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Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe for the Southern District of Illinois departs from post

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – Rachelle Aud Crowe, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, who has served as the chief federal law enforcement officer in the district, has departed from the position, effective Feb. 18. She releases the following statement:

    “It has been my honor to serve the Southern District of Illinois as the United States Attorney. Announcing my departure accompanies many emotions, but my heart is full of gratitude.

    Working for the Department of Justice and leading an office of talented attorneys, dedicated legal staff and supportive administrative employees has been a lifelong dream. It was my privilege to guide the Department on matters of policy, procedure and management as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee.

    I have been fortunate to partner with the local, state and federal law enforcement officers to seek justice for victims and improve public safety. In addition to prosecuting hundreds of criminal cases, the office represented the government effectively in civil lawsuits and recovered millions of taxpayer dollars.

    I will cherish the time I spent at the federal courthouses. I’m thankful to the district judges for their judicial oversight, it’s been my honor to work with and learn from them. The future for the office is bright, and I’m confident the employees will continue to exceed their high standard of excellence, integrity and functionality.

    Thank you for the encouragement during my service.”

    “From the beginning, USA Crowe has been a champion of the FBI mission,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The combination of the FBI’s investigative efforts and the Southern District of Illinois’ commitment to uphold the law has brought justice for victims and made our communities a safer place to live.”

    “It’s been a pleasure working alongside U.S. Attorney Crowe,” Drug Enforcement Administration St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “She’s been a tremendous partner and we’re grateful for her service. Her commitment to helping remove the threat of drugs and those who distribute them across Southern Illinois has been invaluable.”

    “U.S. Attorney Crowe has been a tremendous partner for the Illinois State Police,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “U.S. Attorney Crowe supported our Public Safety Enforcement Group and its work, bringing charges and winning convictions in numerous criminal cases, and was instrumental in holding people accountable and bringing them to justice.”

    “United States Attorney Rachelle Crowe has been an engaged and dedicated law enforcement partner, and we thank her for her dedication in the support of ATF’s mission in Southern Illinois,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Shannon Hamm. “ On behalf of the men and women of ATF, we wish nothing but the best for United States Attorney Crow now and into the future.”

    Ali M. Summers is the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. She joined the office as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2012.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Who Robbed National Chain Stores in San Antonio Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 78 months in prison after his plea of guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery.

    According to court documents, James Anthony Kirkwood, 70, robbed six national chain stores around San Antonio between Jan. 28 and 31, 2023, using an Airsoft gun, which employees believed to be a real handgun. Over those three days, Kirkwood robbed two Dollar General stores, two Dollar Trees, a PetSmart and a Big Lots. At the time of the robberies, Kirkwood was on state parole for aggravated robbery. He was arrested Feb. 13, 2023 and pleaded guilty in July 2024.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the San Antonio Police Department investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney William Calve prosecuted the case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man charged with bribery offences in Met Counter Terrorism investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been charged with a number of bribery offences following an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing.

    Nathan Gill, 51 (06.07.1973) of North Wales, was charged via postal requisition with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, under the Criminal Law Act 1977, and with eight counts of bribery, under the Bribery Act, 2010.

    He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 24 February.

    The investigation has been led by detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command and a man was previously interviewed under caution on 3 March, 2022 in connection with bribery allegations.

    Further enquiries were carried out by officers and after authorisation by the Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division, the man was subsequently charged as above.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Milton — Ontario RCMP shuts down prolific Cyber-fraudsters

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Two Toronto residents are facing criminal charges after allegedly defrauding hundreds of Canadian victims out of millions of dollars. The couple are believed to have used technology that allowed them to conceal their phone number in order to pose as bank, government or police employees to deceive their victims and trick them out of their hard-earned savings.

    iSpoof.cc” was a website used by as many as 38,000 subscribers worldwide to make unauthorized phone calls while displaying a caller ID falsely indicating that they were legitimate callers. This particular technology allowed criminals to purchase a subscription in order to use the service to impersonate trusted corporations. The Toronto couple is believed to be among the top 50 most active subscribers in the world.

    Ontario RCMP’s Cybercrime Investigative Team (CIT) Toronto conducted search warrants on the residence belonging to the suspects which has yielded a trove of seized items including electronic devices. Investigators will conduct analysis on these devices to uncover further evidence of these crimes, which were responsible for de-frauding at least 570 victims out of millions of dollars in Canada. We expect the number of identified victims will increase as a result of the execution of search warrants yesterday.

    According to the Cybercrime unit, the couple used a variety of different spoofing, phishing and smishing schemes to target their victims.

    Chakib Mansouri (29) and Majdouline Alouah (31) face the following charges:

    • Fraud, contrary to section 380(1) of the Criminal Code
    • Unauthorized use of Computer contrary to section 342.1 of the Criminal Code
    • Laundering Proceeds of Crime, contrary to section 462.31 of the Criminal Code
    • Unauthorized Possession of Credit Card Data, contrary to section 430(1.1) of the Criminal Code
    • Possessing the Proceeds of Crime, contrary to section 354 of the Criminal Code

    Both suspects were arrested and remanded to Maplehurst and Vanier and will appear remotely in Court at 10a.m. on February 21st, Ontario Court of Justice, 2201 Finch Avenue West, Toronto.

    The Cybercrime Unit would like to thank the following partners, the London Metropolitan Police, the Dutch National Police, EUROPOL, EUROJUST, Toronto Police, Peel Regional Police, FINTRAC, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), and the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (NC3) for all the hard work and collaboration provided during the course of the investigation.

    “This investigation underscores the critical importance of international cooperation in the global fight against cybercrime. In our interconnected world where cyber threats transcend borders, collaboration between law enforcement agencies, both domestically and internationally, is essential. The work we do together exemplifies our commitment to holding cyber criminals accountable and protecting Canadians.

    The impact of this type of cybercrime has devastating impacts on our families and communities. I encourage all Canadians to help protect themselves by learning to be cyber safe. If you think you have been targeted by cyber criminals, please call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.”

    — Lina Dabit, Inspector in charge of Cybercrime Investigative Team Toronto, Central Region RCMP

    Fast Facts

    The RCMP Cybercrime Investigative Team (CIT) Toronto investigates the highest levels of cybercrime threatening Canadians and our national interests. This includes cybercrime directed against:

    • Institutions of government
    • Critical infrastructure of national importance
    • Key Canadian institutions and businesses with a high economic impact

    Working in partnership with domestic and international partners to investigate, prosecute, and disrupt significant threats within the cybercrime ecosystem including criminals who develop malware, provide cybercrime services and infrastructure, and facilitate attacks against critical infrastructure, including Foreign State actors and advanced persistent threats.

    The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre processed 49,432 reports in 2024 representing 34,621 victims who lost a total of $638,000,000.

    If you have any information relating to this or any other acts of fraud contact local police, or one of the contacts below:

    • The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501
    • Anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), at any time

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: European courts provide increased clarity on women seeking international protection, EUAA report finds

    Source: European Asylum Support Office

    In 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) handed down three landmark judgments providing national authorities with more clarity when assessing applications for international protection lodged by women faced with different forms of gender-based violence. A new EUAA report examines how these EU-level and national court decisions are guiding national practices to shift to a more gender-sensitive approach in international protection.

    The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has published a report examining how courts interpreted the legal grounds to grant international protection to women fleeing violence and systematic discrimination. Over the last five years, there has been a significant legal shift in recognising and protecting this profile of applicants, with three landmark rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in 2024 providing clearer legal grounds to Member States’ national authorities, as they consider asylum applications due to persecution or serious harm based on gender.

    In 2024, the CJEU ruled that women who are subjected to systematically imposed discriminatory measures by the State, amounting to persecution, may qualify for international protection on account of their gender and nationality. Already prior to this judgment, some national authorities had adapted their policies following the EUAA’s Country Guidance on Afghanistan of January 2023, which then served as one of the main sources for the judgment of the CJEU. The Agency continues to work closely with Member States’ national authorities to help ensure that this jurisprudence is then reflected in national practices. Courts in Denmark, France, Germany and Luxembourg applied this reasoning after hearing appeals on negative decisions from Afghan women who, were then, granted refugee status.

    The EUAA report highlights how, between 2020 and 2024, European courts have established case law that increasingly acknowledges persecution on account of gender; and, identifies the risk profiles of women who might then be members of a ‘particular social group’, as defined in the recast Qualification Directive. The case law referenced in the report notes that the risk profiles include women fleeing forced marriage, divorced women targeted by honour crimes, victims of sexual violence, women accused of witchcraft, women who have had an illegal abortion and those fleeing female genital mutilation/cutting.

    National courts in Finland, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands and Portugal also overturned decisions of asylum authorities when they failed to assess the need for special procedural guarantees that aim to ensure that women can effectively participate in the procedure for international protection. The cases highlighted the need to transfer vulnerable women from the border or accelerated procedure to the regular procedure for international protection, with sufficient safeguards in place.

    Background

    The cases presented in the report are extracted from the EUAA Case Law Database, a public database which serves as a centralised platform on jurisprudential developments related to international protection. It contains English language summaries of judgments related to international protection which are pronounced by national courts of EU+ countries, the CJEU, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and quasi-judicial bodies of the United Nations and the Human Rights Committee (CCPR).

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet – in his first term, Trump was pretty tough on Putin

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Tatsiana Kulakevich, Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, University of South Florida

    Traditional Russian wooden nesting dolls depict U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a gift shop in Moscow on Feb. 13, 2025. Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP via Getty Images

    The United States’ steadfast allegiance to Ukraine during that country’s three-year war against Russia appears to be quickly disintegrating under the Trump administration. President Donald Trump on Feb. 19, 2025, called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “a dictator” and falsely blamed him for the war that Russia initiated as part of a land grab in the countries’ border regions.

    Zelenskyy, meanwhile, said on Feb. 19 that Trump is trapped in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “disinformation space.”

    The intensifying bitterness comes as the U.S. and Russia started talks in Saudi Arabia, without including Ukraine, on how to end the conflict.

    The U.S. and Russia have long been adversaries, and the U.S., to date, has given Ukraine more than US$183 billion to help fight against Russia. But that funding came when Joe Biden was president. Trump does not appear to be similarly inclined toward Ukraine.

    Amy Lieberman, a politics editor at The Conversation U.S., spoke with Tatsiana Kulakevich, a scholar of Eastern European politics and international relations, to understand the implications of this sudden shift in U.S.-Russia policy under Trump.

    Kulakevich sees Trump’s moves that could be perceived as self-interested as instead part of a calculated strategy in preliminary discussions.

    An airplane passenger reads a Financial Times article about U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 19, 2025.
    Horacio Villalobos Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

    Can you explain the current dynamic between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia?

    People should not panic because the U.S. and Russia are only holding exploratory talks. We should not call them peace talks, per se, at least not yet. It was to be expected that Ukraine was not invited to the talks in Saudi Arabia because there is nothing to talk about yet. We don’t know what the U.S. and Russia are actually discussing besides agreeing to restore the normal functioning of each other’s diplomatic missions.

    People are perceiving the U.S. and Russia as being in love. However, Trump’s Russia policy has been more hawkish than often portrayed in the media. Looking at the record from the previous Trump administration, we can see that if something is not in the interests of the U.S., that is not going to be done. Trump does not do favors.

    He approved anti-tank missile sales to Ukraine in 2019. That same year, Trump withdrew from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, an agreement with Russia that limited what weapons each country could purchase, over Russian violations.

    In 2019, Trump also issued economic sanctions against a Russian ship involved in building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. These sanctions tried to block Russia’s direct gas exports to Germany – this connection between Russia and Germany was seen by Ukraine as an economic threat.

    Based on Trump’s talks with Russia and remarks against Ukraine, it could seem like the U.S. and Russia are no longer adversaries. How do you perceive this?

    There are no clear indications that Russia and the U.S. have ceased to be adversaries. Despite Trump’s occasional use of terms like “friends” in diplomacy, his rhetoric often serves as a tactical maneuver rather than a genuine shift in alliances. A key example is his engagement with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, where Trump alternated between flattery and threats to extract concessions.

    Even if the U.S. is meeting with Russia and the public narrative seems to say otherwise, strategically, abandoning Ukraine is not in the United States’ best interests. One reason why is because the U.S. turning away from Ukraine would make Russia happy and China happy. Trump has treated China as a primary threat to the U.S., and China has supported Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also still saying that everyone, including Ukraine, will be at the table for eventual peace talks.

    The allegations that Russia was holding some information over Trump and blackmailing him started long before this presidential term and did not stop Trump from imposing countermeasures on Russia during his first term. The first Trump administration took more than 50 policy actions to counter Moscow, primarily in the form of public statements and sanctions.

    What does the U.S. gain from developing a diplomatic relationship with Russia?

    Trump is a transactional politician. American companies could profit from the U.S. aligning with Russia and Russian companies, as some Russian officials have said during the recent Saudi Arabia talks with the Trump administration. But the U.S. could also benefit economically from the Trump’s administration’s proposed deal with Ukraine to give the U.S. half of Ukraine’s estimated $11.5 trillion in rare earth minerals.

    Zelenskyy rejected that proposal this week, saying it does not come with the promise that the U.S. will continue to give security guarantees to Ukraine.

    Historically, since the Cold War, there has been a diplomatic triangle between the Soviet Union – later Russia – China and the U.S. And there has always been one side fighting against the two other sides. Trump trying to develop a better diplomatic relationship with Russia might mean he is trying to distance Russia from China.

    A similar dynamic is playing out between the U.S. and Belarus’ authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, a co-aggressor in the war in Ukraine. Lukashenko is close with both Russia and China. The U.S. administration is looking to relax sanctions on Belarusian banks and exports of potash, a key ingredient in fertilizer, in exchange for the release of Belarusian political opposition members who are imprisoned. There are over 1,200 political prisoners in Belarus. This U.S. foreign policy strategy is aimed at providing Lukashenko with room to grow less economically dependent on Russia and China.

    A worker clears snow from a cemetery in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on Feb. 17, 2025. More than 46,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in combat since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
    Pierre Crom/Getty Images

    Is this level of collaboration between the U.S. and Russia unprecedented?

    While U.S.-Russia relations are often defined by rivalry, history shows that pragmatic cooperation has occurred when both nations saw mutual benefits – whether this relates to arms control, space, counterterrorism, Arctic affairs or health.

    Moreover, the U.S. has always prioritized its own interests in its relationship with Russia. For example, the U.S. and its allies imposed sanctions on Russia’s uranium and nickel industries only in May 2024, over two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This was due to the United States’ strategic economic dependencies and concerns about market stability if it sanctioned uranium and nickel.

    Even after Russia invaded Crimea – an area of Ukraine that Russia claims as its own – in 2014 and provided support for Russian separatists in Ukraine’s Donbass region, the U.S. and other Western countries imposed largely symbolic sanctions. This included freezing assets of Russian individuals, restricting some financial transactions and limiting Russia’s access to Western technology.

    We should also notice that Trump in January 2025 promised to sanction Russia if it does not end the Ukraine war. The U.S. still has not removed any existing sanctions, which signals its commitment to a tough stance on Russia, despite perceptions of a close relationship between Trump and Putin.

    Given Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy, his tough rhetoric on Zelenskyy could be a deliberate negotiation strategy aimed at pressuring Ukraine into making greater concessions in potential peace talks, rather than signaling abandonment.

    Tatsiana Kulakevich 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.

    – ref. Trump’s move to closer ties with Russia does not mean betrayal of Ukraine, yet – in his first term, Trump was pretty tough on Putin – https://theconversation.com/trumps-move-to-closer-ties-with-russia-does-not-mean-betrayal-of-ukraine-yet-in-his-first-term-trump-was-pretty-tough-on-putin-250359

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump order boosts school choice, but there’s little evidence vouchers lead to smarter students or better educational outcomes

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Charles J. Russo, Joseph Panzer Chair in Education and Research Professor of Law, University of Dayton

    Surveys suggest growing support for school choice, such as in Ohio, even as voters reject such policies in referendums. AP Photo/Samantha Hendrickson

    The school choice movement received a major boost on Jan. 29, 2025, when President Donald Trump issued an executive order supporting families who want to use public money to send their children to private schools.

    The far-reaching order aims to redirect federal funds to voucher-type programs. Vouchers typically afford parents the freedom to select nonpublic schools, including faith-based ones, using all or a portion of the public funds set aside to educate their children.

    But research shows that as a consequence, this typically drains funding from already cash-strapped public schools.

    We are professors who focus on education law, with special interests in educational equity and school choice programs. While proponents of school choice claim it leads to academic gains, we don’t see much evidence to support this view – but we do see the negative impact they sometimes have on public schools.

    The rise of school choice

    The vast majority of children in the U.S. attend traditional public schools. Their share, however, has steadily declined from 87% in 2011 to about 83% in 2021, at least in part due to the growth of school choice programs such as vouchers.

    Modern voucher programs expanded significantly during the late 1980s and early 1990s as states, cities and local school boards experimented with ways to allow parents to use public funds to send their kids to nonpublic schools, especially ones that are religiously affiliated.

    While some programs were struck down for violating the separation of church and state, others were upheld. Vouchers received a big shot in the arm in 2002, when the Supreme Court ruled in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris that the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause permitted states to include faith-based schools in their voucher programs in Cleveland.

    Following Zelman, vouchers became a more realistic political option. Even so, access to school choice programs varied greatly by state and was not as dramatic as supporters may have wished. Because the Constitution is silent on education, states largely control school voucher programs.

    Currently, 13 states and Washington, D.C., offer one or several school choice programs targeting different types of students. Total U.S. enrollment in such programs surpassed 1 million for the first time in 2024, double what it was in 2020, according to EdChoice, which advocates for school-choice policies.

    Voters, however, have taken a dim view of voucher programs. By one count, they’ve turned down referendums on vouchers 17 times, according to the National Coalition for Public Education, a group that opposes the policy.

    Most recently, three states rejected school choice programs in the November 2024 elections. Kentucky voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to enshrine school choice into commonwealth law, while Nebraska voters chose to repeal its voucher program. Colorado also rejected a “right” to school choice, but more narrowly.

    In 2025, Tennessee became the 13th state to pass some sort of school choice program, despite opposition from public school supporters.
    AP Photo/George Walker IV

    Trump’s order

    At its heart, Trump’s executive order would offer discretionary grants and issue guidance to states over using federal funds within this K-12 scholarship program. It also directs the Department of Interior and Department of Defense to make vouchers available to Native American and military families.

    In addition, the order directs the Department of Education to provide guidance on how states can better support school choice – though it’s unclear exactly what that will mean. It’s a task that will be left for Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee for secretary of Education, once she is confirmed.

    Trump promoted school choice in his first term as well but failed to win enough congressional support to include it in the federal budget.

    Research suggests few academic gains from vouchers

    The push to give parents more choice over where to send their children is based on the assumption that doing so will provide them with a better education.

    In the order, Trump specifically cites disappointing data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showing that 70% of eighth graders are below proficient in reading, while 72% are below proficient in mathematics.

    Voucher advocates point to research that school choice boosts test scores and improves educational attainment.

    But other data don’t always back up the notion that school choice policies meaningfully improve student outcomes. A 2023 review of the past decade of research on the topic by the Brookings Institution found that the introduction of a voucherlike program actually led to lower academic achievement – similar to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    A 2017 review by a Stanford economist Martin Carnoy published by the Economic Policy Institute similarly found little evidence vouchers improve school outcomes. While there were some modest gains in graduation rates, they were outweighed by the risks to funding public school systems.

    Indeed, vouchers have been shown to reduce funding to public schools, especially in rural areas, and hurt public education in other ways, such as by making it harder for schools to afford qualified teachers.

    Critics of voucher programs also fear that nonpublic schools may discriminate
    against some students    , such as those who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. There are some reports of this already happening in Wisconsin. Unlike legislation governing traditional public schools, state laws regulating voucher programs often do not include comprehensive anti-discrimination provisions.

    School reform

    Criticisms of voucher programs aside, many parents who support them do so based on the hope that their children will have more affordable, high-quality educational options. This was especially true in Zelman, in which the Supreme Court upheld the rights of parents to remove their kids from Cleveland’s struggling public schools.

    There is little doubt in our minds that in some cases school choice affords some parents in low-performing districts additional options for their children’s education.

    But in general, the evidence shows that is the exception to vouchers, not the rule. Evidence also suggests most children – whether they’re using vouchers to attend nonpublic schools or remain in the public school system – may not always benefit from school choice programs. And when it takes money out of underfunded public school systems, school choice can make things worse for a lot more children than it benefits.

    While the poor reading and math scores cited in Trump’s executive order suggest that change is needed to help keep America’s school and students competitive, this order may not achieve that goal.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trump order boosts school choice, but there’s little evidence vouchers lead to smarter students or better educational outcomes – https://theconversation.com/trump-order-boosts-school-choice-but-theres-little-evidence-vouchers-lead-to-smarter-students-or-better-educational-outcomes-249138

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deer Lake — Traffic stop by Deer Lake RCMP results in seizure of cocaine, cash and contraband tobacco, two men arrested

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Two men, 44-year-old Shannon Payne of Rocky Harbour and 45-year-old Stephen Goudie of Deer Lake, were arrested by Deer Lake RCMP at a traffic stop that was conducted last night. Police located and seized a quantity of cocaine, cash and contraband tobacco.

    Shortly before midnight on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, Deer Lake RCMP stopped a vehicle on the Trans-Canada Highway near St. Jude’s. Officers observed suspected cocaine inside the vehicle, arrested both vehicle occupants, Payne and Goudie, and conducted a search.

    The following items were seized:

    • More than 1 kg of cocaine (approximate value of $35,000)
    • 100 cartons of contraband cigarettes (approximate value of $10,000)
    • A quantity of cash
    • Other items consistent with possession for the purpose of drug trafficking.

    Both men appear in court today, charged with the following criminal offences:

    • Possession for the purpose of trafficking cocaine – Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
    • Possession of unstamped tobacco – Excise Act, 2001.
    • Possession of contraband tobacco – Revenue Administration Act

    RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Global: Our research on dark web forums reveals the growing threat of AI-generated child abuse images

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Simon Bailey, Chair, International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute, Anglia Ruskin University

    Ventura/Shutterstock

    The UK aims to be the first country in the world to create new offences related to AI-generated sexual abuse. New laws will make it illegal to possess, create or distribute AI tools designed to generate child sexual abuse material (CSAM), punishable by up to five years in prison. The laws will also make it illegal for anyone to possess so-called “paedophile manuals” which teach people how to use AI to sexually abuse children.

    In the last few decades, the threat against children from online abuse has multiplied at a concerning rate. According to the Internet Watch Foundation, which tracks down and removes abuse from the internet, there has been an 830% rise in online child sexual abuse imagery since 2014. The prevalence of AI image generation tools is fuelling this further.

    Last year, we at the International Policing and Protection Research Institute at Anglia Ruskin University published a report on the growing demand for AI-generated child sexual abuse material online.

    Researchers analysed chats that took place in dark web forums over the previous 12 months. We found evidence of growing interest in this technology, and of online offenders’ desire for others to learn more and create abuse images.

    Horrifyingly, forum members referred to those creating the AI-imagery as “artists”. This technology is creating a new world of opportunity for offenders to create and share the most depraved forms of child abuse content.

    Our analysis showed that members of these forums are using non-AI-generated images and videos already at their disposal to facilitate their learning and train the software they use to create the images. Many expressed their hopes and expectations that the technology would evolve, making it even easier for them to create this material.

    Dark web spaces are hidden and only accessible through specialised software. They provide offenders with anonymity and privacy, making it difficult for law enforcement to identify and prosecute them.

    The Internet Watch Foundation has documented concerning statistics about the rapid increase in the number of AI-generated images they encounter as part of their work. The volume remains relatively low in comparison to the scale of non-AI images that are being found, but the numbers are growing at an alarming rate.

    The charity reported in October 2023 that a total of 20,254 AI generated imaged were uploaded in a month to one dark web forum. Before this report was published, little was known about the threat.

    The harms of AI abuse

    The perception among offenders is that AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery is a victimless crime, because the images are not “real”. But it is far from harmless, firstly because it can be created from real photos of children, including images that are completely innocent.

    While there is a lot we don’t yet know about the impact of AI-generated abuse specifically, there is a wealth of research on the harms of online child sexual abuse, as well as how technology is used to perpetuate or worsen the impact of offline abuse. For example, victims may have continuing trauma due to the permanence of photos or videos, just knowing the images are out there. Offenders may also use images (real or fake) to intimidate or blackmail victims.

    These considerations are also part of ongoing discussions about deepfake pornography, the creation of which the government also plans to criminalise.



    Read more:
    Deepfake porn: why we need to make it a crime to create it, not just share it

    All of these issues can be exacerbated with AI technology. Additionally, there is also likely to be a traumatic impact on moderators and investigators having to view abuse images in the finest details to identify if they are “real” or “generated” images.

    What can the law do?

    UK law currently outlaws the taking, making, distribution and possession of an indecent image or a pseudo-photograph (a digitally-created photorealistic image) of a child.

    But there are currently no laws that make it an offence to possess the technology to create AI child sexual abuse images. The new laws should ensure that police officers will be able to target abusers who are using or considering using AI to generate this content, even if they are not currently in possession of images when investigated.

    New laws on AI tools should help investigators crack down on offenders even if they do not have images in their possession.
    Pla2na/Shutterstock

    We will always be behind offenders when it comes to technology, and law enforcement agencies around the world will soon be overwhelmed. They need laws designed to help them identify and prosecute those seeking to exploit children and young people online.

    It is welcome news that the government is committed to taking action, but it has to be fast. The longer the legislation takes to enact, the more children are at risk of being abused.

    Tackling the global threat will also take more than laws in one country. We need a whole-system response that starts when new technology is being designed. Many AI products and tools have been developed for entirely genuine, honest and non-harmful reasons, but they can easily be adapted and used by offenders looking to create harmful or illegal material.

    The law needs to understand and respond to this, so that technology cannot be used to facilitate abuse, and so that we can differentiate between those using tech to harm, and those using it for good.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Our research on dark web forums reveals the growing threat of AI-generated child abuse images – https://theconversation.com/our-research-on-dark-web-forums-reveals-the-growing-threat-of-ai-generated-child-abuse-images-249067

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Eighth man charged in ongoing National Security Act related investigation

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Counter Terrorism Policing detectives have charged an eighth person in relation to an ongoing investigation linked to offences under the National Security Act.

    Ashton Evans [K], 20 (11.01.2005) of Newport, Gwent, was charged on Wednesday 19 February with possession with intent to supply class A drugs, contrary to section 5(3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971 and with failing to report information about acts of terrorism, contrary to section 38B of the Terrorism Act, 2000.

    In addition, Dylan Earl [A] was also further charged via postal requisition in February with possession with intent to supply class A drugs, contrary to section 5 (3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971 and possession of criminal property, contrary to section 329 of the Proceeds of Crime Act, 2002.

    The charges were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service following ongoing liaison with the investigation team and Evans is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court from 14:00hrs on Thursday, 20 February.

    Earl is due to appear at the same court on 26 February.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Remarks by SCST at media session (with video)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Remarks by SCST at media session (with video)
    Remarks by SCST at media session (with video)
    *********************************************

         Following are the remarks by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at a media session about the Kai Tak Sports Park grand opening ceremony and arrangements for purchasing tickets to the ceremony today (February 20): Reporter: Would the Government do real-name registration to counter ticket scalping? For people from overseas, how could they tune in to the ceremony? Will there be live signal on Youtube, or any other kind of platforms? Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism: For overseas viewers, they can also view through the apps or through the channels of our different free TV channels, through their apps, through the arrangements. They can watch it together with Hong Kong audience at 9.30pm at home in their countries or in their areas. There is no problem.      For scalping, first of all, we are selling the tickets through URBTIX. We have, of course, a series of different arrangements to ensure that fair arrangements for ticketing will be introduced and implemented. Secondly, it is also important to remind everybody that scalping is actually illegal in respect of shows staged in Kai Tak Sports Park. I invite and I urge all viewers and supporters of the event to get their tickets through the normal channel, through the proper official channel. And if you fail to do so, it doesn’t really matter because we have arranged free TV broadcast that particular night at 9.30pm, so there is no need really for any scalping, or to support these ticketing arrangements. Reporter: What considerations have been made regarding the Government’s deficit for the budget of the ceremony? Second question is, in terms of tickets, where would the proceeds go to? Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism: Without excluding costs, all the proceeds will go to the Community Chest of Hong Kong for charitable use. For the budget, of course, given the size of the Main Stadium of Kai Tak Sports Park and given also the involvement of quite a number of crews, staff members, given the involvement of a series of different settings, and also multi-visual and multimedia channels, we of course have included or reserved sufficient production budget for the event.           But we will also be very mindful of ensuring that we will do it very, very efficiently and effectively. And I have to give special thanks to all the participating artists, actors and performers. Most of them actually do not require us to provide special remuneration aside from the minimum (cost), for example, the make-up or hair-do, the minimum for the performance. We are really, truly grateful for their participation, for their support and for their generosity.           Let me assure everybody that we will be very, very careful to make sure that the opening ceremony would be staged with a reasonable budget. The cost is capped to a minimum, but still (the event is) spectacular and enjoyable.  (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

     
    Ends/Thursday, February 20, 2025Issued at HKT 19:55

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government to Establish ‘Ambedkar Chair’ and Student Facilities at Mumbai University: Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar at ‘Samvidhan Amrit Mahotsav’

    Source: Government of India

    Government to Establish ‘Ambedkar Chair’ and Student Facilities at Mumbai University: Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar at ‘Samvidhan Amrit Mahotsav’

    Rights Must Be Balanced with Duties: Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar

    Mumbai University Has Shaped India’s Legal and Social Landscape: Secretary, Ministery for Social Justice & Empowerment, Amit Yadav

    Posted On: 20 FEB 2025 4:13PM by PIB Mumbai

    Mumbai, 20th February 2025

    Marking the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution, Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar, addressed a gathering at the ‘Samvidhan Amrit Mahotsav’ in the University of Mumbai, today. In his keynote address, Dr. Kumar emphasized the government’s commitment to furthering the ideals of social justice, equality, and empowerment inspired by Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Constitution.

    Dr. Kumar highlighted several initiatives designed to uplift the underprivileged and further Dr. Ambedkar’s vision of inclusive growth and equality. “The government will establish an ‘Ambedkar Chair’ at the University of Mumbai, similar to those in other universities, to promote research on Dr. Ambedkar’s contributions and his vision for the nation,” he stated. He further announced plans to set up two new hostels at the university to support students. Additionally, as part of the government’s initiative to assist students from marginalised communities preparing for competitive exams, a dedicated coaching center will be established at Mumbai University, following the successful implementation of similar centers in other institutions.

    In his address, Dr. Kumar also appealed to the youth of India as part of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, urging them to lead the way in combating substance abuse and to protect not only themselves but also their communities.

    Reflecting on Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar’s profound connection to the University of Mumbai, where he completed his education, Dr. Kumar said, “Dr. Ambedkar’s journey from a student in this very institution to becoming the architect of our Constitution is a testament to his determination and vision for India. His work did not just provide a legal framework but envisioned a social and economic democracy that is still the guiding force behind the government’s policies.”

    The Minister noted how the Constitution not only guarantees fundamental rights but also emphasizes responsibilities. “We must recognise that while we focus on our rights, we must equally embrace our duties towards the society. This balance is essential for the true realisation of the democracy Dr. Ambedkar dreamed of,” he stated. The Union Minister concluded by reiterating Dr. Ambedkar’s belief that “political democracy is incomplete without social and economic democracy,” and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fulfilling these ideals.

    Secretary, M/o Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Amit Yadav, in his remarks, stated, “This event is a reminder of the powerful role Mumbai University has played in India’s legal and social evolution. One of the finest leaders this university produced was Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who not only earned his degree here but also taught, leaving behind a legacy of change.”

    Minister for Higher Education, Govt. of Maharashtra, Shri Chandrakant Patil, Vice-Chancellor, University of Mumbai, Prof. Ravindra Kulkarni, Director, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, Shri Anil Kumar Patil were also present during the event. The event was attended by students and faculty of the University of Mumbai.

     

    DL/PM

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    (Release ID: 2104990) Visitor Counter : 75

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NHRC, India takes suo motu cognizance of the reported death of two persons and injuries to two others while cleaning a septic tank in Nandigram Block of Vekutia village in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal

    Source: Government of India

    NHRC, India takes suo motu cognizance of the reported death of two persons and injuries to two others while cleaning a septic tank in Nandigram Block of Vekutia village in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal

    Issues notices to the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, Purba Medinipur calling for a detailed report within two weeks

    The report is expected to include the status of the investigation as well as compensation, if any paid to the next of kin of the deceased persons

    Posted On: 20 FEB 2025 2:36PM by PIB Delhi

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognizance of the media report that two persons died and two others of the same family got injured after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning a septic tank in Nandigram Block of Vekutia village in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal.

    The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise a serious issue of violation of the human rights of the victims. Therefore, it has issued notices to the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, Purba Medinipur, West Bengal calling for a detailed report within two weeks.

    The report is expected to include the status of the investigation of the cases as well as compensation, if any paid to the next of kin of the deceased persons.

    According to the media report, carried on 16th February, 2025, the person who first entered the septic tank to clean it cried for help after inhaling poisonous gas. Hearing his cries, three of his family members rushed to rescue him but they also inhaled the toxic gas and lost consciousness. All four were rushed to the hospital but only two of them survived.

    ***

     

    NSK

    (Release ID: 2104941) Visitor Counter : 40

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Correctional Services Department Annual Review 2024 (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Correctional Services Department Annual Review 2024 (with photos)
    Correctional Services Department Annual Review 2024 (with photos)
    *****************************************************************

         The following is the translation of the speech given by the Commissioner of Correctional Services, Mr Wong Kwok-hing, at the annual press conference today (February 20): Foreword      The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance officially came into effect upon gazettal in 2024, reflecting the determination of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to safeguard national security and building momentum for stable social development. Shouldering the missions of safeguarding national security and maintaining social stability, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) was committed to ensuring the effective delivery of its custodial and rehabilitation work in the past year. At the same time, the CSD has been actively extending its reach beyond the prison walls to proactively promote support for offender rehabilitation and conduct crime prevention education in the community through utilising the CSD’s unique resources, with a view to nurturing young people into law-abiding social leaders. (1) Overview of penal population      In 2024, the number of admissions to correctional institutions (including convicted persons, remands and detainees) increased 7 per cent to 18 438 as compared with 2023. In addition, the average daily penal population at correctional institutions also increased significantly to 9 550 persons in 2024 from 8 498 persons in 2023, representing an increase of 12 per cent. The average daily occupancy rate also rose from 75 per cent to 85 per cent.      The year-on-year rate of increase in the average daily number of remands has been over 15 per cent since 2021. The respective number of persons stood high at 3 650 in 2024, representing an increase of 18 per cent as compared with 3 096 persons in 2023, which hit a new record high since 2000.       On the other hand, since 2021, the CSD has assisted to detain adult detainees who are non-Hong Kong residents detained under the Immigration Ordinance. The number of detainees increased by 36 per cent, from 580 in 2023 to 787 in 2024, while the average daily number of detainees substantially increased by 72 per cent from 185 in 2023 to 318 in 2024.       In 2024, the number of admissions to correctional institutions owing to their involvement in offences relating to the black-clad violence (including riots, unlawful assembly) and their contravention of the Hong Kong National Security Law/Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was 410 (64 of them were involved in the contravention of the Hong Kong National Security Law/Safeguarding National Security Ordinance). Compared to 950 in 2023, the number of such admissions dropped by 540, representing a decrease of 57 per cent. As at December 31, 2024, the number of persons in custody involved in offences relating to the black-clad violence and those contravening the Hong Kong National Security Law/Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was 591, representing a decrease of 24 per cent as compared to 776 in 2023.      In response to the ever-changing penal population, especially the increasing population of remands, the CSD has deployed part of the capacity of individual correctional institutions to admit remands in order to alleviate the overcrowding situation of the reception centre. Moreover, the Department has already commenced the in-situ partial redevelopment of Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, which will increase its capacity for admitting adult male remands in the long run. The Department will continue to closely monitor the changes in penal population and flexibly redeploy resources having regard to the actual operational needs to adjust the capacity for persons on remand in a timely manner. (2) Custodial work      Despite the increasing number of admissions and the growing penal population in the past year, which posed formidable challenges to both the governance and security of correctional institutions, correctional officers continued to stay united and stand fast to their posts. With the continued adoption of the nip-in-the-bud strategy, under which intelligence collection and search operations were stepped up, coupled with the application of technology and the upgrading of facilities and equipment, we strived to combat illicit activities and acts of indiscipline, thereby maintaining the good order and discipline of correctional institutions.      With regard to intercepting the smuggling of dangerous drugs into institutions, under the intensive measures by the Department, there were only six seizure cases of suspected dangerous drugs last year, representing a significant decrease of over 60 per cent as compared with 16 cases in 2023. Five of the cases were found in body-cavity concealment of newly admitted persons in custody; and the remaining one case was found in the mail sent to a person in custody. In addition, the Department continued to take a proactive approach by conducting a total of 12 547 joint search/special search/night raid operations in correctional institutions last year, covering 20 589 locations. Mobile X-ray scanners were also introduced to enhance the efficacy of search operations and strengthen the deterrent effect.          In 2024, as the number of admissions to and the penal population of correctional institutions kept increasing, the number of cases involving acts of indiscipline and violent acts among persons in custody also rose. In 2024, the number of disciplinary charges against persons in custody was 6 393. Counted against the penal population, there were 669 disciplinary cases per 1 000 persons in custody, representing an increase of 7 per cent as compared with 628 cases in 2023. The top three charges were “offending good order and discipline”, “possession of any unauthorised article” and “disobeying the orders of correctional officers”, which accounted for 35 per cent, 28 per cent and 18 per cent of the total number of disciplinary charges respectively. In 2024, a total of 3 412 persons in custody were subject to disciplinary charges, representing an increase of 401 persons or 13 per cent as compared with 3 011 persons in 2023. Among them, 618 committed disciplinary offences three or more times, involving 2 837 disciplinary charges, which accounted for 44 per cent of the total number of disciplinary charges.      In 2024, a total of 382 cases involving violent acts were recorded, representing an increase of 9 per cent as compared with 351 cases in 2023. These cases mainly involved fighting among persons in custody and assaulting others. Among these cases, 26 cases of a more serious nature were referred to the Police for follow-up, representing an increase of 18 per cent as compared to 22 cases in 2023. The number of correctional officers who were injured after being attacked or while stopping violent acts was 20, representing an increase of 33 per cent as compared to 15 in 2023.       In 2024, five cases of concerted acts of indiscipline among persons in custody were recorded, representing an increase of one case over 2023. The number of participants involved in the above incidents was 49 in total.      To maintain the good order and discipline of correctional institutions, apart from combating various kinds of acts of indiscipline through strict law enforcement by institutional staff, the Regional Response Team carried out a total of four operations in 2024 to support the security work of correctional institutions, which involved the handling of incidents like collective actions against the institutional management and group fights among persons in custody.       Apart from combating illicit activities and acts of indiscipline among persons in custody, correctional officers must stay vigilant at all times to detect and prevent any self-harm acts by persons in custody. Under the concerted efforts of correctional officers, a total of 18 self-harm cases were recorded in 2024, representing a significant decrease of 40 per cent as compared with 30 cases in 2023. (3) Rehabilitation      In 2024, the Department enhanced its rehabilitation work on all fronts by fully implementing various measures, including strengthening the determination of persons in custody to rehabilitate, extending the reach of rehabilitation programmes beyond the prison walls, and making an all-out effort to seek participation in and support for rehabilitation work from all sectors of the community, with a view to assisting persons in custody to turn over a new leaf and reintegrate into society.      To address the special rehabilitation needs of persons in custody involved in the black-clad violence and contravening the Hong Kong National Security Law/ Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, the Department continued to launch a number of diversified rehabilitation programmes under the Project PATH to enhance their knowledge of the Chinese traditional culture, foster good character and moral education, and teach them to appreciate and pass down Chinese culture. A flag-raising and foot drill competition was held for the first time with an aim to enhance their sense of national identity.      Furthermore, to enable persons in custody to obtain more opportunities for upward mobility, the CSD launched “Project JET” in October 2022 to provide one-stop training and career development opportunities for persons in custody, encouraging them to make life planning early, make full use of their talents and contribute to society. The project includes life planning, in-centre training, post-release internship, formal employment and a mentoring scheme. “Project JET” was awarded the Community Corrections Award, an excellence award by the International Corrections and Prisons Association last year.      The CSD launched the Rehabilitation Dog Services in early 2024 at Lo Wu Correctional Institution and Phoenix House to provide animal-assisted therapies to persons in custody in need, with a view to improving their depression and anxiety and reducing their violent tendencies. Moreover, the Rehabilitation Dog Services Internship Programme implemented at Phoenix House helps halfway house trainees build self-confidence and develop a sense of responsibility through caring for rehabilitation dogs. Trainees and rehabilitation dogs were arranged to visit elderly service centres to conduct caring visits, thereby giving back to society.      In 2024, the Department also set up two family therapy centres at the Multi-purpose Family and Rehabilitation Service Centres in Tuen Mun and Sheung Shui to organise different kinds of treatment programmes for rehabilitated drug addicts under statutory supervision and rehabilitated persons with violent tendencies or radical thoughts. By extending the in-prison psychological and family counselling services to the community, the Department aims to help them resolve family problems so that they can rebuild family relationships smoothly.      In 2024, the Department set up the Correctional Rehabilitation Research Unit to envision evidence-informed rehabilitation services through promoting research and making reference to the latest international research findings. Last year, the Unit published two issues of “Insight”, a research bulletin, with contents covering “the effect of education programmes on the psychological conditions and rehabilitation motives of persons in custody”, “how rehabilitation dogs enhance psychological health”, and “the application of sports activities on male persons in custody”. Moreover, the Unit has also endeavoured to enhance professional exchanges and its network with overseas, Mainland and local research consultants and practitioners, so that they can consider collaborative research issues on rehabilitation services.      On education, to further enable the inaugural graduates of the Ethics College who have obtained the Diploma of Applied Education to pursue higher qualifications, a two-year full-time Associate of General Studies distance programme was organised in the Ethics College in September 2024 to provide persons in custody with an option for further studies. Meanwhile, the CSD has also extended the Ethics College to Pik Uk Prison to provide a half-day Associate of General Studies programme and half-day vocational training for graduates of the Ethics College who are unable to complete the associate degree programme during the remainder of their sentences. This allows them to receive short-term educational and vocational training and continuously equip themselves in preparation for reintegration into society for academic and career pursuits upon their imminent release.      The overall passing rate of public examinations taken by persons in custody was 88.4 per cent last year (85.3 per cent and 90.6 per cent for adult and young persons in custody respectively), representing an increase of 5.7 percentage points over 2023. One person in custody obtained a total of 25 marks in six papers under the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination. Four additional persons met the general entrance requirements for local universities. Moreover, one person in custody was awarded a doctoral degree, and 11 others were awarded bachelor’s degrees.      On vocational training, the Department provides 13 market-oriented vocational training courses to young persons in custody, and 43 vocational training courses with more than 1 700 training places, an increase of 300 places as compared with 2023, for lawfully residing adult persons in custody who are due for discharge within 24 months and eligible for employment to enrol on a voluntary basis.       Last year, the overall passing rate of vocational training examinations taken by persons in custody was 99.5 per cent (99.3 per cent and 100 per cent for adult and young persons in custody respectively). Their employment rates after six months of employment follow-up period upon release were 87.3 per cent and 78.4 per cent respectively.　　      Moreover, the Department has endeavoured to establish close partnerships with organisations and individuals from different sectors of the community, with a view to providing comprehensive rehabilitation services. The Department held in June last year the first Rehabilitation Partners Award Scheme Presentation Ceremony to honour 120 non-governmental organisations (NGOs), charitable institutions, commercial organisations, post-secondary institutions, etc, in recognition of their active support for persons in custody and rehabilitated persons over the past two years, as well as to encourage different sectors of the community to become Rehabilitation Partners and support rehabilitation work.　　     Over the past 20 years and so, based on the year of discharge, Hong Kong’s recidivism rate (the percentage of readmission of local persons in custody to correctional institutions following conviction for a new offence within two years after discharge) has recorded a significant decrease from 39.9 per cent in 2000 to 21.8 per cent in 2022. The hard-earned result reflects the perseverance and hard work of correctional officers, the firm determination of persons in custody and rehabilitated offenders to turn over a new leaf, as well as the support for offender rehabilitation from all sectors of the community. (4) Community education      The CSD’s Rehabilitation Pioneer Project (RPP) provides a series of community education activities to disseminate to young people the four key messages of safeguarding our country and home, leading a law-abiding and drug-free life as well as supporting offender rehabilitation. Last year, the Department strengthened its patriotic education for young people to enhance their sense of national identity and raise their understanding of our country. A total of 45 133 participants joined various RPP activities last year, representing an increase of 2.5 per cent as compared with 44 015 in 2023.      To further promote the coverage of the Rehabilitation Pioneer Leaders (RPL) in the community, the Department continued a school-based programme to provide on-campus training. Currently, a total of six schools have joined the school-based programme, and the total number of RPL trainees has exceeded 600, representing an increase of 49 per cent as compared to that at the end of 2023. The Department also continued to enhance the diverse training programmes for RPL to help them develop their potential, including organising two certificate courses in 2024, namely Foundation Certificate in Correctional Studies and Criminal Legal Studies and Foundation Certificate in Moral and Personal Management, both pitched at Level 2 under the Hong Kong Qualifications Framework for Secondary One to Three RPL trainees to strengthen their awareness of making joint effort to build a society underpinned by the rule of law, foster positive thinking and establish good virtues.      Upholding the principle of sustainable development, the Department launched an initiative called “Captain Gor Union” and its mobile application last December, establishing a membership system for the RPP to recruit primary and secondary students as members. The members will then be arranged to join different activities promoting national security, national education, crime prevention, anti-drug and support for offender rehabilitation messages, as well as cultural exchange activities. The new membership system not only makes youth development work more systematic and sustainable but also helps recruit young people with great potential to join the RPL, with a view to continuously bringing in new blood to the Department’s youth uniformed group.      The Department organised different types of exchange activities under the theme “exploring our country ･ caring the community” last year. RPL trainees were arranged to visit different places on the Mainland, such as Wuhan, Beijing, Tianjin and Urumqi, and participate in volunteer activities. In addition, at the end of last year, the Department implemented a comprehensive co-operation programme with the charitable organisation, Long Caring, and arranged for RPL trainees to be the first uniformed youth group to join a tour to the Hong’an Hope Town in Hubei to enable them to learn about our country’s poverty alleviation work and the road to great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.      Furthermore, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Department organised the first 3×3 Basketball Invitation Game for Hong Kong Uniformed Youth Groups in celebration of National Day last October to unite different uniformed youth groups in Hong Kong, aiming to promote patriotism through positive sport games, enhance young people’s sense of national identity and nurture them into a new generation with an affection for our country and Hong Kong and a positive mindset. (5) Human resources      In 2024, a total of 30 Officers and 344 Assistant Officers II were recruited. As at December 31, 2024, there were 674 vacancies for disciplined staff, accounting for 10.3 per cent of the overall establishment of the Department. The Department continued to implement the Post-retirement Service Contract Scheme last year to relieve the manpower strain. As at December 31, 2024, a total of 127 retirees were recruited. About 45 Officers are expected to be recruited this year, and the year-round recruitment for the post of Assistant Officer II will continue to fill the relevant vacancies.      Multipronged recruitment strategies were adopted last year to attract more talents who aspire to serve the community to join the Department, which achieved remarkable overall results. The total number of Assistant Officers II recruited in 2024 saw an increase of 18.6 per cent as compared with 290 in 2023.      In addition, the Department continued to work closely with different support service centres for ethnic minorities and schools last year. A variety of activities were organised to attract non-ethnic Chinese to apply for the vacancies of the CSD. In 2024, an additional 13 non-ethnic Chinese correctional officers were appointed. As at December 31, 2024, a total of 66 non-ethnic Chinese correctional officers were employed by the Department.      On staff training, to enhance patriotism and national security awareness among correctional officers, the Department continued to include training elements of national security, national education and patriotic education in the recruit training and training courses for serving staff, including inviting legal professionals and renowned scholars to host talks and sharing sessions, and arranging for correctional officers to visit the National Security Exhibition Gallery, the Patriotic Education Centre and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center at Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks, as well as organising study and exchange visits to the Mainland for correctional staff. In 2024, 130 related activities were organised by the Department with over 2 600 staff members participating in the activities. (6) Application of innovation and technology      Last year, the Department continued to introduce innovation and technology projects to correctional facilities to assist the institutional management in enhancing management and operational efficiency and raising the security level of facilities. For example, the Department introduced the Second Generation Automatic Drone Patrol and Monitoring System to Tong Fuk Correctional Institution and implemented the Artificial Intelligence Coastal Surveillance System on Hei Ling Chau.      In addition, the Department continued its efforts to tie in with the Government’s Smart City Blueprint by digitising its public services. The Approved Hand-in Articles e-Ordering Service was implemented in all correctional institutions last December, enabling relatives and friends of persons in custody to purchase approved hand-in articles for them via an online platform. The articles are directly delivered to the correctional institutions concerned by the supplier. The service not only reduces the time visitors spend sourcing the articles in the market and the inconvenience of carrying them to the correctional institutions, but also shortens the time for correctional officers to conduct security checks and handle the articles, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of correctional institutions.      Meanwhile, the CSD launched two new technology projects, namely Digital Incarceration Proof and Chatbot Service, at the end of last year to bring convenience to the public. Members of the public may apply for the Digital Incarceration Proof through the “iAM Smart” mobile application, instead of having to visit the CSD Headquarters in person as in the past. Furthermore, the Chatbot Service is provided on the CSD website and its mobile application. Through the use of chatbot “Ching Ching” to handle public enquiries, the efficiency of the public enquiry service can be raised. (7) Deepening collaboration with the Mainland and international partners      The CSD has been fostering professional collaboration with the Mainland and overseas correctional institutions to establish close partnerships and create opportunities for co-operation on issues of mutual concern, making its best endeavours to tell good correctional stories and to tell good stories of Hong Kong.      The Department held the first Greater Bay Area Correctional Services Tactical Skills Competition in January this year, with the participation of seven teams from correctional organisations in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). The event effectively facilitated the exchange of experiences in crisis management between the CSD and correctional organisations in the GBA, with a view to enhancing the tactical skills of the response teams and their emergency response capabilities.      Apart from fostering exchanges and connections within the GBA, the Department has also actively integrated into our country’s Belt and Road Initiative. In March last year, the Department and the Hungarian Prison Service (with Hungary being the first European country to sign the Belt and Road co-operation agreement) signed a Memorandum of Understanding. Through formulating and promoting co-operation programmes including experience sharing in correctional services, personnel exchanges and joint research, the development of the two correctional authorities could be enhanced, and long-term co-operation relationship could be established, thereby deepening professional exchanges about international correctional services.      In November last year, the Department further enhanced its role as an international link by hosting the 42nd Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators. About 140 correctional chiefs and representatives from 30 Asia-Pacific countries and regions (including 16 Belt and Road countries) attended the Conference, themed “Collaboration for Sustainable and High-quality Development”, to conduct professional exchanges about correctional services and the future development, with a view to strengthening and facilitating regional co-operation and further enabling counterparts from different places to gain a better understanding of the unique advantages and latest developments of Hong Kong’s correctional system. (8) Priorities in the coming year      Concluding its efforts made in 2024, the CSD achieved significant progress in various areas of its work. Looking forward, the Department will build on its success and seek changes while maintaining stability. We will continue to make innovations with professionalism in the three major areas of work, namely custodial work, rehabilitation and community education, with a view to making the CSD an internationally acclaimed correctional services institution.      On custodial work, following the successful organisation of the Greater Bay Area Correctional Services Tactical Skills Competition early this year, the CSD plans to set up the Hong Kong Correctional Services Response Tactics Training Base at Cape Collinson Correctional Institution to provide professional tactical skills training courses for officers of correctional institutions on the Mainland and overseas as well as local law enforcement officers to facilitate in-depth exchanges of response tactics and related skills between correctional institutions and professional law enforcement agencies in different jurisdictions and the CSD’s response teams, thereby enhancing their professionalism and response capabilities to deal with prison emergencies.      The Department will continue to introduce elements of innovation and technology into correctional facilities to raise operational efficiency, enhance institutional security and strengthen the self-management ability of persons in custody. These include the installation of the Persons in Custody Integrated Intelligent Communication System, the Electric Locks Security System, the Movement and Location Monitoring System, the Smart Visitor Management System, etc, in different institutions progressively. Moreover, the Department plans to set up a Penal Lab at Cape Collinson Correctional Institution jointly with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation in the first half of this year, where tailor-made innovative solutions can be tested, so that more smart initiatives tailored for penal settings can be introduced to enhance operational efficacy and service quality of the Department.      Following the launch of the Social Visit e-Booking Service, the Department plans to introduce a new e-booking option for video social visits to enable relatives and friends of persons in custody to make appointments via the Department’s webpage or its mobile application for video visits at the five Multi-purpose Family and Rehabilitation Service Centres located in the urban area. The new service can not only enhance the operational efficiency of the Department but also bring convenience to relatives and friends of persons in custody.      As for rehabilitation work, the Correctional Rehabilitation Research Unit will continue to carry out research studies in collaboration with local universities to promote evidence-informed rehabilitation services. The Unit plans to share its research findings with stakeholders and the public this year, including rehabilitated persons’ desistance from re-offending, and the use of social media of young persons in custody before incarceration and its impact on their mental health, in the hope of providing guidance on the formulation of future strategies for rehabilitation and crime prevention work.      Moreover, to address the rehabilitation needs of persons in custody serving short-term prison sentences, the Department is in discussion with an NGO to provide with them one-stop rehabilitation support services during imprisonment and after release, which include assessments made by professional social workers, participation in personal growth sessions, and the establishment of a positive social network after release. Such services can help rehabilitated persons establish positive values, develop law-abiding awareness, explore personal strengths, build self-confidence and set life goals, thereby reducing their recidivism risk. Under the collaborative project, the Correctional Rehabilitation Research Unit will carry out a three-year research project in collaboration with a local university and an NGO to track the rehabilitation situation of service users after release.      Furthermore, in view of the remarkable results of the Rehabilitation Dog Services Programme launched last year, the Department plans to conduct further studies with local universities and extend the programme to institutions for adult male persons in custody, with a view to benefitting more persons in custody in need.                  As regards community education, the Department will strengthen youth education in terms of its breadth and depth to nurture young people into a new generation with law-abiding awareness and affection for our country and Hong Kong.      With regard to expanding the breadth of youth education, the Department will make greater effort to enhance its connection with schools in various districts to further increase the number of schools joining the school-based RPL programme to recruit more RPL trainees.      The Department will extend its collaboration with other departments to jointly organise more publicity activities to promote crime prevention and anti-drug messages. For example, in view of an escalating trend of taking “space oil drug”, the Department will join hands with the Narcotics Division to organise the Creation and Rehabilitation Programme under the theme of “space oil drug” at Stanley Prison next month to disseminate anti-drug messages to participating students.       With regard to expanding the depth of youth education, to encourage young people to obtain an in-depth understanding of our country’s overall development trend, the Department will provide RPL trainees with job tasting opportunities on the Mainland to enable them to establish Mainland networking and raise their understanding of the Mainland market to assist them in realising their life planning and seizing national development opportunities.      A microfilm premiere on national security will be held this April to deepen the dissemination of messages about national security and the importance of the rule of law among participating secondary students and members of youth uniformed groups.      Lastly, in order to enhance the promotion of correctional work and the dissemination of the message of support for offender rehabilitation to the general public, since January this year, the Correctional Services Department Sports Association (CSDSA) has operated an online gift sales platform for charity named “Made in Prison” (MIP), which aims to foster a caring heart in the community through the sale of handcraft products made by persons in custody to the public. The charity online gift sales platform is operated by the charity fund under the CSDSA. All proceeds from the sale, after deducting necessary costs, will be donated to various local registered charities, thereby promoting the development of the local charity industry as well as providing persons in custody with opportunities to contribute to society.      In its future development, the MIP will introduce more innovative green elements. The Department and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in early February this year, under which PolyU’s patented technology for making 3D printing material with spent coffee grounds will be applied to the industrial production work performed by persons in custody. PolyU will also provide vocational training in product design for persons in custody to assist them in designing more environmentally friendly spent coffee grounds products, which will be available for sale on the MIP platform. The development of the platform signifies the CSD’s sheer determination to care for the underprivileged, the environment and the community in an innovative way.

     
    Ends/Thursday, February 20, 2025Issued at HKT 15:40

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Appointments to Steering Committee on Rule of Law Education announced

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Appointments to Steering Committee on Rule of Law Education announced
    Appointments to Steering Committee on Rule of Law Education announced
    *********************************************************************

         The Government announced today (February 20) the reappointment of five incumbent members, as well as the appointment of three new members, to the Steering Committee on Rule of Law Education. The three new members are Dr Henry Ho Kin-chung, Ms Sabrina Ho Shuk-ying and Professor Dicky Tsang King-fung. Their appointments take effect today for a term of two years.      The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, welcomed the appointments and reappointments. He said he believes that the newly appointed and reappointed members will provide valuable advice on the promotion of rule-of-law education.      Mr Lam also thanked the outgoing members, Mr Jonathan Chang, SC, and Mr Matthew Cheung for their contributions to the Steering Committee.      The membership of the Steering Committee is set out in the Appendix.

     
    Ends/Thursday, February 20, 2025Issued at HKT 11:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: EU/Israel: Ministers should not ‘roll out the red carpet’ for Israeli foreign minister

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar to visit Brussels on Monday

    EU leaders will welcome Sa’ar whose prime minister and former defense minister are subject to arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity

    Israel’s military is actively engaged in committing crimes under international law, including genocide

    Commenting on EU foreign ministers hosting Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, in Brussels for the EU-Israel Association Council on Monday 24 February, Eve Geddie, Amnesty International’s Director at European Institutions Office, said:

    “It is unconscionable that the EU is rolling out the red carpet for Foreign Minister Sa’ar whose boss, Prime Minister Netanyahu, is wanted by the ICC.

    “Discussions on the EU’s future relationship with Israel should above all be premised on an insistence that Netanyahu and former defence minister Gallant face justice at the ICC for the crimes they are alleged to have committed, as well as on Israel’s adherence to international law and an end to apartheid.

    “EU leaders must put their commitments to international law, human rights and the ICC above carefully choreographed diplomatic conferences with Israel.

    “The EU’s shameful silence on threats to the ICC and lack of urgent practical mitigating measures gives the firm impression that the EU has prioritised relations with a government implicated in the commission of genocide and war crimes, over support to an institution which is pursuing individual accountability for these crimes.

    “EU leaders should be deciding what measures to take to prevent the EU from aiding Israeli genocide, apartheid and unlawful occupation instead of brushing these under the carpet for a diplomatic handshake in Brussels.”

    Israeli settlements

    Despite the International Court of Justice clearly laying out the responsibility of third states to prevent trade and investment that contributes to maintaining the unlawful occupation, the EU continues to trade and invest in Israeli settlements.

    Amnesty calls on the EU with over 160 civil society organisations and in our letter on 10 February urging leaders to use the meeting to present Israel with clear requests to address its grave violations of international law and ensure justice and reparation for crimes under international law, while laying out the consequences for the relationship between the EU and Israel if no action is taken. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: Police forces ‘supercharging racism’ with crime predicting tech – new report

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Amnesty’s new report ‘Automated Racism’ reveals dangerous discrimination in police prediction tools

    Almost three-quarters of police forces attempt to predict crime by racially profiling communities across the UK

    ‘These systems have been built with discriminatory data and serve only to supercharge racism’ – Sacha Deshmukh

    A new 120 – page report from Amnesty International UK ‘Automated Racism – How police data and algorithms code discrimination into policing’ has exposed the grave dangers to society from ‘predictive policing’ systems and technology used across almost three quarters of the UK’s police forces.

    This is the first report to demonstrate how these systems are in flagrant breach of the UK’s national and international human rights obligations

    Amnesty found that at least 33 police forces – including the Met Police, West Midlands, Avon and Somerset, Manchester and Essex police – across the UK have used predictive profiling or risk prediction systems. Of these forces, 32 have used geographic crime prediction, profiling, or risk prediction tools, and 11 forces have used individual prediction, profiling, or risk prediction tools. 

    Sacha Deshmukh, Chief Executive at Amnesty International UK, said:

    “No matter our postcode or the colour of our skin, we all want our families and communities to live safely and thrive. 

    “The use of predictive policing tools violates human rights. The evidence that this technology keeps us safe just isn’t there, the evidence that it violates our fundamental rights is clear as day. We are all much more than computer-generated risk scores.

    “These technologies have consequences. The future they are creating is one where technology decides that our neighbours are criminals, purely based on the colour of their skin or their socio-economic background.

    “These tools to “predict crime” harm us all by treating entire communities as potential criminals, making society more racist and unfair.

    “The UK Government must prohibit the use of these technologies across England and Wales as should the devolved governments in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Right now, they can demand transparency on how these systems are being used.  People and communities subjected to these systems must have the right to know about them and have meaningful routes to challenge policing decisions made using them.

    “These systems have been built with discriminatory data and only serve to supercharge racism.”

     There are two main types of racist predictive policing systems that raise several human rights concerns: 

    Location: make predictions about the likelihood of crimes being committed in geographic locations in the future. The systems in all locations specifically targeted racialised communities. The chair of the National Police Chiefs Council has publicly admitted that policing is ‘institutionally racist’. In the year ending March 2023 there were 24.5 stops and searches for every 1,000 Black people, 9.9 stops and searches for every 1,000 people with mixed ethnicity, 8.5 for every 1,000 Asian people – and 5.9 for every 1,000 white people. Racialised people are over-represented in stop and search compared to both their representation in the population and even their involvement in police records of crime.

    The vast majority of stops and searches in the UK – 69 per cent – lead to no further action

    Profiling: individuals placed in a secret database and profiled as someone at risk of committing certain crimes, in the future. 

    Areas such as London, West Midlands, and Manchester with high populations of Black and racialised people are repeatedly targeted by police and therefore crop up in those same police records. Black people and racialised people are also repeatedly targeted and therefore over-represented in police intelligence, stop-and-search or other police records.  

    Forces using racist and failing systems

    The Metropolitan Police Service’s Violence Harm Assessment profiles people based on intelligence reports and about people who are ‘suspects’ and an individual can be profiled without ever having offended or committed a crime.  

    An initial period of Risk Terrain Monitoring-influenced policing targeted the north of the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark from September 2020 onwards. Between December 2020 and October 2021 Lambeth had the second highest volume of stop and search of all London boroughs. In the same period, people of ‘black ethnic appearance’ (as defined by the Metropolitan Police Service) had the highest rate of stop and search encounters per 1,000 population of any ethnic group: they were stopped and searched more than four times, than people of white ethnic appearance. 80 per cent of these stops and searches resulted in no further action. In the same period, Lambeth had the second highest volume of police uses of force in all London boroughs, and police used force most against people recorded as ‘black or black British’. 

    In Southwark in the year ending March 2021, Black people were stopped and searched 3.3 times more than white people. Police used force against people in Southwark at least 8,924 times between September 2020 and September 2021, and 45 per cent of those times it was against ‘black or black British’ people.  (p67)

    West Midlands Police has deployed predictive crime mapping tools to predict knife crime and serious violence since 2021 and 2022, respectively. These tools have been funded by the Home Office Grip ‘hotspot’ policing programme and are part of West Midlands Police’s ’Project Guardian’ team, which focuses on youth violence and knife crime. 8 times out of 10  the system got it wrong.

    Influenced by the knife crime and prediction tool, West Midlands Police continues to conduct racial profiling and discriminatory policing. In the force area in 2024 white people were stopped and searched 2.3 times out of every 1,000, while Black or Black British people were stopped and searched 10.3 times out of every 1,000, almost five times as much.  (p44)

    Essex Police’s Knife Crime and Violence Model’s use of data on criminal associates criminalises people by association, without any evidence of criminality. The use of data on people’s mental health and drug use is another way in which health issues are taken to be markers of criminality. In other words, people are being criminalised for health issues. In the Essex Police force area in 2024 Black people were on average almost three times more likely to be stopped than white people, and in some areas of Essex as much as six and seven times more likely.

    There is no conclusive evidence from the Essex Police pilot or subsequent studies of the implementation that the use of so-called hotspot mapping had any impact on crime. There is, however, evidence that the use of the system reinforced and contributed to racial profiling and racist policing. (p38)

    Greater Manchester Police’s gang profiling is based on suspicion or even ‘perception’ without objective evidence of offending, or even any evidence of offending.

    The disproportionate representation of Black and racialised people on the ‘gang profiling’ XCalibre database is discriminatory and evidences the racial profiling that XCalibre conducts. This police tactic is also clear infringement of these young people’s right to freedom of association. It continues the targeting of black cultural and music events, as with the Metropolitan Police’s Form, which required events spaces to provide details to the police about the type of music played and the ethnic background of attendees.

    The Greater Manchester Police tactic of banning people from events in Manchester because they were perceived to be linked with gangs is one element of their so-called gang profiling. The XCalibre Task Force sought to exclude people from a cultural event based on its data-based profiling of their alleged involvement in gangs. (p91)

    Human rights violations exposed

    Racial profiling: The use of these systems by police results in, directly and indirectly, racial profiling, and the disproportionate targeting of Black and racialised people and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. This in turn leads to their increased criminalisation, punishment, and exposure to violent policing. 

    There’s no right to a fair trial: Predictive systems target people and groups before they have actually offended, which risks infringing on the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial.

    Mass surveillance:  This is indiscriminate and can never be proportionate interference with the rights to privacy, freedom of expression, freedom of association and of peaceful assembly.

    Zara Manoehoetoe, Kids of Colour and Northern Police Monitoring Project3, said:

    “The way in which these systems work is that you’re guilty until you can prove yourself innocent. Criminalisation is a justification for their existence. There is the presumption that people need to be surveilled and that they need to be policed.” 

    Chilling effect 

    People who live and reside in areas targeted by predictive policing will seek to avoid those areas as a result, leading to a chilling effect. Participants in the Essex discussion group said that if police were targeting certain areas, they would avoid those areas.

    Recommendations

    • A prohibition on predictive policing systems
    • Transparency obligations on data-based and data-driven systems being used by authorities, including a publicly accessible register with details of systems used. 
    • Accountability obligations including a right and a clear forum to challenge a predictive, profiling, or similar decision or consequences leading from such a decision. 

    Secrecy, scare tactics and surveillance – the view from those affected

    Anon contributor to the report said:

    “It’s not fair to over-police areas that have these challenges because of intentional underfunding, and to now [be] adding police to a situation that you’ve created as a part of the state system, is just adding to the problems of the community that you claim you want to protect.”

    John Pegram, Bristol Copwatch, said:

    “It doesn’t matter if you offended 13 or 14 years ago for something, you’re known to us for this, and therefore we’re going to assign a score to you. It’s risk scoring, it’s profiling, often racist profiling.”

    Hope Chilokoa-Mullen from the 4Front Project, said:

    “We’ve had members who have been stopped and told: ‘You’ve been stopped because you’re on a database.’ They don’t know what database it is. I suppose that’s the point of it, you’re not really meant to know how it’s used.”

    Anon contributor said:

    “It targets and profiles entire areas. It targets you based on the community you live in. It’s a clear example of how racism structures policing.”

    See full report here

    MIL OSI NGO –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: EU/Israel: Stop supporting Israel’s genocide, occupation and apartheid in Palestine and start upholding international law 

    Source: Amnesty International –

    On Monday 24 February, EU foreign ministers will host Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, in Brussels for the EU-Israel Association Council. It is the first time in the EU’s history that its leaders will welcome the foreign representative of a state whose prime minister and former defense minister are subject to arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity and whose military is actively engaged in committing crimes under international law, including genocide.

    “It is unconscionable that the EU is rolling out the red carpet for foreign minister Sa’ar whose boss, Prime Minister Netanyahu, is wanted by the ICC. Discussions on the EU’s future relationship with Israel should above all be premised on an insistence that Netanyahu and Gallant face justice at the ICC for the crimes they are alleged to have committed, as well as on Israel’s adherence to international law and an end to apartheid. EU leaders must put their commitments to international law, human rights and the ICC above carefully choreographed diplomatic conferences with Israel,” said Eve Geddie, Director at Amnesty International European Institutions Office.

    “The EU’s shameful silence on threats to the ICC and lack of urgent practical mitigating measures which it should have already taken following President Trump’s egregious sanctions on the ICC, gives the firm impression that the EU has prioritized relations with a government implicated in the commission of genocide and war crimes, over support to an institution which is pursuing individual accountability for these crimes.

    “EU Leaders should be deciding what measures to take to prevent the EU from aiding Israeli genocide, apartheid and unlawful occupation instead of brushing these under the carpet for a diplomatic handshake in Brussels.”

    Background

    Despite the International Court of Justice clearly laying out the responsibility of third states to prevent trade and investment that contributes to maintaining the unlawful occupation, the EU continues to trade and invest in Israeli settlements.

    For more information, see Amnesty International’s calls on the EU with over 160 civil society organizations and our letter on 10 February urging leaders to use the meeting to present Israel with clear requests to address Israel’s grave violations of international law and ensure justice and reparation for crimes under international law, while laying out the consequences for the relationship between the EU and Israel if no action is taken. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: ‘They said that I should die if I can’t stop being trans’ 

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Manun Wongmasoh, known as “Noon”, is a 26-year-old Muslim Thai transgender woman and an LGBTI activist. Raised in a religious family in Nakhon Nayok province, central Thailand, Noon was inspired to become a human rights activist to address certain interpretations of Islamic principles that she believed had been misused to discriminate against LGBTI individuals in Thailand.  

    Her advocacy and lived experiences, including the significant challenges she faced as a transgender woman in Thailand’s conservative Muslim community, were recently featured in an Amnesty International report highlighting the effects of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TfGBV) against women and LGBTI activists in Thailand. She has been sharing her story of resilience while actively raising awareness about online harassment. 

    My father was a religious teacher and I was raised in a Muslim family. I used to practise reading the Qur’an and Islam is actually very kind to people in general. I still think it’s good that I have learned Islam and remain a practising Muslim, but I disagree with how it is commonly interpreted. 

    Many people in my religion perceive being transgender as a sin. This is why I decided to stand up for myself, for my identity. I’m transgender, and I’m also a human. God is the only one who is entitled to judge me in the afterlife. This is what I’m fighting for. 

    I started this struggle because of my family. They have hurt me the most. I can take what other people say to me but when my family talks about me behind my back, that is the most painful thing. I was kicked out of the family home when I was in high school. I found a way to support myself, but it still hurts. Because of my gender, they decided not to support me.  

    My family tried conversion therapy for me. At the time, I was still in school. They sent me to a religious school. It was the saddest time of my life. I was bullied. I received a lot of verbal abuse. It was a very tough time for me. Being trans is not like having a flu that can be treated. Religion is not the problem but the people who use it to oppress other people.  

    Since my dad passed away, my mum has started to accept who I am — but not my siblings. My siblings do not accept me. 

    I went to my grandmother’s funeral. I had just finished my breast surgery. My elder brother beat me up and kicked me. My mum couldn’t protect me. It became very difficult for her as well. And I feel deeply scared. I can only see her when no one else is at home. It’s the only time I can spend time with my mum, when other people are not around. 

    I want to create a safe zone for LGBTI people, including in the Muslim society. I’ve been affected a lot because I don’t have a comfort zone or safe space. I used to live in Thailand’s Deep South during my undergraduate studies. It’s a Malay Muslim-majority area and I have seen a lot of gender inequalities in how LGBTI people in this region faced mistreatment and discrimination. 

    When I started speaking out about safe spaces for LGBTI people in Muslim society, someone printed my photo and distributed it to certain police forces. They said they would hurt me and even kill me if they see me in person. “You’ll get to see your death before the time comes”, they told me. I filed a complaint with the police, but they couldn’t do much, they just logged a record. I have been sexually harassed as well because of how I dress. Friends from middle school attacked me through my Facebook account. The comments are so harsh. My friend from the Deep South told me they had seen my photo being posted in Muslim Facebook groups. 

    Most of them are men and super religious. Only a few women attacked me online, but it was mild, I could handle it. But the men — it was unbelievable. It was abusive.  

    Manun Wongmasoh is one of the activists featured in this video highlighting women and LGBTI activists in Thailand who have face technology-facilitated gender-based violence

    There should also be a law to protect people from online harassment. I think it will be useful to protect marginalized people, ethnic groups and LGBTI people who are more vulnerable to online abuse. That’s why I want to see this law.  

    Government agencies have not helped. We have the Gender Equality Act. When I received death threats online, I would have wanted to file a complaint, but the law has a clause that allows for using religion to justify gender-based violence. We have been left with no option to seek any remedies or justice.  

    We must talk about intersectionality and also safe spaces for LGBTI people. Online spaces are very important because it’s the easiest way to reach a lot of people and give them information. The challenge is that you cannot talk about anything online because we could face endless harassment and even death threats like I did.  

    On top of such online abuse, we have the Computer Crimes Act and national security laws that have been used to silence activists and the public for expression and online protest. Criminal defamation, too, so you can’t talk about the people who violate your rights. For example, there is a case about another LGBTI activist, who assisted a survivor of sexual assault committed by a politician. The politician filed a defamation charge against her. 

    These problems are the reasons why I work with human rights organizations. I strongly believe that everyone’s rights must be respected, and I really hope one day that all LGBTI people, including those of us in the Muslim community, can have a safe space — both offline and online.  

    MIL OSI NGO –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Striking a balance between the freedom of journalists and the protection of the personal rights of those reported on by journalists – P-003017/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Media freedom and pluralism are principles recognised by Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter)[1], which the Commission promotes and protects across all Member States.

    At the same time, EU law also defines criminal offences of incitement to hatred or violence based on certain protected characteristics, considered as illegal hate speech[2]. I t is the competence of national authorities to investigate and prosecute such offences.

    Article 48(1) of the Charter provides that everyone who has been charged shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law. However, according to its Article 51(1), the provisions of the Charter are addressed to the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the EU and to the Member States only when they are implementing EU law.

    It is for the Member State to ensure that fundamental rights are effectively respected and protected in accordance with their national law and international obligations.

    It is not for the Commission to comment on individual and ongoing cases within the national jurisdiction of a Member State.

    The Commission reaffirms its commitment to a comprehensive and evidence-based approach in preparing the Rule of Law Reports, based on a well-established methodology.

    Media sources are assessed as part of a broad evidence base, which includes input from Member States and other stakeholders, ensuring a balanced and robust analysis of the situation. The Commission does not privilege any single source but recognises the value of media contributions as one of many.

    • [1] Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union [2012] OJ C 326/391.
    • [2] Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law, OJ L 328/55, 6.12.2008.
    Last updated: 20 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Japan’s Parliament and other political institutions – 20-02-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Japan is a constitutional monarchy, with a parliamentary system of government based on the separation of powers. The Emperor is the symbol of the state and does not hold political functions, only performing ceremonial duties. Nevertheless, he can play an important diplomatic role. With Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement in 2019, following his father’s abdication, Japan has entered the Reiwa (beautiful harmony) era. The 2001 administrative reform strengthened the Prime Minister’s leadership in the cabinet. The Chief Cabinet Secretary also plays an important relevant role. Ishiba Shigeru, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, has been the country’s Prime Minister since September 2024. The Supreme Court is at the top of the judicial system. It is not a constitutional court, despite handling appeals arising from actual disputes. The appointment of its Justices is reviewed by the people at the first general election of the Lower House following their appointment. Japan is a unitary state divided into 47 prefectures. A Metropolitan Government administers the capital, Tokyo. Japan’s 1947 Constitution recognises ‘local self-government.’ Local governments carry out many of the national policies and programmes. They have limited autonomy, also because of their dependence on financial resources from the central government. Japan has a bicameral parliament − the Diet. Although the two chambers share legislative powers, the Lower House (House of Representatives) prevails in the legislative process and is empowered to adopt the final decision on the budget and on the approval of international treaties. Changes in the regional geopolitical environment and in the country’s demographic structure have prompted debates on issues such as the revision of the ‘pacifist’ Article 9 of the Constitution and the distribution of seats among electoral constituencies. This is an update of a briefing published in December 2020.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Witness appeal after woman was struck by a van in SE14

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Police are appealing for witnesses and any road users with footage after a collision in New Cross left a woman seriously injured.

    The incident happened on Monday, 10 February shortly after 14:00hrs in Milton Court Road, SE14. A female pedestrian in her 30s was struck by a van.

    Officers and London Ambulance Service attended the scene and the woman was rushed for hospital for treatment. Her condition is not life-threatening but she is likely to suffer lasting injuries.

    The vehicle involved did not stop at the scene but has since been recovered.

    Officers are appealing for any witnesses or footage of the incident that could assist them in building a clear picture of what happened.

    Detective Sergeant Jack Mounstephen, of the South East Command Unit, said: “At this stage, we are treating this incident as a deliberate act and need to understand exactly what happened in the build-up and aftermath.

    “Were you in the area of Milton Court Road between 14.00hrs and 14.25hrs on Monday, 10 February? Did you witness this incident which resulted in a woman being seriously injured? No matter how insignificant you think the information you have is, I would urge you to contact us immediately.

    “If you were driving in the area, please check any dashcam or camera footage to see if you have captured what happened.”

    Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or ‘X’ @MetCC and quote 01/7148469/25.

    = One man has appeared in court charged with grievous bodily harm and causing serious injury due to dangerous driving. A second man, 46, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and bailed pending further enquiries.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ongoing crackdown hooks 6 unlicensed anglers

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    As part of an ongoing Environment Agency crackdown, 6 anglers have been found guilty of fishing illegally at waters in the London area last year.

    A fisheries enforcement officer

    Their cases were brought by the Environment Agency to Barkingside magistrates’ court on 8 January 2025. In total, the 6 offenders will now pay £2,182 in fines and charges.

    Illegal fishing “undermines investment” in fisheries

    Unlicensed fishing poses a risk to fish stocks and can often cost anglers the species they care about. It also undermines all the investment made using rod licence income, in addition to the good work by our partners and angling clubs in improving fisheries.

    Richard Tyner, area fisheries team leader at the Environment Agency, said:

    “We hope the penalties these 6 illegal anglers have received will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws we have in place across England.

    “Fishing illegally can incur a fine of up to £2,500, and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized. We inspect rod licences 24/7, 7 days a week to check on cases of illegal fishing, and for those caught cheating the system, we will always prosecute.

    “Illegal fishing undermines the Environment Agency’s efforts to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable.  Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries for the benefit of legal anglers.”

    Rod licences cost much less than a tenner

    Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence to fish. A one-day licence costs from just £7.10, and an annual licence currently costs from just £35.80. Concessions are available. Junior licences are free for 13 – 16-year-olds.

    Licences are available from www.gov.uk/get-a-fishing-licence or by calling the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386 between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

    Known hot spots for “illegal fishing” targeted

    The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners, including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

    Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities can contact the Environment Agency incident hotline 24/7 on 0800 807060 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

    Alex Payne, 25, of Crays View, Billericay, Essex, was found guilty at court to fishing without a licence at the Chase Fishery in Dagenham, east London, on 15 June 2024. He was ordered to pay £443. This includes a fine of £220, costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £88.

    Mark Taylor, 25, of Camden Close, Grays, Thurrock, was found guilty of fishing without a licence at Tylers Common Fisheries, Harold Wood, east London, on 15 June 2024. He was ordered to pay £443. This includes a fine of £220, costs of £135 and a victim surcharge of £88.

    Ciprian Buta, 38, of Montague Road, London, pleaded guilty to fishing without a licence at Walthamstow Reservoirs, Tottenham Hale, north London, on 17 June 2024. He was ordered to pay £329. This includes a fine of £146, costs of £125 and a victim surcharge of £58.

    Liam Midmore, 25, of Watermans Lane, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent, pleaded guilty to fishing without a licence at Thorney Weir Lakes, West Drayton, on 6 May 2024. He was ordered to pay £329. This includes a fine of £146, costs of £125 and a victim surcharge of £58.

    Cristian Milhailopol, 46, of Lincoln Grove, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to fishing without a licence at Tylers Common Fisheries, Harold Wood, east London, on 18 May 2024. He was ordered to pay £329. This includes a fine of £146, costs of £125 and a victim surcharge of £58.

    Christopher Ould, 35, of Ashdown Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, pleaded guilty to   fishing without a licence at Thorney Weir Lakes, West Drayton, on 6 May 2024. He was ordered to pay £329. The penalty includes a fine of £146, costs of £125 and a victim surcharge of £58.

    Contact us:

    Journalists only – 0800 141 2743 or communications_se@environment-agency.gov.uk.

    The press office is unable to answer enquiries from members of the public. If you are not a journalist and would like to contact the Environment Agency, please call 03708 506506.

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    Published 20 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: On MSNBC.com, Reps. Chu, Moore raise alarm over DOGE’s rogue activities, access to personal information

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Judy Chu (CA2-27)

    “We confronted Speaker Johnson over DOGE. His response is cause for concern,” they write

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — As reports continue surfacing regarding Elon Musk’s so-called Department on Government Efficiency (DOGE) accessing confidential and sensitive private information at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), MSNBC.com published a joint opinion piece by Reps. Judy Chu (CA-28) and Gwen Moore (WI-04) on their recent, unscheduled meeting with Speaker Mike Johnson in his office regarding DOGE’s activities. This follows their letter to Speaker Johnson welcoming his commitment to House Committee on Ways & Means oversight of DOGE and Musk’s access to data and funding streams.

    They write: 

    Insults towards women in politics are nothing new, so we are wearing being called “rude,” “aggressive” and “unhinged” last week as a badge of honor. 

    This is not a time where business as usual can be our strategy. 

    After reports began surfacing about Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency having access to the Department of Treasury payment systems, our constituents were understandably alarmed. They bombarded our phones rightly demanding answers to why an unelected and unvetted billionaire – and other unqualified individuals with troubling backgrounds – was granted access to sensitive Treasury payment systems and the confidential, personal information contained within. 

    Does no one outside of Musk and his team know how this data is being handled and used? Is it being manipulated? Are backdoors into the system being added? Where is any extracted data being maintained? 

    We sought answers to these questions and more from the source: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who had given Musk and DOGE that access. So, after learning that Bessent had a scheduled meeting last Wednesday with Speaker Mike Johnson and House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith to discuss passing more tax cuts for the wealthy, we marched to the Speaker’s Office to get those answers. 

    The DOGE team’s attack at Treasury began with Musk’s allies reportedly pressured the department’s highest ranking career official to gain access to the department’s payment systems. That official, who had worked under 11 different Treasury secretaries of both parties, ultimately resigned rather than follow an unlawful order. He was right to be concerned: The Treasury systems dispense 95 percent of federal payments every year. They ensure that seniors, government employees, and taxpayers receive their Social Security checks, paychecks, and tax refunds, among other things. Protecting the systems’ integrity is a matter of national security, economic security, and personal privacy. 

    Management of payment systems has historically been done by career civil servants who have been thoroughly vetted and granted proper security clearances, through carefully designed procedures. In fact, Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code states that unauthorized disclosure of confidential taxpayer information is a felony. There is no room for error. A technical glitch of the payment systems in 1979 that delayed checks to a small number of bond holders caused a spike in treasury yields. A more systemic issue in the payment’s issuances, or intentional political tampering with payments could trigger dire economic consequences for our nation and the global economic order. 

    These responsibilities are far too serious for Musk and his unqualified team. But President Trump operates with minimal ethical restraints and no concern about whether those who work for him are qualified. His Republican allies in Congress have so far provided no check on his lawless actions or dangerous nominees to Cabinet positions. And after Musk contributed $277 million to President Trump and other Republicans in the 2024 campaign, the richest man in the world has been granted this unprecedented level of extra-executive powers to undermine the federal government and adversely affect the lives of tens of millions of Americans.

    We know that Democrats and other concerned citizens will need to be creative and, in the words of the late Congressman John Lewis, make good trouble. Most of our constituents don’t have proximity to the halls of power and won’t get the chance to meet congressional leadership and Cabinet secretaries to voice their concerns. But we are their elected representatives, endowed with the responsibility to be their voice in Washington D.C., and they expect us to do what we can in these unprecedented times. 

    Even though we were denied the chance to meet with the Treasury Secretary, we did secure a meeting with Speaker Johnson. An anonymous witness, who was clearly friendly toward the Speaker, told media outlets that we were “incredibly rude, extremely aggressive and frankly unhinged.” This was utterly false: We engaged in a polite, respectful conversation. But alarmingly, Speaker Johnson revealed that he didn’t know DOGE’s intentions. He couldn’t answer our questions with any degree of specificity, which speaks to how rogue DOGE’s operation is. And even though he committed to oversight to help answer our constituents’ questions, we’ve not yet received a response from him regarding that commitment. 

    It gives us no comfort that the Trump Administration appears to be seeking to mollify the uproar from the American people by claiming to have granted DOGE read-only access to these payment systems. The reality is they were forced to limit access by a federal court, and DOGE officials could already have our sensitive information. The Trump Administration and DOGE’s actions – ignoring Congress’ authority over previously approved hundreds of millions of funds and threatening to ignore rulings by the courts – have pushed our country to the brink of a constitutional crisis.   

    As members of the House Ways and Means Committee, which is responsible for oversight of the Treasury Department, we are calling for our Republican colleagues to work with us to investigate. And the Department of Justice must put aside Trump’s political retribution agenda and prosecute any crimes that are found to have taken place. 

    Checks and balances are a constitutional responsibility to restrain an overzealous branch of government. We refuse to stand by while Trump and Musk test the limits of our democracy. 

    While the judicial branch process lawsuits challenging Musk and DOGE’s actions and access at Treasury, we will fight to keep Americans’ sensitive data private, and protect the payment systems that Americans depend on. 

    House Democrats only need three Republican members to join us in supporting our Taxpayer Data Protection Act to force a vote on the House Floor. So far, none have.  But we will keep fighting to pursue accountability, get answers, and aggressively push for transparency. And we may get into some good trouble to win those fights.

    Click here for the full opinion piece.

    Click here for Reps. Chu, Moore’s letter to Speaker Johnson on Ways & Means oversight of DOGE.

    Click here for a read-out of the initial meeting between Reps. Chu, Moore and the Speaker.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Robert Aderholt Hosts Law Enforcement Summit in Northport, Alabama

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

    Northport, AL – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) today hosted a Law Enforcement Summit in Northport, Alabama, bringing together law enforcement officials from across North Alabama to strengthen collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies. The summit focused on some of the most pressing issues facing law enforcement today—illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and cyber crimes.

    The event featured speakers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), among other agencies, who provided critical updates and strategies to combat crime and enhance public safety.

    “This summit is about bringing law enforcement officers together to share information, strengthen partnerships, and ensure that they have the resources they need to do their jobs effectively,” said Congressman Aderholt. “Illegal immigration and drug trafficking continue to be two of the biggest challenges for our law enforcement community, and cyber crimes are evolving at a rapid pace. We must remain vigilant and work together at every level to address these threats head-on.”

    Aderholt emphasized that with the new Trump administration, Congress now has a true partner in tackling these law enforcement challenges.

    “We finally have an administration that is serious about securing the border, stopping the flow of deadly drugs into our communities, and giving law enforcement the tools they need to succeed,” Aderholt stated. “I look forward to working alongside President Trump and my colleagues in Congress to implement strong policies that support our officers and protect the American people.”

    The summit also addressed the latest advancements in policing technology, federal funding opportunities, and the increasing dangers law enforcement officers face in the line of duty. Aderholt reaffirmed his commitment to securing federal resources and advocating for policies that prioritize law enforcement and public safety.

    Congressman Aderholt also extended his sincere gratitude to Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson and Sheriff Ron Abernathy for hosting the event and for their leadership in supporting law enforcement efforts in the region.

    “I want to personally thank Judge Robertson and Sheriff Abernathy for their dedication to public safety and for helping make this summit possible,” said Aderholt. “Their commitment to our officers and our communities is invaluable, and I appreciate their efforts in bringing together law enforcement professionals from across the region.”

    The Law Enforcement Summit provided a forum for officers and officials to engage in critical discussions, share best practices, and build stronger networks across multiple agencies. Aderholt said he looks forward to continuing these discussions and working closely with law enforcement leaders to address the challenges ahead.

    ###

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council welcomes jail term for payments cheat

    Source: City of Coventry

    A Coventry woman has been jailed after fraudulently claiming over £17,000 in financial support to care for her mother up to two years after she had died.

    Agnieszka Macugowska, aged 45, was jailed for a total of 31 months when she appeared at the Crown Court sitting at Warwick.

    The court heard that her mother had a care plan with Coventry City Council that started in 2015.

    She received a cash payment to cover support for 15 hours and 45 minutes a week, which she managed with support from her daughter. The payment started at £184.28 per week which in April 2019 was raised to £191.36 per week.

    In 2020, when the Council failed to receive information so it could continue to monitor payments, Agnieszka Macugowska told them her mother still lived in Coventry, but had changed doctors and travelled abroad for medical treatment. 

    She then provided information to the Council to support the use of the direct payment, including timesheets completed by her mother’s carer and her insurance certificate.  

    The Council then carried out a home visit in late 2020 where they met Agnieszka Macugowska, along with a woman introduced as her mother and a woman presented as her carer.

    However, following further inquiries, the Council found the mother had, in fact, died in November 2018 whilst abroad. 

    In welcoming the sentence, Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council, and Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities, said:

    “There are so many people in our city who are going through tough times caring for loved ones, and that brings an incredible emotional and financial strain.

    “The Council works with relatives to give the support they need, but sadly there are some unscrupulous people who think they can exploit the system and secure financial gain for themselves. This does not just come at the expense of the Council, but also for others struggling to make ends meet.

    “It is well known that Coventry, like all local authorities, is facing severe pressure on its budget, and a lot of that is because of the increasing costs in caring for adults and children and supporting the most vulnerable in our community.

    “It is a responsibility we take very seriously and we work hard to help as many as we can, and we will not stand by and let the system be exploited. As in this case, we will investigate and ensure those who steal from others are prosecuted.

    “We welcome the finding of this case and the sentence imposed. Hopefully it will serve to show others the severe consequences they face if they break the law.”

    The falsely claimed sum of more than £17,000 has successfully been recovered by the Council.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    February 21, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Over 1,000 top-venting blank firers handed in

    Source: United Kingdom National Police Chiefs Council

    With less than 10 days remaining of national gun amnesty.

    Police forces across England and Wales have seen over 1,000 Turkish manufactured guns handed in as part of a national amnesty currently taking place for owners, of soon to be outlawed blank firing guns, to hand them over to police.

    The top-venting blank firing (TVBF) guns have become popular with organised criminals in recent years due to the ease at which they are readily convertible into lethal firearms. Tests by the National Crime Agency and policing, funded by the Home Office, show models produced by four Turkish manufacturers are readily convertible and therefore illegal. TVBFs are legal to buy in the UK without a licence by over 18s unless they are readily convertible.

    Police forces across England and Wales have been holding a four-week Firearms Amnesty for Turkish manufactured TVBFs namely models with the brand names ‘Retay’, ‘Ekol’, ‘Ceonic’ and ‘Blow’, although anyone with a TVBF who is unsure of whether the law change applies to them has been given the simple advice – if in doubt, hand it in.

    Assistant Chief Constable Tim Metcalfe, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for the Criminal Use of Firearms, said: “These weapons are readily convertible and therefore have been outlawed. Only with the public’s support can we get these potentially lethal weapons off the streets.

    “What we have seen so far this month that the public have taken onboard the message and are visiting their local police station to hand in these weapons. It is important the public hand in these weapons to avoid them being used by criminals.

    “Taking these weapons off the streets will stop them from being converted and go a significant way to help protect the public.

    “With less than 10 days until the amnesty finishes, I would urge anyone with a Turkish manufactured TVBF to hand it in to their local police force. If you are in doubt whether yours is one of the brands, I would encourage you to hand it in to the police.”

    So far, the amnesty has seen the following items handed in:

    • 1,000 Turkish manufactured top-venting firers
    • 3,000 rounds of ammunitions surrendered; this is primarily blank ammunition

    The amnesty started on 3 February and is due to end next week on Friday 28 February 2025, after which anyone in possession of a TVBF could be subject to prosecution and up to 10 years imprisonment.

    In their original state TVBFs have a fully blocked barrel and are designed to discharge only blank cartridges. When discharged, combustion gases vent from the top of the weapon. TVBFs are sold with at least 50 per cent of their visible surface painted a bright colour however, criminals may paint them black so they look like an original lethal purpose (OLP) weapon as well as convert them to a lethal purpose firearm.

    Policing Minister, Dame Diana Johnson said: “Illegal firearms are dangerous and life-threatening, which is why we have such strong controls on them and we continue to keep all relevant laws under constant review.

    “That’s why it’s important for any member of the public to hand these blank firers into their local police station, as it’s vital to take these illegal weapons off our streets to protect public safety.”

    Since 2021, UK law enforcement has recovered more than 1,000 converted TVBFs in criminal circumstances. Firearms legislation has not changed; the weapons are illegal to own under the Firearms Act 1968 as they can be readily converted using common household tools and without specialist skill on the part of the person carrying out the conversion. Recent testing completed by the NCA has demonstrated this. Police are asking people to hand in any TVBFs before 28 February 2025 to help them avoid prosecution and prevent these pistols getting into the wrong hands.

    Many TVBFs may be held in innocence and ignorance of their illegality or may be overlooked or forgotten in people’s homes. The amnesty gives holders the chance to dispose of the TVBFs safely by taking it to a local police station and handing it in.

    NCA Deputy Director, Charles Yates, said: “These four Turkish brands have appeared routinely in investigations and there had been a strong demand for them from organised criminals. They posed a significant threat.

    “Preventing the sale of these illegal guns will make it harder for offenders to acquire a firearm. By surrendering their top-venting blank-firers, members of the public have helped us in our ongoing mission to keep communities safe.

    “The amnesty is just one example of how the NCA and policing work together relentlessly to protect the public from the threat of firearms.”

    Other unwanted, unlicensed firearms and ammunition may be surrendered to police at any time which will avoid the risk of them becoming involved in criminality and means that members of the community can dispose of firearms in a safe place.

    Up until Friday 28 February 2025, those handing in a Turkish manufactured TVBF will not face prosecution for the illegal possession and will not have to give their details. However, the history of any live firearms handed in will be checked for evidence if its use in crime.

    Top-venting blank firers can be handed in at designated police stations across England and Wales but anyone handing one during the Firearms Amnesty is advised to check with their local force regarding station locations and opening times for the amnesty. To receive advice on how best to transport the weapon responsibly from home to the police station phone 101 before travelling.

    If you know of people involved in illegal firearms activity should call the Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Every call to Crimestoppers is anonymous and potentially vital to preventing or solving serious crimes; removing an illegally held firearm may just save someone’s life.

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 20, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Advisory group on organised crime appointed

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Ministerial Advisory Group on transnational and serious organised crime was appointed by Cabinet on Monday and met for the first time today, Associate Police Minister Casey Costello announced.
    “The group will provide independent advice to ensure we have a better cross-government response to fighting the increasing threat posed to New Zealand by international and domestic crime groups,” Ms Costello says.
    “These criminal groups are organised as businesses, and we have to address their activities accordingly – stopping their product and their supply chains and their use of ‘labour’ and targeting their money. 
    “This means there’s a greater role for agencies like ACC, WorkSafe and Inland Revenue to work alongside Immigration, MPI and law enforcement to cooperate and fight organised crime. The way all of these agencies operate and work together will be a focus for the advisory group.”
    The advisory group, chaired by Steve Symon, a senior partner at Meredith Connell, has expertise across government and law enforcement, as well as knowledge of the nature of organised crime and the impact it has in New Zealand. There will be four other members, three of whom – Craig Hamilton, John Tims and Jarrod Gilbert – have been appointed. The fourth member will be appointed very shortly. 
    The group will be in place for eight months and be funded through the Proceeds of Crime Fund.
    “The advisory group will provide advice and recommendations on how law enforcement and regulatory agencies can improve enforcement and disruption action,” Ms Costello says. 
    “We have to do all that we can to stop criminal groups with the ultimate objective of making New Zealand the hardest place in the world for organised crime to operate.
    “Organised criminal activity inflicts misery in our communities including driving violent crime, and harms legitimate businesses and the broader New Zealand economy,” Ms Costello says. “The illicit drug trade alone is estimated to have cost the country close to $1.5 billion in social harm last year.
    “We have a range of regulatory and law enforcement levers available to us and we need agencies to more effectively use these to support the dismantling of criminal organisations and the sham businesses that front their activities.
    “I’m anticipating that the advisory group will look at information sharing between agencies, the way investigations and prosecutions are managed, and how frontline cooperation can be improved.  
    “Collectively, we can make a step-change in the way Government agencies think about and respond to serious organised crime and make New Zealand safer.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    February 20, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fatal crash at Ridleyton

    Source: South Australia Police

    A man has died in hospital following a crash in Ridleyton on Monday.

    At 6pm Monday 17 February emergency services were called to the intersection of Torrens Road and Blight Street after reports of a collision between a Nissan sedan that had been travelling north on Blight Street and a gopher that had been travelling south on Torrens Road.

    The driver of the Nissan, a 29-year-old Port Augusta West woman, was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

    The rider of the gopher, a 79-year-old Brompton man, was taken to hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

    Today, Thursday 20 February, the man sadly died in hospital.

    Major Crash officers are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

    The man’s death is the 17th Life Lost on SA Roads this year.

    MIL OSI News –

    February 20, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man guilty of rape in 2019

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been convicted of rape after a meticulous investigation by specialist detectives convinced the jury of his guilt.

    Samsidi D’Souza-N’Gom, 31 (05.12.93), of Marshall Road, N17 was found guilty of rape at the Old Bailey Court on Wednesday, 19 February.

    He will be sentenced at the same court on 21 March.

    On Monday, 2 September 2019, the victim, a woman in her 20s at the time of the incident, contacted police to say she had been raped at an address in Osidge Lane, Barnet.

    She was supported by specialist officers who immediately launched an investigation, led by detectives from the North West Rape & Serious Sexual Offences team.

    On Sunday, 1 September both D’Souza-N’Gom and the victim were out at a bar with a wider group of friends in Hackney. In the early hours of the morning, they returned to D’Souza-N’Gom’s home address.

    The victim told police she had been asleep when she was woken up by the defendant raping with her. She tried to fight him off but was unable to do so.

    Officers gathered and analysed hours of CCTV to put together a timeline of events. This showed them leaving the venue together before making their way to the taxi office.

    Detectives also spoke to a significant number of witnesses who provided further information which assisted with the investigation.

    D’Souza-N’Gom denied the allegations and said everything had been consensual.

    Detective Constable Alan Wong, who led the investigation, said: “I would like to commend the courage and bravery of the victim, who after enduring a traumatic incident, spoke with officers and found the strength to assist with our enquiries.

    “We were also hugely supported by other witnesses who had seen or spent time with the victim and the defendant prior to the offence. Their accounts helped us to provide the jury with a clear chronology of the evening which was central to them reaching a guilty verdict.”

    Speaking after the verdict, Detective Inspector Richard Lewsley said: “I hope that this outcome encourages victims of this type of offending to have faith that we take crimes of rape and sexual assault seriously.

    “The circumstances of this offence are often not reported because victims feel there will be insufficient evidence to support a prosecution. We are trained to explore allegations in detail and to illicit details to understand what took place.

    “I acknowledge this investigation has taken a long time but we are working hard to investigate and achieve positive outcomes for investigations regardless of the length of time that has passed. I thank the victim of this case for her fortitude and resilience in remaining engaged and positive throughout which has allowed us to finally achieve justice for the victim and put a predatory offender is behind bars.”

    “We encourage any person who is a victim of rape or sexual assault, regardless of when it occurred, to report it to police. We will treat your allegations seriously, we will listen to you and we will support you throughout the process.”

    MIL Security OSI –

    February 20, 2025
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