section of our Universal Registration Document filed with the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The reader should take all these uncertainties and risks into consideration before forming their own opinion.

The figures presented were prepared in accordance with applicable prudential regulations and IFRS guidelines, as adopted by the European Union and applicable at that date. The financial information set out herein do not constitute a set of financial statements for an interim period as defined by IAS 34 “Interim Financial Reporting” and has not been audited.

Unless otherwise specified, sources for rankings and market positions are internal. The information contained in this document, to the extent that it relates to parties other than Amundi or comes from external sources, has not been verified by a supervisory authority or, more generally, subject to independent verification, and no representation or warranty has been expressed as to, nor should any reliance be placed on, the fairness, accuracy, correctness or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Neither Amundi nor its representatives can be held liable for any decision made, negligence or loss that may result from the use of this document or its contents, or anything related to them, or any document or information to which this document may refer.

The sum of values set out in the tables and analyses may differ slightly from the total reported due to rounding.

¹        Net income Group share
²        Adjusted data: excluding amortisation of intangible assets relating to distribution and client contracts as well as other non-cash charges relating to the acquisition of Alpha Associates recorded in net financial income (see note p. 11)
³        Assets under management and flows including assets under advisory, marketed assets and funds of funds, and taking into account 100% of Asian JV’s assets and flows; for Wafa Gestion in Morocco, they are reported in proportion to Amundi’s holding in the capital of the JV
⁴        As announced at the time of the publication of the Q2 results, exit in Q3 from a large low-income mandate (€11.6 billion) with a European insurer, in multi-asset; including this exit, net inflows were positive by +€2.9bn in Q3 and +€35bn over 9 months
⁵        Medium-Long Term Assets
⁶        Excluding JVs
⁷        Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of Victory Capital, held on 11 October 2024
⁸        Source: TrackInsight Q3 2024
⁹        Classified as article 8 or 9 of the SFDR regulation of the European Union
¹⁰        Including JV: €234bn in assets, +€12bn net inflows over 9 months and +€1bn in Q3
¹¹        50% MSCI World + 50% Eurostoxx 600 composite index for equity markets, average values over each period considered
¹²        Bloomberg Euro Aggregate for bond markets, average values over each reporting period
¹³        Source: Morningstar FundFile, ETFGI. European & cross-border open-ended funds (excluding mandates and dedicated funds). Data as of the end of June 2024.
¹⁴        Assets under management and flows including assets under advisory, marketed assets and funds of funds, and taking into account 100% of Asian JV’s assets and flows; for Wafa Gestion in Morocco, they are reported in proportion to Amundi’s holding in the capital of the JV
¹⁵        Anniversary dates of the funds triggering the recognition of these fees
¹⁶        Source: Morningstar Direct, Broadridge FundFile – Open-ended funds and ETFs, global fund scope, September 2024; as a percentage of the assets under management of the funds in question; the number of Amundi open-ended funds rated by Morningstar was 1063 at the end of September 2024. © 2024 Morningstar, all rights reserved
¹⁷        Assets under management and flows including assets under advisory, marketed assets and funds of funds, and taking into account 100% of Asian JV’s assets and flows; for Wafa Gestion in Morocco, they are reported in proportion to Amundi’s holding in the capital of the JV
¹⁸        Lyxor, integrated as of 31/12/2021
¹⁹        Assets under management and flows including assets under advisory, marketed assets and funds of funds, and taking into account 100% of Asian JV’s assets and flows; for Wafa Gestion in Morocco, they are reported in proportion to Amundi’s holding in the capital of the JV; as of 01/01/2024, reclassification of short-term bond strategies (€30 billion in outstandings) as Bonds previously classified as Treasury until that date; Outstanding amounts up to that date have not been reclassified in these tables
²⁰        See also the section 4.3 of the 2023 Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on April 18, 2024
²¹Source: IPE “Top 500 Asset Managers” published in June 2024, based on assets under management as at 31/12/2023
²²Amundi data at 30/09/2024
²³Boston, Dublin, London, Milan, Paris and Tokyo

Attachment

Amundi PR results Q3&9M 2024

The MIL Network –

January 25, 2025

MIL-OSI Security: Westchester Valley — Missing person: Help the RCMP find Matthew Bishop

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Cumberland District RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 31-year-old Matthew Eugene Bishop. He was last seen at approximately 7:30 p.m. on October 29; he’s believed to have been involved in a collision on Hwy. 104 in Westchester Valley.

Bishop has brown hair and blue eyes. He’s approximately 5’7″ tall, 135 pounds. No clothing description is available.

When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word through social media respectfully.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Matthew Bishop is asked to contact Cumberland District RCMP at 902-667-3859. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Extension to Baroness Newlove’s appointment as Victims’ Commissioner
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

The Secretary of State has approved an extension to Baroness Newlove’s term as Victims’ Commissioner from 17 October 2024 to 31 December 2025.
Baroness Newlove was initially appointed to the role without competition for a year from 17 October 2023 to allow for a further campaign fill the role substantively.

The Lord Chancellor decided not to continue with that campaign. Following consultation with the Attorney General and Home Secretary, the Lord Chancellor will readvertise the role later in 2024 with revised criteria which reflect the government’s vision for a strengthened role. To ensure there is no gap in cover in this vital role, The Lord Chancellor has extended Baroness Newlove’s term until 31 December 2025.

The Victims’ Commissioner independently promotes the interests of victims and witnesses, encourages good practice in their treatment, and regularly reviews the Victims’ Code which sets out the services victims can expect to receive.

Biography of the Victims’ Commissioner:

Baroness Helen Newlove is a community reform campaigner and activist. She came to prominence after her husband Garry Newlove was murdered outside the family home by a gang of youths, all alcohol and drug-fuelled, in 2007. After his death she campaigned to tackle anti-social behaviour and the underage and binge drinking culture.

Baroness Newlove was given a peerage in the 2010 Dissolution Honours list and sits in the House of Lords as Baroness Newlove of Warrington in the County of Cheshire.

She originally took up the post of Victims’ Commissioner on 4 March 2013, was reappointed for a second term in March 2016, and stepped down on 31 May 2019. She was succeeded by Dame Vera Baird.

On 5 March 2018, Baroness Newlove took up the office of Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords.

On 17 October 2023, Baroness Newlove was appointed as the government’s Victims’ Commissioner for a term of 12 months.

This appointment is made by the Secretary of State under Section 48 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, and is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The appointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

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Published 30 October 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ17: Protecting the rights and interests of consumers

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 Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, in the Legislative Council today (October 30):

Question:

     It has been reported that a chain fitness and beauty group suddenly announced its “temporary business suspension” last month. As at the middle of last month, the Consumer Council received a total of 3 861 relevant complaints, involving a total amount of nearly $130 million, with an average amount of about $33,000 per case, and the largest amount involved in a single complaint was about $1.81 million. Regarding protecting the rights and interests of consumers, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will re-activate the legislative exercise to stipulate a statutory cooling-off period for beauty and fitness services consumer contracts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it will consider establishing new industry rules for the beauty and fitness industries, so as to protect the rights and interests of consumers; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it will consider setting up an interdepartmental task force to roll out publicity and education programmes (especially targeting underprivileged groups such as poor elders), so as to help members of the public become smart consumers and avoid suffering losses; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is highly concerned about the recent incident involving the temporary business suspension suddenly announced by a chain fitness and beauty group, and has formed an inter-departmental dedicated investigation team to follow up. The dedicated investigation team, which comprises the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) and the Consumer Council (Council), continues to closely monitor the developments of the incident. In particular, the C&ED and the Police are conducting intensive investigation from the perspectives of offences regarding the unfair trade practices under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) (the Ordinance) and whether other criminal offences are involved respectively.

     The reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:

(1) and (2) In view of the unfair trade practices involving prepaid mode of consumption (in particular the situation of fitness centres and beauty parlours using aggressive tactics to sell services that involve large amount of prepayments), the Government conducted a three-month public consultation in 2019 to solicit views on the proposal to stipulate a statutory cooling-off period for beauty and fitness services consumer contracts through legislation. However, shortly after the public consultation, there have been drastic changes in the social environment, economic situation and consumption sentiment since the second half of 2019.

     We are aware that different sectors of the community have put forward various suggestions in respect of offering better protection to consumers who make prepayments (including stipulating a statutory cooling-off period, imposing a cap on the length of prepayment contracts and prepayment amounts, and setting up trust accounts), after this incident of the chain fitness and beauty group announcing temporary business suspension. We will conduct an in-depth study into different suggestions and consider their pros and cons and feasibility, with reference to the experience of this incident, other relevant factors (including the economic environment, the operating situation of relevant industries and relevant complaint and enforcement statistics) and the experience in other jurisdictions, with a view to formulating appropriate strategies to strengthen the protection of consumers’ rights and interests.

(3) Currently, various laws in Hong Kong protect consumers’ rights and interests. Among others, the Ordinance covers goods and services, and prohibits traders from subjecting consumers to unfair trade practices, including false trade descriptions, misleading omissions, aggressive commercial practices, bait advertising, bait-and-switch and wrongly accepting payment. The Ordinance is applicable to the trade practices of both physical and online traders.

     The C&ED is the principal enforcement agency of the Ordinance, and adopts a three-pronged approach, covering enforcement actions, compliance promotion and publicity and public education, to combat unfair trade practices proactively. Meanwhile, the Council endeavours to study and promote the protection of consumers’ rights and interests, and carries out its statutory functions in accordance with the Consumer Council Ordinance (Cap. 216), including handling complaints from consumers and resolving disputes between consumers and traders.

     The C&ED and the Council have been maintaining close communication with each other, and have been collaborating with other government departments and social service organisations, etc, to jointly promote the protection of the rights and interests of consumers (including the elderly and other vulnerable groups). They also adjust and strengthen the strategies and work in respect of publicity and public education, having regard to the complaints and the enforcement situation. Among others, the relevant publicity and public education work includes:

(i) Conducting talks and workshops for the elderly and other vulnerable groups (and their family members and carers), with a view to enhancing their understanding of common unfair trade practices and sharing with them tips about “smart consumption”, so as to prevent them from falling into sales pitfalls.

     In particular, targeting common unfair trade practices, the C&ED conducts talks for the elderly and joins hands with the Police, District Councils and District Fight Crime Committees to carry out promotion by distributing promotional leaflets to the elderly, with a view to enhancing the elderly’s understanding of the Ordinance and awareness of “smart consumption”.

(ii) Conducting dedicated educational programmes to enhance the capability of the elderly and other vulnerable groups to guard against unfair trade practices.

     In particular, the Council conducts the Educator Scheme for Senior Citizens, which provides consumer education training to soon-to-be retirees and retirees so as to equip them to host consumer educational talks for other elderly in the community. The Council’s Support Programme for Persons with Special Needs, through virtual reality role-play simulations that cover different scenarios (for example those about the sales pitfalls of fitness and beauty centres), allows persons with special needs to better grasp the skills for guarding against common sales pitfalls.

(iii) Disseminating consumer information to facilitate consumers to make informed consumption decisions.

     In particular, the Council publishes product tests, service surveys, consumption tips and complaint case sharing, etc, in its CHOICE magazine, providing practical consumer information to different groups of consumers (including the elderly and other vulnerable groups).

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Appeal to identify family of man fatally stabbed in Wandsworth

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives are urgently appealing to the public for assistance in identifying family members of 18-year-old Issa Ali Musa Abdulrahman Barakat, who tragically lost his life following a fatal stabbing early on Monday morning.

Issa was found injured at around 06:00hrs on 28 October on Laitwood Road, SW12, and though emergency responders did all they could to save him, he sadly died in hospital later the same day.

On Monday, Salah Al-Mahmoodi [known as Salah Ahmed], 21 (02.01.03), of Wandsworth was arrested. He was charged on Tuesday, 29 October with Issa’s murder and is due to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday, 30 October)

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who is leading the investigation, said:

“Our hearts go out to Issa and his family, a young man whose life was cruelly taken far too soon. It is devastating to think that his family may not yet know of his tragic passing, and we want to find them so we can offer them both support and answers.

“Issa was a member of the Chadian community, and we hope that friends or extended family might help us in reaching his loved ones.”

Anyone with information should call police via 101 or post on X @MetCC quoting CAD 1017/28Oct.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Detectives investigating the deaths of two men in Herne Hill are appealing for witnesses

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Detectives investigating the deaths of two men in Herne Hill are appealing for witnesses to come forward. 

Two years ago, on Sunday, 30 October 2022, 23-year-old Guilherme Messias Da Silva and 27-year-old Lemar Urqhart died on Railton Road, Brixton. 

Detective Chief Inspector Samantha Townsend, who leads the investigation, said: “It has been two years since this shocking incident and our thoughts continue to remain with the family and friends of Guilherme and Lemar.

“My team is working tirelessly to identify those responsible for their deaths and to get justice for the families. I am extremely grateful to those individuals who have already come forward to share information, but would urge anyone else who has information and has not yet spoken to us to come forward. No piece of information is too small.”

Police were called at about 19:50hrs on Sunday, 30 October 2022 to reports of gunshots heard in the Railton Road area. 

Officers, including firearms officers, immediately attended the scene along London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance. 

Despite the efforts of emergency services, both Guilherme and Lemar were found injured at the location and pronounced dead at the scene. 

Detectives believe two cars were driving in the Railton Road area when one of the cars was in collision with Guilherme’s moped before further colliding with parked vehicles. 

Lemar then got out of one of the cars involved in the collision and was pursued by a man, armed with a firearm. The man shot Lemar and returned to his car before leaving the scene. 

Lemar Urqhart’s family statement said: “Two years since our son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin and friend was tragically taken from us. Whoever said time is a healer, lied. The pain is unbearable & life will never be the same. Lemar was an integral part of the family and his death has rocked our family to the core. Every day we hope that new information is given to aid the arrest of the person/s who did this. We plead with anyone who has information to please come forward. Any information could be vital. Our family would be forever grateful to anyone who could help.”

Any witnesses or anyone with information should call police via 101 quoting CAD 6166/30Oct. Alternatively, speak to independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org. They will not trace your call or your IP address. 

Information can also be submitted via the Public Portal.

MIL Security OSI –

January 25, 2025

Category: Crime

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