Free Welsh language learning for UK civil servants
Welsh language training now available to all civil servants through the Civil Service Learning website
Dame Antonia Romeo DCB
Free Welsh language learning for UK civil servants
Welsh language training now available to all civil servants through the Civil Service Learning website
Every civil servant in the UK can now access free Welsh Language training thanks to a new initiative.
Government Skills has been collaborating with the National Centre for Learning Welsh to offer civil servants easy access to free Welsh Language training—provided by the Welsh Government—via a programme called Work Welsh.
It is the first time every civil servant in the UK has been given access to free learning on Civil Service Learning, which is specifically focused on helping them learn a new language.
Promoting the Welsh language
Dame Antonia Romeo DCB, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice and Permanent Secretary Place Champion for Wales and a Welsh language learner herself, said:
“This initiative underpins our commitment to promote the Welsh Language and ensure its presence across all Government departments – supporting the Welsh Government vision to have one million people speaking Welsh by 2050.”
This opportunity is the result of an initiative led by Professor Kim Ann Williamson MBE, Strategic Advisor to the Wales and the Northern Ireland Head of Place with the great support of Rich Williams (Ministry of Justice), Alison Dods (Department of Work and Pensions), Dave Martin (Government Skills) and our Joint Heads of Place for Wales Ross Maude (DCMS) and Professor Tom Crick MBE (DCMS).
An important milestone
Kim Ann, who herself relocated from London to Wales some 28 years ago, said she believes that learning a new language can be a vital part in staff development.
“It’s an important milestone to be able to offer civil servants this opportunity and it highlights our determination to support diverse and thriving civil service communities in regions and nations across the UK.
“Learning Welsh can help foster inclusive teams, particularly where there are Welsh-speaking colleagues. It’s also a wonderful way to forge closer links with the local community and support the Welsh language, heritage and culture.”
Launch in Cardiff
The learning is among a range of courses available on the National Centre for Learning Welsh’s website. But, by providing access via Civil Service Learning, Government Skills is ensuring that civil servants get easy access to the free learning. It can also monitor numbers accessing the learning from the Civil Service.
Representatives from more than 14 government departments attended the launch of the Work Welsh language learning in Cardiff and had the opportunity to hear from Dame Nia Griffith MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales speaking in support of this new learning opportunity.
Two Administrators Charged with Operating Multibillion-Dollar Crypto Money Laundering Service
The Justice Department announced today a coordinated action with Germany and Finland to disrupt and take down the online infrastructure used to operate Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange that allegedly facilitated money laundering by transnational criminal organizations — including terrorist organizations — and sanctions violations. Since April 2019, Garantex has processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions.
Garantex Splash Page
In conjunction with the operation targeting Garantex, the Department also announced the unsealing of an indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia against Aleksej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national and Russian resident, and Aleksandr Mira Serda (previously Aleksandr Ntifo-Siaw), 40, a Russian national and United Arab Emirates resident. Mira Serda and Besciokov are charged with money laundering conspiracy, and Besciokov is charged with conspiracy to violate sanctions and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
According to court documents, between 2019 and 2025, Besciokov and Mira Serda controlled and operated Garantex. Besciokov was Garantex’s primary technical administrator and responsible for obtaining and maintaining critical Garantex infrastructure, as well as reviewing and approving transactions. Mira Serda was Garantex’s co-founder and chief commercial officer.
Garantex received hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds and was used to facilitate various crimes, including hacking, ransomware, terrorism, and drug trafficking, often with substantial impact to U.S. victims. According to the indictment, Besciokov and Mira Serda knew that criminal proceeds were being laundered through Garantex and took steps to conceal the facilitation of illegal activities on its platform. For example, when Russian law enforcement sought records relating to an account registered to Mira Serda, Garantex provided incomplete information in response and falsely claimed the account was not verified. In reality, Garantex had associated the account with Mira Serda’s personal identifying documents, even while disclosing identifying information related to other accounts requested by Russian law enforcement.
On April 5, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Garantex for its role in facilitating money laundering of funds from ransomware actors and darknet markets. According to court documents, despite the widespread publicity of the sanctions and Garantex administrator’s personal knowledge of them, Besciokov and his co-conspirators violated those sanctions by continuing to transact with U.S.-based entities. Further, Besciokov and his co-conspirators redesigned Garantex’s operations to evade and violate U.S. sanctions and induce U.S. businesses to unwittingly transact with Garantex in violation of the sanctions. For example, Garantex moved its operational cryptocurrency wallets to different virtual currency addresses on a daily basis in order to make it difficult for U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchanges to identify and block transactions with Garantex accounts.
Despite doing substantial business in the United States and operating as a money transmitting business, Garantex failed to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as required.
On March 6, U.S. law enforcement, led by the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), executed a seizure order authorized by a judge in the Eastern District of Virginia against three website domain names used to support Garantex’s operations. According to court records unsealed today, Garantex.org, Garantex.io, and Garantex.academy were associated with the administration and operation of Garantex. The seizure of these domains will prevent these sites from being used for money laundering and additional crimes. Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by law enforcement.
As part of the coordinated actions, German and Finnish law enforcement seized servers hosting Garantex’s operations. U.S. law authorities have separately obtained earlier copies of Garantex’s servers, including customer and accounting databases. In addition, U.S. law enforcement has also frozen over $26 million in funds used to facilitate Garantex’s money laundering activities.
Besciokov and Mira Serda are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Besciokov is also charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Michael Centrella of the USSS’ Office of Field Operations, and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division made the announcement.
USSS and the FBI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
The Justice Department also recognizes the critical cooperation of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the Frankfurt General Prosecutor’s Office, the Dutch National Police, Europol, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, and the Estonian National Criminal Police.
Finally, the Department thanks Tether and blockchain analytics firm Elliptic for their proactive assistance in this investigation.
Any individual who believes he/she is a victim whose funds were laundered through Garantex or who may otherwise have a claim to restrained funds should reach out to law enforcement via email address GarantexClaimants@secretservice.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Florida man has been sentenced for his role in a Telegram-based check fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis.
U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Haikala sentenced Gabriel Samuel Odiot, 21, of Kissimmee, Florida, to 60 months in prison and ordered him to forfeit $84,000. In December 2024, Odiot pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, from August 2022 to March 2023, Odiot served as an administrator of “RICH OFF PLAYS,” a Telegram channel dedicated to the negotiation of fraudulent checks. Odiot used the channel to recruit mail carriers, to advertise the services of bank insiders, and to collaborate with others to commit bank fraud. He frequently posted pictures and videos of himself committing bank fraud on the channel. These included pictures and videos depicting stolen checks, transaction receipts, and large amounts of cash. In many cases, the pictures and videos were branded with Odiot’s nickname “Motion.”
The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Heflin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Canter prosecuted the case.
Over fifty ladies from walking netball groups across Northern Ireland gathered at Banbridge Leisure Centre for on-the-court and off-the-court activities to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The event was organised by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council’s Sports Development Department and funded by Sport NI, through the District Council’s Community Planning Investment Programme.
Supporting on the day were Netball NI, Banbridge Netball Club and Billy Stewart from the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Policing Community Safety Partnership (ABCPCSP) who spoke to the ladies about being vigilant for online scams, financial safety and ‘in case of emergency’ cards.
The main event kicked off with a ‘shooter of the week’ challenge and warm-up activities before the competitions got into full swing between the ‘Jeth Throwers’ (Lurgan), the ‘Nutty Netballers’ (Larne), the ‘Nifty Netballers’ (Bangor), the ‘Lilies of the Valley’ (Newtownabbey) and the ‘Bann Ballers’ (Banbridge).
After some show-stopping skills and impressive competitive spirit, Larne’s Nutty Netballers were crowned overall winners and awarded prizes sponsored by Netball NI. Local team ‘Bann Ballers’ finished in second place and received some baked goods sponsored by Irwin’s Bakery.
Walking Netball has evolved from a growing demand for walking sports. The inclusive nature of the game encourages those who have dropped out of the sport they love due to serious injury, to those who believed they had hung up their netball trainers many years ago, to get going again! The fun, laughter and camaraderie throughout the social sessions are just as important as the health benefits from being active.
The ‘Bann Ballers’ netball group was established after a successful pilot as part of ABC Council’s Positive Aging Month campaign. The group meets every Friday at Banbridge Leisure Centre from 12.30 – 1.30pm. New members are always welcome! For more information please visit www.getactiveabc.com/walkingnetball
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
The FBI Denver Field Office is warning that agents are increasingly seeing a scam involving free online document converter tools, and we want to encourage victims to report instances of this scam.
In this scenario, criminals use free online document converter tools to load malware onto victims’ computers, leading to incidents such as ransomware.
“The best way to thwart these fraudsters is to educate people so they don’t fall victim to these fraudsters in the first place,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “If you or someone you know has been affected by this scheme, we encourage you to make a report and take actions to protect your assets. Every day, we are working to hold these scammers accountable and provide victims with the resources they need.”
To conduct this scheme, cyber criminals across the globe are using any type of free document converter or downloader tool. This might be a website claiming to convert one type of file to another, such as a .doc file to a .pdf file. It might also claim to combine files, such as joining multiple .jpg files into one .pdf file. The suspect program might claim to be an MP3 or MP4 downloading tool.
These converters and downloading tools will do the task advertised, but the resulting file can contain hidden malware giving criminals access to the victim’s computer. The tools can also scrape the submitted files for:
Personal identifying information, such as social security numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers, etc.)
Banking information
Cryptocurrency information (seed phrases, wallet addresses, etc.)
Email addresses
Passwords
Unfortunately, many victims don’t realize they have been infected by malware until it’s too late, and their computer is infected with ransomware or their identity has been stolen.
The FBI Denver Field Office encourages victims or attempted victims of this type of scheme to report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
In addition, the FBI Denver Field Office recommends taking the following actions to protect yourself from this scam:
Take a breath, slow down and think. Be aware of your actions online and what risks you could be exposed to.
Keep your virus scan software up to date and scan any file you receive before opening it to help eliminate malicious software from being installed on your computer.
If you are a victim of this scam, here are some steps to take:
Contact your financial institutions immediately. Take steps to protect your identity and your accounts.
Change all your passwords using a clean, trusted device.
Make a report at IC3.gov
Run up-to-date virus scan software to check for potentially malicious software installed by the scammers. Consider taking your computer to a professional company specializing in virus and malware removal services.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
La Oficina del FBI en Denver ha emitido una advertencia alertando sobre un aumento en las estafas relacionadas con herramientas en línea gratuitas para convertir documentos. Se insta a las víctimas a reportar cualquier caso relacionado con dichas estafas.
En este tipo de esquemas, los delincuentes aprovechan las herramientas gratuitas de conversión de documentos en línea para cargar malware o ransomware en las computadoras de las víctimas.
“Como parte de nuestros esfuerzos continuos para combatir el fraude, creemos que la forma más efectiva de detener a estos delincuentes es mediante la educación”, señaló Mark Michalek, agente especial a cargo de la Oficina del FBI en Denver. “Al promover la concienciación, podemos evitar que las personas caigan en estas trampas. Si usted o alguien que usted conoce ha sido afectado, le recomendamos que lo reporte de inmediato y tome las medidas necesarias para proteger sus activos. Todos los días trabajamos para responsabilizar a los estafadores y proporcionar a las víctimas el apoyo y los recursos necesarios.”
Para llevar a cabo este esquema, los ciberdelincuentes de todo el mundo están aprovechando diversas herramientas gratuitas de conversión o descarga de documentos. Estas incluyen sitios web que prometen convertir archivos de un formato a otro, como transformar un archivo .doc en .pdf, o servicios que permiten combinar archivos, como unir varios .jpg en un solo .pdf. Además, los programas sospechosos pueden presentarse como herramientas para descargar archivos MP3 o MP4.
Estos conversores y herramientas de descarga cumplen con lo que prometen, pero el archivo resultante contiene malware oculto que permite a los delincuentes acceder a la computadora de la víctima. Además, estas herramientas pueden recopilar los archivos enviados para extraer:
Información personal identificable, como números de seguro social, fechas de nacimiento, números de teléfono, entre otros.
Información bancaria.
Datos relacionados con criptomonedas (frases semilla, direcciones de billeteras, etc.).
Direcciones de correo electrónico.
Contraseñas.
Desafortunadamente, muchas víctimas no se dan cuenta de que sus computadoras han sido infectadas con malware hasta que ya es demasiado tarde y su dispositivo ha sido comprometido con ransomware o su identidad ha sido robada.
La Oficina del FBI en Denver exhorta a las víctimas, o a aquellos que hayan sido blanco de intentos de estafa, a denunciarlo en el Centro de Quejas de Crímenes en Internet del FBI en www.ic3.gov.
Asimismo, recomienda seguir las siguientes precauciones para evitar caer en esta estafa:
Respire profundamente, tómese su tiempo y piense. Sea consciente de sus acciones en línea y los riesgos a los que podría estar expuesto.
Mantenga su software antivirus actualizado y escanee cualquier archivo que reciba antes de abrirlo para evitar la instalación de software malicioso en su computadora.
Si es víctima de esta estafa, siga estos pasos:
Póngase en contacto con sus instituciones financieras de inmediato. Tome medidas para proteger su identidad y sus cuentas.
Cambie todas sus contraseñas utilizando un dispositivo limpio y confiable.
Reporte el incidente en IC3.
Ejecute un escaneo con software antivirus actualizado para verificar si hay algún software malicioso instalado por los estafadores. Considere la posibilidad de llevar su computadora a un profesional para que la limpie.
A group of six Bulgarians living in the UK have been convicted of being part of a spying operation across Europe on behalf of Russia.
Following a three-month trial at the Old Bailey, two women and a man were found guilty of conspiring to obtain information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to Russia.
Three other men pleaded guilty to Official Secrets Act charges before the trial started.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “These convictions have been achieved as the result of an extremely complex investigation into a group that was carrying out sophisticated surveillance operations in the UK, and in Europe, on behalf of the Russian state.
“This case is a clear example of the increasing amount of state threat casework we are dealing with in the UK – particularly linked to Russia. It also highlights a relatively new phenomenon whereby espionage is being ‘outsourced’ by certain states.
“While the outsourcing of espionage activity might suggest that recent efforts by the UK to thwart direct Russian activity have been effective, it means that we also have to guard against this new kind of emerging threat.
“But regardless of the form the threat takes, this investigation shows that we will take action to identify and disrupt any such activity that puts UK national security and the safety of the public at risk.”
The court heard that detectives from the Met’s Counter terrorism Command sifted through more than 200,000 messages and seized hundreds of items after a co-ordinated series of raids and arrests were carried out on 8 February 2023.
In particular, a 33-room former hotel belonging to Orlin Roussev was found to contain items, including sophisticated spying equipment such as listening devices, concealed cameras and a fake ID card printer.
Through their investigation, detectives identified that Roussev, who was leading the group, was in direct contact with Jan Marsalek – an Austrian national who, in turn, was identified as working with the Russian intelligence services.
The investigation team identified six core spying ‘plots’ the group were involved in. This included activity that targeted two investigative journalists who were seen as reporting stories contrary to the interests of the Russian state.
A former senior Kazakh politician who lived in the UK was also targeted, and the group planned to stage protests at the Kazakhstan embassy in London. Both operations were part of an elaborate plan to help the Russia state gain favour with Kazakhstan.
The group also carried out surveillance at a US military site in Germany, where they believed Ukrainian soldiers were being trained.
Another man who was designated as a ‘foreign agent’ by Russia was also targeted by the group during surveillance operations in Montenegro.
Sifting through thousands of messages, and then matching this up with physical travel, financial statements and surveillance reports and footage, meant detectives were able to build up a compelling picture of the group’s activity, as well as identify those involved and their roles within the group.
The six members of the group were:
– Orlin Roussev, 46 (06.02.1978) of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk – Bizer Maksimov Dzhambazov, 43 (21.04.1981), of Harrow, north London – Katrin Nikolayeva Ivanova, 33 (01.07.1991) of Harrow, north London – Ivan Iliev Stoyanov, 33 (22.12.1991) of Greenford, west London – Vanya Nikolaveva Gaberova, 30 (10.08.1994) of Euston, north London.
– Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39 (31.07.85) of Acton, west London
Officers found that Roussev was directing the group’s activity, and was receiving tasks through his contact with Marsalak. Dzambaszov was effectively the second in command.
The other four were all found to be involved in the execution of various espionage and surveillance activities across the UK and Europe in relation to the six plots identified by detectives.
Ivanova, Gaberova and Ivanchev were all found guilty of conspiracy to spy, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 after a three-month trial at the Old Bailey
Roussev and Dzhambazov pleaded guilty before the trial started to conspiracy to spy, contrary to Section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
Stoyanov pleaded guilty before the trial to spying, contrary to section 1(1)(c) of the Official Secrets Act 1911.
The group will be sentenced at the Old Bailey in May.
Thousands of families faced with a potential health hazard from living in mouldy homes are breathing easier following a £15m programme to upgrade some of the region’s dampest social housing.
The money, given to local councils by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), has been used to install damp busting measures in more than 4,400 homes across the region.
Around 8,000 individual improvements have been carried out with some homes also getting high-quality insulation and ineffective, high carbon heating systems replaced with modern electric ones. Leaky roofs, windows and doors have also been fixed.
The Social Housing Decency Fund programme is now nearing completion ahead of the Government’s introduction of Awaab’s Law in October. This will require social housing landlords to investigate and fix black mould and damp within strict timelines.
The new law is named after three-year-old Awaab Ishak who died from mould exposure in his Rochdale home in 2020.
Ruqia Ali and her two-month-old baby boy Zakariya are among the 10,000 people to benefit from the programme.
She lives with husband Abdikadir and their two other children, six-year-old son Zayd and daughter Sara, aged three, in a council house in Bordesley Green, Birmingham.
The family had several measures installed at their Victorian-built, two up, two down terraced house including roof space ventilation and specialist kitchen and bathroom fans.
Mrs Ali said: “The condensation in the house was really bad before. It was aggravating my asthma and making me feel worse. We had damp on the walls and mould coming up from the skirting boards in the bedrooms.
“But we’ve had no damp since the work was done and the house is now really comfortable. I feel much better and I don’t have to worry any more about how it’s affecting our health. It’s made a big difference.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, joined Cllr Jayne Francis, Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for housing and homelessness, to see how the work has made Mrs Ali’s home safer and healthier.
The Mayor has made the construction of thousands of safe and warm new social homes a key priority to help tackle the region’s housing crisis. But he is also working with councils and housing associations on ways to upgrade the region’s existing social housing stock, bringing it up to modern standards.
The Mayor said: “It can’t be right that in 2025, in one of the world’s richest countries, there are thousands of children living in cold, damp and mouldy homes.
“The tragic death of Awaab Ishak is a stark reminder of the dangers of mould, especially for young children. Unfortunately, too many people have to live in old, substandard homes because of the region’s housing crisis. That’s why my priority is to build thousands of new social and affordable homes.
“But we must also upgrade the social housing we already have. We’ve made a start but we need to do more because this is not just about improving homes – it’s about improving and even saving lives.”
According to the most recent English Housing Survey it is thought there are as many as 90,000 homes in the West Midlands that fail to meet decency standards.
Around 60,000 of these are privately rented and 30,000 are social homes for rent, owned by councils or housing associations. The survey estimated that the investment required to make all of these properties decent would be around £600m.
The Social Housing Decency Fund improvements on Mrs Ali’s home were carried out alongside wider work being done by Birmingham City Council which is investing £1.6bn into its council houses over the next seven years.
The council’s investment program began in April 2024 and just over £240m was invested last year, with a similar amount set to be invested again this year.
Cllr Francis said: “The investment we are making into our council homes is the largest in the country and will ensure all our residents will be able to live in warm, safe, sustainable homes.
“Many tenants will soon see significant improvements in their accommodation, including new kitchens and bathrooms, but they will also see energy bills cut and homes made warmer, helping to reduce the danger of damp and mould.
“We will continue to work closely with partners like the WMCA to improve and build social homes, and I’d like to thank our contractors EQUANS for carrying out the works on Mrs Ali’s home.”
Last year the WMCA commissioned the housing research team at the Centre for the New Midlands to undertake a wide-ranging evaluation of the problem of damp.
It found that many tenants still faced life-threatening health risks from long-term exposure to dangerous levels of damp and mould and that it was commonplace for tenants to live with the hazard for four years or more. Consequently, many tenants reported feelings of helplessness and a range of mental and physical health issues.
The report consequently called for a new funding model for social and council housing so damp and mould issues could be better tackled.
In January this year the Mayor announced a new initiative to improve living standards and tackle fuel poverty in thousands of low-income households.
Up to 10,000 of the region’s oldest and coldest social and privately-owned homes will be upgraded to make them warmer and cheaper to run thanks to a £167 million energy efficiency fund.
The funding will bring thousands of homes up to modern energy efficiency standards with new insulation, doors, windows, solar panels, and state-of-the-art greener and smarter heating systems.
Two Administrators Charged with Operating Multibillion-Dollar Crypto Money Laundering Service
The Justice Department announced today a coordinated action with Germany and Finland to disrupt and take down the online infrastructure used to operate Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange that allegedly facilitated money laundering by transnational criminal organizations — including terrorist organizations — and sanctions violations. Since April 2019, Garantex has processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions.
Garantex Splash Page
In conjunction with the operation targeting Garantex, the Department also announced the unsealing of an indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia against Aleksej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national and Russian resident, and Aleksandr Mira Serda (previously Aleksandr Ntifo-Siaw), 40, a Russian national and United Arab Emirates resident. Mira Serda and Besciokov are charged with money laundering conspiracy, and Besciokov is charged with conspiracy to violate sanctions and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
According to court documents, between 2019 and 2025, Besciokov and Mira Serda controlled and operated Garantex. Besciokov was Garantex’s primary technical administrator and responsible for obtaining and maintaining critical Garantex infrastructure, as well as reviewing and approving transactions. Mira Serda was Garantex’s co-founder and chief commercial officer.
Garantex received hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds and was used to facilitate various crimes, including hacking, ransomware, terrorism, and drug trafficking, often with substantial impact to U.S. victims. According to the indictment, Besciokov and Mira Serda knew that criminal proceeds were being laundered through Garantex and took steps to conceal the facilitation of illegal activities on its platform. For example, when Russian law enforcement sought records relating to an account registered to Mira Serda, Garantex provided incomplete information in response and falsely claimed the account was not verified. In reality, Garantex had associated the account with Mira Serda’s personal identifying documents, even while disclosing identifying information related to other accounts requested by Russian law enforcement.
On April 5, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Garantex for its role in facilitating money laundering of funds from ransomware actors and darknet markets. According to court documents, despite the widespread publicity of the sanctions and Garantex administrator’s personal knowledge of them, Besciokov and his co-conspirators violated those sanctions by continuing to transact with U.S.-based entities. Further, Besciokov and his co-conspirators redesigned Garantex’s operations to evade and violate U.S. sanctions and induce U.S. businesses to unwittingly transact with Garantex in violation of the sanctions. For example, Garantex moved its operational cryptocurrency wallets to different virtual currency addresses on a daily basis in order to make it difficult for U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchanges to identify and block transactions with Garantex accounts.
Despite doing substantial business in the United States and operating as a money transmitting business, Garantex failed to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as required.
On March 6, U.S. law enforcement, led by the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), executed a seizure order authorized by a judge in the Eastern District of Virginia against three website domain names used to support Garantex’s operations. According to court records unsealed today, Garantex.org, Garantex.io, and Garantex.academy were associated with the administration and operation of Garantex. The seizure of these domains will prevent these sites from being used for money laundering and additional crimes. Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by law enforcement.
As part of the coordinated actions, German and Finnish law enforcement seized servers hosting Garantex’s operations. U.S. law authorities have separately obtained earlier copies of Garantex’s servers, including customer and accounting databases. In addition, U.S. law enforcement has also frozen over $26 million in funds used to facilitate Garantex’s money laundering activities.
Besciokov and Mira Serda are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Besciokov is also charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Michael Centrella of the USSS’ Office of Field Operations, and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division made the announcement.
USSS and the FBI are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance.
The Justice Department also recognizes the critical cooperation of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the Frankfurt General Prosecutor’s Office, the Dutch National Police, Europol, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, and the Estonian National Criminal Police.
Finally, the Department thanks Tether and blockchain analytics firm Elliptic for their proactive assistance in this investigation.
Any individual who believes he/she is a victim whose funds were laundered through Garantex or who may otherwise have a claim to restrained funds should reach out to law enforcement via email address GarantexClaimants@secretservice.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Met detectives investigating the murder of Lathaniel Burrell in Stockwell have arrested a man.
A 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder in Croydon on the morning of Friday, 7 March. He remains in custody.
Lathaniel, from Stockwell, died at the scene following the shooting in Paradise Road, SW4, on Tuesday, 4 March. He was 16 years old.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee said: “Our detectives are working hard to piece together the events of Tuesday afternoon and identify those responsible for killing Lathaniel.
“We continue to appeal for anyone with information about Lathaniel’s murder to please come forward and speak to us.”
Officers were alerted at 15:21hrs on Tuesday, 4 March to reports of a shooting and officers attended with emergency service colleagues.
Medics from London’s Air Ambulance and the London Ambulance Service treated Lathaniel at the scene but despite their efforts, he sadly died. His family are being supported by officers.
If you have any information which may help the investigation, please call 101 with the reference 4116/04MAR.
You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 if you want to remain anonymous.
The US-EU relationship is at its most fragile point since the build-up to the Iraq war in 2003. While President Donald Trump openly questions Nato and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s desire for peace, EU leaders have continued to voice their unequivocal support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Between the two lies Britain. In a flurry of diplomacy, Keir Starmer has attempted to navigate the country’s tricky position: close to the US diplomatically, while staying aligned with the EU’s Ukraine policy.
I argue that Starmer could use Britain’s island identity – separated from its closest neighbours just enough to allow a global outlook – to his advantage. Acting as an effective link between the US and the EU could turn this time of crisis into an opportunity. What Britain may lack in material capabilities, it can make up for in skilful diplomacy.
Britain’s position as a “geopolitical bridge” stretches far back into the last century. As Britain was decolonising and reckoning with the growing power of the US and a uniting European continent, acting as a bridge was an effective way of ensuring relevance and maintaining alliances while its status as an imperial great power waned.
This position was especially favoured by Labour politicians keen to emphasise how a socialist Britain could act as a link between the capitalist and communist worlds. In (sometimes reluctantly) arguing for Britain’s entry into the European Economic Community, some Conservatives posited membership as allowing Britain to bridge the Atlantic, given the UK’s strong postwar ties with the US.
Even older is the idea of Britain as an “offshore balancer”. The UK’s proximity to the European continent meant it has always had an eye on political developments there. It has thus sought to maintain alliances in order to prevent Europe being dominated by one power (Napoleonic France, Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union) who could threaten the island sanctuary.
With Britain no longer in the EU, this time of heightened transatlantic tensions provides an opportunity to reclaim these geopolitical stances (and some lost relevance) as a vital interlocutor between America and Europe.
Nato on the brink
Trump is notoriously erratic and unpredictable, yet one of his most consistent motifs has been to question Nato and “free-riding” allies. Herein lies the spectre of the most terrifying British nightmare: an American withdrawal from Nato.
Britain and the US have, historically, both articulated their role as that of offshore balancer in relation to continental Europe. The threat against which they have been balancing since the end of the second world war is the Soviet Union and then Russia.
If the Trump administration ceases to regard Russia as a threat or sees no utility in acting in its historic balancing role, the UK-US relationship will be placed under serious threat. For all of the importance of Anglo-Saxon identity tropes, kith and kin and the special relationship, alliances are best nurtured in conditions of shared interests.
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Nato has been the real cornerstone of UK foreign, defence and security policy since the North Atlantic treaty’s inking in 1949, and is beloved of both Labour and Conservative politicians. US abandonment would be devastating. Thus it is Starmer’s greatest challenge and opportunity.
The reality is that Nato is centred on continental Europe and always has been. Starmer can gain common ground with Trump at this critical juncture by emphasising Britain’s islandness, and the US’s similar separation from the continent.
Starmer could position Britain as a mid-Atlantic interlocutor, close to Europe but not of Europe – appealing to the antipathy of some in the Trump administration about the continent. And his government has already gained Trump’s approval by increasing defence spending, an act that will also please nervous European governments.
Global Britain?
At this moment, Britain seems closer to the EU than it has been since 2016. Foreign and defence policy remain, to some extent, unfulfilled gaps in the EU’s portfolio. If Starmer can forge a close relationship around these issues, he can undercut some of the disappointments around Brexit, such as Britain being viewed as less relevant internationally and losing a seat at European security discussions.
Yet its leaders remain high profile and listened to, with Starmer managing to cut a dignified figure in an era of posturing strongmen. He will need to convince Trump and his team that Europe (and Nato) is worthy of their time and attention. He must emphasise their common ground as offshore balancers, capable of providing a counterweight to Russia.
EU leaders will also need to be reassured of Britain’s commitment to the continent after Brexit. Pressing harder for a UK-EU security pact is one way Starmer could signal this.
Starmer’s White House visit was seen as a diplomatic success, but the mood has changed after Zelensky’s visit. Number 10/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND
Trump repeatedly emphasises the personal aspect of politics, seeing states and alliances through a prism of which leaders are willing to flatter him or, at the very least, be “respectful”. Starmer grasped this early on and thus has a shot at forging a productive relationship with Trump, however painful it might be for some in his party.
Yet the stakes are much higher than disgruntled backbenchers. The Labour party, with its internationalist roots, is deeply proud of the foreign policies of Clement Attlee and Ernest Bevin (although less so of Tony Blair’s). Although it may be stressed in different terms to their Conservative opponents, the party is just as concerned with retaining relevance and influence on the world stage.
If this Labour government can find a way to successfully act as a bridge – by interesting Trump in Europe and convincing the EU that they are a reliable partner – then this not only salves some of the wounds of Brexit, it also potentially keeps Nato alive, for now.
Nick Whittaker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Parks and other green spaces are vital for life in a city, providing places to exercise, relax or meet friends. But for many women, these spaces can feel unwelcoming and unsafe. Concerns about personal safety can create significant barriers for women and girls, reducing their access to the benefits these spaces can provide.
A 2022 survey revealed that four out of five of women in Britain feel unsafe in parks after dark, compared to two out of five men. Although women feel safer during the day, they are still three times more likely than men to feel unsafe (one in six women compared to one in 20 men).
Public spaces are often designed with male users as the norm, overlooking the specific needs of women and girls and other vulnerable groups. For example, common recreational facilities in parks often include games areas, skateparks and BMX tracks, all traditionally considered male interests.
One study found that men are five times more likely to use basketball courts, four times more likely to use exercise areas, and almost 20 times more likely to use skateparks compared to women and girls. This results in girls feeling unwelcome and unaccommodated, avoiding spaces that do not cater to their essential needs, or are dominated by men and boys.
Safety work
Women often engage in what researchers call safety work. This is the hidden mental and physical effort needed to navigate public spaces in the threat of male violence and harassment. This can take the form of avoidance, where women bypass parks entirely, or at certain times. After dark or when alone, women often elect, to take longer routes to avoid parks, even if going through them is the most direct and efficient route.
Women are more likely to feel unsafe and more likely to change their behaviour as a result. In 2022, a survey revealed revealed that 37% of women and 24% of men reported avoiding quiet places, such as parks, after dark due to safety concerns. Generally speaking, men face fewer safety related inhibitions and use parks more frequently in their daily routines.
Women also engage in hidden safety work to access the benefits of parks. They preemptively plan their visits, considering time of day, busyness of the space and location. Once in the park, they are hyperaware of their environment, assessing social situations and monitoring unfamiliar men for potential threats. These strategies highlight the extra mental load women carry simply to use public spaces.
Research suggests that women are significantly more likely than men to experience “dysfunctional worry”, when worry and precautionary behaviour negatively impacts their quality of life and wellbeing.
What makes parks feel unsafe?
We have conducted research into what makes parks feel safe and unsafe for women. We found that it is a mix of things, from the immediate social and physical features of environments to broader patriarchal structures, misogyny and fear of men.
A few examples highlighted in our research and other studies show what features make parks feel (un)safe:
Factors like socioeconomic status, race, disability and age can exacerbate the experience of feeling unsafe for some people. And people in marginalised communities are already more likely to live near small, unsafe poorly maintained parks and further away from larger and higher quality green spaces. These combined factors are the subject of an innovative new study we are leading to ensure parks meet the needs of different users.
Features like exercise equipment and skateparks may not be welcoming to all users. Macrovector/Shutterstock
Urban planners and policymakers must prioritise, and actively incorporate women’s safety in park design and management. Community engagement with women from different backgrounds is essential for creating safe and inclusive parks and green spaces.
Initiatives like the Safer Parks Guidance, which one of us (Anna Barker) produced with Keep Britain Tidy, Make Space for Girls and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, aims to improve perceptions of safety by incorporating better lighting, open sight lines, regular maintenance and inclusive programming.
Simply having a park nearby is not enough – they must be welcoming and safe for all.
Anna Barker receives funding from Mayor of West Yorkshire via the Home Office Safer Streets Fund and the Economic and Social Research Council. She is affiliated with University of Leeds and a Trustee of Love Leeds Parks.
Jennie Gray receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. She is affiliated with the University of Leeds.
Vikki Houlden receives funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, and the Medical Research Council. She is affiliated with the Univesity of Leeds.
DETROIT – Since January of this year, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has charged 46 aliens who were unlawfully present in the United States with offenses including illegal reentry into the United States, drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, and child pornography offenses. These aliens’ home countries include Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Venezuela. Several had prior convictions for human smuggling, drug trafficking, drunk driving, assault, and theft. In many cases, the aliens had been returned to their home country numerous times but have continued to violate immigration laws by re-entering the United States.
Recent cases include:
Hector Bejerano-Bejerano, a native of Mexico, was located at a gas station in Novi, Michigan, when he was creating a nuisance to customers. He was arrested and identified by United States Border Patrol and found to have two prior federal immigration convictions, including one in which Bejerano-Bejerano was caught smuggling three other illegal aliens into the United States from Mexico. During this encounter, Bejerano-Bejerano fled from a Border Patrol Agent and assaulted him. According to court filings in that case, Bejerano-Bejerano was encountered by Border Patrol 18 times during 2021 alone.
Dulce Rubio-Rivera, a native of Mexico, was found in Detroit, Michigan, when agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a federal search warrant at a house. Inside the house was Rubio-Rivera, along with drugs, a scale, ammunition and an AK-47 rifle. Rubio-Rivera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 6.25 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine.
Luis Fernando Santillan-Valderrabano, a native of Mexico, was located in the passenger seat of a vehicle in Detroit. Santillan-Valderrabano was originally admitted into the United States on a special visa that permitted him to stay in the United States for only 72 hours and within 25 miles of the United States-Mexico border. However, five months later Santillan-Valderrabano was arrested and pleaded guilty to theft charges in Georgia. A year after that, he was again arrested and convicted in Nebraska for resisting arrest and felony theft. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed back to Mexico in 2009, but illegally returned and was arrested in 2010 in Ithaca, Michigan, for a driving offense. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed again but tried to sneak back into the United States in 2011, was caught, and federally prosecuted in Texas for illegal entry. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed a third time in 2011, but again tried to illegally enter the United States, was caught, federally prosecuted in Texas for illegal reentry, and removed in 2012. In 2021, he was arrested in Wixom, Michigan, for driving 86 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone. During this encounter with police, he used a fake name and date of birth and failed to appear for his court hearing after being charged with reckless driving, providing false identification, and not having a vehicle operation license.
Gustavo Placencia-Rosales, a native of Mexico who was unlawfully present in the United States, was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. The complaint alleges that agents with the DEA have been investigating Placencia-Rosales for involvement in drug trafficking actitivies. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by Placenia-Rosales, with three others, and recovered four brick-shaped packages that field tested positive as cocaine along with two firearms.
Luis Gerardo Rodriguez-Rey, a native of Columbia who was unlawfully present in the United States, was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to the complaint, officers with the River Rouge Police Department were on routine patrol when they encountered Rodriguez-Rey traveling at a high rate of speed in a vehicle which did not have any exterior lights illuminated. A traffic stop was conducted and upon a search of his person and vehicle, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson pistol along with ammunition.
Luis Angel Alvarez-Alvarez, a native of Venuzuela, was arrested by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol after agents stopped a vehicle that Alvarez-Alvarez was operating without a license plate. Alvarez-Alvarez had a prior final order of removal at the time of the arrest. During a search of his cellular device, officers discovered alleged child sexually abusive material. Alvarez was charged with production and possession of child pornography and remains in custody pending the disposition of his charges.
“The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has a long-standing commitment to enforcing the immigrations laws of the United States, and that commitment is unwavering,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those individuals who are in our district unlawfully.”
“These cases represent a fraction of the criminal aliens we and our federal partners arrest every day across the Detroit Sector that’s making this country safer than it was just a few short months ago,” said Detroit Sector Chief Patrol Agent John R. Morris. “I could not be more proud of our agents for their enforcement efforts as well as their ability to form strong bonds with our local, state and federal partnerships such as we see exemplified here with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
“Keeping dangerous people and illicit drugs and weapons from infecting our communities is at the core of our comprehensive border security mandate,” said Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon. “The CBP Office of Field Operations is as committed as ever in protecting our homeland alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”
“Our ICE Detroit officers will continue to secure our communities through the apprehension and arrest of criminal aliens and immigration violators,” said ICE ERO Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we have been able to apprehend serious public safety threats from foreign sex offenders to drug traffickers and aliens in possession of illegal firearms.”
“As the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, our agents are prioritizing investigations into bad actors who exploit our immigration system,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “From illegal aliens in possession of child sexually abusive material to dismantling human smuggling or trafficking rings, our ICE HSI team stands ready to safeguard the homeland alongside our partners.”
“The men and women of DEA work hard – day in and day out – to protect families from the dangers and violence associated with drug trafficking in our communities,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton. “In that vein, we have prioritized our drug investigations on those involving violent, illegal criminals responsible for flooding our neighborhoods with deadly and dangerous drugs. We will continue to work with the Department of Homeland Security and our federal partners with immigration enforcement efforts.”
“ATF, along with our Department of Justice partners, stand side by side with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement partners in their efforts to enforce immigration laws and protect public safety,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “We remain committed to supporting coordinated enforcement actions to uphold the rule of the law and ensure the security of our communities.”
“Members of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, in collaboration with federal law enforcement partners—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Border Patrol (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), are actively investigating and apprehending individuals wanted for federal violations and those unlawfully present in the United States,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Michigan Division. “The FBI in Michigan remains steadfast in its mission to uphold the Constitution and ensure the safety and security of the American people.”
A complaint/indictment is merely a formal charge and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. It is the burden of the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
These cases were investigated by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in the National Security Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office.
The defendant stole more than $2 million of client funds.
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Matthew C. Browndorf, 54, of Irvine, California, to more than five years in federal prison for money laundering and wire fraud.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Edwin Bonano, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office Inspector General (FHFA-OIG).
According to the guilty plea, the defendant served as an attorney licensed to practice law in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and was a named partner at a law firm. Browndorf was also majority owner and CEO of Plutos Sama, LLC, which operated as a holding company for his various business endeavors.
Plutos Sama, with Browndorf signing the purchase agreement as a managing member, procured the Fisher Law Group. After Plutos Sama acquired the Fisher Law Group, it changed the name to BP Fisher which served as an organization that represented lending and loan servicing clients in foreclosure proceedings. The newly acquired company had agreements with its clients to facilitate the foreclosure of a property, take out its expenses, and then return the remaining money.
BP Fisher also maintained an Interest on Lawyer’s Trust Account (IOLTA) and operating account, which the defendant oversaw. An IOLTA is maintained in a financial institution for the deposit of funds received or held by an attorney or law firm on behalf of a client or third person. All funds received into an IOLTA account must be delivered in whole or in part to a client, unless received as payment for fees owed to the lawyer by the client or in reimbursement for expenses that the lawyer properly advanced on behalf of the client.
Over several years, the defendant led clients to believe that they had immediate access to the money in the two BP Fisher IOLTA accounts. But Browndorf was directing employees to transfer the clients’ money into Plutos Sama accounts and other accounts that he controlled. The scheme caused more than $2.4 million in losses to BP Fisher’s clients. Browndorf used the stolen funds to pay for expenses such as his American Express credit card bill, car-lease payment to Ferrari and Maserati of Newport Beach, and mortgage.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and FHFA-OIG for their work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma, Joshua Rosenthal, and Matthew Phelps, who prosecuted the federal case.
ANDERSON, S.C. — Tyler Michael Berlick, 36, of Muskego, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to production of child sexual abuse materials.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Berlick met a girl he believed to be 13 years old located in Greenville, South Carolina in an online game. He sent the child sexually explicit messages and produced sexual abuse materials of the child over the internet. Berlick also traveled from Wisconsin to South Carolina and engaged in sexual activity with the child and then traveled with the minor to Florida and further engaged in sexual activity with the child.
“This defendant targeted and exploited someone he knew was a child, and this sentence reflects magnitude of such an offense,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “This child was brought home safely due to law enforcement coordination across multiple states. Our office will continue to bring every resource we have to bear in the fight to keep our child safe from predators like this.”
“The FBI is steadfast in its commitment to combating violent crime, especially cases involving the exploitation of children,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “This defendant, preyed on a child, and he is now facing justice. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always prioritize safeguarding children and pursuing those who pose a threat to their safety.”
United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Berlick to 360 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI Miami Field Office, the Latana Police Department (Florida), the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department (Wisconsin). Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Marosek is prosecuting the case.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages use of the phrase “child pornography.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments 2
News story
Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition 2025
Created by the NPCC, Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition aims to highlight the vital contribution staff make to policing.
Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition.
This year, we took the opportunity to speak to a number of staff to gain an insight into their roles and personal achievements.
Vicki talked us through her role as Learning and Development (L&D) Business Partner.
“As Learning and Development Business Partner, my role is to provide advice and guidance to the business on all aspects of learning and development, mainly in the areas of Leadership Development. I have responsibility for the senior leadership development programmes both within Force and via our partner agencies. I also hold the portfolio for our Digital Delivery, which includes all our eLearning packages, learning webinars and online learning content.
“I’ve been with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) almost eight years, starting off in Police Officer Recruitment which gave me a great grounding into the life of our new officers. I transitioned into L&D five years ago having specialised in instructional design and training as part of my long career within Human Resources.
“No two days are the same in this role, and I love the challenge that new projects, training delivery and online content bring. I’ve been involved in many new initiatives in the corporate training arena during my time here and have recently qualified as a Level 5 CMI Coaching Practitioner. This supports the work I do as well as giving me a good insight into the lives of my coachees and their challenges. The rewarding part of my job is supporting the wider organisation and enabling those on the front line to be their best and encouraging those who may not think they have the opportunity to develop to do just that!”
Caitlin shared some of her experiences as Inspections Manager.
“I joined in October 2022 as the Inspections Manager. Prior to this I was a secondary school teacher for 12 years, teaching History and English – first in Australia, then in Scotland. I have spent the past two years undertaking significant study to gain my Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) qualification, and have been working with the Inspections and Assurance team to carry out our annual inspections plan which has included reviewing the Corporate Induction and the annual Operational Inspection.
“The aspect of the role I enjoy the most is getting to learn more about the way the organisation works – especially when visiting the various Operational Policing Units (OPUs). I like to believe that the work we do can create positive change as well, no matter how small.
“Some of the highlights of my career have been some of the work I’ve been able to do outside my role with the CNC, including working with the Violence against women and girls (VAWG) team to introduce a range of initiatives. The one I am proudest of is establishing the CNC’s Domestic Abuse Contacts network so we can better support people in our organisation who are experiencing domestic abuse.”
Kay spoke about her role as Vetting Officer.
“After serving 31 years as an officer, I retired in 2021. I became Police staff as an intelligence officer in the South East Regional organised crime unit (SEROCU) for two years before returning to the online child abuse team within Thames Valley Police, where my role was to identify victims of online abuse.
“I started working with CNC as a vetting officer six months ago as for my own mental health, I needed to move away from the subject matter which I had specialised in for much of my career. Police vetting was very much in the spotlight on a National basis which I found interesting.
“Vetting is evolving and I am constantly learning. Since the day I joined, everyone in my team has been supportive and helpful – answering every question I have (and there have been many!). It is a great team to work with.
“Surrounding yourself with good people is key to staying resilient and motivated when facing tough times. I have been very fortunate in my career to work with fantastic teams and that has continued with the CNC.”
Speaking about the importance of Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition, Chief Constable Simon Chesterman said: “Police staff are an essential part of the team, performing vital roles, and we could not function without them.
“It is great to see that there is now a Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition, dedicated to highlighting and acknowledging the incredible and valuable work our police staff colleagues carry out.
“Understandably in an armed police force, the emphasis is often on the front-line, however, we should use this week to pause and reflect on the fact that without police staff, we would not have a front-line. Officers would not be recruited, trained, paid, equipped, deployed, and their wellbeing looked after without the police staff element of the overall CNC team.
“So, to all our police staff colleagues – thank you for your outstanding contribution to our mission and to our success as an organisation”.
Learn more about life in the CNC as a member of police staff and browse our current opportunities on our jobs website.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)
PHILADELPHIA—As March means spring break travel for many, the FBI Philadelphia Field Office advises travelers to remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling aboard aircrafts and navigating airports.
The FBI remains committed to prioritizing investigations into federal crimes occurring on aircrafts that endanger the safety of passengers, the flight crews, and flight attendants.
“As spring breakers take to the skies, the FBI wants to remind them to prioritize safety while traveling through airports and flying,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Working with our federal, state, and local partners, and most importantly the public, is key to identifying these threats and combating crime in airports and aboard aircrafts.”
Each of the FBI’s 55 field offices have airport liaison agents (ALA). These agents are assigned to the nearly 450 U.S. aviation facilities that have passenger screening operations regulated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and respond to crime aboard an aircraft, a violation which falls within the FBI’s special investigative jurisdiction.
Some of the violations the FBI investigates if they are committed during a flight are listed below:
Sexual misconduct, including sexual assault; indecent exposure, lewd, indecent, sexual, or obscene acts; and indecent or sexual proposal to a minor.
Assault, including striking or hitting, throwing an object, grabbing or unwanted touching, and spitting.
Interference with flight crew members, including assault, threats, or intimidation and/or an attempt or conspiracy to do the same.
Theft
In addition, the FBI investigates airport-based violations. This includes violence against persons and property at international airports if the victim or offender is a United States national, or if the offender is located within the U.S. It also includes interfering with airport security screening personnel ahead of a flight, including airport employees or airline employees working at the gate.
The FBI also investigates bomb threats whether they are made on the ground or in-flight.
Everyone should be aware of their surroundings while onboard an airplane or in an airport. If you have been the victim of one of these crimes or if you have witnessed one take place, report it to your flight crew, airport authority police and the FBI.
FBI Philadelphia can be reached at (215) 418-4000 or tips can be reported online at tips.fbi.gov.
Source: The White House
ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY IN FEDERAL COURTS: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a memorandum directing federal agencies to enforce a rule mandating financial guarantees from parties requesting injunctions. This ensures coverage of potential costs or losses if the court later deems an injunction wrongly issued.
The memorandum instructs agency heads, in consultation with the Attorney General, to request under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 65(c) that federal courts require plaintiffs post security equal to the federal government’s potential costs and damages from a wrongly issued preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order.
Security refers to a financial guarantee compensating the government for losses if an injunction is later found unjustified.
This applies to all lawsuits seeking preliminary injunctions or temporary restraining orders where the government can demonstrate monetary harm from the requested relief.
Agencies must justify security amounts based on reasoned assessments of harm, ensuring courts deny or dissolve injunctions if plaintiffs fail to pay up, absent good cause.
STOPPING JUDICIAL OVERREACH AND FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS: By issuing this memorandum, President Trump is ensuring the democratic process remains intact by curbing activist judges and holding litigants accountable.
Unelected district judges have issued sweeping injunctions beyond their authority, inserting themselves into executive policymaking and stalling policies voters supported.
Activist groups file meritless suits for fundraising and political gain, facing no consequences when they lose, while taxpayers bear the costs and delays.
The Justice Department is forced to divert resources from public safety to fight these frivolous cases, weakening effective governance.
Enforcing Rule 65(c) deters such litigation by holding plaintiffs accountable for costs and damages if their injunctions are baseless, protecting taxpayer funds and judicial integrity.
STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S JUDICIAL SYSTEM: President Trump is committed to protecting our democracy, challenging judicial overreach, and ensuring the rule of law is upheld.
Injunctions can cost taxpayers millions or even billions of dollars, especially when they mandate continued funding.
President Trump appointed high-performing “superstar” judges according to a respected study. Trump’s judges occupied 9 of the top 11 spots for productivity, and 9 of the top 10 spots for influence.
President Trump’s judges are also rated the least partisan.
Multiple Supreme Court justices have recently warned that “single district-court judges” acting outside their judicial power are “abusing” the power entrusted to them.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron announced today that Bikramjit Ahluwalia, 39, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates living in Dubai, was extradited from Spain and will appear in federal court in Charlotte later today. Ahluwalia, also known as “Biku,” “Internetteam5000,” “Don Bonsa,” and “Bobby,” is charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to damage a protected computer, and wire fraud for his alleged role in an extensive “tech support fraud scheme.”
Generally, a tech support fraud scheme causes malicious pop-ups to appear on unsuspecting users’ computers, warning their devices have been infiltrated by a virus or another serious computer issue, convincing users to purchase unnecessary repair services or technical support using a telephone number or a link on the victims’ computer screens.
According to allegations in the indictment, Ahluwalia and his co-defendant, Andrew Brolese, owned Digital Marketing Support Services (DMSS), a Seychelles-based company that published and sold malicious pop-ups as a means of generating customer traffic for overseas call centers from victims of their tech support scheme. From April 2016 to March 2021, Ahluwalia and Brolese and their conspirators targeted victims throughout the United States, some of whom were 55 and older. It is alleged that the victims targeted in the scheme experienced computer pop-ups that mimicked fatal system-error screens, also known as “blue screens of death,” malicious pop-ups suggesting malware had been installed on their computers, or urgent warnings for technical issues related to the victims’ services, software, or devices. The indictment alleges that victims targeted by the malicious pop-ups were then instructed to call a number to receive technical services to help resolve their issues. As alleged in the indictment, the various overseas call centers, upon receipt of the victim call traffic, would use the misrepresentations in the pop-ups, false diagnoses of computer issues, and other deceptive sales techniques to trick the victims into paying hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars to the call centers to receive unnecessary technical support for the non-existent computer issues.
The indictment alleges that Ahluwalia and Brolese conspired with others to sell incoming calls from targeted victims seeking purported tech support to companies around the world, including to an individual who owned companies in the Western District of North Carolina. It is further alleged that Ahluwalia and Brolese received over $31.2 million in illicit payments from the tech support scheme, through wire transfers made to DMSS’s bank accounts located overseas.
Ahluwalia is expected to appear for his initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler in Charlotte at 10:15 a.m.
Ahluwalia’s charges for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The maximum sentence for money laundering is 20 years in prison, and for the charge of conspiracy to damage a protected computer is five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation was led by the Nashville Cyber Task Force which comprises the Knoxville Office of the FBI and the Knoxville Police Department. We thank the government of Spain for their substantial assistance arresting and extraditing Ahluwalia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the extradition of Ahluwalia from Spain.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Three sentenced over illegal waste activity in Northamptonshire
Three defendants have been fined for their involvement in illegal waste activity in Northamptonshire, following an investigation by the Environment Agency.
Waste piled high at the Green Infrastructure site
The defendants were sentenced on 27th February at Northampton Magistrates’ Court for waste offences at Mill Farm near Kettering. They were ordered to pay fines, victim surcharges and prosecution costs of more than £75,000.
From 2019 to 2021, Environment Agency officers investigated the site in Great Cransley which David Goodjohn, 64 of Grange Road, Geddington, and his company, Green Infrastructure Ltd, operated without an environmental permit. They have been ordered to pay almost £32,000.
34,000 tonnes of waste was stored at the site with large quantities of mixed waste piled over 10 metres high, becoming an eyesore for the local community. Despite repeated visits, the Environment Agency’s guidance was ignored for over two years.
The third defendant, Storefield Aggregates, failed to comply with the waste duty of care by sending more than 24,000 tonnes of waste to the site between 2019 and 2021. It was ordered to pay more than £43,000.
The Environment Agency sent warning letters to two further companies which also deposited waste at the site.
Yvonne Daly, Environment Agency Manager, said:
We work to stop illegal waste activities and support legitimate business whilst protecting communities and nature from harm. We take illegal waste activity very seriously and will not hesitate to disrupt activity and prosecute those responsible.
Anyone who suspects illegal waste activity should report it to the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060, or anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111.
Favour Owuamanam, from Umuechetanmehe Amiri in Imo State, was 9 months pregnant and had been referred for a planned caesarean section due to the prospects of a high-risk delivery. When her labor started before her due date, she was rushed to Vaden Specialist Hospital for an emergency caesarean section and gave birth successfully. However, her baby had complications with neonatal asphyxia and jaundice and required additional care.
The Imo State Health Insurance Agency facilitated the immediate transfer of the baby to the special care unit in Imo State Specialist Hospital. Both mother and baby were covered under health insurance and did not need to pay for any services.
“Medical treatments are usually so high. I don’t know where I would have found the money to pay for my hospital bills. I am very grateful to the Imo State Health Insurance Agency Team,” said Favour.
Marcus Moses and family, beneficiaries of the Imo State Health Insurance Agency. Photo by: WHO/Nigeria
This is one of many health interventions by the Imo State Health Insurance Agency. The Agency has instituted one of the best and most responsive referral systems in Nigeria. In less than 10 months of implementation, over 516 cases have been referred through the health insurance programme, saving many lives through emergency surgery at no cost to the patient.
Some of Nigeria’s poorest and most vulnerable populations are now able to access health care services without suffering financial hardship as a result. This is due to the passing of health insurance laws and the implementation of a health insurance programme that removes the burden of financial cost to the patient. Simultaneously, the quality of primary health care services is being strengthened, which has increased trust in and use of the services.
This is a strong effort by the Government of Nigeria to ensure that its population is protected from financial hardship and is able to access timely and quality health services in line with the principles of universal health coverage (UHC).
Engaging parliamentarians and the Executive to enable laws
The enactment of mandatory health insurance laws and implementation of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund in 2023 has changed the lives of many poor and vulnerable Nigerians in Imo State.
To advocate and make a strong case for the establishment of the Imo State Health Insurance Program, WHO, through the UHC Partnership, helped to establish the State Health Financing Unit and Technical Working Group in the State Ministry of Health. WHO technical staff then worked to build capacity and generate evidence.
“The Imo State Government is putting mechanisms in place to ensure the protection of all citizens against financial risks associated with health care in the state. Unfortunately, the demand for health services is relentless and people end up becoming poorer to stay alive whenever they are sick. These actions will mitigate the use of the regressive out-of-pocket payments in health that pushes people into the vicious cycle of poverty, disease, and death,” said Dr Uchenna Ewelike, Executive Secretary, Imo State Health Insurance Agency.
Sustained high-level advocacy by WHO resulted in better understanding and synergy between the Executive led by the State Governor and the parliamentarians, and this led to the speedy passage and ascent of the Imo State Health Insurance Bill into Law.
“More investment in health, and health insurance specifically, has huge returns for the economy. This is demonstrated by an investment case for health in Imo State, developed by WHO, that shows up to 200% increase in real GDP and 200% increase in the number of jobs created over 5 years. As health is a human right and duty of the state, WHO will work with Imo State to develop a plan that will guide a progressive increase in coverage to achieve the UHC benchmark of at least 80% of the state population,” said Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, WHO Representative to Nigeria.
Nigeria is one of more than 125 countries and areas to which the UHC Partnership helps deliver WHO support and technical expertise in advancing UHC through a PHC approach. The UHC Partnership represents over 3 billion people. It is supported and funded by Belgium, Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Japan, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and WHO.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Joseph Patrick Kelly, Professor of Literature and Director of Irish and Irish American Studies, College of Charleston
Donald Trump is the third U.S. president to pardon a large group of insurrectionists. His clemency toward those convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection – including seditious conspiracy and assaults on police officers – was different in key ways from the two previous efforts, by Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Ulysses S. Grant in 1873.
But they share the apparent hope that their pardons would herald periods of national harmony. As historians of the period after the Civil War, we know that for Johnson and Grant, that’s not what happened.
Further, as a Southerner, he wanted to maintain the social conventions and economic structure of the South by replacing enslavement with economic bondage. This economic bondage, called sharecropping, was a system by which tenant farmers rented land from large landowners. Tenants rarely cleared enough to pay their costs and fell into debt. In effect, Johnson sought to restore the nation to how it was before the Civil War, though without legalized slavery – and sought every avenue available to thwart the plans of the Radical Republicans who controlled both houses of Congress to create full racial equality.
Johnson signed an amnesty that gave a blanket pardon to all former Confederate soldiers. However, he required formerly high-ranking Confederate officials to individually seek pardons for their involvement in the rebellion. These officials faced permanent disfranchisement and could not hold federal office if they did not seek a pardon.
When Congress was in recess, Johnson vetoed two bills that had been passed: one to help find homes for formerly enslaved people who could no longer live on the property of their enslavers, and the other to define U.S. citizenship and ensure equal protection of the laws for Black people as well as white people.
Johnson also told Southern states not to ratify the 14th Amendment, whose purpose was to enshrine both citizenship and equal protection in the Constitution.
In 1986, the Ku Klux Klan marched through the streets of Pulaski, Tenn., to protest the national celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
The rise of the KKK
Nathan Bedford Forrest was not covered by Johnson’s general amnesty. As a former Confederate general, he had to apply for a personal presidential pardon, which Johnson granted on July 17, 1868. Two months later, Forrest represented Tennessee at the Democratic Party’s national convention in New York City.
After his pardon, Forrest perfected a rhetorical technique for his extremism. His biographer Court Carney described it as a multistep process, starting with, “Say something exaggerated and inflammatory that plays well with supporters.” Then, deny saying it “to maintain a semblance of professional decorum.” Then, blur the threats with “crowd pleasing humor.” It proved an effective way of threatening violence while being able to deny responsibility for any violence that occurred.
Nathan Bedford Forrest, center, in a Confederate uniform, joins a caricature of an Irish immigrant, left, and Democratic Party chairman August Belmont in trampling the rights of a Black Union veteran, depicted lying on the ground. Thomas Nast, Harper’s Weekly, 1868.
Under Forrest’s leadership, membership in the violent, racist Ku Klux Klan spread almost everywhere in the South. Records are sketchy, so it’s impossible to say how many people were lynched, but the Equal Justice Initiative has documented 2,000 lynchings of Black Americans during Reconstruction. Black women and girls were often raped by klansmen or members of its successor militias.
It’s also not possible to say how many pardoned ex-Confederates participated in the lynchings. But the violence was so widespread that just about everyone, North and South, thought the political violence was a resumption of the Civil War.
In the Piedmont of the Carolinas, klan violence amounted to a shadow government of white nationalists. Grant ordered the U.S. Army to apprehend the klansmen, and a newly minted Department of Justice prosecuted the insurrectionists for violating civil rights guaranteed by the 14th and 15th amendments. After several trials that proved to be what the federal judiciary’s official history calls “dramatic spectacles,” federal judges handed down conviction after conviction.
The federal government’s decisive action allowed for a relatively free presidential election in 1872. Black voters helped Grant win in eight Southern states, contributing to his landslide victory.
But after his reelection, Grant appointed a new attorney general, who dropped the pending klan cases. Grant also pardoned klansmen who had already been convicted of crimes.
Grant hoped his gesture would encourage Southerners to accept the nation’s new birth of freedom.
It didn’t. The pardons told former Confederates that they were winning.
John Christopher Winsmith, an ex-Confederate who embraced racial equality and whose father had been killed by the KKK, wrote to Grant in 1873, “A few trials and convictions in the U.S. Courts, and then the pardoning of the criminals” had emboldened what he called “the hideous monster – Ku Kluxism.”
And a new gang arose, too: the Red Shirts, who began to murder Black people openly, not even in secret as the klan did. Two of the Red Shirts were later elected to the U.S. Senate.
The federal government took no substantive action against this for a century, until the 20th century’s Civil Rights Movement sparked change. And it wasn’t until 2022 that Congress passed an anti-lynching bill.
I was for several years a volunteer with the Charleston County (SC) Democratic Party.
David Cason does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – USA – By Paulo Carvão, Senior Fellow, Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School
One of President Donald Trump’s first executive orders in his second term called for developing an AI action plan.Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Imagine a not-too-distant future where you let an intelligent robot manage your finances. It knows everything about you. It follows your moves, analyzes markets, adapts to your goals and invests faster and smarter than you can. Your investments soar. But then one day, you wake up to a nightmare: Your savings have been transferred to a rogue state, and they’re gone.
You seek remedies and justice but find none. Who’s to blame? The robot’s developer? The artificial intelligence company behind the robot’s “brain”? The bank that approved the transactions? Lawsuits fly, fingers point, and your lawyer searches for precedents, but finds none. Meanwhile, you’ve lost everything.
This is not the doomsday scenario of human extinction that some people in the AI field have warned could arise from the technology. It is a more realistic one and, in some cases, already present. AI systems are already making life-altering decisions for many people, in areas ranging from education to hiring and law enforcement. Health insurance companies have used AI tools to determine whether to cover patients’ medical procedures. People have been arrested based on faulty matches by facial recognition algorithms.
By bringing government and industry together to develop policy solutions, it is possible to reduce these risks and future ones. I am a former IBM executive with decades of experience in digital transformation and AI. I now focus on tech policy as a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government. I also advise tech startups and invest in venture capital.
Drawing from this experience, my team spent a year researching a way forward for AI governance. We conducted interviews with 49 tech industry leaders and members of Congress, and analyzed 150 AI-related bills introduced in the last session of Congress. We used this data to develop a model for AI governance that fosters innovation while also offering protections against harms, like a rogue AI draining your life savings.
Striking a balance
The increasing use of AI in all aspects of people’s lives raises a new set of questions to which history has few answers. At the same time, the urgency to address how it should be governed is growing. Policymakers appear to be paralyzed, debating whether to let innovation flourish without controls or risk slowing progress. However, I believe that the binary choice between regulation and innovation is a false one.
Instead, it’s possible to chart a different approach that can help guide innovation in a direction that adheres to existing laws and societal norms without stifling creativity, competition and entrepreneurship.
Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tamlin Bason explains the regulatory landscape and the need for a balanced approach to AI governance.
The U.S. has consistently demonstrated its ability to drive economic growth. The American tech innovation system is rooted in entrepreneurial spirit, public and private investment, an open market and legal protections for intellectual property and trade secrets. From the early days of the Industrial Revolution to the rise of the internet and modern digital technologies, the U.S. has maintained its leadership by balancing economic incentives with strategic policy interventions.
In January 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the development of an AI action plan for America. My team and I have developed an AI governance model that can underpin an action plan.
A new governance model
Previous presidential administrations have waded into AI governance, including the Biden administration’s since-recindedexecutive order. There has also been an increasing number of regulations concerning AI passed at the state level. But the U.S. has mostly avoided imposing regulations on AI. This hands-off approach stems in part from a disconnect between Congress and industry, with each doubting the other’s understanding of the technologies requiring governance.
The industry is divided into distinct camps, with smaller companies allowing tech giants to lead governance discussions. Other contributing factors include ideological resistance to regulation, geopolitical concerns and insufficient coalition-building that have marked past technology policymaking efforts. Yet, our study showed that both parties in Congress favor a uniquely American approach to governance.
Congress agrees on extending American leadership, addressing AI’s infrastructure needs and focusing on specific uses of the technology – instead of trying to regulate the technology itself. How to do it? My team’s findings led us to develop the Dynamic Governance Model, a policy-agnostic and nonregulatory method that can be applied to different industries and uses of the technology. It starts with a legislative or executive body setting a policy goal and consists of three subsequent steps:
Establish a public-private partnership in which public and private sector experts work together to identify standards for evaluating the policy goal. This approach combines industry leaders’ technical expertise and innovation focus with policymakers’ agenda of protecting the public interest through oversight and accountability. By integrating these complementary roles, governance can evolve together with technological developments.
Create an ecosystem for audit and compliance mechanisms. This market-based approach builds on the standards from the previous step and executes technical audits and compliance reviews. Setting voluntary standards and measuring against them is good, but it can fall short without real oversight. Private sector auditing firms can provide oversight so long as those auditors meet fixed ethical and professional standards.
Set up accountability and liability for AI systems. This step outlines the responsibilities that a company must bear if its products harm people or fail to meet standards. Effective enforcement requires coordinated efforts across institutions. Congress can establish legislative foundations, including liability criteria and sector-specific regulations. It can also create mechanisms for ongoing oversight or rely on existing government agencies for enforcement. Courts will interpret statutes and resolve conflicts, setting precedents. Judicial rulings will clarify ambiguous areas and contribute to a sturdier framework.
Benefits of balance
I believe that this approach offers a balanced path forward, fostering public trust while allowing innovation to thrive. In contrast to conventional regulatory methods that impose blanket restrictions on industry, like the one adopted by the European Union, our model:
is incremental, integrating learning at each step.
draws on the existing approaches used in the U.S. for driving public policy, such as competition law, existing regulations and civil litigation.
can contribute to the development of new laws without imposing excessive burdens on companies.
draws on past voluntary commitments and industry standards, and encourages trust between the public and private sectors.
The U.S. has long led the world in technological growth and innovation. Pursuing a public-private partnership approach to AI governance should enable policymakers and industry leaders to advance their goals while balancing innovation with transparency and responsibility. We believe that our governance model is aligned with the Trump administration’s goal of removing barriers for industry but also supports the public’s desire for guardrails.
Carvão advises tech startups and invests in venture capital.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Missing man in Sau Mau Ping located ***********************************
A man who went missing in Sau Mau Ping has been located. Zhou Zhibin, aged 34, went missing after he left his residence in On Tai Estate on February 6. His family made a report to Police on February 14. The man was located on Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok in the small hours today (March 7). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Person in custody rescued from suicide dies in public hospital today ********************************************************************
A 49-year-old male person in custody at Tai Lam Correctional Institution attempted suicide on March 5. After being rescued, he was sent to a public hospital for treatment and was certified dead today (March 7). At 3.10am on March 5, the person in custody attempted suicide by hanging with a bedsheet tied to the grille bars of his dormitory. Correctional officers immediately provided first-aid treatment to the person in custody and sent him to a public hospital for treatment. After being rescued, he remained unconscious and received in-patient treatment at the public hospital. His condition deteriorated today, and he was certified dead at 12.08pm. The case has been reported to the Police. A death inquest will be held by the Coroner’s Court. The person in custody was sentenced to imprisonment for the offence of theft in February 2025.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates and launches various development works worth over Rs 2580 crore in Silvassa,Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, are our pride, our heritage: PM
Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu have reached a saturation level in several schemes: PM
Jan Aushadhi means guarantee of affordable treatment! The mantra of Jan Aushadhi is – lower prices, effective medicines: PM
We all should reduce 10% of the cooking oil in our food,manage with 10% less oil every month,This will be a significant step towards reducing obesity: PM
Posted On: 07 MAR 2025 5:59PM by PIB Delhi
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched various development works worth over ₹2580 crore in Silvassa, Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu today. He also inaugurated the Namo Hospital in Silvassa earlier to the event. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude towards the dedicated workers of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu for giving him the opportunity to connect and engage with the region. He acknowledged the warmth and the long-standing connection he has had with the people, sharing that his bond with the region is decades old. He highlighted the progress the region has made since his government came to power in 2014, transforming the potential of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu into a modern and progressive identity.
“The natural beauty of Silvassa and the love of its people, as well as Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, you all know how long my connection with you has been. This decades-old bond, the joy I feel when I come here, only you and I understand it”, Shri Modi added. The Prime Minister mentioned that when he first visited, the area was vastly different, with people questioning what could come of a small coastal region. However, he always had faith in the people of this place and their capabilities. The Prime Minister pointed out that under the leadership of his government, this faith has been transformed into progress, turning Silvassa into a cosmopolitan city, thriving with new opportunities for all its residents.
Shri Modi also shared an example of Singapore, which, in its early days, was a small fishing village. He emphasized that the transformation of Singapore happened due to the strong willpower of its people. The Prime Minister encouraged the citizens of the Union Territory to adopt a similar resolve for development, assuring them that he would stand by them, but they too must take the initiative to move forward.
“Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu is not just a Union Territory but a source of pride and heritage. This is why we are transforming the region into a model state known for its holistic development”, Shri Modi emphasized. The Prime Minister stated how he envisions the region to be recognized for its high-tech infrastructure, modern healthcare services, world-class educational institutes, tourism, blue economy, industrial progress, new opportunities for youth, and women’s participation in development.
Shri Modi noted that under the leadership of Shri Praful Patel and with the support of the central government, the region is fast progressing towards these goals. Over the last 10 years, significant progress has been made in development. The region is now emerging on the national map with a distinct identity in terms of development. Various government schemes, such as One Nation One Ration Card, Jal Jeevan Mission, BharatNet, PM Jan Dhan Yojana, PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima, and PM Suraksha Bima, have brought substantial benefits to the people, especially the underprivileged and tribal communities.
The Prime Minister announced that the next goal is to achieve 100% saturation in initiatives like Smart Cities Mission, Samagra Shiksha, and PM Mudra Yojana. He highlighted that for the first time, the government is reaching out directly to people with these welfare schemes, ensuring that every citizen benefits from the government’s plans.
The Prime Minister highlighted the transformation of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu in infrastructure, education, employment, and industrial development. He pointed out that earlier, youth from the region had to go outside for higher education, but today, the region is home to six national-level institutes. These include Namo Medical College, Gujarat National Law University, IIIT Diu, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, and the Daman Engineering College. These institutions have made Silvassa and the region a new education hub. “To further benefit the youth, seats have been reserved for them in these institutes. Earlier, I was happy to see that this is a region where education is provided in four different mediums: Hindi, English, Gujarati, and Marathi. Now, I am also proud to say that children in primary and junior schools here are studying in smart classrooms”, Shri Modi added.
Shri Modi said that in recent years, modern healthcare services have expanded significantly in the region. “In 2023, I had the opportunity to inaugurate Namo Medical College here. Along with this, a new hospital with a capacity of 450 beds has been added, which was also inaugurated today. The healthcare facilities in Silvassa will greatly benefit the tribal community in the region”, Shri Modi underscored.
The Prime Minister highlighted the significance of today’s healthcare projects, as it coincides with Jan Aushadhi Diwas. He emphasized that Jan Aushadhi ensures affordable treatment. Under this initiative, the government is providing quality hospitals, free treatment under Ayushman Bharat, and affordable medicines through Jan Aushadhi centers. More than 15,000 Jan Aushadhi centers across the country offer medicines at up to 80% lower prices. Around 40 Jan Aushadhi centers are benefiting the people of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu. The government aims to open 25,000 Jan Aushadhi centers nationwide in the future. “Since the launch of this initiative, nearly ₹6,500 crore worth of affordable medicines have been provided to the needy, saving over ₹30,000 crore for the poor and middle class. This initiative has made the treatment of several critical diseases more affordable, demonstrating the government’s sensitivity to the needs of ordinary citizens”, Shri Modi emphasised.
The Prime Minister addressed the rising concern of lifestyle diseases, particularly obesity, which has become a major health threat. He referred to a recent report predicting that by 2050, over 440 million Indians will suffer from obesity. “This alarming figure indicates that one in every three people could face serious health issues due to obesity, potentially making it a life-threatening condition”, Shri Modi stated.
To combat this, the Prime Minister urged everyone to take proactive steps to reduce obesity. He emphasized the importance of reducing the consumption of cooking oil by 10% each month, asking people to commit to using 10% less oil in their daily cooking. He also encouraged the inclusion of regular physical activity, like walking a few kilometers daily, to maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent obesity. “India is committed to achieving the vision of a developed nation. Only a healthy nation can achieve such a goal”, Shri Modi emphasised.
Shri Modi highlighted the rapid industrial growth in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu over the past decade. With the launch of the Mission Manufacturing initiative in the recent budget, the region is poised to benefit significantly. Hundreds of new industries have started, and several existing industries have expanded, attracting thousands of crores in investment. These industries are providing large-scale employment opportunities, especially for the tribal community, women, and marginalized groups. “The Gir Adarsh Jeevika Yojana has been implemented to empower SC, ST, OBC, and women, while new self-employment opportunities have been created with the establishment of small dairy farms”, Shri Modi added.
The Prime Minister underscored that tourism has also emerged as a major source of employment. The region’s beaches and rich heritage are attracting tourists from both India and abroad. Developments like the Ram Setu, Namo Path, Tent City in Daman, and the popular Night Market are enhancing the region’s appeal. Shri Modi stated that a large bird sanctuary has been established, and plans for an eco-resort in Dudhani are underway. Coastal promenade and beach development work is being carried out in Diu. “The Diu Beach Games in 2024 boosted interest in beach sports, and the Blue Flag certification has made the Ghoghla Beach in Diu a popular tourist destination. Additionally, a cable car project is being developed in Diu, offering spectacular views of the Arabian Sea, making the region one of India’s top tourist destinations”, Shri Modi added.
Highlighting the significant connectivity improvements in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said that a bullet train station is being built near Dadra, and the Mumbai-Delhi Expressway passes through Silvassa. Over the past few years, several kilometers of new roads have been constructed, with over 500 kilometers of road work currently underway, involving investments worth thousands of crores. “The region is also benefiting from the UDAN scheme, and the local airport is being upgraded to enhance connectivity. The government is committed to ensuring comprehensive development and improving infrastructure in the region”, Shri Modi added.
The Prime Minister expressed his happiness that Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu are becoming models of development, good governance, and ease of living. He pointed out that in the past, people had to visit government offices repeatedly to resolve their issues, but now most government-related tasks can be completed with just one click on their mobile phones. This new approach has greatly benefited the tribal areas that were neglected for decades. Special camps are being organized in villages to listen to people’s problems and resolve them on the spot. The Prime Minister congratulated Shri Praful Patel and his team for these efforts and assured the people that the government will continue working towards the development of the region.“I congratulate the people of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu for the successful development projects launched today. I express my heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome, affection, and respect shown by the citizens of the Union Territory”, the Prime Minister concluded.
Background
Boosting healthcare facilities in all corners of the country has been a primary focus of the Prime Minister. In line with this, he inaugurated NAMO Hospital (Phase I) in Silvassa. This 450 bedded hospital, built at the cost of over Rs 460 crore, will significantly strengthen healthcare services in the Union Territory. It will provide state-of-the-art medical care to the people in the region, especially the tribal communities.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects for the UT worth over Rs 2580 crore at Silvassa. These include various village roads and other road infrastructure, schools, health and wellness centres, Panchayat and administrative buildings, Anganwadi centres, water supply and sewage infrastructure among others. These projects aim to improve connectivity, promote industrial growth, encourage tourism, create employment opportunities and aim at enhancing public welfare initiatives in the region.
Gir Adarsh Aajeevika Yojana aims to boost economic empowerment of women belonging to scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs), other backward classes (OBCs), minorities and divyangjan in the region through setting up small dairy farms and bringing social and economic changes in their lives. The Sylvan Didi scheme is an initiative to uplift women street vendors by providing them with aesthetically designed carts, with co funding from PM SVANIDHI scheme.
A landmark day for Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu as key development projects are being launched. Speaking at a programme in Silvassa. https://t.co/re1Am2n62t
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
S for S departs for Thailand to co-ordinate rescue of six Hong Kong residents detained in Southeast Asia (with photos) ******************************************************************************************
The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, departed for Thailand earlier to participate in the co-ordination and rescue operation for six Hong Kong residents who were lured to Myanmar to engage in illegal work. Mr Tang returned to Hong Kong today (March 7), while the six residents, to be accompanied by members of the Security Bureau’s dedicated task force, will return to Hong Kong tonight. The dedicated task force, comprising members from the Security Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force and the Immigration Department, departed for Thailand earlier to participate in the rescue operation for the six Hong Kong residents who were detained in Myanmar. Upon arrival in Bangkok, the members of the dedicated task force proceeded to the Mae Sot area near the border between Thailand and Myanmar to participate in the joint rescue operation involving various parties. Mr Tang also departed for Thailand yesterday (March 6) to co-ordinate the rescue operation together with senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice, and the Police of Thailand. The six Hong Kong residents, comprising three men and three women aged between 29 and 44, were detained in Myanmar for periods ranging from five to seven months. They were sent to Mae Sot, Thailand, at midnight by the military of Myanmar after being rescued. With the assistance of Thai authorities and personnel from the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand and the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai, the dedicated task force escorted the six residents to depart from Mae Sot and arrived in Bangkok this afternoon. Mr Tang expressed gratitude to all units involved in the joint operation, including the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, frontline personnel at the Thai-Myanmar border; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand and the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai; the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Defence, the Police and the military of Thailand; as well as the relevant Myanmar authorities, the Security Bureau’s dedicated task force and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Bangkok. Mr Tang had a video meeting with the six Hong Kong residents earlier and was pleased to learn that they were safe and in good condition. They expressed gratitude to those who helped in the rescue and looked forward to returning to Hong Kong to reunite with their families later today. The dedicated task force will continue to actively follow up on the remaining three request-for-assistance cases of individuals who have yet to return to Hong Kong and will strive to facilitate their return as soon as possible.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Drug abuse and drug situation in Hong Kong in 2024 (with photos) ****************************************************************
The Action Committee Against Narcotics (ACAN) noted at its meeting today (March 7) the figures of the Central Registry of Drug Abuse (CRDA) and other drug-related figures for 2024. ACAN noticed that the total number of reported drug abusers in 2024 was lower than that in 2023. Figures from the CRDA revealed that the total number of reported drug abusers in 2024 decreased by 9 per cent (from 5 540 to 5 068) compared with that in 2023. The three most common types of drugs abused in 2024 were heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine (commonly known as “Ice”). Nevertheless, the number of reported young drug abusers aged under 21 in 2024 increased by 8 per cent (from 664 to 720), of which 226 vaped the “space oil drug”. In this group, the most common type of drugs abused was cannabis, followed by cocaine and the “space oil drug”. Since the first half of 2024, the “space oil drug” has continued to be the third most common type of drugs abused by this group. To step up the control of the “space oil drug”, the Government has listed etomidate, the main ingredient of the “space oil drug”, and its three analogues, (metomidate, propoxate and isopropoxate) as dangerous drugs. A spokesman for the Security Bureau (SB) said, “Etomidate, the main ingredient of the ‘space oil drug’, has been listed as a dangerous drug, which has significantly enhanced deterrence against ‘space oil drug’-related crimes. The move has also facilitated the law enforcement agencies to take more stringent enforcement actions against ‘space oil drug’-related crimes.” Recently, Hong Kong Customs arrested a 20-year-old man who carried a vape stick containing the suspected “space oil drug”. In addition, the Police have arrested an 18-year-old man, a 16-year-old male and a 16-year-old female on suspicion of “outraging public decency”. Police later seized “space oil drug” electronic cigarette cartridges suspected to contain etomidate from the residences of two of the arrested persons. The Police arrested the three persons on suspicion of “possession of dangerous drugs” and other offences. The Chairman of ACAN, Dr Donald Li, said, “I am glad to see that the Government has adopted the suggestions from ACAN and promptly listed the main ingredient of the ‘space oil drug’ as a dangerous drug. I suggest that the Government continues to step up anti-drug publicity on all fronts. I also hope that primary and secondary schools can take the initiative to continuously inculcate in their students the proper knowledge and values of resisting drugs.” He added, “The wickedness of the ‘space oil drug’ has been laid bare in recent controversial incidents. Teenagers who have mistaken vaping the ‘space oil drug’ as just a trivial matter should come to realise the drug harm of the ‘space oil drug’ from the cases in which young people have been arrested. I urge everyone to stay away from the ‘space oil drug’.” The Government’s new TV Announcement in the Public Interest (API), “Don’t fall into ‘space oil drug’ traps!”, has been launched on various television and radio channels. In addition, relevant advertisements and publicity materials have been displayed on public transport networks, large outdoor advertising spaces, cinemas, public housing estates, private housing estates, Community Living Rooms and villages in the New Territories, etc. The advertisements will also be pushed to mobile phone users on popular mobile application websites. Information and videos about the ‘space oil drug’ have been uploaded onto the dedicated webpage of the Narcotics Division (ND) of the SB (www.nd.gov.hk/en/space_oil_drug.html) for reference by the public. The Anti-“Space Oil Drug” Week has just been co-organised by the ND and the Education Bureau, which was held in all schools in Hong Kong. At the time, teachers and students participated together in a number of interactive activities, which included game booths and interactive drama shows, to enable students to understand the harm of the “space oil drug” and the severity of committing “space oil drug” crimes. Anti-drug education activities in schools will not stop after the Anti-“Space Oil Drug” Week. The Government will continue to spread anti-“space oil drug” messages through different activities in schools, with a view to cultivating proper values among students and building a stronger anti-drug barrier for them. As regards drug treatment and rehabilitation services, the Government will continue to foster cross-sectoral collaboration, including the social welfare, healthcare and education sectors, to enhance the awareness and handling capability of social workers, healthcare professionals and teaching staff in relation to the “space oil drug” to facilitate early identification of and assistance to “space oil drug” abusers. According to statistical figures from law enforcement agencies, the number of persons arrested for drug offences in 2024 dropped by 5 per cent (from 3 407 to 3 243) when compared with 2023. The number of young arrestees aged under 21 decreased by 7 per cent (from 323 to 301). Cannabis, cocaine and “Ice” were the main drugs involved in these arrests. According to court cases concluded for the same period, the conviction rate of persons being prosecuted for drug offences was as high as nearly 90 per cent. As for young offenders aged under 21 who were sentenced to imprisonment for drug trafficking, more than half of them were sentenced to over five years in prison, and the longest period of imprisonment was 22 years. This year marks ACAN’s 60th anniversary. ACAN and the ND are taking the opportunity to co-organise a series of commemorative events, including an interactive roving exhibition in education institutions and the community, community engagement activities and competitions, with a view to consolidating anti-drug awareness in the community. In addition, the roving exhibition features a theme zone dedicated to the 60th anniversary of ACAN, where a number of precious historical posters, photos, anti-drug videos and TV APIs are displayed. The roving exhibition is divided into different theme zones with interactive games and digital exhibition panels etc. By incorporating the old and the new, visitors will be able to learn from the past and have a better understanding of the harm caused by drugs. The next stop of the roving exhibition will take place at City University of Hong Kong from March 11 to 14. For more details of the roving exhibition, please visit the dedicated webpage on the ND’s website (www.nd.gov.hk/en/ACAN60A_exhibition.html). The statistical figures of the CRDA for 2024 are available on the ND website (www.nd.gov.hk/en/crda_main_charts_and_tables.html). The ND’s website (www.nd.gov.hk) as well as its official accounts (narcotics.divisionhk) on Facebook and Instagram also contain detailed information about drugs including the “space oil drug” for the public’s reference.
The Security Bureau announced today that six Hong Kong residents lured to Myanmar to engage in illegal work have been rescued following a joint rescue operation.
A dedicated task force, consisting of members from the bureau, the Police Force and the Immigration Department, had earlier travelled to the Mae Sot area of Thailand, near its border with Myanmar.
Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung subsequently flew to Thailand yesterday to co-ordinate the operation alongside senior officials from Thailand’s Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, and police.
The six Hong Kong residents, comprising three men and three women all aged between 29 and 44, had been detained in Myanmar for periods ranging from five to seven months. After being rescued, they were sent to Mae Sot by Myanmar’s military. With the assistance of Thai authorities, the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai, the task force escorted the six from Mae Sot to Bangkok, which they reached this afternoon.
Mr Tang had earlier held a video meeting with the citizens and was pleased to learn that they were safe and in good condition. They expressed gratitude to those who had helped in their rescue and said they looked forward to reuniting with their families in Hong Kong.
Mr Tang thanked all units involved in the joint operation, including the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China; frontline personnel at the Thai-Myanmar border; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially the Chinese Embassy in the Kingdom of Thailand and the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Chiang Mai; Thailand’s Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence, police and military; relevant authorities in Myanmar; the task force; and the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Bangkok.
Regarding three individuals who have yet to return to Hong Kong, the bureau stressed that it will actively follow up on their cases and strive to facilitate their return as soon as possible.
BOSTON – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a 25-year-old criminal alien from the Dominican Republic on charges of indecent assault and battery, assault and battery, and gross lewdness, Jan. 29.
“This arrest underscores ICE’s unyielding commitment to public safety and our resolve to hold dangerous criminal aliens accountable, no matter the obstacles,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde. “When jurisdictions fail to cooperate, ICE will take every necessary step to locate and apprehend those whose release poses a significant threat to the community.”
The U.S. Border Patrol initially arrested the illegal alien June 2022 after he unlawfully entered the United States near Rio Grande, Texas, without inspection or admission by an immigration officer. He was subsequently detained at Bluebonnet Detention Facility before being released on parole.
The Boston Police Department later arrested the alien July 1, 2024, for indecent assault and battery, assault and battery, and open and gross lewdness. ICE attempted to place an immigration detainer to transfer custody in the jail, but was forced by the noncooperative jurisdiction to conduct an operation Jan. 29 in Dorchester to apprehend the alien.
The criminal alien remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Members of the public can report crimes or suspicious activity by dialing the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston.
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