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Category: Crime

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada imposes further sanctions against Iran

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.

    September 18, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.

    Today’s announcement follows the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman, who died while in the custody of Iran’s so-called morality police on September 16, 2022. Iranian authorities had detained her for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code.

    The sanctions apply to five Iranian political figures responsible for the design and implementation of repressive policies, including the violent repression of protesters.

    The five individuals are:

    • Mohammad Mokhber
    • Gholam Hossein Esmaili
    • Seyyed Masoud Mirkazemi
    • Siamak Rahpeik
    • Ahmad-Reza Radan

    Canada is imposing these sanctions in coordination with Australia and the United States. The three countries are taking similar action this week in response to the acceleration of Iran’s repressive measures against women and its brutal crackdown on citizen demonstrations, as well as its ongoing grave breach of international peace and security.

    Canada will continue to increase pressure on Iran and implement further measures for as long as Iran continues its abhorrent conduct. Canada’s measures includes designating Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism under the State Immunity Act, listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code and implementing sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act and the United Nations Act to impose dealing restrictions and freeze assets held in Canada.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia Joins Letter Calling on President Biden to Expedite Review of LNG Projects for Ukraine and Eastern European Allies 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (TX-29)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (D-TX-29) joined her colleagues in a letter to President Biden requesting that the Department of Energy (DOE) prioritize and expedite the review of projects that will supply liquified natural gas (LNG) to Ukrainian and Eastern European allies as it recommences the processing of applications for authorization to export LNG to countries where the U.S. does not have existing free trade agreements (non-FTA nations). This request was made with a focus on maintaining both U.S. national security and energy security for European allies. 

    “We must ensure that new exports do not impact energy prices for American consumers and businesses. However, the public interest also requires consideration of the extent to which LNG exports promote geopolitical stability and serve our national security interests. Russia’s increasingly aggressive actions towards Ukrainian infrastructure, including electricity and gas storage facilities, highlight the urgent need to assist Ukraine in recovering and rebuilding and for Ukraine to diversify and secure its energy supply,” said the Members.

    The letter was led by Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus. Other signers include Representatives Lou Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Don Davis (NC-01), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Mary Peltola (AK-AL), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Marc Veasey (TX-33), and Susan Wild (PA-07).

    A full copy of the letter can be found by clicking here, or reading below:
     
    Dear President Biden: 

     As members of Congress, we write to request that the Department of Energy (DOE) prioritize and expedite review of projects that will supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Ukrainian and Eastern European allies as it recommences the processing of applications for authorization to export LNG to countries where the US does not have existing free trade agreements (non-FTA nations). This request is made with a focus on maintaining both US national security and energy security for our European allies. 

     DOE performs a critical function when it reviews applications for new LNG exports to non-FTA nations for consistency with the public interest. We must ensure that new exports do not impact energy prices for American consumers and businesses. However, the public interest also requires consideration of the extent to which LNG exports promote geopolitical stability and serve our national security interests. Russia’s increasingly aggressive actions towards Ukrainian infrastructure, including electricity and gas storage facilities, highlight the urgent need to assist Ukraine in recovering and rebuilding and for Ukraine to diversify and secure its energy supply. The Administration’s recent announcement of over $800 Million towards emergency energy needs in Ukraine to help “repair energy infrastructure damaged in the war, expand power generation, encourage private sector investment and protect energy infrastructure” will be vital to helping Ukraine recover and rebuild. 

    Equally important will be allowing Ukraine the ability to replace its natural gas supply when its contract with Gazprom expires at the end of this year. We believe that reducing Ukraine’s dependence on Russian energy will strengthen Ukraine’s energy security and align with the broader strategic goals of diminishing Russia’s influence in the region and reducing the leverage that hostile actors like Russia have over our allies. 

    Any delays to providing additional supplies of LNG to Ukraine and our Eastern European allies could jeopardize European energy security and market stability in the long-term. Typical gas offtake contracts are measured in years, not months, and are underpinned by certainty. We should not send mixed signals to our allies who want to eliminate their reliance on Vladimir Putin for good. We believe that the United States must demonstrate its commitment to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and resilience amidst ongoing threats by prioritizing and expediting review of projects that will supply LNG to Ukraine and Eastern Europe. 

    Additionally, American LNG is produced with some of the strongest environmental protections globally.1 Rigorous regulations and oversight ensure that our LNG exports are reliable and adhere to high environmental standards. We believe that these environmental standards, in combination with assistance made available through Inflation Reduction Act programs, such as the GHG Reporting and the Methane Emissions Reduction Programs, will ensure industry and this Administration work to continue reducing emissions from natural gas. By prioritizing and expediting review of LNG projects that will supply LNG to vulnerable nations, we believe DOE would enable our allies to benefit from cleaner LNG sources that have been shown to reduce emissions compared to foreign supplies and coal,2 thus supporting their transition to more sustainable energy systems. 

    The United States has already shown a strong commitment to supporting Ukraine. Extending and expanding support to the energy sector is a natural and necessary step. We must continue to lead by example, showing that we can balance our environmental commitments with the need to provide reliable energy to our European allies. We believe that, if US LNG producers adhere to increasingly stringent environmental standards, then this balance is maintained, promoting both energy security and environmental stewardship. 

    In conclusion, we believe that prioritizing and expediting review of LNG projects that will supply Ukraine and Eastern Europe will support geopolitical stability and advance the national security interests of the United States. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Canada imposes new sanctions on Iran

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, announced today that Canada is imposing additional sanctions against Iran under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.

    September 18, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, announced today that Canada is imposing additional sanctions against Iran under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.

    Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died while in the custody of Iran’s so-called morality police on September 16, 2022. Iranian authorities had arrested her for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code.

    The sanctions apply to five Iranian politicians responsible for designing and implementing repressive policies, including the violent repression of protesters.

    These five people are:

    Mohammad Mokhber Gholam Hossein Esmaili Seyyed Masoud Mirkazemi Siamak Rahpeik Ahmad-Reza Radan

    Canada is imposing these sanctions in coordination with Australia and the United States. All three countries are taking similar measures this week in response to Iran’s accelerating crackdown on women and brutal repression of citizen protests, as well as Iran’s continued serious violation of international peace and security.

    Canada will continue to increase pressure on Iran and implement new measures as long as Iran maintains its abhorrent behaviour. These measures include designating Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism under the State Immunity Act, listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code, and implementing sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act and the United Nations Act to impose transaction restrictions and freeze assets held in Canada.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Saskatchewan —  Saskatchewan RCMP WEST asks members of the public to report sightings of Joey Desjarlais

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Saskatchewan RCMP WEST is asking members of the public to report all sightings and information on the whereabouts of 34-year-old Joseph “Joey” Desjarlais.

    Desjarlais is wanted in relation to a September 8 robbery in Wadena, a September 16 robbery in Melfort, and is now charged in relation to a robbery in Yorkton.

    On September 22, 2024 at approximately 2:05 a.m., Yorkton RCMP received a report of a robbery at a business on Smith Street.

    Investigation determined an adult male entered the business, threatened an employee with a firearm, then stole cash, cigarettes and the keys to the employee’s vehicle. He then fled in that vehicle.

    No physcal injuries were reported as a result of the robbery.

    As a result of investigation, Desjarlais has been charged with:

    • one count, robbery with firearm, Section 344, Criminal Code;
    • one count, theft of motor vehicle, Section 333.1(1), Criminal Code;
    • one count, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, Section 88(1), Criminal Code; and
    • three counts, possession of weapon contrary to order, Section 117.01(1), Criminal Code.

    Saskatchewan RCMP, including the Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST), is actively working to locate and arrest Desjarlais on his multiple outstanding warrants. Residents in the area may notice an increased police presence as a result of the efforts to arrest him.

    If you see Desjarlais, do not approach him. Report all sightings of him or information on his whereabouts to police immediately.

    Desjarlais is described as approximately 5’7″ tall and 130 lbs. He has brown eyes, short brown hair, and a short beard. He has tattoos of the words ‘public’ and ‘enemy’ with flames on his hands, and ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ tattooed on the right side of his neck.

    Report information to 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: More than 550 finalists from 36 countries will take part in the final of the International Financial Security Olympiad

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko held a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the International Financial Security Olympiad

    September 24, 2024

    Dmitry Chernyshenko held a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the International Financial Security Olympiad

    September 24, 2024

    Dmitry Chernyshenko held a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the International Financial Security Olympiad

    September 24, 2024

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Chernyshenko held a meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the International Financial Security Olympiad

    A meeting of the organizing committee for the preparation and holding of the International Financial Security Olympiad was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    The Director of the Federal Service for Financial Monitoring, Yuri Chikhanchin, also took part in it.

    At the meeting, the program for the final stage of the fourth Olympiad, which will take place from September 30 to October 4 in the federal territory of Sirius, was approved, as well as the composition of the jury and the appeal committee.

    In his opening remarks, Dmitry Chernyshenko noted the expansion of the geography of the participants of the International Financial Security Olympiad. This year, more than 550 finalists from 36 countries will come to the final in the hospitable federal territory of Sirius.

    “Despite the current international situation, we have managed not only to maintain, but also to expand the level of organization and holding of the Olympiad. This year, more than 550 children from 36 countries will come to Sirius; last year, there were 19 countries. I consider it important that the Olympiad participants will not only win, but also receive opportunities to enter the country’s leading universities and employment prospects,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

    He also recalled that on September 17, a founding conference was held at the site of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation and the launch of the International Movement for Financial Security was launched, which united representatives from 36 countries.

    According to Rosfinmonitoring Director Yuri Chikhanchin, schoolchildren, students, representatives of financial intelligence agencies, the business community, and the scientific and educational sphere will meet at the Sirius venues. The final stage program includes more than 40 educational events for schoolchildren and students, including meetings with future employers and career guidance events.

    “The events of the final week of the Olympiad are aimed at achieving educational results, professional development of participants, creating conditions for the formation of a cultural and moral environment based on traditional civilizational values, as well as involving participants in the sports movement. As part of the educational direction, schoolchildren and students will be able not only to demonstrate their knowledge, but also to acquire new competencies in master classes, panel discussions and interactive workshops,” said the director of Rosfinmonitoring.

    Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Dmitry Afanasyev shared details of the final stage of the Olympiad and reported on the results of the qualifying stages of the fourth Olympiad, noting that in 2024 the number of participants in the final has increased.

    The program of the final stage of the fourth Olympiad includes a meeting of the Council of the International Network Institute in the field of AML/CFT, the international forum on financial security “Sirius-2024”, “Conversations on equal terms”, a phygital basketball tournament, master classes, panel discussions and a number of other events of educational, professional, cultural and sports orientation.

    The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Education Olga Koludarova, State Secretary – Deputy Head of Rospotrebnadzor Mikhail Orlov, Head of the educational foundation “Talent and Success” Elena Shmeleva, First Deputy Governor of Krasnodar Krai Igor Galas, General Director of ANO “National Priorities” Sofia Malyavina, representatives of the Executive Office of the Government of the Russian Federation, the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Bank of Russia, the International Training and Methodological Center for Financial Monitoring (ITMCFM), PJSC Promsvyazbank and universities of the International Network Institute in the Sphere of AML/CFT.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://government.ru/nevs/52784/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Testimony of the Securities and Exchange Commission Before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services

    Source: Securities and Exchange Commission

    Good morning, Chairman McHenry, Ranking Member Waters, and members of Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today about the work of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

    The SEC at 90 Years

    At the SEC, we celebrated our 90th birthday earlier this year.

    In the aftermath of the 1929 market crash and the frauds, scams, and other observed problems in the securities markets, President Franklin Roosevelt came together with Congress to enact a series of securities laws in the 1930s and set up the SEC. Congress and Roosevelt understood how vital capital markets are to investors, issuers, and a dynamic and growing economy.

    Today, the SEC oversees the capital markets and works to deter and prevent fraud and manipulation, as well as helps ensure that investment advisers carry out their duties to their clients, and that companies and entrepreneurs can access the capital they need to succeed. The SEC is also the cop on the beat watching out for the investing public and issuers.

    The SEC is a remarkable agency. We serve investors building for a better future and issuers raising money to fund innovation, while overseeing the capital markets where they meet. The essence of this is captured in our three-part mission to protect investors; maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets; and facilitate capital formation.

    Growth and Change in the Markets

    Today, the more than $100 trillion U.S. capital markets[1] are the deepest, most liquid in the world. To put these figures in context, the assets of the entire U.S. banking system add up to about $23 trillion.[2]

    Comprising approximately 40 percent of the world’s capital markets,[3]  U.S. capital markets outpace our roughly 24 percent of the world’s economy.[4] The U.S. capital markets also play an integral role in the dollar’s dominance.

    Everyday investors benefit from the U.S. capital markets. Their investment portfolios fund home purchases, college educations, and retirements. About 58 percent of U.S. households own stocks either directly or indirectly.[5] More than half of American households, representing nearly 121 million individual investors, own registered funds.[6]

    Today, registered investment advisers advise 57 million clients.[7] This includes advising on more than $37 trillion in registered funds,[8] $27 trillion in private funds,[9] and $49 trillion in separately managed accounts.[10]

    We oversee approximately 40,000 entities—including approximately 13,000 registered funds, approximately 15,400 investment advisers, about 3,400 broker-dealers, 25 national securities exchanges, 108 alternative trading systems, 10 credit rating agencies, and six active registered clearing agencies, among other external entities. The SEC oversees the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB), and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). In addition, the Commission provides oversight over standard-setting and rulemaking by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

    SEC Organization and Staff

    To fulfill its mission, the SEC is organized around six divisions and 24 offices located in 11 regional locations[11] as well as our Washington, D.C., headquarters. We currently have 4,893 staff on board,[12] representing only a 5 percent increase from 2016 when we had 4,650 staff.

    The SEC staff in 2023 rated us among the best places to work in the federal government; we ranked third among midsized agencies for the second year in a row.[13] Our attrition this fiscal year is at historically low levels, so far averaging around 3 percent at an annualized rate.

    The SEC’s funding is deficit neutral. While the congressional appropriations process determines the SEC’s budget, the SEC collects fees on stock and other securities transactions to offset the appropriations.[14]

    For FY 2024 the SEC budget is $2.15 billion, remaining the same as it was in FY 2023. At the start of FY 2024, we paused nearly all job postings and backfilling for departing staff.

    In fiscal years 2021 through 2024, we will have shed 299,000 usable square feet from the SEC’s real estate footprint. As a result of these reductions over the last three years, we expect to save approximately $20 million in FY 2025. We will continue looking for opportunities to achieve cost savings across our leasing footprint and in other ways in the years to come.

    The rest of this testimony will describe the work of the six divisions. For the programmatic divisions, we will review certain rules that were implemented, adopted, or proposed in the last year.[15]

    Corporation Finance

    The Division of Corporation Finance seeks to ensure that investors have access to the information they need to make informed investment and voting decisions when a company offers its securities to the public, and on an ongoing basis as companies continue to provide information to the marketplace. The Division also provides interpretive assistance to companies with respect to compliance with SEC rules and forms and makes recommendations to the Commission regarding new rules and revisions to existing rules.

    The Division reviews the disclosures and financial statements of reporting companies to monitor and enhance compliance with disclosure and accounting requirements under the federal securities laws and Commission rules.

    In FY 2023, there were approximately 7,400 actively reporting issuers subject to oversight by the Division’s Disclosure Review Program, of which more than 4,000 were listed on U.S. exchanges.[16] Further, in FY 2023, the Division reviewed the filings of more than 3,700 reporting companies and new issuers.[17]  

    The Division has worked on a number of proposed and final rules in the last year.[18]

    In December 2023, rules began to be implemented requiring registrants to disclose material cybersecurity incidents they experience as well as to disclose on an annual basis material information regarding their cybersecurity risk management, strategy, and governance.[19]

    In November 2023, as mandated by Congress in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act), the Commission adopted rules regarding conflicts of interest in the securitization market.[20] Compliance with these rules is required starting in June 2025.

    In July 2024, rules were implemented regarding disclosures by special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), both when going public as well as when engaging in a business combination transaction with a target company (de-SPAC transactions).[21]

    In March 2024, the Commission adopted rules to standardize climate-related risk disclosures by public companies and in public offerings.[22] The Commission stayed these rules pending the completion of judicial review.[23]

    The Commission also has adopted rules related to corporate governance. As mandated by Congress in the Dodd-Frank Act, exchange listing rules on clawbacks of executive compensation were implemented in 2023, with corresponding issuer disclosure requirements beginning in 2024.[24] Updated rules regarding how corporate insiders trade their own company’s stock have been phased in starting in April 2023.[25] In October 2023, the Commission adopted rules shortening the deadlines by which beneficial owners must inform the public of their position, with compliance beginning in February 2024.[26] Lastly, in August 2024, consistent with Congress’s mandate in the Financial Data Transparency Act of 2022, the SEC, together with eight other federal financial regulators, proposed joint data standards for data submitted to the nine financial regulators to promote the interoperability of financial regulatory data.[27]

    Investment Management

    The Division of Investment Management has primary responsibility for administering the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Investment Advisers Act of 1940. In administering the Investment Company Act, the Division develops regulatory policy for investment companies, which include mutual funds, money market funds, closed-end funds, business development companies, unit investment trusts, variable insurance products, and exchange-traded funds.

    The Division also develops regulatory policy as applicable to investment advisers, including advisers to registered investment companies, separately managed accounts, and, in certain cases, to private funds.

    In FY 2023, Division staff reviewed more than 1,900 filings related to more than 4,400 funds and insurance products. Staff also reviewed annual reports—including financial statements—from more than 4,200 funds.[28]

    The Division worked on a number of rulemakings in the last year.[29]

    The Commission adopted amendments to Form PF, the confidential reporting form for certain SEC-registered investment advisers to private funds.[30] Rules requiring that large hedge fund and private equity fund advisers make current reports on certain events to the Commission were implemented in June 2024. A joint rule with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to enhance the amount of information the agencies receive from all Form PF filers was adopted in February 2024 and will be implemented in March 2025.[31]

    In August 2024, the Commission adopted amendments to reporting requirements on Form N-PORT.[32] Funds generally will be required to comply with the amendments for reports filed on or after November 17, 2025, except fund groups with net assets of less than $1 billion have until May 18, 2026.

    In May 2024, the Commission finalized amendments to Regulation S-P that will require covered firms to notify their customers of data breaches that might put their personal information at risk.[33] Such covered firms include broker-dealers (including funding portals), investment companies, registered investment advisers, and transfer agents. Larger entities will have to comply in December 2025 and smaller entities in June 2026. The Division of Trading and Markets also worked on these rules.

    In July 2023, the Commission adopted amendments to update the regulations for governing money market funds.[34] There is a staggered transition period for funds to come into compliance, with full implementation to be complete in October 2024.

    In September 2023, the Commission adopted amendments to the Investment Company Act “Names Rule” to address fund names that could mislead investors about a fund’s investments and risks.[35] Compliance will be phased in based on fund size, with larger funds required to comply in December 2025 and smaller funds in June 2026.

    In July 2024, the Commission implemented a Congressional mandate to provide a tailored form to register the offerings of registered index-linked annuities.[36] Filers will have until May 1, 2026, to comply with most of the final amendments, and insurance companies will be able to use the tailored form in September 2024.

    Rules regarding the updating of funds’ shareholder reports were implemented in July 2024.[37]

    Rules to govern proxy voting information reported on Form N-PX were implemented in August 2024.[38]

    The Divisions of Investment Management and Trading and Markets are considering recommending that the Commission re-propose rules regarding conflicts of interest in the use of predictive analytics by brokers and advisers.[39] Further, the Division of Investment Management is considering recommending that the Commission repropose rules regarding the custody of funds or investments of clients as well as changes to regulatory requirements relating to open-end funds’ liquidity and dilution management.

    In May 2024, the Commission and U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network jointly proposed rules requiring customer identification programs for Commission-registered investment advisers and exempt reporting advisers.[40]

    In addition to these rules, the Division also is implementing an initiative to add to the aggregate public data published by the SEC. First, earlier this year, it began publishing the Registered Fund Statistics report, which aggregates data about the registered fund industry.[41] Second, in May, the Division began publishing a new report based on aggregated data filed by investment advisers on Form ADV, providing statistics on the investment advisory industry and showing trends over time.[42] Third, in July, it updated and enhanced public reporting of data regarding hedge funds, private equity funds, and other private funds from Form PF. The report provides the public with information about the leverage, borrowing, and other activities of this rapidly growing sector.

    Trading and Markets

    The Division of Trading and Markets works to maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets. Market monitoring and supervision are essential parts of the Division’s activity—especially during times of market stress. Transaction volume in listed equities has doubled in the last five years and tripled in the last 17 years.[43]

    The Division oversees 25 national securities exchanges, 108 alternative trading systems, about 3,400 broker-dealers, 53 security-based swap dealers, six active registered clearing agencies, and more than 300 transfer agents, among other entities.

    In FY 2023, the Division responded to more than 16,000 public inquiries. In FY 2023, the Division also reviewed more than 660 filings from broker-dealers as well as more than 1,700 self-regulatory organization proposed rule changes and advance notices.[44]

    In the last year, with respect to rulemaking, the Division was primarily focused on market structure for the equity and Treasury markets as well as implementing rules mandated by Congress through the Dodd-Frank Act. 

    In terms of equity market structure, last week the Commission adopted amendments to certain rules under Regulation NMS to adopt an additional minimum pricing increment, or “tick size,” for the quoting of certain NMS stocks, reduce the access fee caps for protected quotations of trading centers, increase the transparency of exchange fees and rebates, and accelerate the implementation of rules that will make information about the market’s best priced, smaller-sized orders publicly available.[45]

    On May 28, 2024, much of the U.S. markets (equities, corporate bonds, municipals, etc.) successfully aligned its settlement cycle with the Treasury markets at T+1.[46] In March 2024, the Commission adopted amendments to Rule 605 that enhance disclosure requirements for order execution quality.[47] Large broker-dealers—those with more than 100,000 customers—will have to disclose execution quality to the public. Compliance with these amendments to Rule 605 will begin in December 2025. The Commission also is continuing to review comments on other rule proposals related to the equities markets.[48]

    As for Treasury markets, in December 2023 the Commission adopted rules to facilitate additional central clearing for the $27 trillion U.S. Treasury markets.[49] By March 2025, Treasury clearinghouses must separate proprietary margin from customer margin and further facilitate access to central clearing. Starting at the end of 2025, certain cash transactions will have to be cleared. Starting in June 2026, certain repo and reverse repo transactions must be cleared. In February 2024, the Commission adopted final rules further defining a dealer and government securities dealer.[50] Further, rules are being implemented this month that will update and narrow the circumstances in which broker-dealers are exempt from registering with a national securities association.[51]

    The Commission also worked to finalize Congressionally mandated Dodd-Frank rules. Entities subject to rules creating a regime for the registration and regulation of security-based swap execution facilities (SBSEFs) were required to begin complying in August 2024.[52] Further, antifraud rules related to security-based swap transactions were implemented in August of 2023.[53] In October 2023, the Commission adopted rules regarding the reporting of short sale [54] and securities lending related data.[55]

    The Commission also adopted rules in November 2023 relating to the governance and use of outside service providers by clearinghouses, and compliance will be phased in during December 2024 and December 2025.[56]

    Finally, rules related to the electronic recordkeeping of broker-dealers were phased in beginning in May 2023, to be completed in November 2024.[57]

    Economic and Risk Analysis

    The Division of Economic and Risk Analysis (DERA) includes economists, statisticians, data scientists and engineers, attorneys, accountants, and other staff. These experts provide support to every aspect of the Commission’s mission from rulemaking to enforcement.

     DERA provides economic analyses that consider the costs and benefits of our rules as well as their effects on efficiency, competition, and capital formation. In conducting the economic analysis, DERA staff work closely with staff from the divisions, from the earliest stages of policy development through the finalization of a particular rule.

    The Commission receives feedback from the public on these economic analyses, which benefits our rulemaking.

    DERA also supports the Commission’s examination and enforcement functions by helping to identify securities law violations, quantify harm to investors, calculate ill-gotten gains, and assist enforcement with returning funds to harmed investors.

    Finally, DERA assists the Commission in its efforts to identify, analyze, and respond to economic and market issues, including those related to new financial products, investment and trading strategies, systemic risk, and fraud.

    Examinations

    The Division of Examinations serves a critical role in helping firms to comply with the law.

    In FY 2023, Division staff conducted more than 3,100 examinations across our tens of thousands of registrants. From investment advisers to broker-dealers to exchanges, the Division helps ensure that registrants are following their legal obligations to customers and clients, including seniors and other vulnerable investors.

    Importantly, the Division is the first line of defense for the investing public relying on investment advisers. It is responsible for examining and overseeing a growing registrant population, including more than 15,400 investment advisers and approximately 800 investment company complexes.

    The Division issues risk alerts that summarize examination observations and preview potential examination scope areas focusing on compliance with new rules. The Division also promotes compliance by regularly engaging with the industry and investors through its national and regional outreach events.

    Further, the Division works in parallel with SROs to examine the more than 3,300 broker-dealers with roughly 150,000 branch offices.

    Enforcement

    The work of the Division of Enforcement is central to the SEC’s investor protection role. The Division conducts investigations into possible violations of the federal securities laws and litigates enforcement actions in the federal courts and in administrative proceedings. In addition to monetary remedies designed to remove wrongdoers’ ill-gotten gains and deter future violations, the Commission’s enforcement actions protect investors by obtaining remedial injunctions in district court and, similarly, remedial suspensions and bars in administrative proceedings.

    In FY 2023, the Division brought 784 enforcement actions that resulted in orders for $4.9 billion in penalties and disgorgement. When feasible, the civil penalties and disgorgement obtained in the Commission’s civil enforcement actions are returned to harmed investors, and the SEC distributed $930 million to harmed investors in FY 2023.[58] Further, in FY 2023, the SEC received more than 40,000 separate tips, complaints, and referrals from whistleblowers and others, up from about 16,700 in 2019.

    Other Offices

    The SEC has an Office of the General Counsel, which provides legal analysis and advice to the Commission and its divisions and offices on all aspects of the Commission’s activities. The other offices include: Office of the Chief Accountant, Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, Office of International Affairs, Office of the Investor Advocate, Office of Credit Ratings, Office of Municipal Securities, Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation, and Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology.

    Conclusion

    Thank you for the opportunity to testify today and for the Committee’s support of the SEC, its mission, and its people.  

    [11] When the Salt Lake City office closes in FY 2025, there will be 10 regional offices.

    [12] Staff onboard as of Sept. 6, 2024.

    [15] In addition to the rules detailed within the Divisions, rules to revise the Commission’s regulations under the Privacy Act were implemented in October 2023. See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Approves Revised Privacy Act Rule” (Sept. 20, 2023), available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023-189. Rules strengthening and modernizing the Commission’s ethics compliance program were implemented in March 2024. See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Updates Ethics Rules Governing Securities Trading by Agency Personnel” (Feb. 22, 2024), available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-25.

    [16] Approximately 52 percent of those 7,400 issuers self-identified as smaller reporting companies, emerging growth companies, or both. See 17 CFR 240.12b-2 (defining the terms “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company”).

    [18]In May 2023, the SEC adopted a rule related to stock buybacks. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit subsequently vacated the rule in December 2023. In addition, in July 2022, the SEC rescinded certain rules applicable to proxy voting advice that the Commission had previously adopted in 2020. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated portions of the SEC’s 2022 rescission in June 2024, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld the SEC’s 2022 rescission in September 2024.

    [29] In addition to the rules detailed, the Commission adopted in March 2024 rules relating to internet advisers, which will be implemented in March 2025. See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Adopts Reforms Relating to Investment Advisers Operating Exclusively Through the Internet” (March 27, 2024), available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-42. Further, rule amendments requiring the electronic filing of certain documents previously submitted on paper by investment advisers and others were implemented in February and June of 2023. https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022-113. In August 2023, the SEC adopted rules regarding private fund advisers. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit subsequently vacated the rule in June 2024.

    [32] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Adopts Reporting Enhancements for Registered Investment Companies and Provides Guidance on Open-End Fund Liquidity Risk Management Programs” (Aug, 28, 2024), available at  https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024-110.

    [38] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Adopts Rules to Enhance Proxy Voting Disclosure by Registered Investment Funds and Require Disclosure of “Say-on-Pay” Votes for Institutional Investment Managers” (Nov. 2, 2022), available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022-198.

    [48] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Rule to Address Volume-Based Exchange Transaction Pricing for NMS Stocks” (Oct. 18, 2023), available at  https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023-225. See also Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Rules to Amend Minimum Pricing Increments and Access Fee Caps and to Enhance the Transparency of Better Priced Orders” (Dec. 14, 2022), available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022-224. See also Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Regulation Best Execution” (Dec. 14, 2022), available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022-226. See also Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Proposes Rule to Enhance Competition for Individual Investor Order Execution” (Dec. 14, 2022), available at  https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022-225.  

    [57] See Securities and Exchange Commission, “SEC Adopts Rule Amendments to Modernize How Broker-Dealers Preserve Electronic Records and Enhance the Electronic Recordkeeping Requirements for Security-Based Swap Entities” (Oct. 12, 2022), available at https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022-187.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Nearly a Dozen Women and Girls

    Source: US State of California

    Following a nine-day trial, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, of Lake Placid, Florida, on 13 charges for sex trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. Session compelled some of his victims to commit commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013, and he compelled other victims to commit commercial sex acts between February 2016 and February 2019.

    “The defendant used despicable and horrific means to terrify and coerce nearly a dozen women and girls to engage in commercial sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting vulnerable victims from such cruel exploitation. This prosecution reflects that commitment. It is a testament to the courageous young women who cooperated with law enforcement to expose, prosecute and hold accountable this defendant for the years of misery he inflicted on scores of women.”

    “Vindicating the rights of human trafficking victims and other vulnerable persons ranks among the highest priorities of our office,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Human trafficking is a crime of exploitation. We will not allow human traffickers to prey upon others for profit, as humans are not commodities but rather demand our united protection. Our office’s dedicated prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking and bring offenders to justice.” 

    “Today’s verdict is a step towards justice for the nearly dozen victims who were forced by Shannima Yuantrell Session into sex trafficking and endured his reign of horrendous and abusive control,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “This verdict is a testament to the cooperation and commitment of several law enforcement agencies including the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. We will continue working with these and other partners to dismantle human trafficking networks that operate in the shadows and brutalize their victims.”

    Evidence presented during the trial established that Session made promises of legitimate work and housing assistance to women and girls struggling with unstable living accommodations, substance abuse and neglect or who otherwise led unstable lives. Session’s promises were often false and empty, designed to provide him the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. Session then exploited the victims’ vulnerabilities to compel their commercial sex acts in squalid trailers housing migrant workers or in local orange groves.

    At times, Session used food and housing to control and coerce the victims. For example, he would not permit one of his victims to eat if the victim did not follow his instructions. Often, Session required his victims to engage in sexual activity with him after they had spent a night having compelled sexual intercourse with up to 18 men.

    Further, the evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Session resorted to extreme physical violence to compel and intimidate certain victims. He violently punched some of the victims in the back of their heads in order not to leave marks on their bodies. Once, Session dragged a victim to a shower and beat her in the back of her head with a metal nutcracker until she fell limp to the floor. Session also choked another victim to the point that she lost consciousness, beat another victim with a baseball bat and brutalized yet another so badly that her nose ring fell out due to the force of the assault. In addition, Session took multiple victims to a nearby lake, where he held their heads underwater and threatened to drown them if they did not do as he ordered.

    The evidence also showed that Session used a firearm to intimidate and control his victims. He consistently kept a firearm in his possession, and frequently displayed it to victims or referred to it when talking with them. Once, Session pointed a firearm at a victim while he was driving and threatened to “kill” her after she asked him how he would feel if someone treated his daughter the way he treated her. Fearing for her life when Session stopped the car and began walking to the passenger side door, the victim jumped out of the car and ran towards nearby woods. In response, Session fired a shot into the air while he called out the victim’s name.

    Finally, the evidence indicated that Session manipulated and took advantage of some victims’ substance abuse problems to compel their commercial sex services. For example, Session provided victims with cocaine and methamphetamine to give them sufficient energy to engage in commercial sex acts with multiple migrant men at nearby trailers.

    A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 19. Session faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Miami Field Office, Ft. Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Highlands County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Nearly a Dozen Women and Girls

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Following a nine-day trial, a federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted Shannima Yuantrell Session, also known as Shalamar, 47, of Lake Placid, Florida, on 13 charges for sex trafficking nearly a dozen women and girls. Session compelled some of his victims to commit commercial sex acts between July 2011 and July 2013, and he compelled other victims to commit commercial sex acts between February 2016 and February 2019.

    “The defendant used despicable and horrific means to terrify and coerce nearly a dozen women and girls to engage in commercial sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting vulnerable victims from such cruel exploitation. This prosecution reflects that commitment. It is a testament to the courageous young women who cooperated with law enforcement to expose, prosecute and hold accountable this defendant for the years of misery he inflicted on scores of women.”

    “Vindicating the rights of human trafficking victims and other vulnerable persons ranks among the highest priorities of our office,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Human trafficking is a crime of exploitation. We will not allow human traffickers to prey upon others for profit, as humans are not commodities but rather demand our united protection. Our office’s dedicated prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, and support personnel will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking and bring offenders to justice.” 

    “Today’s verdict is a step towards justice for the nearly dozen victims who were forced by Shannima Yuantrell Session into sex trafficking and endured his reign of horrendous and abusive control,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “This verdict is a testament to the cooperation and commitment of several law enforcement agencies including the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. We will continue working with these and other partners to dismantle human trafficking networks that operate in the shadows and brutalize their victims.”

    Evidence presented during the trial established that Session made promises of legitimate work and housing assistance to women and girls struggling with unstable living accommodations, substance abuse and neglect or who otherwise led unstable lives. Session’s promises were often false and empty, designed to provide him the opportunity to learn about a victim’s vulnerabilities while misrepresenting himself as caring and empathetic. Session then exploited the victims’ vulnerabilities to compel their commercial sex acts in squalid trailers housing migrant workers or in local orange groves.

    At times, Session used food and housing to control and coerce the victims. For example, he would not permit one of his victims to eat if the victim did not follow his instructions. Often, Session required his victims to engage in sexual activity with him after they had spent a night having compelled sexual intercourse with up to 18 men.

    Further, the evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Session resorted to extreme physical violence to compel and intimidate certain victims. He violently punched some of the victims in the back of their heads in order not to leave marks on their bodies. Once, Session dragged a victim to a shower and beat her in the back of her head with a metal nutcracker until she fell limp to the floor. Session also choked another victim to the point that she lost consciousness, beat another victim with a baseball bat and brutalized yet another so badly that her nose ring fell out due to the force of the assault. In addition, Session took multiple victims to a nearby lake, where he held their heads underwater and threatened to drown them if they did not do as he ordered.

    The evidence also showed that Session used a firearm to intimidate and control his victims. He consistently kept a firearm in his possession, and frequently displayed it to victims or referred to it when talking with them. Once, Session pointed a firearm at a victim while he was driving and threatened to “kill” her after she asked him how he would feel if someone treated his daughter the way he treated her. Fearing for her life when Session stopped the car and began walking to the passenger side door, the victim jumped out of the car and ran towards nearby woods. In response, Session fired a shot into the air while he called out the victim’s name.

    Finally, the evidence indicated that Session manipulated and took advantage of some victims’ substance abuse problems to compel their commercial sex services. For example, Session provided victims with cocaine and methamphetamine to give them sufficient energy to engage in commercial sex acts with multiple migrant men at nearby trailers.

    A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 19. Session faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison as well as mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI Miami Field Office, Ft. Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Highlands County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Leah Branch and Matthew Thiman of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.

    Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police lay arson charges over Auckland fires

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    A man has been remanded in custody after being charged over a series of vehicle fires in central Auckland.

    Police have been investigating the suspicious fires in the vicinity of the Auckland Domain since 18 September.

    Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend, from Auckland City’s Crime Squad, says at least four fires have been under investigation.

    The most recent incident, on 20 September, occurred when two vehicles were targeted on Park Road at around 9.15pm.

    Earlier fires occurred within the vicinity of the Auckland Domain on 18, 19 and 20 September.

    “The vehicles suffered varying degrees of damage, and it’s fortunate that no one was seriously injured as a result of these brazen acts,” Detective Senior Sergeant Friend says.

    “It’s clear though that this has caused great inconvenience to the victims.”

    Detective Senior Sergeant Friend says a 50-year-old man was arrested in the Auckland Domain on Sunday evening.

    “The man appeared in the Auckland District Court on Monday, charged with three counts of arson,” he says.

    “He has been remanded in custody until his next appearance on 25 September.”

    Detective Senior Sergeant Friend says enquiries are ongoing and further charges cannot be ruled out.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Criminal damage – Alice Springs

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Northern Territory Police are calling for information in relation to a criminal damage incident involving multiple vehicles that occurred over the weekend.

    The damage is believed to have occurred between the afternoon of Friday 20 September 2024, and the morning of Monday 23 September 2024, at a business on Bath Street in Alice Springs.

    Up to 22 vehicles were damaged, having their windows broken during the incident.

    Investigations are in their early stages and detectives from Strike Force Viper have taken multiple victim statements.

    Police urge anyone with information, or with CCTV or dash cam footage, to contact 131 444 and quote P24262199. You can also make an anonymous report through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or through https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Drug and firearm arrest in western suburbs

    Source: South Australia Police

    A man was arrested late last week for drug and firearm offences.

    On Friday 20 September, members of Serious and Organised Crime Branch attended a Rosewater address where they located drugs and firearms.

    A search of the address located approximately 7kg of methamphetamine, a trafficable quantity of cocaine, MDMA and GHB.  Two firearms were also located and seized.

    A 33-year-old man from the address was arrested and charged with four counts of trafficking in a commercial quantity of a controlled drug, two counts of possessing a firearm without a licence, two counts of possessing an unregistered firearm and breach of bail.

    The man appeared in Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday 23 September where he was remanded in custody to reappear in court on 5 December.

    Detective Superintendent Shane Addison, Officer in Charge of Serious and Organised Crime Branch said, “This is another significant drug seizure by organised crime detectives which has prevented supply of these harmful drugs to South Australians and illegal profits being netted by drug traffickers.  Our resolve to actively disrupt the trafficking of illicit drug is clear and will be sustained.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bicameral Statement of Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism on Release of 2023 FBI Hate Crime Statistics Report

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    Anti-Jewish Hate Crimes Increased By Nearly 63 Percent, Reaching Highest Level In Decades
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK), and Representatives Kathy Manning (NC-06) and Chris Smith (NJ-04), co-chairs of the Senate and House Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism, respectively, released the following statement in response to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) 2023 Hate Crime Statistics Report. The FBI data shows anti-Jewish hate crimes increased in 2023 by nearly 63 percent from 2022, which is the highest number recorded in almost three decades.
    “We are deeply alarmed by the dramatic increase in hate crimes targeting Jewish Americans over the past year, as noted in the FBI’s 2023 Hate Crimes Statistics Report,” said the members. “With antisemitism skyrocketing across the United States following Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, a whole-of-government approach is needed to protect Jewish communities from violence and hate.”
    Anti-Jewish hate crimes rose from 1,122 to 1,832 incidents from 2022 to 2023. According to the FBI, a total of 16,009 law enforcement agencies, which represent 95.2 percent of the agencies enrolled in the hate crime data collection program, participated in hate crimes reporting for 2023.
    They continued: “As the co-chairs of the House and Senate Bipartisan Task Forces for Combating Antisemitism, we remain steadfast in our commitment to root out the scourge of antisemitism. We’ll continue working across party lines to ensure the federal government keeps Jewish Americans safe from discrimination.”
    Jewish Americans make up around two percent of the U.S. population, yet antisemitic hate crimes accounted for 15.4 percent of all hate crimes reported by the FBI. Anti-Jewish incidents comprised a little over two-thirds of all religion-based hate crimes. 
    As co-chair of the Senate Bipartisan Taskforce for Countering Antisemitism, Senator Rosen has been leading the fight against rising antisemitism. Senator Rosen, along with the co-chairs of the Senate and House Bipartisan Task Forces, introduced a bipartisan bill to take historic action to counter antisemitism in the United States by establishing a first-ever National Coordinator to Counter Antisemitism. In May, Senators Rosen and Lankford sent a bipartisan letter urging the Department of Education to designate a senior official to oversee efforts to combat antisemitism on college campuses. They also called on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to hold a full hearing on rising antisemitism on college campuses.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fatal crash in the CBD

    Source: South Australia Police

    A woman has died following a crash in the city last week.

    Just after 12.15pm on Friday 20 September police were called to the intersection of South Terrace and Sir Lewis Cohen Avenue following reports of a crash between a Nissan Micra and a Ford Territory.

    The 93-year-old female driver of the Nissan was taken to hospital for treatment of her injuries, sadly today (Tuesday 24 September) she died in hospital.

    The occupant and passenger of the Ford were not injured.

    Major Crash Investigators are appealing to the public if they witnessed the crash or have dashcam footage and have not spoken to police to please call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    The woman’s death is the 61st life lost on SA roads this year.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU to host first international student cybercriminology festival CrimeLab Fest-2024

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    On September 27-28, the first international student cybercriminology festival CrimeLab Fest-2024 will be held at NSU. The event will involve 9 student teams: 8 of them represent Russian cities such as Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Krasnoyarsk and Krasnodar, and one combined team, which will include students from Harbin (China). Using cyber simulators, they will compete in investigating simulated situations. The students’ results will be assessed by an authoritative jury, which will include leading Russian experts in the field of forensics. The festival will also include lectures and a round table, where experts and students will discuss the prospects and future of the profession.

    — Several years ago, educational institutions began to request the introduction of modern products at the intersection of IT and forensics into the educational process. This is how the idea of creating cyber simulators appeared, which are based on the idea of a computer game, a quest, but at the same time they incorporate the entire arsenal of forensic tools for investigation, evidence collection, verification of versions, etc. That is, they allow you to simulate the situation of investigating certain types of crimes in a game form. At the moment, 10 such simulators have been developed. Our festival will be the first platform where we will test these simulators in action, — said the head of the CrimeLab project, Doctor of Law, Professor of the Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Forensics of NSU Roman Borovskikh.

    The simulators were created by a team of developers from the ANO “Digital Educational Technologies”, which includes NSU graduates. Each simulator simulates the investigation of individual types of crimes, including bribery, murder, fraud, robbery, etc. The user of the simulator has the opportunity to choose not only the type of crime, but also the location. In the future, it is planned to introduce this tool into the educational process and make it part of the curriculum.

    According to Roman Borovskikh, “our task now is to test how this tool works, what the impressions and feedback from students will be, and to understand how these electronic educational tools need to be improved in order to use them in real educational practice.”

    The festival will feature student teams, 3 of which are from out of town, representing Altai State University, Kuban State University and Krasnoyarsk State Agrarian University. Also, one team is international, it is formed by students of Heilongjiang University and NSU. During the competition, the guys will have to demonstrate their knowledge and skills at all stages of the investigation, such as collecting evidence, checking versions, etc., using correct forensic methods, using simulators.

    The teams’ work will be assessed by an expert jury chaired by Igor Mikhailovich Komarov, Doctor of Law, Professor, Head of the Forensic Science Department at Moscow State University. The jury also includes leading Russian forensic scientists. Among them are Lev Vladimirovich Bertovsky, Doctor of Law, Professor, Director of the Institute of High-Tech Law, Social and Humanitarian Sciences at the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology. As well as practicing forensic scientists, led by Colonel of Justice Vitaly Vitalyevich Brytkov, Head of the Forensic Support Department for the Siberian Federal District (based in Novosibirsk) of the Forensic Support Directorate for Investigations in the Federal Districts of the Main Forensic Science Directorate (Forensic Center) of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

    On the second day of the festival, there will be an off-site session, during which experts will give original lectures on new methods and the future of the profession, and a student round table will also take place.

    The festival is organized by NSU, Institute of Philosophy and Law of NSU And Student CenterNSU initiatives. The project partners are the Department of Forensic Support of Investigations for the Siberian Federal District, the ANO Digital Educational Technologies, and the federal project CrimeLab.

    More detailed information about the festival.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.nsu.ru/n/media/nevs/education/nsu-will-host-the-first-international-student-festival-cyberforensics-crimelab-fest-2024/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Polytechnic University Opens Postdoc School “Digital Methods in Social and Humanitarian Knowledge”

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    The opening of the educational program of the Postdoc School “Digital Methods in Social and Humanitarian Knowledge” (a project of the Humanities Institute – the winner of the “Priority 2030” competition of SPbPU) took place at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University.

    The initiative to create the “Postdoc School” (postdoctoral studies) was a response to the growing competition and changing requirements for research practices under the influence of the new technological order. Digital analysis of large volumes of data, the use of neural networks and machine learning are becoming essential tools for scientists and teachers in the humanities who strive to remain at the forefront of science.

    As part of the opening of the Postdoc School, a lecture by Eduard Ponarin was held. He is a well-known specialist in the field of digital data analysis methods, the founder and leading research fellow of the Ronald Franklin Inglehart Laboratory for Comparative Social Research and a full professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg.

    He devoted his lecture to current issues of creating and analyzing text corpora, building statistical models, working with big data, as well as popular methods of formalizing text parameters and mapping them.

    The educational program of the Postdoc School is aimed at masters, postgraduate students, young candidates of science with a strong social and humanitarian education and is aimed at developing their potential in the modern world. The school is designed to become a bridge between traditional humanitarian knowledge and modern digital technologies, teaching in-depth research based on structuring and analyzing arrays of heterogeneous data. At the same time, the results of the project will be not only the development of digital competencies and the effectiveness of scientific research, but also the creation of scientific interdisciplinary and inter-institutional teams due to the cooperation of researchers from different higher schools and institutes of the social and humanitarian profile of SPbPU in research teams.

    Thus, the program will have a significant impact on the development of the human resources potential of young people at SPbPU and will help in solving modern scientific problems.

    Photo archive

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://www.spbstu.ru/media/news/education/v-politekhe-otkryli-shkolu-postdokov-tsifrovye-metody-v-sotsialno-humanitarnom-znanii/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gunmen who shot at four year old girl sentenced thanks to Met specialist teams

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two men with affiliations to the Manor House street gang in Hackney have been jailed following an investigation by Met specialist officers.

    Jordan Shaw, 20, (25.10.2003) of Green Lanes was sentenced to twenty-one years for two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.

    Joshua Fraser, 19, (21.1.2005) of King Edwards Road was sentenced to fourteen years for possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to commit murder.

    Both Shaw and Fraser took part in a ‘ride out’ into opposition gang territory in the Shrubland Road, E8, area of Hackney where they shot at a car they thought belonged to a rival gang. However, the car belonged to a family with no connection to gang members, and a 13-year old boy and four-year old girl were inside at the time of the shooting. Fortunately, nobody was injured during the incident.

    Shaw was subsequently involved in a shooting on Stoke Newington High Street, N16, in which three shots were fired towards a victim who sustained a single gunshot wound to the arm.

    The Met’s specialist firearms teams carried out round the clock investigations into Shaw and Fraser before arresting them at their home addresses on 31 May 2023 and 4 October 2023 respectively.

    The Met Police Specialist Crime units are working with borough colleagues to dismantle serious and organised crime groups that pose the greatest harm to London’s communities. Last year 386 illegal firearms were seized across the capital, equal to more than one a day. Between April 2023 and March 2024 there was a reduction in the number of firearms offences from 196 to 145.

    Andrea Ireland, Detective Chief Inspector, Specialist Crime North, said:

    “Following exhaustive investigative enquiries by Specialist Crime Trident officers we have taken two extremely dangerous men off the streets. Our Specialist Crime Proactive teams also recovered the firearm used in the gang-related activity in Hackney and which was subsequently found to have been used in eleven previous discharges in London.

    “This vital work has no doubt had a significant impact in safeguarding our local community and securing justice for victims which included very young children.”

    The sentencing took place at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 3 September 2024.

    The Metropolitan Police Service is building a New Met for London which aims to engage with communities, foster trust, and combat crimes including firearms offences. The Met’s response to firearms offences demonstrates our commitment to improving safety and security across the capital. Through prioritising community engagement and targeted interventions, the Met’s innovative approach represents a significant stride towards creating a safer environment for all Londoners.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: National team marks six years of disrupting County Lines

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    A national team set-up to tackle the threat of county lines is marking six years since its inception.

    The National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) is funded by the Home Office with the aim of co-ordinating national law enforcement activity across England and Wales, increasing intelligence on the county lines threat, and informing national policy development and best practice.

    Set up in 2018 the NCLCC has developed the national intelligence picture for County Lines and helped police forces to report and identify the threat of County Lines within their own policing areas and further afield. This work continues and supports the new Safer Streets mission.

    With the scale and nature of this cross-border crime, NCLCC acts as the central body for County Lines and co-ordinates the national law enforcement response and best practice.

    Every policing region in England and Wales has a dedicated NCLCC Co-ordinator and analytical resource to measure this threat and access to the Continuous Improvement Team to support with their force response to County Lines. In addition, there is a programme funded Co-ordinator in Scotland, recognising the lines from England that impact this part of the UK.

    Key successes of the NCLCC include:

    • Co-ordinating 13 County Lines Intensification Weeks since 2018. The Intensification Weeks support police forces across the country close drugs lines, arrest criminals and protect children and vulnerable adults from exploitation. To date, 5,627 lines have been closed, more than 16,500 people arrested and 8,800 individuals safeguarded.
    • Increasing the understanding, intelligence picture and law enforcement response on the threat of County Lines, including annual strategic assessments.
    • Delivering interactive County Lines training and learning to more than 3,200 police officers and 870 statutory partners since 2020. The training, using Hydra technology, places delegates at the centre of a simulated County Lines investigation and explores the complex nature of an investigation, from the characteristics of the County Lines business model to the way vulnerable people are groomed and exploited. The training has provided a greater understanding of criminal exploitation and the importance of a multi-agency response.
    • Partnering with the Ivison Trust (formerly PACE) and Barnardo’s in 2022 to develop a parent and carers webinar. Attended by more than 3,400 people, the webinars help parents and carers understand what County Lines is and the signs their child might be being exploited. One attendee commented: “This is one of the most powerful sessions I have ever attended as a professional and parent. I can’t tell you how powerful this is, and I hope more parents can hear this.”
    • Launching the NCLCC Power app, a central resource for County Lines knowledge and guidance in September 2023. The app includes information around safeguarding, use of ANPR, Modern Slavery, custody procedures, engaging with partners and more.
    • Publishing the first County Lines Policing Strategy (2024-2027) to provide a framework for forces to respond to all aspects of this crime type. The plan sets out what the NCLCC will do next and how it will continue to work with forces to disrupt County Lines.

    Commander Paul Brogden, NPCC lead for County Lines, said: “Tackling County Lines drug dealing remains a strategic priority for policing across England and Wales.

    “Six years in, the NCLCC has co-ordinated the national law enforcement response to County Lines, and allowed for best practice, experience, and knowledge to be shared across the country. This has led to significant successes – including more than 5,600 drug lines closed, 8,000 people charged, hundreds of weapons recovered, and large quantities of drugs seized. Crime prevention sits at the heart of our approach and forces have referred more than 8,000 young and vulnerable people to safeguarding services.

    “Through gathering intelligence, we now understand the nature, scale, and threat of County Lines better, which has helped forces work together, across borders, to tackle this issue.

    “But we know there is much more still to do. The County Lines Policing Strategy sets out the national plan for next three years and builds on the successes we have already seen, while ensuring that forces adopt a prevention-first approach to break the cycle of serious organised crime.

    “I would like to take this opportunity to thank our County Lines Task Forces, Regional Co-ordinators, Analysts, NCLCC central teams and the staff from all police forces across England and Wales, including our key partners, for their ongoing hard work, dedication, and exceptional results. 

    “County lines drug dealing has a devastating effect on communities, so we are committed to put an end to this business model and the criminal offending of those involved in exploitation and violence often associated with it.”

    Lindsay Dalton, CEO of Ivison Trust said:

    “Congratulations to the National County Lines Coordination Centre on six years of unwavering commitment to tackling child exploitation and safeguarding vulnerable children across the country. 

    “It’s been a privilege to have partnered with the NCLCC since 2022, working collaboratively to deliver essential early intervention support to families affected by child exploitation. This vital work not only helps to empower families but also plays a crucial role in strengthening the safeguarding framework that protects our children from the dangers of exploitation. 

    “The impact of the Centre’s work cannot be overstated. By providing resources, building partnerships, and leading initiatives that raise awareness, the National County Lines Coordination Centre is making a significant difference in young people’s and their families’ lives. We look forward to continuing our partnership and enhancing our efforts to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up safe and protected from exploitation.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gunmen who shot at four-year-old girl sentenced following Met investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two men who shot at a car that contained two children have been sentenced following an investigation by detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command.

    Jordan Shaw, 20, (25.10.03) of Green Lanes, N8, was sentenced to 21 years’ imprisonment for two counts of possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life, conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.

    Joshua Fraser, 19, (21.01.05) of King Edwards Road, E9, was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment for possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life and conspiracy to commit murder.

    On 25 February 2023, both Shaw and Fraser drove into the Shrubland Road, E8, area of Hackney where they shot at a car they thought belonged to a rival gang. However, the car belonged to an innocent family. A 13-year-old boy and four-year-old girl were inside at the time. Fortunately, nobody was injured.

    On 11 August 2023, Shaw was subsequently involved in a shooting on Stoke Newington High Street, N16, in which three shots were fired towards a victim who sustained a single gunshot wound to the arm.

    Detectives carried out extensive investigations into Shaw and Fraser before arresting them at their home addresses on 31 May 2023 and 4 October 2023 respectively.

    Across London, specialist detectives are working closely with local officers to dismantle serious and organised crime groups that pose the greatest harm to London’s communities. Last year, 386 illegal firearms were seized across the capital and between April 2023 and March 2024 there was a reduction in the number of firearms offences from 196 to 145.

    Detective Chief Inspector Andrea Ireland, from Specialist Crime North, said: “Following an extensive investigation, officers have taken two extremely dangerous men off the streets. Our teams also recovered the firearm used in the shooting in Hackney. Forensic work carried out on the gun revealed it was also used in 11 previous firearm discharges in London.

    “This vital work has no doubt had a significant impact in safeguarding our local community and securing justice for the victims of Shaw and Fraser’s crimes.”

    The sentencing took place at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Tuesday, 3 September.

    The Metropolitan Police Service is building a New Met for London, which aims to engage with communities, foster trust, and tackle crime that impacts Londoners the most, such as firearms offences.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Twaao Exchange Secures U.S. MSB License, Advancing Toward Global Compliance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recently, Twaao Exchange successfully obtained the Money Services Business (MSB) license issued by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This significant compliance certification marks a key step forward for Twaao in adhering to international financial regulations, ensuring the legal operation of the platform on a global scale. By strictly following anti-money laundering (AML) and know your customer (KYC) regulations, Twaao provides users with a transparent and secure trading environment.

    Securing the MSB license is an important milestone for Twaao in its compliance operations. The MSB license is a regulatory certification for financial service institutions in the United States, aimed at preventing financial crimes and protecting consumer rights. By obtaining this certification, Twaao not only demonstrates its commitment to compliance but also lays a solid foundation for expansion in the global market.

    In the process of obtaining the MSB license, Twaao meticulously adhered to FinCEN requirements, implementing comprehensive anti-money laundering and customer identity verification measures. Through advanced technological means and stringent management processes, Twaao ensures that the identity information and transaction records of each user are properly managed and protected, preventing any form of financial crime.

    In terms of anti-money laundering, Twaao employs advanced monitoring and analysis technology to detect and identify suspicious trading activities in real-time. Through comprehensive monitoring and risk assessment of user trading behaviors, Twaao can promptly identify and prevent potential money laundering activities, ensuring the platform compliance and security. Additionally, Twaao has established a robust customer identity verification mechanism to ensure the authenticity and validity of user identity information, preventing identity theft and other deceptive activities.

    The acquisition of the MSB license is an important step in Twaao journey toward global compliant operations. In the future, Twaao will continue to strengthen its investment in compliance, continuously improving and enhancing the platform compliance management system. By collaborating with leading international compliance organizations, Twaao will introduce more advanced technologies and management experiences to provide users with safer and more reliable trading services.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Equifax Canada Reports Rise in Automotive Fraud

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Automotive Fraud Driven by ID Theft and Falsified Credit Applications a Significant Area of Concern for Businesses and Consumers –

    TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Equifax Canada reports that while application fraud is down in some areas, automotive lenders are seeing a surge in fraud. According to new data from Equifax Canada, automotive fraud is up by 54 per cent year-over-year and is largely driven by falsified credit applications and the continued prevalence in identity theft. Ontario has experienced the most significant increase in auto fraud rates, doubling since Q2 2023.

    In addition, first party fraud (fraud in which the borrower knowingly uses their own personal information to commit fraud) continues to be the most prevalent type of misrepresentation in automotive. “Automotive fraud is a significant pain point for both businesses and consumers,” said Carl Davies, Head of Fraud and Identity at Equifax Canada. “Consumers choosing to falsify their income, employment, and financial information to secure credit are a growing concern for lenders. This deceit may provide short-term financial gains for the consumer, but certainly can lead to long-term consequences such as loan denials, damaged credit, and legal ramifications.”

    Synthetic Identity Fraud
    Overall, the proportion of identity theft in credit applications continues to grow with 48.3 per cent of all fraud applications flagged as identity fraud in Q2 2024, up from 42.9 per cent in Q2 2023, according to data from Equifax Canada. While the proportion of true identity fraud remained the same at 39.4 per cent, there has been a rise in synthetic identity fraud, where criminals combine real and fake data to create new identities. The incidence of synthetic identity fraud rose from 2.8 per cent in Q2 2023 to eight per cent in Q2 2024.

    “The rise in true identity fraud along with synthetic identity fraud, underscores the need for enhanced fraud detection across digital platforms where these crimes are increasingly being perpetrated,” added Davies. “The increase in digital transactions has made it easier for fraudsters to exploit weaknesses in current fraud prevention measures.”

    Other Notable Trends:

    • Identity Fraud: Older consumers with high credit scores are increasingly being targeted. Forty per cent of third-party identity fraud cases involved victims with credit scores above 800 (which is considered excellent), and 76 per cent of these consumers had no prior delinquency on their credit files.
    • Mortgage Fraud: Across Canada, mortgage fraud rates have dropped by 16.3 per cent year-over-year. Alberta is the one exception with mortgage fraud on the rise, often involving falsified income and employment documentation.
    • Deposit Fraud: Deposit fraud, which occurs when fraudulent transactions or payments are made to recently opened accounts, has also experienced a sharp increase, growing from 27.4 per cent of first-party fraud in Q2 2023 to 41.2 per cent in Q2 2024, much of which was driven by the telco industry.

    As fraudsters adapt and refine their tactics, it’s important for businesses and consumers to stay vigilant by using ID theft protection tools that can detect fraud early through timely alerts on credit report changes. Effective fraud prevention includes verifying identities, cross-checking financial documents, and staying informed about regional fraud trends—key measures that can help mitigate the growing threat of fraud for Canadian consumers and businesses alike.

    For more information on fraud prevention, visit Equifax Canada’s website and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

    About Equifax
    At Equifax (NYSE: EFX), we believe knowledge drives progress. As a global data, analytics, and technology company, we play an essential role in the global economy by helping financial institutions, companies, employers, and government agencies make critical decisions with greater confidence. Our unique blend of differentiated data, analytics, and cloud technology drives insights to power decisions to move people forward. Headquartered in Atlanta and supported by nearly 15,000 employees worldwide, Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region. For more information, visit Equifax.ca.

    Contact:

    Andrew Findlater
    SELECT Public Relations
    afindlater@selectpr.ca
    (647) 444-1197

    Angie Andich
    Equifax Canada Media Relations
    MediaRelationsCanada@equifax.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: India: Death penalty never the solution to crime and violence against women – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    Responding to the Aprajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill adopted today by the West Bengal state government that introduces the death penalty for the offence of rape when it results in the victim’s death or leaves them “in a vegetative state”, Aakar Patel, Chair of Board at Amnesty International said:

    “The authorities must deliver justice and accountability for the horrific rape and murder of the woman doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and hospital in Kolkata in August. However, the death penalty is never the solution, nor it would offer a ‘quick fix’ to prevent violence against women. There is no evidence that it has a unique deterrent effect. Even the Justice Verma Committee that was constituted in 2012 to reform the laws and criminal justice practices relating to crimes of sexual violence, including rape in India and Law Commission of India have opposed the death penalty in cases of violence against women.

    “What is actually needed is far-reaching procedural and institutional reform that deals with the root causes of crime and put emphasis on its prevention. Authorities in West Bengal and across India must fully implement recommendations made by the Justice Verma Committee, including police training and reform, preventive measures, and addressing how reports of sexual violence are registered and investigated. These are important first steps that will in the long run make India safer, including for women.

    “We urge the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into this appalling case and bring those responsible to justice without recourse to death penalty. Undue delays will further the climate of fear, impunity and uncertainty.”

    Background

    On 9 August, a 31-year-old trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical college and hospital in Kolkata, capital city of the state of West Bengal in eastern India. The events sparked a wave of protests across the country.

    On 13 August, the Kolkata High Court reassigned the investigation of the case from the police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing the lack of significant progress and possibility of destruction of evidence. The court also noted serious lapses on the part of the hospital administration.

    Today, the West Bengal government adopted the Aprajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill that amends the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. The amendments tighten the punishment for various rape offences in the state.

    Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases and under any circumstances, regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. The organization considers the death penalty a violation of the right to life as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Tech Security – Study: Global online privacy and cybersecurity awareness continues to decline

    Source: NordVPN

    The most cybersecurity-aware country this year is Singapore.
    People ages 30-54 have the best cybersecurity skills.
    Only 6% of people globally know what privacy issues to consider when using AI for work.

    The world’s online privacy and cybersecurity awareness continues to decline, according to new research by the cybersecurity company NordVPN. Based on 31 analyzed markets with the highest numbers of responses, people globally knew best how to create strong passwords (96%), and they were worst with questions related to privacy issues that go hand in hand with AI usage for work (52%).  

    The annual National Privacy Test (NPT) is a global survey aimed to evaluate people’s cybersecurity, online privacy awareness, and educate the general public about cyber threats and the importance of data and information security in the digital age. It gathered 25,567 responses from 181 countries this year.

    “As the digital threat landscape evolves faster than ever, it is important that internet users understand the significance of safeguarding their personal information. The National Privacy Test takes the responsibility to educate people globally about cyber threats and equip them with essential tips to protect against fraud, data harvesting, surveillance, and other online dangers,” says Marijus Briedis, chief technology officer (CTO) at NordVPN.

    These countries rank in the top three for internet privacy and cybersecurity awareness:

    Singapore (62/100)
    Finland and Lithuania (61/100)
    Germany and the United States (60/100)

    Compared to 2023, less people understand the security benefits of updating apps

    The results of the test showed that people globally are also good at dealing with suspicious streaming service offers (95%), and they know which permissions to grant to different apps (91%).

    On the other hand, people globally also did not know what data ISPs collect as part of the metadata (13%), or how to secure their home Wi-Fi network (16%), most likely considering it safe by default.

    Among all respondents, 1% are Cyber Wanderers (barely know anything about internet privacy and cybersecurity), while the biggest proportion (66%) scored 50-74 points and were identified as Cyber Adventurers.

    Compared to 2023, less people understand the security benefits of updating apps as soon as the update is available. While in 2023, 69% said they update an app as soon as an update is available, this year, it’s 56%.

    Steps to increase online security and privacy

    Marijus Briedis from NordVPN shares a series of steps people can take to enhance their online privacy and security:

    Create unique and strong passwords. Use unique and robust passwords for each of your online accounts.
    Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA). Strengthen your account security by enabling multi-factor authentication.
    Keep your software up to date. Regularly update your software, operating systems, and applications.
    Use a virtual private network (VPN). Always use a VPN to encrypt your internet connection, safeguarding your personal information from potential eavesdroppers.
    Review privacy settings. Regularly review and adjust privacy settings on social media platforms, mobile apps, and other online services.

    Methodology can be found here: https://nordvpn.com/blog/national-privacy-test-us-2024/

    ABOUT NORDVPN

    NordVPN is the world’s most advanced VPN service provider, chosen by millions of internet users worldwide. The service offers features such as dedicated IP, Double VPN, and Onion Over VPN servers, which help to boost your online privacy with zero tracking. One of NordVPN’s key features is Threat Protection Pro, a tool that blocks malicious websites, trackers, and ads and scans downloads for malware. The latest creation of Nord Security, NordVPN’s parent company, is Saily — a global eSIM service. NordVPN is known for being user friendly and can offer some of the best prices on the market. This VPN provider has over 6,400 servers covering 111 countries worldwide. For more information, visit  https://nordvpn.com.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: India: Authorities must end repression of dissent in Jammu and Kashmir – Amnesty International

    Source: Amnesty International

    The Indian authorities must stop using restrictive travel bans and arbitrary detentions under the country’s stringent anti-terror laws to intimidate critical dissenting voices from speaking out on Jammu and Kashmir, Amnesty International said today ahead of the first state elections in the last ten years.

    The authorities’ escalating repression of human rights after India revoked the special autonomous status of the region has resulted in arbitrary detentions, passports being revoked, the creation of opaque ‘no flying lists’, the denial of entry into India and arbitrary cancellations of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status and affected those with Indian and non-Indian citizenship speaking out against the repression.

    “The Indian authorities are using arbitrary restrictions and punitive actions to create a climate of fear in Jammu and Kashmir. Anyone daring to speak out – whether to criticize the government or to stand up for human rights – faces a clampdown on their rights to freedom of expression and association and are unable to move freely within and outside the country,” said Aakar Patel, chair of board at Amnesty International India.

    “The Indian authorities must end their campaign of harassment and intimidation against dissenting voices. The people of Jammu and Kashmir must be able to exercise their right to fully participate in the decision-making about their future in the run up to, during and after elections.”

    Since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in 2019, which scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special semi-autonomous status, and since Amnesty International issued its last briefing on the human rights situation in the region, we have verified the cases of at least five individuals, including journalists,  political leaders and activists, who have been prevented from travelling abroad or travelling into India, despite having the requisite travel documents, in violation of their right to freedom of movement. The Indian authorities have imposed the bans without any written explanation, court order or proper notification within the legal time frame which indicate a form of retaliation against their legitimate human rights work around Jammu and Kashmir.  

    The government also continues to misuse the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA), which allows authorities to arbitrarily detain people for up to two years without charge or trial, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to carry out arbitrary  detentions. This has led to self-censorship of independent voices, and the Indian authorities’ near total control over information from Jammu and Kashmir.

    Passports confiscations, revocations and delays in issuance

    While there is no official data on the cancellation, denial, impounding or revocation of passports in Jammu & Kashmir, media reports suggest that about “98-200” passports may have been revoked since the abrogation of Article 370. Amnesty International documented in detail two cases of critics facing arbitrary passport revocation and one case of inordinate delays in issuance of passports.

    Masrat Zahra, a Kashmiri photojournalist who has won several international awards, has found herself in a state of limbo after her Indian passport was revoked without warning while she was pursuing higher education in the United States. Her family in Kashmir received a notice on 24 September 2023, dated back to 3 July 2023, demanding a response by 20 July—a deadline that had already passed by the time she became aware of it.

    “They had already made their decision to revoke my passport, so responding seemed futile,” Zahra said. “I am essentially trapped. I cannot leave the United States, nor can I return to India. I’ve had to self-censor my thoughts, avoiding anything that might raise attention on social media. But the hardest part is being separated from my family and unable to continue my work in Kashmir. I feel a deep responsibility to be the voice of my people, who are currently voiceless. There are no stories coming out of Kashmir anymore.”

    Before leaving India in March 2021, Zahra had been targeted under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in April 2020 for allegedly posting ‘anti-national’ content, though she was never formally detained. “Once I left, my name was added to a no-fly list. If I return to India, I know I will not be able to leave again. The police have harassed and surveilled my family, assaulted my father and mother. They questioned neighbors about my whereabouts and subjected my family to endless phone calls,” Zahra explained.

    In addition to these challenges, Zahra continues to face death threats, and the charges under which she was persecuted remain active. “Even though I was never given a copy of the FIR, the authorities retain the power to arrest me at any time if I return,” she added.

    Waheed Para, an activist and political leader associated with the opposition Jammu & Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP), was accused by the National Investigation Agency, India’s primary anti-terror investigation body of being a “threat to the security of the state”, and had his passport impounded and revoked in May 2023 by the Regional Passport Office in Srinagar before he could travel to the US to start a fellowship at Yale University.

    “They [Regional Passport Office] did not give me any concrete reasons for revoking my passport. They just arbitrarily invoked national security as a ground without any explanation… I lost a great academic opportunity…[I] could not even travel within India to secure a proper treatment for my father who was suffering from cancer and recently passed away. It has been extremely traumatic,” Para told Amnesty International.

    Iltija Mufti, who is the daughter and media advisor to Mehbooba Mufti, ex-chief minister and political leader associated with PDP, has routinely spoken against the repression in the region since the abrogation of Article 370. She waited months to have her passport issued.

    “Finally, I had to approach the court and was able to get my passport after more than a year. The authorities had similarly troubled my mother and grandmother with their passports. My freedom of movement is a right enshrined in the Indian Constitution, but I had to really struggle to exercise this right,” Mufti told Amnesty International.

    Till date, she has not been made aware of the reasons why the issuance of the passport was delayed. “They invoked the Official Secrets Act which is used in the cases of espionage to maintain secrecy. I haven’t even as much as had a traffic violation in my life. Their response was extreme. I was punished for daring to speak up,” she added.

    Documents conferring special rights cancelled

    Issued by the Indian government, an OCI status allow foreign nationals with links to India through ancestry, marriage or prior citizenship, to enter India without a visa and stay, work and hold property among other benefits.  

    In 2022, Amrit Wilson, an 82-year-old India-born British journalist and activist, received a formal document from the High Commission of India, accusing her of involvement in ‘multiple anti-India activities’ and ‘detrimental propaganda’ against the Indian government. As a result, her OCI was cancelled.

    “I was quite shocked to know that my OCI was cancelled. It is also extremely unfair because I have done nothing against India… It is absurd to say I’m anti-Indian. I grew up there. My parents lived their whole lives there,” Wilson told Amnesty International.

    While no concrete reason was offered to Wilson for the cancellation, an affidavit filed by the Indian authorities in an Indian court pointed towards several tweets she posted that were critical of the abrogation of Article 370 as grounds for cancellation.

    Nitasha Kaul is a British-Indian professor of politics of Kashmiri origin, who has testified about the human rights situation in Kashmir before the United State House Committee on Foreign Affairs. She holds a UK passport and an OCI, but on 23 February 2024, she was denied entry to India and as a result, hasn’t been able to see her ailing mother, who still lives there.  She was not given any reason by the immigration authorities for such a denial except to tell her that they had received orders to not allow her entry by “authorities in Delhi”.

    Kaul also told Amnesty International that a few weeks after she was denied entry to India, she received a notice from the Indian government on cancelling her OCI. Without any evidence, the letter accused her of “regularly targeting India and its leadership, particularly on Kashmir issue through [her] inimical writings, speeches, and journalistic activities at various international forums and social media platforms.”

     Kaul told Amnesty International, “Not being able to meet my only family has been deeply distressing. It is egregious and entirely unwarranted to punish scholars this way. My health has been significantly affected. My mother cannot travel to me, and I cannot be there for her. This is repression across borders and vindictive targeting of a scholar who does not toe the government line.”

    Arbitrary detention of critics

    In June 2024, the Indian authorities arrested the former president of the Jammu & Kashmir Court Bar Association, Mian Abdul Qayoom who had been critical about human rights violations by Indian authorities and the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. In July 2024, they arrested three more lawyers under the PSA. All four lawyers are being detained in jails outside of Kashmir, often in Jammu and Uttar Pradesh state.

    Their detention come amidst a crackdown on the Bar Association, which has been accused by the Indian authorities of “providing free legal aid to anti-nationals” and holding “anti-national and pro-secessionist” ideology.

    Journalists Majid Hyderi and Sajad Gul are also being detained under PSA and held outside Kashmir in Kot Balwal jail in Jammu district. “Out-of-state detention acts as an additional punishment for the detainees who are mostly government critics. The distance away from their home state further suppresses their freedom of expression and makes their families suffer, as well as making it difficult for them to meet regularly. The detainees are also unable to meet with their lawyers regularly,” said Shafqat Shah*, a lawyer at J&K high court.

    As part of its research, Amnesty International reviewed the Habeas Corpus Petitions (HCPs) filed to challenge the detentions under PSA before the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in the periods of 2014-2019 and 2019-2024. It found that there was a seven-fold increase in the number of cases filed under the PSA after 2019, with Muslim-dominated Srinagar recording consistently more PSA cases than Hindu-dominated Jammu.

    Amnesty International also found that the average time taken to dispose of these petitions in Srinagar High Court has inordinately been increased since 2019, further enabling arbitrary and prolonged detention.  From 269.9 days in the period of 2014 – 2019 to conclude a HCP which essentially allow the detainees to challenge the lawfulness and conditions of their detention in an independent and impartial court of law, the average time taken has gone up to 329.2 days in the period of 4 August 2019 – 31 July 2024.

    Even though the Election Commission of India has reportedly instructed the government officials in Jammu & Kashmir to not undertake “unnecessary preventive detention” ahead of the state elections, any kind of meaningful reprieve will only come from releasing those held under PSA for merely exercising their human rights and holding the authorities accountable.

    Data published by the National Crime Record Bureau in 2022 shows that nearly 37 per cent of the UAPA cases all over India were registered in Jammu & Kashmir, with a conviction rate of 3%. This illustrates the likelihood that the law is being misused to clamp down on human rights defenders by ensuring that the criminal proceedings characterized by stringent bail provisions, prolonged detention, and lengthy investigation under the UAPA as punishment. Khurram Parvez, a civil society activist and coordinator of Jammu & Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society, and journalist Irfan Mehraj continue to be detained under UAPA since 2021 and 2023 respectively.

    “The modus operandi of the Indian authorities is to avoid carrying out large scale arrests or extrajudicial killings of critics and intensify their intimidation and harassment. This leads to powerlessness of the journalists and civil society by trapping them in a revolving door of answering queries and fighting criminal cases,” said Akhtar Bano*, an editor from Kashmir.  

    Enhanced control of the union government

    In a further threat to human rights, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir – appointed by the central government –  was on 12 July 2024  given absolute control over the jurisdiction of state governance including the local administrative officials, prisons, prosecutions and law offices. The increase of the powers of the LG enhances the control of the union government over the region, concentrating power in the hands of the LG and significantly limiting the autonomy traditionally exercised by the local government. This shift not only reduces the role of the Chief Minister and the elected legislature but also marginalizes their influence over critical administrative and legal decisions, thereby diminishing the power of local governance.

     Since 5 August 2019, the Indian authorities have also cracked down on government officials in Jammu & Kashmir for allegedly holding views “prejudicial to the interests of the security of the state” or being related in whichever capacity to people who were once militants. According to media reports, at least 40 government officials have been terminated  from their services without giving a reasonable opportunity to the officials to appeal or challenge such termination.

    All cases of passport revocation, travel bans, and cancellation of OCI status documented by Amnesty International were characterised by over-broad reasons and a shroud of secrecy, closed executive appeal process and restricted access to courts, making them convenient tools of repression for the Indian authorities.  The making of decisions by the executive without any consultation of the public and the crackdown on government officials is further symbolic of violation of rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir to take part in the political process and to express their opinions without any fear.

    “The first step to ending the repression in Jammu and Kashmir is to immediately release all those detained under the Public Safety Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for merely exercising their right to freedom of expression,” said Aakar Patel.

    “The Indian authorities must go further and ensure all human rights are upheld and protected for everyone in Jammu and Kashmir. That is the ‘naya’ (new) Kashmir that the authorities must aspire to as they lay grounds for the return of the statehood of the region.”

    *Names changed to protect identities.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Gangs’stories: Marwan, or how to find redemption in Cape Town

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Steffen Bo Jensen, Professor, Department of Politics and Society, Aalborg University

    For the past five years, the GANGS project, a European Research Council-funded project led by Dennis Rodgers, has been studying global gang dynamics in a comparative perspective. When understood in a nuanced manner that goes beyond the usual stereotypes and Manichean representations, gangs and gangsters arguably constitute fundamental lenses through which to think about and understand the world we live in.

    Steffen Jensen recounts the story of Marwan, whose life is in many ways a reflection of the last 75 years of South African history, having had to navigate the violence of apartheid, prison, the Cape Flat drug wars. Central to his narrative are the notions of damnation and redemption.

    I picked up Marwan one cloudy morning in May 2019, from his house in the backstreets of Heideveld, the township Cape Town, South Africa, where I have been conducting fieldwork on gangs on and off for 25 years. While much has changed over the years, the gang scene in Cape Town remains depressingly violent. In one of the other townships where I have been doing fieldwork since 2018, more than 160 have died in the past year. Gangs exist in almost all townships and partly for this reason, Cape Town remains one of the most violent and deadly cities in the world.

    Sixty-year-old Marwan exudes strength as he walks over to my car, and greets me in his light blue Islamic attire. Although not particularly tall, he is well built in a wiry way, and there is an embodied intensity to him that contrasts with his soft-spokenness.

    We are in the middle of Ramadan, and he tells me that he is happy to see me, although he is also very busy, preparing for a wedding with his new, much younger partner, as well as 10 days of prayer in the local mosque.

    We decide to talk in a nearby park, where we begin what will end up being an eight-hour interview. During this time, Marwan leads me through his life in a way that is entirely his own choosing: “It was a Tuesday… I remember it well. I was wearing an orange jacket…”

    A microcosm of South Africa’s recent history

    Marwan’s life is in many ways a microcosm of South Africa’s recent history. It was fundamentally shaped by apartheid, particularly through the introduction of racist laws and policies, which included the displacement of non-white populations from central Cape Town to council housing estates on the outskirts, known as the Cape Flats. It was then also influenced by the instability of the post-apartheid era, characterised by high levels of crime and violence.

    His family was one of the tens of thousands displaced from the Cape Town city centre in the 1960s, leading Marwan to grow up in the difficult environment of the Cape Flats. At the age of 16, in the mid-1970s, he began dealing drugs, quickly acquiring a notorious reputation, allowing him to operate semi-independently of the local gangs.

    Marwan’s story exemplifies how drug dealing has critically impacted local gang structures. Before the mid-1970s, drugs did not play an important role in gang formation. They were mostly self-defence gangs protecting neighbourhoods against the hostile environment of the new housing estates. However, when the Mandrax drug was introduced around 1975, it radically transformed the nature of the gangs and their use of violence.

    Life with the Terrible Joosters

    Marwan joined one of the local gangs in Heideveld, the Terrible Joosters, and began dealing drugs. While the local gang in Heideveld gained in importance, he started making a name for himself as a robie, someone that focuses on robberies and break-ins. He excelled and joined city-wide criminal networks outside Heideveld, located in neighbouring Bridge Town, where the American gang became increasingly dominant. It was the conflict with the Americans that was partly instrumental in sending him to jail. In the interview, he describes a year of madness that began with his shooting a police officer. It then descended into increased drug abuse and gang violence, including shooting a member of the same criminal network, because, he said, the man had sold them out to the Americans. As a result, in 1982, Marwan received a long prison sentence.

    Marwan is no stranger to prisons. He had been in and out of them since his late teens, but this was his longest sentence. Like his involvement with drugs before, his prison trajectory reflected the changing nature of Cape Town’s gang dynamics.

    The relationship between prison gangs and street gangs has been complicated since the emergence of both in the 1940s. Prisons in South Africa are partly controlled by an intricate gang system with its own belief structure, which includes a perceived resistance to apartheid and racist regimes. The system also enforces control through the so-called numbers, referring to the three main gangs, 26, 27 and 28.

    The numbers represent distinct gangs, each with a specific role within the prison hierarchy. This hierarchy is enforced through strict codes and significant violence against each other, guards, and non-gang members. Through his connections with gang-affiliated individuals and drug dealers both inside and outside the prison, Marwan quickly joined the 26 gang and rose through the ranks to become one of its leaders.

    Gangsters often have a sell-by date

    After Marwan left prison in 1998, his life became intertwined with the Cape Flats “gang wars” of the late 1990s and early 2000s. This city-wide war, involving his old enemies in the Americans, was much more brutal than the ones he had fought earlier on. He was horrified.

    He complained about the stupidity of the youngsters: “If they get a name, they are a gang and they will die”, he told me back in 1999. There is a generational dimension to this. Most gangs last about 10 years. The gangs Marwan saw in the late 1990s were descendants – often sons – of the gangsters of Marwan’s generation.

    Many gangsters face an inevitable expiration date, often ending up dead, imprisoned, or suffering from serious health issues due to a life of violence, hardship, and drug abuse. However, some do manage to successfully leave behind the world of gangs and crime.

    In his mid-40s, increasingly burned out, Marwan underwent a religious conversion that allowed him to “leave” his criminal life behind.

    Marwan’s life story is both a violent and strangely moral tale of comradery, solidarity, justice and of outwitting the racist apartheid state under the most arduous circumstances. Though not necessarily representative, it provides a privileged view into the Capetonian underworld and how it animated and was animated by political structures.

    How I became a gang war chronicler

    Our meeting in 2019 reminded me of my first encounter with Marwan, 20 years before, in December 1998.

    He had just been released from prison after serving a 19-year sentence for multiple charges, including robbery, violence, drug dealing, and shooting a police officer. He was the brother-in-law of my best friend and confidante in Cape Town, Shahiedah.

    I was conducting my doctoral fieldwork on gang dynamics, and over the following months, as the ongoing gang wars in the Cape Flats escalated, Marwan assumed a somewhat distant yet pivotal role as a guardian, helping me navigate the violent and unpredictable ganglands of post-apartheid Cape Town.

    I once told Marwan that I planned to interview members of their rival gang, the Americans. Marwan – and nearly all of my other contacts – lived in New Yorker territory. The war between the New Yorkers and the Americans was a local manifestation of a larger conflict over control of the drug market in a city going through a huge turmoil: transitioning from a closed environment due to strict apartheid to opening up post-1994.

    The transition produced a volatile environment in which the transforming state struggled to find its feet, not least because of the wave of crime and violence. Murder rates soared and bombings became the order of the day. Seared in my memory was a Cape Argus newspaper article published on January 2, 1999, which quantified both the violence and the police’s impotence in the previous year: 668 attacks, 118 arrests, 0 convictions.

    This created an atmosphere of fear and unpredictability.

    Marwan had heard about my upcoming interview through the local rumour machine. He looked at me, and said gravely, without any context or explanation: ‘In a conflict like this, you cannot stay neutral. Everybody must choose sides’. ‘You too?’, I asked. ‘Also me. Everyone!’.

    What I understood was that I wouldn’t be able to offer a “neutral” narrative, I had to tell the story from the perspective of one gang. That day, I became a chronicler of the war from the (ultimately losing) side of the New Yorker gang…

    A story of redemption

    Although we chatted regularly in his house, I never managed to formally interview Marwan when I was in Cape Town in 1998-99. He was always on his way somewhere – to the shops, the doctor, his mother or he simply stood me up. I saw him from time to time during subsequent visits in the 2000s and 2010s, but only to greet him and see how he was doing.

    Hence, when I returned to South Africa in 2019 in the context of the GANGS project, I was determined to not let him escape me this time, and get him to open up about his life.

    And what a storyteller he was. But beyond the rich content of his tale and the wider insights it offered about gang dynamics in Cape Town, I was most struck by Marwan’s ability to maintain complete control over his narrative.

    He would often chide me whenever I tried to hurry his story along, especially when he got caught up in small details or when I wanted him to move on to a new event. “I want to tell it right,” he would say. “Wait, I’ll get to that when the time is right.”

    At one point, he described a court case he was involved in, after being accused of shooting a policeman:

    “You can have the best lawyer or the best advocate, but it’s what you say and the answers you give that makes you guilty or not guilty. That’s the main thing. How you tell your story. What I thought, what I was going through in my mind – everything you describe, so the judge can see your picture. A story without a picture is not the truth.”

    What insight, I thought. And in many ways, his constant production of images applied to the entire story that he told me. The way that Marwan told his story was as a narrative of redemption and salvation. The critical turning point in his story was how, a few years after having been released from prison, he had planned a heist with some friends, but suddenly refused to carry it out.

    “They [came by] and wanted to confirm the time we were going. I said, ‘You know what, I’ve changed my mind.’ ‘What do you mean you changed your mind?’ ‘No, I changed my mind. You two can go. But I am not going.’ ‘Why?’ I said, ‘There is no reason, but I just feel I am not going anymore.’ And they left. And I’ve never saw them again.”

    Marwan was convinced that his last-minute change of heart saved his life, as both friends ended up dead over the next couple of months. One was found hanged and the other was found in the trunk of a burnt-out car. For Marwan, even if he did not realise it at the time, felt that he had been “warned by Allah” not to go. This marked Marwan’s turn toward religion. He finally accepted Allah into his heart, and turned his life around, leaving his gang years behind.

    While I learned from interviews with his family that Marwan’s decision to leave behind a life of crime was only partially true – he continued dealing drugs and was involved in some gruesome acts of violence – he presented his moment of religious conversion as the pivotal point in his life, a moment of redemption. From that point on, his narrative focused on his piety and the long hours he spent at the mosque, portraying himself as a growingly accepted, though still somewhat suspicious, member of the Muslim community.

    Strong bones

    Do Marwan’s relapses into crime suggest that his narrative of redemption was false, and that he was merely manipulating me? It’s possible. This is always a consideration in interviews like these, particularly given the ambiguous and controversial nature of many of Marwan’s activities over the years. However, instead of viewing his story as a web of lies and misrepresentations, we might interpret these conflicting incidents as evidence of the co-existence of different moral narratives.

    A key moral concept on the Cape Flats is the notion of “sterk bene” or “strong bones”. According to Elaine Salo, this is the ability to endure humiliations, violence, and the injustices of a racialized society. The term originated in prisons to describe the kind of “hard man” toughness that Marwan projected, even after his religious conversion. This strength is often associated with being a criminal.

    In this context, Marwan’s redemption narrative and his display of “strong bones” can be seen as two culturally intelligible moral frameworks that exist in parallel – and at times in conflict – with one another. Perhaps Marwan would argue that, to survive on the Cape Flats, you need both: redemption and strong bones

    Steffen Bo Jensen is a senior researcher at DIGNITY-Danish Institute Against Torture and a professor at the Department of Politics and Society, Aalborg University in Denmark

    – ref. Gangs’stories: Marwan, or how to find redemption in Cape Town – https://theconversation.com/gangsstories-marwan-or-how-to-find-redemption-in-cape-town-223902

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Alan Wilson joins brief supporting victims of Hamas terrorismRead More

    Source: US State of South Carolina

    Brief opposes attempt by an organization that allegedly engaged in pro-Hamas propaganda and recruiting to dismiss victims’ claims

    (COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined a 22-state coalition in filing a friend-of-the-court brief urging a federal court to deny requests to dismiss a lawsuit brought by survivors and family members of those murdered during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terrorist attack. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA). It seeks to hold AJP Educational Foundation Inc. (also known as American Muslims for Palestine (AMP)) and the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) accountable for allegedly providing material support to Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. The brief argues that dismissing these claims before discovery would undermine the ability of victims to receive compensation and prevent organizations like AMP and NSJP from being held accountable for their actions.

    “These groups said the day after the terrorist attack that they were part of a unified revolt under Hamas’s command, and they need to be held accountable,” Attorney General Wilson said. “Hamas is terrorism with a capital T. The Anti-Terrorism Act is the most effective way for survivors and victims’ families to try to get compensation from these groups, so the Court should deny the request to dismiss these claims.”

    The ATA was specifically designed to provide a civil cause of action for victims of international terrorism, allowing them to seek monetary damages from those who provide material support to terrorist groups. Because some states, like Virginia, have limited avenues for victims to seek damages from supporters of terrorism, the ATA remains the most effective tool for plaintiffs seeking compensation for the horrific acts committed against them. In this case, the ATA may be the only legal recourse for the plaintiffs to hold AMP and NSJP accountable for their alleged actions.

    The lawsuit alleges that AMP’s material support for Hamas has persisted for decades, originating from its predecessor organizations, including the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) and the Islamic Association of Palestine (IAP), whose board members were convicted of providing material support in the form of millions of dollars to Hamas.

    Leaders from HLF and IAP, including AMP’s Executive Director, formed AMP after those organizations collapsed and dissolved. There is no evidence that AMP, NSJP, or their affiliates have ceased the nefarious activities of the defunct organizations. The lawsuit alleges that they have instead perpetuated this legacy by engaging in propaganda and recruitment for Hamas.

    Hamas’s charter explicitly calls for its supporters to engage in communication and propaganda efforts on its behalf to join the battle. In the wake of the October 7 attack, Hamas leadership urged international supporters to rally. NSJP responded by releasing a “Day of Resistance Toolkit” that the lawsuit alleges instructs members on how to continue their support for Hamas.

    Additionally, in Virginia, where AMP is based, Attorney General Jason Miyares launched a separate investigation into potential violations of state law, including allegations that AMP used funds to support terrorist organizations.

    Attorney General Wilson is joined in this brief, led by Virginia Attorney General Miyares and Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, by Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.

    To read the amicus brief, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Antonio VA Official Sentenced for Accepting Bribe as Contracting Consultant

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

    SAN ANTONIO – A Veteran’s Affairs contracting officer in San Antonio was sentenced after a guilty plea to taking a bribe in return for contract.

    According to court documents, Glenn Dartone Johnson, 50, identified himself as a “consultant” and was hired by codefendant Javor McCoy to help McCoy win bids for VA transportation contracts. Using his acquisition knowledge gained through his official position, Johnson helped McCoy improve his chances of winning two competitive awards. On or about Aug. 13, 2021 and Aug. 23, 2021, McCoy paid Johnson a total of approximately $100,000 by placing the U.S. currency into a gym locker for Johnson to collect, which he did.

    Johnson pleaded guilty on Dec. 20, 2023, to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery of a public official. In addition to the sentence, Johnson will forfeit $43,790, pay a $58,000 fine, and serve 1,500 hours of community service.

    “Protecting the integrity of government funds is one of the most important functions of our office,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “The public deserves to have confidence in how their tax dollars are spent, and this case demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that those who abuse the contracting system will be held responsible.”

    “The Department of Veterans Affairs is charged with serving those who served our country,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio field office. “Any employee seeking to take advantage of their position to enrich themselves will be held accountable. The FBI remains committed to ensuring our veterans and the benefits they deserve are preserved, protected and honored.”

    “This sentence should send a clear message that those who would defraud VA’s programs and services will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South Central Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners for their efforts to achieve justice in this case.”

    The FBI and VA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Chung and Jay Porier prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: McAllen Man Sentenced for Receiving Images of Child Pornography

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

    McALLEN, Texas – A 27-year-old local man has been sentenced for receiving images and video files containing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

    Gabriel Alejandro Morales pleaded guilty March 22, 2023.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Crane has now ordered Morales to serve 120 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information that Morales not only received child pornography but also engaged in the distribution of child pornography. In handing down the prison term, the court noted that engaging in the consumption of child pornography increases the demand, often leading to the production of new child pornography. Morales was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve five years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Morales will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

    In January 2022, law enforcement learned of a group chat on a third-party messaging application that was identified as sharing child pornography. Morales had engaged in the receipt and distribution of approximately nine videos of child pornography on that site.

    Morales admitted to the use of the third-party messaging application on his cellular phone to engage in the receipt and distribution of child pornography. He further acknowledged possessing additional child pornography on other electronic devices.

    The images included sadistic/masochistic content and the depiction of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts. Authorities ultimately found a total of 77 video files of child sex abuse materials, an additional 52 video files and 11 images attributable to Morales.

    Morales will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    The FBI conducted the investigation.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Art exhibition to raise awareness of domestic abuse

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    Published: 23 September 2024 at 15:58

    ARU to display work produced by survivors to mark Domestic Abuse Awareness Month

    A powerful exhibition featuring artwork produced by the victims of domestic abuse will be held at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge on Wednesday, 2 October.

    Sharon Livermore MBE, of Cambridge-based Domestic Abuse Education, has been working with ARU to provide information and training to raise awareness amongst students, and is helping ARU host the event to mark the start of Domestic Abuse Awareness Month in October.

    The most recent Crime Survey for England and Wales estimates that 1.4 million women and 751,000 men, aged 16 years and over, had experienced domestic abuse in the 12 months to March 2023. At 8%, a higher proportion of people aged 16-19 had been victims of domestic abuse than any other age group.

    ARU has trained five student domestic abuse ambassadors whose role is to both raise awareness of the issue and signpost the internal and external support that is available to any student who needs help.

    The art exhibition – called Breaking the Silence: Art Against Abuse – will feature two pieces of work by Holly Ringrose, who paints portraits of women who have lost their lives due to gender-based violence.

    Holly’s pictures are all unfinished, to highlight lives cut short, with Holly painting each portrait for one minute for each year the women lived for. The other work on show, which includes poetry as well as art, has all been produced by survivors of domestic abuse.

    Domestic Abuse Education have been working on projects with ARU’s student domestic abuse ambassadors, and Sharon has spoken at events on campus aimed at students and staff. Sharon, who herself is a survivor of domestic abuse, said:

    “It shouldn’t be necessary to have to hold this exhibition, but sadly this issue isn’t going away.

    “For ARU, talking about domestic abuse isn’t a ‘tick box’ exercise – they really are leading the way compared to many other universities. As well as having an excellent Counselling and Wellbeing Service and five student domestic abuse ambassadors, ARU has a specific policy on domestic abuse and has held conferences dedicated to gender-based violence. ARU should be commended for their work in this area.”

    The exhibition on 2 October (11am-4pm) is open to the public and will take place in room LAB 027 on ARU’s main East Road campus in Cambridge. Also attending on 2 October will be over a dozen frontline support services, who will be there to provide expert advice and information.

    These include Cambridgeshire Police, Cambridge Women’s Aid, Peterborough Women’s Aid and their B-United project offering help to male victims, the Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre, the Kite Trust supporting LGBTQ+ young people, Cambridgeshire County Council’s Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence partnership, and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

    Suzanne Drieu, Head of Counselling and Wellbeing at ARU, said:

    “Unfortunately, domestic abuse is a societal problem and it can affect people regardless of their age, sex or background.

    “The aim of holding this exhibition and inviting the different services onto campus at this point in the academic year is to ensure everyone is aware of the support available. This is particularly important for those who have relocated to the area and left behind their existing support networks.

    “ARU’s Counselling and Wellbeing Service is available to all students and offers confidential counselling, mental health advice and wellbeing support. We can also liaise with internal and external specialist services to help students at any point in their academic journey.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Washington Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting His Partner with a Knife and Attempting to Suffocate Her

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

    Spokane, Washington – United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice sentenced Marvin Samson Butterfly, age 40, to 70 months in federal prison on charges of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian Country, Assault of an Intimate Partner and Dating Partner by Suffocating and Attempting to Suffocate in Indian Country, and Attempted Witness Tampering (70 months on each count to be served concurrently). Butterfly was convicted of those crimes on April 9, 2024, following a jury trial. Judge Rice also imposed 3 years of federal supervision after Butterfly is released from prison.

    According to court documents and information introduced at trial and sentencing, on September 16, 2023, officers with the Spokane Tribal Police Department were called to a home in Ford, Washington, for a reported domestic assault. The victim, who is an enrolled member of the Spokane Tribe told officers that Butterfly assaulted her. Butterfly was upset with the victim because she had let another woman shelter in her home during a spell of cold weather. Butterfly began shouting, took out a long knife, and stabbed the floors, doors, and furniture. Butterfly assaulted the victim by holding the knife against her throat. Butterfly then pushed the victim down on the couch, placed his hand over her mouth and attempted to suffocate her. After the victim was able to pry Butterfly’s fingers off her face, Butterfly left the home in the victim’s car. Officers found Butterfly the next morning asleep in the victim’s car.

    On November 2, 2023, while in jail, Butterfly placed a recorded telephone call to his neighbor. During the call, Butterfly made several statements indicating he did not want the victim to testify. Butterfly encouraged his neighbor to stress to the victim that he would be coming home – i.e., getting out of jail – so long as the victim did not cooperate with investigators.

    “The victim in this case suffered terrifying acts of abuse and intimidation, stated Vanessa Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “Domestic violence is one of the root causes underlying the MMIP crisis. My office is committed to working with our partners in Tribal and Federal law enforcement to secure justice for the victims and to build safer and stronger communities on Tribal lands and throughout Eastern Washington. I am grateful that the victim in his case was undeterred and that my office has built a strong support mechanism to protect the brave victims, that seek to end the abusive cycle of violence.”

    “Terrifying is the word that best describes the ordeal Mr. Butterfly inflicted upon the victim in this case.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “I’m thankful the victim was courageous and advocated for herself to help put Mr. Butterfly in custody where he belongs. Curbing violent crime on our state’s reservations remains a priority for the FBI and our partners here in Washington.”

    This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Spokane Tribal Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Ellis.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Federal Hate Crime Charges Brought for Assault on Stranger Wearing a Yarmulke in Foggy Bottom

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Hate Crime)

                WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury today returned an indictment charging Walter James, 38, with one count of causing bodily harm to an individual due to his actual or perceived religion.

                U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg for the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

                The indictment alleges that on the morning of July 10, 2024, James assaulted a man, who was walking through Foggy Bottom and wearing a yarmulke, without any provocation or warning. James repeatedly punched the individual in his face and head. While he was assaulting the individual and immediately afterward, James yelled antisemitic slurs, such as: (1) “You are murdering innocent men, women, and children in Gaza.” (2) “They’re the cause of all our wars – killing the children of Palestine.” (3) “You control us with money.” (4) “You are not the real Jewish [sic].” And (5) “You guys kill people in Gaza.” As a result of the assault, the individual suffered cuts and abrasions to his face and right elbow and cephalic swelling.

                James faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison if convicted. James was previously charged in D.C. Superior Court with assault with significant injury with a hate crimes enhancement.

                This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Crabb Jr.

                For more information and resources about the Justice Department’s work to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.

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

                Prosecuting bias-related crimes is critical to keeping our community safe. When one member of a group in the community is the victim of a bias-related crime, all members carry with them a fear that they, too, may be targeted because of who they are. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) is committed to enforcing both federal and local hate and bias-related crime laws. For more information: https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/hatebias-related-crimes.

    MIL Security OSI –