NewzIntel.com

Category: Law

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged with multiple offences in relation to evade incident that concluded in Blackmans Bay

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man charged with multiple offences in relation to evade incident that concluded in Blackmans Bay

    Wednesday, 16 April 2025 – 2:57 pm.

    Police have charged a 32-year-old man from Blackmans Bay with multiple offences following an evade incident that concluded in Blackmans Bay yesterday.  
    The man was charged with offences including evade police (aggravated circumstances) and common assault. 
    He was remanded to appear before the Hobart Magistrates Court today. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Storm Safety – With severe wind forecast, now is not the time to be out on the water – Maritime NZ

    Source: Maritime New Zealand

    Maritime NZ wants to remind ‘she’ll be righters’ and thrill seekers to stay off the water while a significant weather event tracks its way over parts of the country.
    With Easter paired up with ANZAC Day, many people will be planning to head out onto the water.
    MetService says bands of heavy rain and strong winds are forecast for many parts of northern and central New Zealand – starting today in the north, then sweeping south during Thursday and Friday.
    Today, winds gusting more than 50 knots (90 km/h plus) have been recorded off the coasts of Auckland, Northland and the Coromandel.
    Maritime NZ’s Principal Advisor Recreational Craft, Matt Wood says it is just not worth it to head out in these conditions.
    “Some of the winds forecast for the top half of the North Island are the strongest since 2017.
    “It is best to stay at home during this period.
    “Going out on the water with the expected conditions puts you, and potentially rescuers at risk should you get into trouble,” Matt Wood says.
    Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre alongside NZ Police are responsible for coordinating search and rescue action when this is required.
    RCCNZ’s General Manager, Justin Allan says they are staffed 24/7 and are always ready alongside their search and rescue system partners to coordinate a rescue. However, he strongly encourages anyone planning on going out to understand the weather conditions as well as the risks to avoid the need for search and rescue action in difficult marine conditions.
    “Rescue missions need to be safe for those undertaking them. Do not underestimate the conditions, keep yourself safe, and consider the impact on those who may need to come to your assistance should you get into trouble,” Justin Allan says.
    Over the last couple of years several rescues occurred after recreational vessels were impacted by severe weather events.
    “There were some close calls and some tragic incidents as well.
    “Last year 17 people lost their lives in recreational boating incidents. Most of these were avoidable and in several cases people were out on the water when conditions were unsafe. Boaties need to ensure conditions are suitable before they hit the water, and if in doubt, don’t go out,” Matt Wood says.
    While the upper North Island will be impacted over the next couple of days, potentially there will be some good spots for boating in the lower North Island and upper half of the South Island, towards the end of the weekend. Ayone planning on getting on the water should check the maritime forecast. MetService has boating forecasts Marine Weather Forecasts and Conditions – MetService New Zealand.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Canastota Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Drug Conspiracy and Firearm Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Andrew Snyder, age 46, of Canastota, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and a heroin/fentanyl mixture, and for possessing firearms as an unlawful user of controlled substances.

    United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood made the announcement.

    As part of his prior guilty plea, Snyder admitted that from approximately October 2020 through May 17, 2022, he conspired with his wife, Jessica Snyder, to distribute both methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl mixture to others out of the garage of their home in Madison County. Snyder further admitted that on May 17, 2022, while he was an unlawful user of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, he possessed two 9mm handguns and ammunition.

    Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also ordered Snyder to serve a 4-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. Jessica Snyder is currently scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2025.

    This case was investigated by ATF and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration and New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas R. Sutcliffe and Matthew J. McCrobie prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash: East Coast Road, Stillwater

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are attending a serious crash in Stillwater this afternoon.

    At around 2.35pm, a crash involving a car and truck was reported at the intersection of Jackson Way and East Coast Road.

    The driver of the car is currently in a critical condition.

    The Serious Crash Unit is deploying to the scene.

    A section of East Coast Road is currently being diverted.

    Northbound traffic is being diverted off at Bawden Road, with southbound traffic being diverted off at Spur Road.

    Please expect delays or avoid the area if at all possible this afternoon.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Update – Man arrested over Mawson Lakes house fire

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A man has been arrested following a house fire at Mawson Lakes early this morning.

    Police and fire crews were called to a home on Greenleaf Court about 2.20am on Wednesday 16 April following reports of a fire.

    Flames could be seen coming from the roof of the two-storey property.

    When police arrived, they found the home fully engulfed by the fire. Thankfully no one was home at the time but unfortunately the property was completely destroyed in the blaze.

    Fire Cause Investigators attended the scene and determined the fire to be suspicious.

    Northern District Detectives identified a suspect and he was arrested by police at Bordertown late this morning.

    A 57-year-old man from Mawson Lakes was arrested and is expected to be charged with arson at Mount Gambier Police Station later today.

    Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au/ on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: This election, disinformation is swirling on Chinese social media. Here’s how it spreads

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fan Yang, Research fellow at Melbourne Law School, the University of Melbourne and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society., The University of Melbourne

    Shutterstock/The Conversation

    Since 2024, the RECapture research team has been monitoring political disinformation and advertising in Australia.

    Our focus is on WeChat, the primary news and information platform for Chinese speakers in Australia, and RedNote (Xiaohongshu), an emerging Chinese information sharing platform similar to Instagram.

    Hundreds of thousands of people in Australia use these platforms. They’re often a main source of news.

    Our research reveals while Australian news media often focus on foreign interference, in this election cycle, disinformation is being driven by commercial and domestic political interests.

    These pose substantial threats to Chinese Australian communities and our democracy.

    What is disinformation?

    Defining disinformation often hinges on three criteria:

    • the truthfulness of the content

    • the intent behind its creation and dissemination

    • the harm it causes.

    However, findings from our 2023 study on the Voice referendum challenge those assumptions. Disinformation isn’t as simple as true or false. It can involve ambiguous intent and produce harm that’s difficult to measure.

    Further, Australia’s lack of clear definition for online misinformation and disinformation presents significant challenges for researchers and regulators.

    With these limitations, we focus on deliberate misrepresentations of policy positions and the manipulation of political speech intended to influence voter behaviour.

    What have we discovered?

    We found examples that misrepresented political statements and policies and capitalised on preexisting concerns within migrant communities.

    Concerns include potential changes to investor visas, undocumented migration, humanitarian programs and Australia’s diplomatic relations with India, the US and China.

    We also found several strategies, such as:

    • exaggerating the likelihood of events (like the revival of the Significant Investment Visa – an invitation-only visa for those investing at least A$5 million in certain sectors)

    • manipulating timelines and contexts (like re-hyping past news stories to create the impression the events are happening in the present)

    • and misaligning visuals and text to suggest misleading interpretations.

    While we’re working to better understand who’s behind these cases, we know they’re not political parties. Here are two examples.

    This post on RedNote, published in April, referred to several statements, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s speech at the Future of Western Sydney Summit. Albanese stated the government had a “balanced” immigration ratio.

    However, the Chinese-language text accompanying the post omitted Labor’s past immigration policies and misrepresented the speech:

    Labor grants amnesty to all? Albo embraces immigrants! Good news for Chinese people!

    Discussions in the comments largely favoured a class-based immigration system. Users argued the Labor government disproportionately favoured humanitarian immigrants and greater preference should be given to upper and middle-class migrants.

    We also found examples on WeChat.

    On March 4, the Chinese-language media outlet AFN Daily published an article with the provocative headline:

    I am furious! How shameless! Australia is really going to be in chaos!

    The headline was sensational and intentionally ambiguous. It attracted reader attention to click through past four advertisements, including one political ad by the Liberal candidate for Bennelong, Scott Yung.

    The article claimed the Coalition’s support had surpassed Labor’s, while presenting a segment of a poll in which Labor had actually received greater voter support for its welfare, healthcare and education policies.

    The article further claimed the Labor Party had naturalised 12,500 new citizens – predominantly of Indian origin – in an attempt to sway the Chinese audience.

    This claim had been explicitly refuted by Tony Burke back in February.

    The article challenged this assertion by Burke and reinforced anti-Labor sentiment through racially charged narratives. It emphasised the strengthening diplomatic relations between Australia and India, and highlighted the growing number of South Asian and Middle Eastern migrants in comparison to Chinese migrants.

    We also observed ad hoc disinformation narratives triggered by natural disasters or public emergencies.

    For example, there was a claim on WeChat suggesting “the election is cancelled because of Cyclone Alfred.” Such disinformation requires timely intervention to prevent its rapid spread and impact.

    Why is this so harmful?

    The harms of disinformation are often more severe on digital media used by marginalised communities. Our research shows a few reasons why.

    The limited regulatory oversight of these platforms makes the harms hard to fully identify and prevent.

    Australian regulatory bodies keep intervention to address disinformation on these platforms to a minimum. This reflects broader national concerns around cybersecurity and foreign interference.

    Unfortunately, this has resulted in a largely unregulated environment where political disinformation thrives during election cycles.

    Finally, we see persistent disinformation narratives – from 2019, 2022, 2023 (around the Voice referendum), through to 2025 – where racial stereotypes intersect with partisan biases.

    What can be done?

    For Chinese-language platforms, our findings suggest disinformation might be less a product of foreign political actors, propaganda or linguistic barriers. What’s more important are the insular structure of WeChat and RedNote’s media ecosystems.

    Tailored civic education and media literacy initiatives can help users to spot disinformation. Currently, grassroots debunking efforts are largely done by community members who comment beneath posts.

    But more broadly, we need to support the public to think critically when reading digital news. This would help mitigate the exploitation of racial and gender biases for clicks and political point-scoring.

    While automation is sometimes used to detect and debunk disinformation, its application is limited here. WeChat and RedNote prohibit external automated tools. Their own systems for flagging content generated by artificial intelligence don’t always work either.

    Individual and coordinated human effort remains the best way to accurately inform Australian communities of their choices this election. This applies whether these communities tune in to mainstream broadcasts, major US-based social media platforms or Chinese language apps.

    The authors would like to thank researchers Dan Dai, Stevie Zhang, and Mengjie Cai for their contributions to this project.

    The research project is funded by the Susan McKinnon Foundation for the period 2024-2025.

    Robbie Fordyce is a member of the grants panel for the Australian Communication Consumer Action Network (ACCAN). He has previously worked on studies of online political content that has been funded by the Australian Research Council and by ACCAN.

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

    – ref. This election, disinformation is swirling on Chinese social media. Here’s how it spreads – https://theconversation.com/this-election-disinformation-is-swirling-on-chinese-social-media-heres-how-it-spreads-253849

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: US small businesses file lawsuit against Trump’s tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Multiple U.S. small businesses Monday sued to challenge the White House’s authority to unilaterally issue tariffs on April 2.

    The lawsuit filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade argues that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has no authority to issue across-the-board worldwide tariffs without congressional approval.

    The lawsuit was jointly filed by the Liberty Justice Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan and public-interest litigation firm, and Ilya Somin, a co-counsel and professor of law at George Mason University, according to a court document.

    The lawsuit is filed on behalf of five owner-operated businesses from the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Vermont.

    “Trade deficits have existed for decades, and do not constitute a national emergency or threat to security,” the Liberty Justice Center said in a release. “Moreover, the (Trump) Administration imposed tariffs even on countries with which the United States does not have a trade deficit, further undermining the administration’s justification.”

    Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to justify the “Liberation Day” tariffs, as well as the tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, noted the center.

    However, the IEEPA does not authorize the U.S. president to impose across-the-board tariffs, and not even authorize tariffs at all, argued the complaint.

    Amid widespread opposition, Trump signed an executive order on April 2 on the so-called “reciprocal tariffs,” imposing a 10-percent “minimum baseline tariff” and higher rates on certain trading partners.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Fourth Member of Alleged Chicago Robbery Crew Ordered Detained in Federal Custody Pending Trial

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    CHICAGO — The fourth member of a robbery crew allegedly responsible for violently robbing multiple liquor stores, convenience stores, and bars in Chicago has been ordered detained in federal custody pending trial.

    XAVIER HARRIS, 26, of Chicago, conspired with his brother and two others to rob or attempt to rob more than a dozen Chicago businesses in 2023 and 2024, according to charges unsealed last month in U.S. District Court in Chicago.  In three of the robberies, Xavier Harris brandished a gun and pistol-whipped victims, including the cashier of a liquor store in Chicago’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, according to a government memorandum filed in support of Xavier Harris’s detention.

    Xavier Harris was arrested last month.  Over the government’s objection, a federal Magistrate Judge ordered him released on an unsecured $10,000 appearance bond and location monitoring.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office appealed the release to U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood, who on Monday ordered Xavier Harris to remain detained without bond pending trial.

    The three other defendants – Xavier Harris’s brother, ARDARIES HARRIS, 27, of Chicago, JORDAN FOX, 25, of Chicago, and ROOSEVELT VEAL, 27, of Rockford, Ill. – were previously ordered detained without bond while they await trial.  All four defendants have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, robbery, attempted robbery, and firearm charges.  The maximum sentence for each of the defendants is life in federal prison. Ardaries Harris, Fox, and Veal each face mandatory minimum sentences of thirty years, while Xavier Harris faces a mandatory minimum of 21 years. 

    A full list of the 15 robberies and attempted robberies can be found here.

    The detention order was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department.  Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago, the Illinois State Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service’s Great Lakes Regional Task Force.

    This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  The case was also conducted in coordination with ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center of Chicago (CGIC), a centralized law enforcement hub that focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in Chicago and throughout northern Illinois.

    “The nature and circumstances of these serious offenses and the weight of the evidence demonstrate the danger posed to the community by Xavier Harris if he is released,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily C.R. Vermylen and Stephanie Stern argued in the government’s detention memorandum.  “Xavier Harris committed these robberies with absolutely no regard for human life or human safety.”

    The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Power lines down, Silverdale

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are advising power lines are currently down on Hibiscus Coast Highway in Silverdale.

    Lines have come down between the interesections with East Coast and Tavern roads. 

    Eastbound and westbound traffic is being diverted via East Coast Road and Tavern Road.

    Lines contractors are on site.

    We advise motorists to avoid the area if at all possible, as traffic has built up in the area.

    Please continue to take care on our roads over the coming days.

    ENDS

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash: Temple View

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police can confirm one person has died following a crash in Temple View earlier today.

    Emergency services were called to the single vehicle crash on Tuhikaramea Road at about 10:30am.

    One person died at the scene, a second person received minor injuries.

    The road remains closed, while a scene examination is carried out.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Courts’ caseflow management going digital

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Kiwis will soon be able to file and track their court cases online as the Government signs off the business case to finally go digital, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Courts Minister Nicole McKee say.

    “The new online portal will provide a source of trusted information, and users will receive consistent, timely responses about their cases. This means more certainty, and less anxiety, for everyone involved,” Mr Goldsmith says.

    “Current court and tribunal processes are largely paper-based and underpinned by outdated software. These manual processes don’t meet the public’s expectation of a modern, streamlined service. 

    “This new modern caseflow management system will improve the reliability and efficiency of courts, benefitting everyone involved in the courts.”

    “The caseflow management system is set to make a significant difference to everyone who participates in New Zealand’s courts and tribunals,” Mrs McKee says. 

    “The Family court will benefit first from the new system, which will start to be rolled out from July 2026.

    “Planning for a second phase of development for the Civil and Criminal jurisdictions of both the High Court and District Court, is scheduled to begin later this year and expected to go live in the second half of 2027.

    “A third and final phase of development will focus on the appeals processes, including the Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. It will also include rollout for Environment Court, Coroners Court, and the Disputes Tribunal. The third phase is expected to begin in 2027 and go live in late 2028.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Labrador Asks Boise Mayor to Comply with State Law

    Source: US State of Idaho

    Home Newsroom Attorney General Labrador Asks Boise Mayor to Comply with State Law

    BOISE — Attorney General Raúl Labrador has sent the following letter to Boise Mayor Lauren McLean addressing the City’s ongoing violation of Idaho’s recently enacted House Bill 96 prohibiting the display of unauthorized flags by cities or other governmental entities on government property.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Kawakawa homicide: Name release

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police can today release the name of the man who was located deceased in a vehicle in Kawakawa on 13 April.

    He was 63-year-old Archibald McKenzie, of Te Ti Mangonui.

    Detective Inspector Rhys Johnston says: “A 49-year-old man will reappear on 2 May in the Whangārei High Court, charged with Mr McKenzie’s murder.

    “Police extend our thoughts with Mr McKenzie’s whānau at this difficult time.”

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Keep it a sweet Easter on the roads

    Source: New South Wales – News

    South Australia Police (SAPOL) is urging road users across the state to make it a safe Easter long weekend by demonstrating responsible road behaviours.

    Operation Safe Holidays will be deployed state-wide from Thursday 17 to 21 April, with a focus on the Fatal Five factors that lead to road trauma.

    Officer in Charge of SAPOL Traffic Services Branch Shane Johnson said during the 2024 Easter long weekend, three lives were lost and 18 serious injuries incurred as a result of road trauma on South Australian roads.

    “With people commuting to and from holiday destinations, it’s essential road users follow the road rules,” Superintendent Johnson said.

    “Remember that small actions can have real impact on road safety and that all road users, from cyclists to drivers, have a responsibility to do their part by following traffic laws.”

    Minister for Police Stephen Mullighan MP said, “as thousands of South Australians head away for the Easter Long weekend, we’re urging drivers to take extra care on our roads.”

    “A split-second lapse of concentration can have fatal consequences, so please do what you can to ensure you and other road users arrive at their destinations safely,” Minister Mullighan said.

    This Easter, SA Police launches the story of Sergeant John Hong, who has dedicated his career to road policing following the tragic loss of his mother in a road crash.

    “Sergeant Hong’s story is a reminder of the lasting impact road trauma has on families and communities,” Superintendent Johnson said.

    “His lived experience brings a deep sense empathy when working with families who have been affected by road trauma.”

    “His story is a touching and poignant reminder of what lies at stake each time we use the road.”

    Sergeant John Hong said he chose to share his story to show how road trauma was an experience that charted the course of the rest of his life.

    “My family and I had the good fortune of a strong support system following the loss of my mother,” Sergeant Hong said.

    “The circumstances of my mother’s collision are an example of how a second of inattention can have catastrophic consequences which persist over a lifetime for those who remain behind.

    “Hopefully my story can inspire drivers to take a moment when they get behind the wheel to consider the task at hand.

    “When you are driving, that is your only job – be safe.”

    See Sgt Hong’s story here: [YouTube link].

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Apparel business, Hard Rock, admits to resale price maintenance and misleading consumers about consumer guarantees

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The ACCC has accepted a court-enforceable undertaking from apparel business Hard Rock Enterprises Pty Ltd in which it admitted to engaging in resale price maintenance and making false or misleading representations about consumers’ rights to return faulty or incorrect products.

    Hard Rock is an Australian business which sells blank apparel to retailers on a wholesale basis and directly to consumers via its online store. Its customers include uniform shops, merchandisers, and individual consumers.  

    Hard Rock has admitted that between 20 June 2024 and 11 September 2024 it required certain resellers to sell Hard Rock products within a specific price range.

    Under Australia’s competition law, it is illegal for suppliers to prevent, or attempt to prevent, resellers from advertising or selling goods or services below a specified minimum price. This conduct is known as resale price maintenance.

    “Hard Rock has admitted that it sent written communications to ten resellers requiring them not to sell their products below 10 per cent of Hard Rock’s recommended retail price,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “In addition, Hard Rock told resellers that if they did not agree, it may adjust pricing or cease supplying its products to them.”

    “Suppliers cannot maintain price premiums in an anti-competitive way by setting minimum prices for resellers.”

    “Competition issues in the supermarket and retail sector are an enforcement priority for the ACCC in the 2025-26 financial year. The ACCC takes resale price maintenance conduct very seriously as it can cause significant consumer harm, particularly at a time when Australians are facing increased cost-of-living pressures,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    Hard Rock has also admitted to making false or misleading representations to consumers about the amount of time a consumer has to seek a remedy for a faulty product or return an incorrect product.

    From at least 24 February 2025, Hard Rock displayed the following statements on its website:

    • You must notify us of any faulty or incorrect supplied items within 7 business days of receiving the goods.
    • The Seller must be notified by the Purchaser for [sic] delivery shortages and incorrect products against invoice in writing within 48 hours of receiving products.
    • The Seller must be notified by the Purchaser for [sic] faulty products in writing within seven (7) days upon receipt of products.

    “Under the Australian Consumer Law, consumers have basic rights when buying products and services, known as consumer guarantees. These rights are separate from any warranties offered by a business and cannot be taken away by anything a business says or does,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “The representations made by Hard Rock on their website were false or misleading as they sought to restrict consumers’ consumer guarantee rights by imposing time-limits for returning a faulty or incorrect product.”

    “Consumers are entitled to a repair or replacement if a product is faulty and can choose to receive a refund if the fault is major,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    Hard Rock’s undertaking, which the ACCC has accepted, is in effect for three years and includes admissions of breaching the Competition and Consumer Act and the Australian Consumer Law; a commitment to issue corrective notices to the ten resellers and remove misleading representations about consumer guarantees from its website; and implement a compliance program.

    The undertaking can be found here: Hard Rock Enterprises Pty Ltd

    Note to editors

    Resale price maintenance is strictly prohibited by Australia’s competition laws. It occurs when suppliers:

    • make it known they will not supply goods or services unless a reseller agrees not to advertise or sell at a price below a specified minimum price;
    • induce, or attempt to induce, resellers not to advertise or sell below a specified minimum price;
    • enter into agreements, or offer to enter into agreements, for the supply of goods or services on terms including that the reseller will not advertise or sell below a specified minimum price;
    • withhold supply of goods or services because a reseller, or a purchaser from the reseller, has not agreed to not advertise or sell below a specified minimum price, or has advertised or sold (or is likely to sell) at a price below a specified minimum price;
    • use, in relation to goods or services supplied or that may be supplied, a statement as to price which is likely to be understood as the price below which the goods or services are not to be sold.

    Businesses may lodge a notification of resale price maintenance conduct with the ACCC or apply for ACCC authorisation of proposed resale price maintenance conduct, which will be permitted if the likely public benefit from the proposed conduct outweighs the likely public detriment from that conduct.

    More information about resale price maintenance can be found at Minimum resale prices.

    Background

    Hard Rock was established in 1997 and operates as a blank apparel business, selling t-shirts, fleeces, polos, jackets, workwear and organic babies wear, among other clothing items to wholesalers and consumers. 

    Its resellers sometimes add decoration (such as embroidery, screen printing, etc) to the apparel before it is then on-sold to consumers.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash, Tangoio

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police can confirm one person has died following a crash on State Highway 2, Tangoio this morning.

    The crash involving two vehicles was reported to Police just before 9am.

    One person died at the scene, three others were transported to hospital, two with serious injuries and one with moderate injuries.

    The road remains closed, diversions are in place.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearms

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    William Noddin possessed firearms while subject to a domestic violence protective order

    Portland, Maine: A Lewiston man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to unlawfully possessing a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order. 

    According to court records, in December 2023, deputies with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a disabled vehicle in New Gloucester. Deputies located the vehicle and were approached by William Noddin, 58, who said he was operating the vehicle when it got stuck. He also said he had two handguns in the vehicle’s trunk. At the time he possessed the firearms, he was subject to a domestic violence protective order and was prohibited from possessing firearms while the order was in effect.

    Noddin faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum supervised release term of three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

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

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: BUTLER COUNTY – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis to Highlight 2025-26 Proposed Budget Investments in Safer Communities

    Source: US State of Pennsylvania

    April 16, 2025 – Butler, PA

    ADVISORY – BUTLER COUNTY – Lt. Gov. Austin Davis to Highlight 2025-26 Proposed Budget Investments in Safer Communities

    Lt. Gov. Austin Davis will discuss the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s proposed 2025-26 budget and its investments to make Pennsylvania communities safer Wednesday, April 16, at 1 p.m. at the Butler County Courthouse, 124 W. Diamond St., Butler.

    The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which Davis leads, recently approved $45 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grants. This program supports a wide range of models focused on reducing community violence and relies on community groups that are most in tune with specific local needs. The Butler County District Attorney’s office is receiving nearly $900,000 to continue and enhance their Butler County Gun Investigation Program.

    The proposed 2025-26 budget includes a $10 million increase for the VIP program, as well as $10 million more for the Building Opportunity through Out-of-School Time (BOOST) initiative, which provides funding for afterschool programs that help keep kids safe and give them enrichment opportunities.

    WHO: Lt. Gov. Austin Davis; Butler County District Attorney Richard Goldinger; Butler County Commissioners Kevin Boozel, Leslie Osche and Kimberly Geyer; representatives from the Victim Outreach Intervention Center (VOICe)

    WHAT: News conference to discuss how the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s proposed state budget will help make Pennsylvania communities safer

    WHEN: Wednesday, April 16, at 1 p.m.

    WHERE: Butler County Courthouse, 124 W. Diamond St., Butler

    RSVP: Members of the news media who are interested in attending can RSVP to Kirstin Alvanitakis at kirstinalv@pa.gov.

    Contact: kirstinalv@pa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana and Atlanta-Based Money Launderer Indicted

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Siblings Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Pez, Pescado, and Mojarra — and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Fresa, El Feyo, and La Fruta — both of Guerrero, Mexico, and co-leaders of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) drug cartel, were charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl knowing those controlled substances would be imported into the United States, conspiracy to import those controlled substances into the United States, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute those controlled substances.

    The indictments were returned in September 2024 and recently unsealed. Prior to his indictment, Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga was designated as a Consolidated Priority Target (CPOT) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Both Hurtado Olascoaga brothers are fugitives believed to be residing in Mexico. In addition, today the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new sanctions against Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga and their siblings, LNFM members Ubaldo Hurtado Olascoaga and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State also announced the designation of LNFM as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Additionally, the Department of State announced a Narcotics Rewards Program offer of up to $5 million and $3 million, respectively, for information leading to the arrests or convictions of Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.

    Franco Tabares Martinez, 51, of Guerrero, Mexico, a high-ranking member of LNFM was charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and related substantive counts of drug trafficking. The indictment was unsealed against Franco Tabares Martinez on July 7, 2023, after which he was sanctioned by OFAC. On June 20, 2024, his brother Uriel Tabares-Martinez was also sanctioned by OFAC. Another brother, Pablo Tabares Martinez, pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Their sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez — also known as Yosel Medrano Hernandez and Lupe — of Mableton, Georgia, has now been charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to commit international money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business, and related substantive counts. The indictment was returned on April 8 and recently unsealed.                 

    “Today’s indictments and OFAC sanctions against high-ranking LNFM cartel members sends a clear message: if you contribute to the death of Americans by peddling poison into our communities, we will work relentlessly to find you and bring you to justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

    “These cartel members are allegedly responsible for importing massive amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl from Mexico to the Atlanta area and across the United States, and then wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from distributing those drugs back to Mexico,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia. “These federal indictments, in conjunction with the imposition of OFAC sanctions, send a strong message that we will tirelessly investigate, prosecute, and defund individuals around the globe who choose to import deadly drugs into, and risk the lives of the members of, our communities.”

    “Today’s action underscores our commitment to intensify the pressure on violent drug cartels like LNFM, who continue to traffic deadly fentanyl and other drugs, smuggle illegal aliens over our Southwest border, and attack law enforcement,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The Trump administration will continue to use all available tools to target the cartels and other violent organizations that attempt to exploit our communities and harm Americans.”

    “President Trump has promised to crack down on the flow of deadly drugs into our country,” said Senior Bureau Official F. Cartwright Weiland of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). “And today, working with the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of State is delivering on that promise by offering rewards totaling up to $8 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the Hurtado brothers.”

    “Cases like this exemplify the value of partnerships,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division. “The volume of dangerous drugs and violence impacts our communities beyond comprehension. This investigation and subsequent indictments demonstrate DEA’s commitment to protecting our community by destroying these drug trafficking organizations.”

    “The indictment of senior leaders of this brutal Mexican cartel and subsequent OFAC sanctions makes one thing clear, we are coming after these criminal networks and utilizing every weapon in our arsenal,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and Alabama. “Through aggressive interagency coordination, HSI and our law enforcement partners are not only seizing their drugs and arresting their members, but we are also cutting off their money, dismantling their infrastructure, and bringing their leaders to justice. This operation underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities and dismantling the criminal enterprises that profit from violence and addiction.”

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie for the Northern District of Georgia, the indictments, and other information presented in court: In 2021, agents of the DEA and HSI began an investigation of LNFM cartel members importing methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl into the United States, including into the Northern District of Georgia. As part of the investigation, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez as a then-high-ranking member of the LNFM cartel who allegedly distributed multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in the metro Atlanta area.

    In addition, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez’s sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez, as an Atlanta-based money launderer allegedly helping her brother and other drug traffickers by picking up bulk currency and then using her money service business, Noyola Multiservice, to transmit those drug proceeds to drug trafficking associates in Mexico. Through the investigation, agents also identified Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga as the cartel’s co-founders and kingpins, who conspired with cartel members in Mexico and throughout the United States to import heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border for distribution in various cities and states, including Atlanta.

    This case is being investigated by the DEA and HSI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Milam and Bethany Rupert for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case against the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers, Franco Tabares Martinez and Guadalupe Tabares Martinez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrison for the Middle District of Georgia provided valuable contributions to the investigation of Guadalupe Tabares Martinez.

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

    This prosecution is part of an OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (the Strike Force) is to degrade and dismantle major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations (DTMLOs) in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs), Regional Priority Organization Targets (RPOTs), and their associates.  The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS; as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

    An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Members of a Massive International Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Ring Indicted in Atlanta

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Members of a Massive International Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Ring Indicted in Atlanta

    On April 1, seven individuals in Georgia and Mexico were indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia related to a drug trafficking and money laundering ring tied to a Mexico-based trafficker. Five of these defendants, all of Norcross, Georgia — Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, 49; Karina Beatriz Perez Hernandez, 22; David Miranda Vinalay, 39; Jerome Lewis, 47; and Irving Joel Hernandez, 34 — were arrested earlier today in a coordinated effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and local law enforcement. The defendants were arraigned before a U.S. Magistrate Judge following their arrests.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Members of a Massive International Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Ring Indicted in Atlanta

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    On April 1, seven individuals in Georgia and Mexico were indicted by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia related to a drug trafficking and money laundering ring tied to a Mexico-based trafficker. Five of these defendants, all of Norcross, Georgia — Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, 49; Karina Beatriz Perez Hernandez, 22; David Miranda Vinalay, 39; Jerome Lewis, 47; and Irving Joel Hernandez, 34 — were arrested earlier today in a coordinated effort by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and local law enforcement. The defendants were arraigned before a U.S. Magistrate Judge following their arrests.

    “Thanks to the great investigative work of our federal partners and local law enforcement, five individuals working on behalf of the violent Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) have been taken off our streets,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will not allow these criminal enterprises to continue profiting off of the death and destruction of American lives.”

    “The defendants allegedly trafficked high volumes of fentanyl and other deadly drugs into our community and then laundered the illicit proceeds of their activities as directed by a Mexico-based drug trafficker, including more than $1 million during a mere two-month period,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia. “Although these individuals took great measures to conceal their alleged criminal conduct, a determined and coordinated effort by our federal and local law enforcement partners helped to secure the federal charges in this case.”

    “The deadly impact of fentanyl on our communities is devastating,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the DEA’s Atlanta Division. “These arrests should be a clear message to the traffickers that keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.”

    “Using our expertise in financial investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation is following the money, despite attempts by criminals to cover their tracks,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of IRS-CI’s Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents in partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies, will continue our work investigating and holding accountable those responsible for bringing dangerous drugs into our communities.”

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie for the Northern District of Georgia, the indictment, and other information presented in court: In September 2024, the DEA uncovered a scheme involving drug traffickers delivering bulk currency from drug sales to a middleman in Norcross. The middleman then allegedly delivered the drug proceeds to defendants Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel (Chilel) and her daughter Karina Beatriz Perez Hernandez (Perez), who then laundered the proceeds as directed by a Mexico-based drug trafficker. Chilel and Perez allegedly operated a money service business (MSB) in Norcross called “La Pulga Esperenza.”

    Between September and November 2024, DEA saw several traffickers deliver hundreds of thousands of dollars of suspected drug proceeds to the middleman in Norcross, who then transferred the cash to Chilel and Perez. Agents with IRS-CI analyzed the MSB’s transactions and determined that the cash was wired to Mexico but was transferred in small increments so as not to raise suspicion by federal regulators. During a period of approximately two months, this ring of individuals allegedly laundered over $1 million in drug proceeds smuggled to Mexico.

    During the investigation, the DEA identified several alleged traffickers who transported the drug proceeds to Norcross, including defendants David Miranda Vinalay, Jerome Lewis, and Irving Joel Hernandez. DEA identified one of the primary traffickers as being a member or associate of the CJNG. Additionally, as alleged in the indictment, some of the traffickers also possessed methamphetamine and fentanyl that they intended to distribute on behalf of the drug trafficking ring.

    Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

    This case is being investigated by the DEA and IRS-CI. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Georgia State Patrol, Dekalb County, Georgia, Police Department, Gwinnett County, Georgia, Police Department, and Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Dwayne A. Brown Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.

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

    This effort is part of an OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tuhikaramea Road, Temple View closed following crash

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Tuhikaramea Road, Temple View is closed following a crash.

    The single vehicle crash was reported at 10:30am.

    Initial indications are that there are serious injuries.

    Diversions are in place at the intersection with Collins Road (south) and Kahikatea Drive (north).

    The road is expected to be closed for a significant period of time.

    Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mongols Motorcycle Club Member Arrested, Other Also Charged, with Assault and Murder of Rival Gang Member Last Month in Ontario

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RIVERSIDE, California – A member of the Mongols Motorcycle Club was arrested today, and another Mongols member has been charged, both in connection with the assault and murder of a rival motorcycle gang member at a San Bernardino County bar last month.

    Clifford Michael Lavoy, 51, a.k.a. “Buckshot,” of Montclair, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint that charges him with assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering. Julian Pulido, 35, a.k.a. “Juls,” of Upland is charged via the same federal complaint with murder in aid of racketeering.

    Lavoy was arrested this morning and made his initial appearance in United States District Court in Riverside this afternoon. A federal magistrate judge ordered him jailed without bond and scheduled a May 6 arraignment in Riverside federal court.

    Pulido currently is in state custody, charged in San Bernardino County Superior Court with murder. He is expected to make his initial appearance in Riverside federal court in the coming weeks.

    According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, during the early morning hours of March 4, Pulido and Lavoy violently attacked the victim – a member of the Vagos, a rival motorcycle gang and who is identified in court documents as “V.S.” – at an Ontario bar. Inside the bar, the defendants confronted the victim, who was wearing clothing reflecting his Vagos membership, argued with him, and told the victim that he needed to show respect to them as Mongols members.

    Later, the defendants assaulted and overpowered the victim, including by punching the victim in the face, choking him, and causing injuries to the victim’s face, head, and neck. 

    When the victim tried to run out of the bar, Pulido allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the victim several times in the back, causing the victim to fall through the door of the bar and bleed out on the sidewalk. The defendants then fled the scene. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:45 a.m.

    Later that same day, Pulido led law enforcement on a nine-hour chase across five counties in California. He was arrested after crashing a black Dodge vehicle into a ditch during a high-speed chase along Highway 46 near Lost Hills in Kern County. At the time of his arrest, Pulido possessed the same Mongols-branded clothing he had worn on the night of V.S.’s murder. 

    Lavoy was arrested in Whittier, was booked then later released.

    A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    If convicted, Pulido would face a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison and Lavoy would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

    The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating this matter with the Ontario Police Department. The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office provided substantial assistance.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Declan T. Conroy and Daniel H. Weiner of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.

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

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Infringements issued for illegal rubbish dumping in Geeveston state reserve forest area

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Infringements issued for illegal rubbish dumping in Geeveston state reserve forest area

    Wednesday, 16 April 2025 – 8:52 am.

    Two men will receive an infringement notice for $2,200 each after they allegedly illegally dumped a significant amount of rubbish in a stream side reserve at Geeveston recently. 
    The 39-year-old and 66-year-old men from Geeveston allegedly dumped more than two cubic metres of rubbish in the state reserve forest area. 
    “Police are continuing to investigate further reports of illegal rubbish dumping within the Geeveston area,” said Sergeant Simon Ward from Huonville Police. 
    “Illegal rubbish dumping will not be tolerated, and I ask anyone with information into the matters to contact Huonville Police on 131 444 or provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers Tasmania at crimestopperstas.com.au or on 1800 333 000”
    Stephen Rymer, Assistant General Manager Operations, Sustainable Timber Tasmania said, “This is a strong demonstration that illegal rubbish dumping on Permanent Timber Production Zone land is a serious offence and offenders will be prosecuted.”   
    “Illegal dumping of rubbish is a major concern for Sustainable Timber Tasmania, costing tens of thousands of dollars each year in time, resources, and clean up and has significant environmental, economic, and safety impacts.”  
    Littering can be reported to the Environmental Protection Authority via epa.gov.au or by calling 1300 135 513.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Road users urged to pay attention at level crossings following recent near misses

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Road users urged to pay attention at level crossings following recent near misses

    Wednesday, 16 April 2025 – 9:13 am.

    Tasmania Police and TasRail are urging all road users to take greater care around level crossings following several near misses between trains and vehicles across Tasmania recently.
    The warnings come after regular incidents where drivers failed to stop at level crossings, ignored warning signals, or attempted to beat approaching trains, putting lives at serious risk.
    Tasmania Police is increasing patrols and monitoring of known high-risk level crossings, reminding drivers that failure to obey railway crossing signs and signals can result in significant fines and demerit points.
    Inspector Adam Spencer from Western District said we’ve seen far too many close calls in recent weeks.
    “Ignoring crossing signals or trying to outrun a train isn’t just illegal, it’s incredibly dangerous, and we’re urging everyone to slow down, look for trains and obey the signals at level crossings.”
    “It is incredibly lucky that no one has been seriously injured in these incidents, and we are using them as an example to others about the importance of rail safety.”
    “We’ll be monitoring driver behaviour around level crossings, and anyone found to be taking breaking the road rules will be prosecuted,” he said.
    There are ~180 public level crossings across Tasmania’s 600km operational rail network, and most are located in rural or regional areas. TasRail operates freight trains throughout the day and night, and driver vigilance is essential.
    “Our train drivers rely on road users obeying road rules at level crossings, trains cannot swerve or stop instantaneously. It’s in your hands. Thank you to Tasmania Police for its continued support for rail safety, TasRail CEO Steven Dietrich said.”
    Both TasRail and Tasmania Police are calling on all road users, especially those in regional communities, to stay alert and help prevent the next potential tragedy by following the tips below:

    Always obey signs, lights, and signals.
    Stop, look both ways, and listen for trains—especially at passive crossings.
    Never attempt to race a train or cross when warning signals are active.
    Be patient—trains may take several minutes to clear a crossing.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leaders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana and Atlanta-Based Money Launderer Indicted

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Siblings Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Pez, Pescado, and Mojarra — and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga — also known as El Fresa, El Feyo, and La Fruta — both of Guerrero, Mexico, and co-leaders of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) drug cartel, were charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl knowing those controlled substances would be imported into the United States, conspiracy to import those controlled substances into the United States, and conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute those controlled substances.

    The indictments were returned in September 2024 and recently unsealed. Prior to his indictment, Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga was designated as a Consolidated Priority Target (CPOT) by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Both Hurtado Olascoaga brothers are fugitives believed to be residing in Mexico. In addition, today the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new sanctions against Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga and their siblings, LNFM members Ubaldo Hurtado Olascoaga and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga. On Feb. 20, the U.S. Department of State also announced the designation of LNFM as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Additionally, the Department of State announced a Narcotics Rewards Program offer of up to $5 million and $3 million, respectively, for information leading to the arrests or convictions of Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.

    Franco Tabares Martinez, 51, of Guerrero, Mexico, a high-ranking member of LNFM was charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and related substantive counts of drug trafficking. The indictment was unsealed against Franco Tabares Martinez on July 7, 2023, after which he was sanctioned by OFAC. On June 20, 2024, his brother Uriel Tabares-Martinez was also sanctioned by OFAC. Another brother, Pablo Tabares Martinez, pleaded guilty on Jan. 13 to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Their sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez — also known as Yosel Medrano Hernandez and Lupe — of Mableton, Georgia, has now been charged by a federal grand jury seated in the Northern District of Georgia with conspiracy to commit international money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business, and related substantive counts. The indictment was returned on April 8 and recently unsealed.                 

    “Today’s indictments and OFAC sanctions against high-ranking LNFM cartel members sends a clear message: if you contribute to the death of Americans by peddling poison into our communities, we will work relentlessly to find you and bring you to justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.

    “These cartel members are allegedly responsible for importing massive amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl from Mexico to the Atlanta area and across the United States, and then wiring hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds from distributing those drugs back to Mexico,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia. “These federal indictments, in conjunction with the imposition of OFAC sanctions, send a strong message that we will tirelessly investigate, prosecute, and defund individuals around the globe who choose to import deadly drugs into, and risk the lives of the members of, our communities.”

    “Today’s action underscores our commitment to intensify the pressure on violent drug cartels like LNFM, who continue to traffic deadly fentanyl and other drugs, smuggle illegal aliens over our Southwest border, and attack law enforcement,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The Trump administration will continue to use all available tools to target the cartels and other violent organizations that attempt to exploit our communities and harm Americans.”

    “President Trump has promised to crack down on the flow of deadly drugs into our country,” said Senior Bureau Official F. Cartwright Weiland of the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). “And today, working with the DEA and Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of State is delivering on that promise by offering rewards totaling up to $8 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the Hurtado brothers.”

    “Cases like this exemplify the value of partnerships,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Division. “The volume of dangerous drugs and violence impacts our communities beyond comprehension. This investigation and subsequent indictments demonstrate DEA’s commitment to protecting our community by destroying these drug trafficking organizations.”

    “The indictment of senior leaders of this brutal Mexican cartel and subsequent OFAC sanctions makes one thing clear, we are coming after these criminal networks and utilizing every weapon in our arsenal,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Georgia and Alabama. “Through aggressive interagency coordination, HSI and our law enforcement partners are not only seizing their drugs and arresting their members, but we are also cutting off their money, dismantling their infrastructure, and bringing their leaders to justice. This operation underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting our communities and dismantling the criminal enterprises that profit from violence and addiction.”

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie for the Northern District of Georgia, the indictments, and other information presented in court: In 2021, agents of the DEA and HSI began an investigation of LNFM cartel members importing methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl into the United States, including into the Northern District of Georgia. As part of the investigation, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez as a then-high-ranking member of the LNFM cartel who allegedly distributed multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in the metro Atlanta area.

    In addition, agents identified Franco Tabares Martinez’s sister, Guadalupe Tabares Martinez, as an Atlanta-based money launderer allegedly helping her brother and other drug traffickers by picking up bulk currency and then using her money service business, Noyola Multiservice, to transmit those drug proceeds to drug trafficking associates in Mexico. Through the investigation, agents also identified Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga as the cartel’s co-founders and kingpins, who conspired with cartel members in Mexico and throughout the United States to import heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border for distribution in various cities and states, including Atlanta.

    This case is being investigated by the DEA and HSI.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Milam and Bethany Rupert for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case against the Hurtado Olascoaga brothers, Franco Tabares Martinez and Guadalupe Tabares Martinez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrison for the Middle District of Georgia provided valuable contributions to the investigation of Guadalupe Tabares Martinez.

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

    This prosecution is part of an OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi¬ jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

    The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (the Strike Force) is to degrade and dismantle major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations (DTMLOs) in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs), Regional Priority Organization Targets (RPOTs), and their associates.  The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS; as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.

    An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand-Australia investigation into Latitude breach begins

    Source: Privacy Commissioner

    The New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) have commenced a joint privacy investigation into the 12 March Latitude Financial data breach.

    This decision follows preliminary inquiries into the matter by both offices.

    This is the first joint privacy investigation by Australia and New Zealand and reflects the impact of the data breach on individuals in both nations.

    The breach, New Zealand’s largest, has seen millions of New Zealanders’ and Australians’ records exposed, including drivers’ licenses, passports and sensitive financial data including personal income and expense information.

    The joint investigation will allow the use of both agencies’ resources. The structure of the investigation does not preclude the OAIC and OPC reaching separate regulatory outcomes or decisions regarding the most appropriate regulatory response to a breach.

    The OAIC and OPC’s investigation will focus on whether Latitude took reasonable steps to protect the personal information they held from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

    The investigation will also consider whether Latitude took appropriate steps to destroy or de-identify personal information that was no longer required.

    Deputy Privacy Commissioner Liz MacPherson says the investigation will focus on

    • how the hackers gained entry to Latitude Financial’s systems
    • how long they were inside before they were noticed
    • what Latitude’s staff did when they discovered the attack
    • the retention of information held by Latitude, and
    • the security and storage of that information within its IT systems.

    “This is a significant attack with an appalling result. I want to thank the affected customers who have been in contact with us so far. Thank you for your patience and for sharing your experiences with us, says Liz MacPherson.

    “There is a human cost to a breach. We have former customers of Latitude who took a loan to buy a fridge about 15 years ago and now part of their identity is being held for ransom.  We will be asking the same questions these customers are.  Could Latitude have done anything to prevent the hackers getting in and stealing information? What reasons does Latitude have for holding onto the personal information of past customers for such long periods?”

    “I also expect this breach has caused emotional stress for staff and the Board at Latitude Financial and I thank them for their constructive engagement with us to date,” says Liz.

    A compliance investigation enables the Office of the Privacy Commissioner to use its full information gathering powers including obliging people to provide information and summoning witnesses.

    “This information will help us to establish whether Latitude’s actions or inaction enabled the cyber-criminals and contributed to the scope and impact of the breach.  Establishing these facts will be critical to our ability to make decisions about the individual complaints that are made to us by impacted Latitude customers,” says Liz.

    “We are still encouraging affected customers to contact Latitude Financial and ID Care for support first. They have made commitments to assist impacted customers.  If you complain to Latitude and you haven’t heard back from them within 30 working days, then we encourage affected customers to make a complaint to us.

    Liz says, “we won’t start assessing individual complaints until we have completed our compliance investigation, but we want to get a sense of the number of people affected and the issues people are facing.

    “We are expecting this investigation to be wide-ranging and we need to be able to assign investigators accordingly and plan how to meet the needs of affected customers. We also want to know the types of impact and harm people have suffered because of this breach (e.g. examples of harm like identity theft, credit difficulties, undue stress etc).

    “We have set up an email for affected customers to contact our team easily. Can you please contact us at latitude.breach@privacy.org.nz ”

    The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has been working with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) throughout the early stages and will continue to do so during the compliance investigation.

    “As this investigation is now active no further comments will be made on it until it is concluded. When the OPC finishes its investigation, we will give an update, so please keep in contact with us.”

    Anyone coming across the Latitude Financial data should take care.

    “Do not access it. Do not spread it. Do not share it. Report it to the New Zealand Police. Report it to us or you can report it to CERT. No one should contribute to its dissemination and increase the anxiety and distress of the affected individuals.”

    Individuals should be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary.

    “Be hyper vigilant. Watch out for suspicious texts, emails or unusual things happening with your accounts or records. Be particularly cautious of contact from an unknown source.”

    If people would like to know more about some steps, they could take to protect themselves from privacy breaches they could follow this link: https://privacy.org.nz/resources-2/protecting-yourself-from-a-privacy-breach/

    Timeline:

    • Latitude Financial informs the OPC it was breached on March 16.
    • The Office of the Privacy Commissioner starts its preliminary enquiries into the breach including working with the OAIC.
    • The NZ Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the Australian Office of the Information Commissioner commence a joint compliance investigation into Latitude on 9 May.

    Facts:

    • Latitude Financial Services Limited NZ provides a wide range of financial and (limited) insurance services to customers across New Zealand via Gem Finance and Gem Visa and several subsidiary groups.
    • Latitude Financial Services Limited NZ is a subsidiary of Latitude Holdings based in Australia. As such we will continue to work closely with the OAIC as our investigation progresses.
    • Latitude Financial have estimated that 14 million NZ and Australian customer records have been exposed because of the 12 March attack of which around 1.08 million are NZ customer records.
    • The 1.08 million NZ customer records includes around 1.037 million driver license records, around 40,000 passport records and sensitive income and expense information. The income and expenditure information was submitted as part of a personal loan application process.
    • The Privacy Act 2020 places responsibility on Latitude for keeping personal information data secure.
    • The OPC regulatory role is to understand whether reasonable steps to keep personal data secure have been followed, including appropriate data retention practices and to monitor the Latitude response to the cyber-attack breach.

    The difference between preliminary inquiries, a compliance investigation and a complaint investigation

    • Preliminary inquiries allow us to ask questions and assess the situation. Agencies provide information voluntarily.
    • A compliance investigation is undertaken under Part 6 of the Privacy Act 2020. It is designed to allow the Privacy Commissioner to hear or obtain information from any person he considers may have relevant information to enable him to decide whether to issue a compliance notice to an agency for breaching the Privacy Act.  A compliance notice requires an organisation to do something or to stop doing something, in order to comply with the Privacy Act. A compliance investigation can be used to inform the investigation of individual complaints where there are multiple complaints of the same nature.
    • A complaint investigation is undertaken under Part 5 of the Privacy Act 2020. These investigations are focussed on the harm caused to the individual by a privacy breach and seek to resolve the complaint including through compensation or redress. 

     For media please call: 021 959 050

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Crash closes State Highway 2, Tangoio

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    State Highway 2, Tangoio is closed following a crash.

    The two-vehicle crash near Tangoio Settlement Road happened just before 9am.

    Initial indications are that there are serious injuries.

    The road is expected to be closed for a significant period of time. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: State Highway 5 near Mohaka Bridge blocked by landslide

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    A landslide has blocked State Highway 5, near the Mohaka Bridge.

    The landslide was reported to Police at 9.35am. 

    This road was being used as a diversion following a serious crash on State Highway 2. 

    Motorists heading north from Hawke’s Bay are advised to delay travel wherever possible.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: State Highway 5 blockage

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police have visited the site of a slip of State Highway 5 near the Mohaka Bridge.

    Officers have confirmed the northbound lane is partially blocked and is being cleared.

    Traffic is able to get through but we ask motorists to drive with caution in the area.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –