NewzIntel.com

Category: Police

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India’s AI Revolution

    Source: Government of India (2)

    India’s AI Revolution

    A Roadmap to Viksit Bharat

    Posted On: 06 MAR 2025 4:09PM by PIB Delhi

    Introduction

    India is undergoing a remarkable transformation in Artificial Intelligence, driven by the visionary leadership of PM Modi. For the first time in India’s history, the government is actively shaping an AI ecosystem where computing power, GPUs, and research opportunities are accessible at an affordable cost.

    Unlike in the past, AI in India is no longer confined to a privileged few or dominated by global tech giants. Through forward-looking policies, the Modi government is empowering students, startups, and innovators with world-class AI infrastructure, fostering a truly level playing field. Initiatives such as the IndiaAI Mission and the establishment of Centres of Excellence for AI are strengthening the country’s AI ecosystem, paving the way for innovation and self-reliance in this critical sector.

    These efforts align with the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, where India aspires to become a global AI powerhouse, leveraging cutting-edge technology for economic growth, governance, and societal progress.

    AI Compute and Semiconductor Infrastructure

    India is rapidly building a strong AI computing and semiconductor infrastructure to support its growing digital economy. With the approval of the IndiaAI Mission in 2024, the government allocated ₹10,300 crore over five years to strengthen AI capabilities. A key focus of this mission is the development of a high-end common computing facility equipped with 18,693 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), making it one of the most extensive AI compute infrastructures globally. This capacity is nearly nine times that of the open-source AI model DeepSeek and about two-thirds of what ChatGPT operates on.

    Here are the key developments:

    • Scaling AI Compute Infrastructure: The initial phase of the mission has already made 10,000 GPUs available, with the remaining units to be added soon. This will enable the creation of indigenous AI solutions tailored to Indian languages and contexts.
    • Opening Access to High-Performance Computing: India has also pioneered the launch of an open GPU marketplace, making high-performance computing accessible to startups, researchers, and students. Unlike many countries where AI infrastructure is controlled by large corporations, this initiative ensures that small players have an opportunity to innovate.
    • Robust GPU Supply Chain: The government has selected 10 companies to supply the GPUs, ensuring a robust and diversified supply chain.
    • Indigenous GPU Capabilities: To further strengthen domestic capabilities, India aims to develop its own GPU within the next three to five years, reducing reliance on imported technology.
    • Affordable Compute Access: A new common compute facility will soon be launched, allowing researchers and startups to access GPU power at a highly subsidised rate of ₹100 per hour, compared to the global cost of $2.5 to $3 per hour.
    • Strengthening Semiconductor Manufacturing: In parallel, India is advancing semiconductor manufacturing, with five semiconductor plants under construction. These developments will not only support AI innovation but also reinforce India’s position in the global electronics sector.

     

    Advancing AI with Open Data and Centres of Excellence (CoE)

    Recognising the importance of data in AI development, the Modi government has launched the IndiaAI Dataset Platform to provide seamless access to high-quality, non-personal datasets. This platform will house the largest collection of anonymised data, empowering Indian startups and researchers to develop advanced AI applications. By ensuring diverse and abundant datasets, this initiative will drive AI-driven solutions across key sectors, enhancing innovation and accuracy.

    • IndiaAI Dataset Platform for Open Data Access: The platform will enable Indian startups and researchers to access a unified repository of high-quality, anonymised datasets, reducing barriers to AI innovation.
    • Boosting AI Model Accuracy with Diverse Data: By providing large-scale, non-personal datasets, the initiative will help reduce biases and improve the reliability of AI applications across domains such as agriculture, weather forecasting, and traffic management.
    • Centres of Excellence: The government has established three AI Centres of Excellence (CoE) in Healthcare, Agriculture, and Sustainable Cities in New Delhi. The Budget 2025 further announced a new CoE for AI in education with an outlay of ₹500 crore, making it the fourth such centre.
    • Skilling for AI-Driven Industries: Plans are in place for five National Centres of Excellence for Skilling, which will equip youth with industry-relevant expertise. These centres will be set up in collaboration with global partners to support the ‘Make for India, Make for the World’ vision in manufacturing and AI innovation.

     

    India’s AI Models & Language Technologies

    The government is facilitating the development of India’s own foundational models, including Large Language Models (LLMs) and problem-specific AI solutions tailored to Indian needs. To foster AI research, multiple Centres of Excellence have also been set up.

    • India’s Foundational Large Language Models: IndiaAI has launched an initiative to develop indigenous foundational AI models, including LLMs and Small Language Models (SLMs), through a call for proposals.
    • Digital India BHASHINI: An AI-led language translation platform designed to enable easy access to the internet and digital services in Indian languages, including voice-based access, and support content creation in Indian languages.
    • BharatGen: The world’s first government-funded multimodal LLM initiative, BharatGen was launched in 2024 in Delhi. It aims to enhance public service delivery and citizen engagement through foundational models in language, speech, and computer vision. BharatGen involves a consortium of AI researchers from premier academic institutions in India.
    • Sarvam-1 AI Model: A large language model optimised for Indian languages, Sarvam-1 has 2 billion parameters and supports ten major Indian languages. It is designed for applications such as language translation, text summarisation, and content generation.
    • Chitralekha: An open-source video transcreation platform developed by AI4Bhārat, Chitralekha enables users to generate and edit audio transcripts in various Indic languages.
    • Hanooman’s Everest 1.0: A multilingual AI system developed by SML, Everest 1.0 supports 35 Indian languages, with plans to expand to 90.

     

    AI Integration with Digital Public Infrastructure

    India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) has redefined digital innovation by combining public funding with private sector-led innovation. Platforms like Aadhaar, UPI, and DigiLocker serve as the foundation, while private entities build application-specific solutions on top of them. This model is now being enhanced with AI, integrating intelligent solutions into financial and governance platforms. The global appeal of India’s DPI was evident at the G20 Summit, where several countries expressed interest in adopting similar frameworks. Japan’s patent grant to India’s UPI payment system further underscores its scalability.

    For Mahakumbh 2025, AI-driven DPI solutions played a crucial role in managing the world’s largest human gathering. AI-powered tools monitored real-time railway passenger movement to optimise crowd dispersal in Prayagraj. The Bhashini-powered Kumbh Sah’AI’yak Chatbot enabled voice-based lost-and-found services, real-time translation, and multilingual assistance. Its integration with Indian Railways and UP Police streamlined communication, ensuring swift issue resolution. By leveraging AI with DPI, Mahakumbh 2025 set a global benchmark for tech-enabled, inclusive, and efficient event management.

    AI Talent & Workforce Development

    India’s workforce is at the heart of its digital revolution. The country is adding one Global Capability Center (GCC) every week, reinforcing its status as a preferred destination for global R&D and technological development. However, sustaining this growth will require continuous investment in education and skill development. The government is addressing this challenge by revamping university curricula to include AI, 5G, and semiconductor design, aligning with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. This ensures that graduates acquire job-ready skills, reducing the transition time between education and employment.

    • AI Talent Pipeline & AI Education: Under the IndiaAI Future Skills initiative, AI education is being expanded across undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. programs. Fellowships are being provided to full-time Ph.D. scholars researching AI in the top 50 NIRF-ranked institutes. To enhance accessibility, Data and AI Labs are being established in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with a model IndiaAI Data Lab already set up at NIELIT Delhi.
    • India Ranks 1st in Global AI Skill Penetration: According to the Stanford AI Index 2024, India ranks first globally in AI skill penetration with a score of 2.8, ahead of the US (2.2) and Germany (1.9). AI talent concentration in India has grown by 263% since 2016, positioning the country as a major AI hub. India also leads in AI Skill Penetration for Women, with a score of 1.7, surpassing the US (1.2) and Israel (0.9).
    • AI Innovation: India has emerged as the fastest-growing developer population globally and ranks second in public generative AI projects on GitHub. The country is home to 16% of the world’s AI talent, showcasing its growing influence in AI innovation and adoption.
    • AI Talent Hubs: The India Skills Report 2024 by Wheebox forecasts that India’s AI industry will reach USD 28.8 billion by 2025, with a CAGR of 45%. The AI-skilled workforce has seen a 14-fold increase from 2016 to 2023, making India one of the top five fastest-growing AI talent hubs, alongside Singapore, Finland, Ireland, and Canada. The demand for AI professionals in India is projected to reach 1 million by 2026.

    AI Adoption & Industry Growth

    India’s Generative AI (GenAI) ecosystem has seen remarkable growth, even amid a global downturn. The country’s AI landscape is evolving from experimental use cases to scalable, production-ready solutions, reflecting its growing maturity.

    • Businesses Prioritising AI Investments: According to BCG, 80% of Indian companies consider AI a core strategic priority, surpassing the global average of 75%. Additionally, 69% plan to increase their tech investments in 2025, with one-third allocating over USD 25 million to AI initiatives.
    • GenAI Startup Funding: According to a November 2024 report by National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), Indian GenAI startup funding surged over six times quarter-on-quarter, reaching USD 51 million in Q2FY2025, driven by B2B and agentic AI startups.
    • AI Transforming Workplaces: The Randstad AI & Equity Report 2024 states that seven in 10 Indian employees used AI at work in 2024, up from five in 10 a year earlier, showcasing AI’s rapid integration into workplaces.
    • AI Empowering Small & Medium Businesses (SMBs): AI-driven technologies, such as autonomous agents, are helping SMBs scale efficiently, personalise customer experiences, and optimise operations. According to Salesforce, 78% of Indian SMBs using AI reported revenue growth, while 93% stated AI has contributed to increased revenues.
    • Rapid Expansion of India’s AI Economy: As per the BCG-NASSCOM Report 2024, India’s AI market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 25-35%, reinforcing its potential for innovation and job creation. While AI automates routine tasks, it is simultaneously generating new opportunities in data science, machine learning, and AI-driven applications.
    • AI Startup Support Ecosystem: India hosts 520+ tech incubators and accelerators, ranking third globally in active programs. 42% of these were established in the past five years, catering to the evolving needs of Indian startups. AI-focused accelerators like T-Hub MATH provide crucial mentorship in product development, business strategy, and scaling. In early 2024, MATH supported over 60 startups, with five actively discussing funding, highlighting India’s growing AI startup landscape.

     

    A Pragmatic AI Regulation Approach

    India’s pragmatic AI regulation balances innovation and accountability, steering clear of overregulation that could stifle growth and unchecked market-driven governance that may create monopolies. Instead of relying solely on legislation, India is investing in AI-driven safeguards, funding top universities and IITs to develop solutions for deep fakes, privacy risks, and cybersecurity threats. This techno-legal approach ensures AI remains a force for inclusive growth, fostering an ecosystem where innovation thrives while ethical concerns are proactively addressed.

    Conclusion

    India’s rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, underpinned by strategic government initiatives, have positioned the country as a global AI powerhouse. By expanding AI compute infrastructure, fostering indigenous AI models, enhancing digital public infrastructure, and investing in talent development, India is creating an inclusive and innovation-driven ecosystem. The emphasis on open data, affordable access to high-performance computing, and AI-driven solutions tailored to local needs ensures that the benefits of AI reach businesses, researchers, and citizens alike. As AI adoption accelerates across industries, India’s proactive approach is not only strengthening its digital economy but also paving the way for self-reliance in critical technologies. With a clear vision for the future, India is set to become a leader in AI innovation, shaping the global AI landscape in the years to come.

    Source: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

    Click to see in PDF

    ***

    Santosh Kumar/ Ritu Kataria/ Saurabh Kalia

    (Release ID: 2108810) Visitor Counter : 108

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE investigation leads to Nevada man’s 11-year sentence for sex trafficking a minor

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Tyree Eugene Rideaux, 31, of Henderson, Nevada, was sentenced, Feb. 25, to 132 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, and subject to registering as lifetime sex offender due to an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations with significant assistance provided by the Mesa Police Department.

    Rideaux pleaded guilty to Sex Trafficking of a Minor on Sept. 16, 2024.  

    “As law enforcement officers, we are used to handling difficult encounters, but few can prepare us for working on human trafficking investigations involving vulnerable children,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Arizona Special Agent in Charge Francisco B. Burrola.

    Rideaux met the 16-year-old minor, Jane Doe, at a party in Phoenix a short time before Aug. 15, 2021. Jane Doe traveled with Rideaux and two other females to Inglewood, California. Rideaux told Jane Doe to pretend that she was 18 years old. Once in California, Rideaux placed Jane Doe on the “blade,” an area in a city known for high rates of prostitution. Rideaux assigned a fictitious name to Jane Doe and posted commercial sex advertisements of her online for sex buyers. Jane Doe gave the money she earned to Rideaux, as he directed her to do. On August 15, 2021, Jane Doe convinced a sex buyer to take her to a hospital where she could notify police and family, who returned her home.

    “Predators who traffic in teenagers and force them into prostitution to support the trafficker’s own lifestyle are deserving of the harshest sentences,” stated Rachel C. Hernandez, Acting United States Attorney. “I’m pleased with the excellent results in this case that came about through the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors.”

    “HSI is committed to ensuring sex traffickers face the fullest extent of the law by putting them behind bars for years – significant prison time rightly awaits this trafficker,” Burrola concluded.

    ICE HSI conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecutions.

    Report suspicious criminal activity to the ICE Tip Line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Philadelphia Resident Who Led Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Narcotics Charges

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    Mikal Davis, 47, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to Counts One, Three, and Four of the Superseding Indictment.

    In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Davis conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of a mixture of heroin, five kilograms or more of a mixture of cocaine, 400 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, and 28 grams or more of crack. Davis, who led the drug trafficking organization’s activity in Philadelphia and Johnstown, was one of the targets of a federal wiretap and was intercepted obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Accompanied by distributors below him, Davis frequently traveled between Philadelphia and Johnstown with drug shipments which were then stored and processed at “stash houses” throughout the Western District of Pennsylvania for distribution. During a meeting with a drug source in California for a resupply, Davis arranged for the drug parcels to be mailed to Johnstown for distribution. In the Philadelphia area, Davis met with drug sources and purchased over 2,000 grams of heroin and fentanyl and over 5,000 grams of cocaine from a source in New Jersey.

    Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

    Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Davis. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bridgeport Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Vehicle Theft Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that STEPHANIE PEREZ, 40, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 14 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for her participation in a multistate identity theft and vehicle theft scheme that defrauded dozens of individuals and businesses out of more than $1 million.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Perez was involved in a multistate identity theft scheme led by her husband, Tyshon Walker.  Beginning in September 2020, Walker obtained personal information stolen from residents of Connecticut and other states and used it to apply for vehicle loans at dealerships in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island for luxury and performance vehicles, motorcycles, an all-terrain vehicle, and a boat.  Once the loan was approved by the dealership using the identity theft victim’s information, Walker would send “runners,” to pick up the vehicle utilizing a fictitious driver’s license that included the identity theft victim’s information and a photograph of the runner.  The vehicle was then transported back to Connecticut for resale on Facebook Marketplace.

    Perez helped Walker select coconspirators, including Ryan Testa, to be runners, provided them with payment to make trips to acquire vehicles, and picked up the vehicles from the coconspirators once they returned to Connecticut.  Perez recruited and supervised Testa after two other runners involved in the scheme were arrested and charged with related offenses.  Between March and May 2023, at the direction of Perez and Walker, Testa used stolen identities to acquire at least nine vehicles with a total value of more than $500,000.

    Perez was arrested on April 10, 2024.  On December 6, 2024, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud.

    Walker and Testa have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

    This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, the Hopkinton (R.I.) Police Department, the Westtown – East Goshen Regional (Pa.) Police Department, and the Washington Township (N.J.) Police Department.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Heather M. Cherry.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pittsburgh Felon Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Large-Scale Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 20 years of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of federal supervised release, on his drug trafficking and firearms convictions, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

    United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Dante Webb, 43.

    “The seizure of more than 26,000 doses of illegal narcotics, eight firearms—including two ghost guns and several with extended magazines, and thousands of dollars in drug profits during the 2022 search of Dante Webb’s residence speaks to how dangerous a criminal Webb has been, through both his large-scale dealing and through his use of weapons in carrying out his crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Rivetti. “This sentence reflects the danger and serious nature of his conduct. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at all levels to identify and prosecute armed drug traffickers such as Webb in order to protect our communities.”

    According to information presented to the Court, on June 3, 2022, the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police responded to a Pittsburgh residence, from which, upon law enforcement’s arrival, Webb ran. Law enforcement learned that Webb stored both controlled substances and firearms there and obtained a search warrant for his residence. The subsequent search resulted in the seizure of digital scales, cellular phones, firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a safe, which contained a garbage bag of over 26,000 doses of packaged controlled substances, including mixtures of fluorofentanyl, heroin, and fentanyl. Officers also seized packaged cocaine and crack.

    Law enforcement seized eight firearms from Webb’s residence, some of which were loaded with attached extended magazines. Two of the firearms were Polymer 80 pistols, or ghost guns, which are untraceable due to the lack of a serial number; one of these pistols was later determined by a forensic scientist to operate only as a fully automatic firearm. Many of the firearms were easily accessible from a duffel bag located under a bed and were recovered in close proximity to the safe containing the packaged controlled substances. Prior to the seizure, Webb was twice convicted of aggravated assault related to shootings in Allegheny County. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.

    On June 7, 2022, law enforcement located Webb in the Bloomfield area of Pittsburgh. When a detective attempted to arrest Webb, the defendant fled by running in and out of traffic. After falling while jumping a low wall, Webb was arrested. A search incident to arrest resulted in the seizure from Webb of approximately $6,000, a digital scale, an owe sheet, a flip phone, and packaged controlled substances. The glassine bags seized from Webb bore similar markings to the bags recovered from Webb’s safe on June 3, 2022. A search of one of Webb’s phones revealed numerous photographs of Webb posing with large amounts of cash and multiple firearms inside his residence.

    Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Ranjan emphasized that fentanyl is a plague on the community and that drug dealers like Webb pose the greatest risk of harm because they use firearms. Judge Ranjan also stated that he did not sense that Webb had any genuine remorse for his crimes.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Brendan J. McKenna and Justin E. Lewis prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

    Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Webb.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Federal Council elected Vincenza Trivigno to the IPI’s Institute Council

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English

    The Federal Council elected Vincenza Trivigno to the Institute Council of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI), with effect from 1 March 2025. She replaces Nora Bertschi, the Secretary General of the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP). The FDJP has decided not to be represented on the IPI’s Institute Council due to the Confederation’s corporate governance principles. Vincenza Trivigno brings varied and extensive experience in business and public administration to the Institute Council.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Two are no match for Delta as they land in court

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributed to Inspector Phil Weaver, Whanganui-Ruapehu Area Prevention Manager

    Two men are before the courts after Delta sniffed them out in two separate incidents.

    At around 3.40pm yesterday, Police were alerted to a person making threats with a weapon at a property on Mataroa Road in Taihape.

    Police arrived to find the man had left the scene and a cordon was established around the area while a Whanganui Police Dog Unit was enroute to assist.

    Upon arrival, the dog unit picked up the man’s scent and located the 22-year-old a short time later where he was taken into custody without incident.

    After some quick rewards for our canine, it was back to work when the dog unit were called to assist at another incident nearby where a person had fled after making threats on Swan Street.

    The alleged offender was no match for the dog unit as the 32-year-old was tracked where he was eventually located to a nearby bush and was subsequently arrested.

    This is a great example of our policing teams working together to hold offenders to account.

    Police will continue to deploy a range of resources to respond to this sort of offending in order to keep our communities safe.

    The 22-year-old man is due to appear in Taihape District Court today, charged with wilful damage and threatens to do grievous bodily harm.

    The 32-year-old man is due to appear in Wanganui District Court today, charged with threatens to do grievous bodily harm and possessing methamphetamine utensils.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Suspicious fire at Blair Athol

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police are investigating a suspicious fire at Blair Athol early this morning.

    About 4.20am on Friday 7 March, police and MFS were called to a business on Barton Street after reports of smoke coming from the back door.

    When patrols arrived, they found the fire had self-extinguished. There was no apparent structural damage, but there was significant smoke damage caused to the property.

    Crime Scene investigators and Western District CIB attended the scene.

    Police believe the fire was deliberately lit and are investigating if it is linked to Operation Eclipse.

    Anyone with information on the incident or saw any suspicious activity is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New York Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy on the Northern Border

    Source: US State of California

    A New York woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River.

    According to court documents, Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, conspired with five others to bring Indian and Romanian nationals into the United States for private financial gain. Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, and Oct. 8, 2024, respectively.

    “The defendant and her coconspirators — fueled by greed, indifference, and recklessness — smuggled aliens via vehicle and boat across the U.S.-Canada border in dangerous weather conditions,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They endangered the lives of two small children and their parents for profit, resulting in the family’s tragic deaths. Dismantling transnational criminal organizations that smuggle people into and throughout the United States is a top priority for the Department of Justice.”

    “A family of four died because a smuggling organization put them in harm’s way for profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Hanlon for the Northern District of New York. “Our top priority is the prosecution and dismantling of smuggling organizations. By securing our northern border, we aim to avoid more tragedies like this one.”

    According to court documents, Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow worked with a human smuggling organization (HSO) on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR) and in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, that smuggled aliens from mainland Cornwall to Cornwall Island, and then into northern New York. The HSO routinely smuggled aliens from various countries into the United States. The HSO arranged for aliens to stay in local motels in Cornwall before transporting the aliens to the AMIR to stage the aliens on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Members of the HSO would then transport the aliens by boat across the St. Lawrence River to later be driven into New York.

    Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, the co-conspirators were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Cornwall into New York. The children were Canadian citizens. Both Montour and Terrance admitted that they were hired to transport the Romanian family to the AMIR from mainland Cornwall.

    Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on March 29, 2023 — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet the family of four was loaded into a small boat by another co-conspirator to cross the St. Lawrence River. The boat capsized, and the family died as a result.

    “The tragic deaths of two innocent, unknowing toddlers and their parents underscores the devastating impacts of alien smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo. “Janet Terrance and her co-conspirators moved forward with this smuggling attempt despite the dangerous conditions and sheer illegality of the act, placing these victims in the situation that ultimately killed them. ICE HSI Massena is committed to enforcing U.S. laws at our border to protect the safety and the security of our communities.”

    “The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service is dedicated to keeping our community safe,” said Acting AMPS Chief Ranatiiostha Swamp. “By working closely with Homeland Security on this investigation, we are enhancing efforts to combat human smuggling and cross-border illegal activity, ensuring the safety and security of our territory.”

    Montour pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and three counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. Montour faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory penalty of life in prison on the alien smuggling resulting in death counts.

    Sharrow and Terrance pleaded guilty to two counts and one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, respectively, and each to four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy counts and two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory minimum of five years and maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts.

    A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, AMPS, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.

    Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.

    The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy on the Northern Border

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    A New York woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River.

    According to court documents, Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, conspired with five others to bring Indian and Romanian nationals into the United States for private financial gain. Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, and Oct. 8, 2024, respectively.

    “The defendant and her coconspirators — fueled by greed, indifference, and recklessness — smuggled aliens via vehicle and boat across the U.S.-Canada border in dangerous weather conditions,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They endangered the lives of two small children and their parents for profit, resulting in the family’s tragic deaths. Dismantling transnational criminal organizations that smuggle people into and throughout the United States is a top priority for the Department of Justice.”

    “A family of four died because a smuggling organization put them in harm’s way for profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Hanlon for the Northern District of New York. “Our top priority is the prosecution and dismantling of smuggling organizations. By securing our northern border, we aim to avoid more tragedies like this one.”

    According to court documents, Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow worked with a human smuggling organization (HSO) on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR) and in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, that smuggled aliens from mainland Cornwall to Cornwall Island, and then into northern New York. The HSO routinely smuggled aliens from various countries into the United States. The HSO arranged for aliens to stay in local motels in Cornwall before transporting the aliens to the AMIR to stage the aliens on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Members of the HSO would then transport the aliens by boat across the St. Lawrence River to later be driven into New York.

    Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, the co-conspirators were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Cornwall into New York. The children were Canadian citizens. Both Montour and Terrance admitted that they were hired to transport the Romanian family to the AMIR from mainland Cornwall.

    Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on March 29, 2023 — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet the family of four was loaded into a small boat by another co-conspirator to cross the St. Lawrence River. The boat capsized, and the family died as a result.

    “The tragic deaths of two innocent, unknowing toddlers and their parents underscores the devastating impacts of alien smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo. “Janet Terrance and her co-conspirators moved forward with this smuggling attempt despite the dangerous conditions and sheer illegality of the act, placing these victims in the situation that ultimately killed them. ICE HSI Massena is committed to enforcing U.S. laws at our border to protect the safety and the security of our communities.”

    “The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service is dedicated to keeping our community safe,” said Acting AMPS Chief Ranatiiostha Swamp. “By working closely with Homeland Security on this investigation, we are enhancing efforts to combat human smuggling and cross-border illegal activity, ensuring the safety and security of our territory.”

    Montour pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and three counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. Montour faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory penalty of life in prison on the alien smuggling resulting in death counts.

    Sharrow and Terrance pleaded guilty to two counts and one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, respectively, and each to four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy counts and two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory minimum of five years and maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts.

    A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, AMPS, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.

    Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.

    The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Louisville Felon Sentenced to Over 3 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Louisville, KY – A local man was sentenced today to 3 years and 1 month in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony offense.  

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

    According to court documents, Cameron Lester, 29, was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegally possessing a Springfield Arms, .45 caliber pistol, and ammunition, on August 30, 2024. Lester was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.

    On July 21, 2023, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Lester was convicted of assault in the fourth-degree domestic violence third or greater offense within 5 years, strangulation in the second degree, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

    On July 30, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Lester was convicted of two counts of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, wanton endangerment in the first-degree, and assault in the fourth-degree domestic violence third or greater offense within 5 years.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    This case was investigated by the ATF and the Louisville Metro Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Porter prosecuted the case.

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

    violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2 Mexican nationals, defendants in ICE cases secured in Arizona

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    PHOENIX, Ariz. – Two Mexican nationals who are targets of an ongoing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigation appeared for their initial appearances Feb. 28, after they were secured from Mexico the previous day.

    Jose Bibiano Cabrera-Cabrera, 37 and Jesus Humberto Limon-Lopez, 43, were taken into U.S. custody after members of drug cartels were recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, Cártel del Noreste, La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo.

    These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence.

    Limon-Lopez is charged with Continuing Criminal Enterprise; Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Distribution of Methamphetamine; Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of Heroin; Distribution of Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment.

    Cabrera-Cabrera is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment.

    An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces 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 OCDETF Arizona Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Arizona Army National Guard, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Scottsdale Police Department.

    The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney Office for the District of Arizona.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Sentenced to 11 ½ Years for Role in California-to-Maine Drug Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Alex Hanna, others trafficked drugs mailed from Calif. to Downeast Maine

    BANGOR, Maine: A California man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering.

    U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Alex Hanna, 31, to 138 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hanna pleaded guilty on March 14, 2024.

    According to court records, between May 2022 and March 2023, Hanna and others trafficked methamphetamine in Downeast Maine, receiving the drugs by mail from a source in California. Hanna coordinated drug shipments from the source and found coconspirators in Maine willing to receive the packages. He also sent the sales proceeds to the source via Walmart2Walmart, Cash App and Venmo, using coconspirators’ identifications and accounts to conceal his involvement in the transactions.

    The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Ellsworth Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Holden Police Department, and Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Bern Man Sentenced to Over Five Years for Role in Craven County Drug Trafficking Operation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. –A New Bern man was sentenced Tuesday to 64 months in prison for his role in a Craven County drug trafficking organization (DTO). On November 21, 2024, Robert Niquan Bryant, age 26, pled guilty to the following two counts: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. Bryant is a validated member of the United Blood Nation street gang.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, in December 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in conjunction with the Craven County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), the New Bern Police Department and other local law enforcement, initiated an investigation into the drug trafficking activities of DTO operating in Craven County. Bryant was identified as an individual who was distributing methamphetamine on behalf of the DTO. Two controlled purchases of methamphetamine were made from Bryant in March and April of 2024. In both instances, Bryant sold more than 100 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.

    This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. The ATF, the CCSO, and the New Bern Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Webb and Julie Childress  prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-00046-BO-BM.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Registered sex offender who was deported from United States arrested in Snohomish County for receiving images of child sexual abuse

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Seattle – A 42-year-old Mexican citizen was indicted this week for receiving images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Jamie Neri-Soto was arrested by Bothell Police detectives following an investigation prompted by reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Using those cyber tips investigators were able to identify Neri-Soto as the owner of electronic devices allegedly containing images of child sexual abuse.

    According to records filed in the case, in October 2024, WhatsApp alerted NCMEC that a user of its platform had uploaded images of child sexual abuse. In January 2025, the CyberTip was referred to the Bothell Police Department who immediately began work to connect the phone number and IP address to a particular individual. Working with information on the device and internet service providers, law enforcement was able to determine the location of the phone at various times and ultimately identified Neri-Soto.

    Following some surveillance, Neri-Soto was arrested and taken to Bothell Police. When he was fingerprinted law enforcement learned he was a previously registered sex offender whose registration was terminated in 2017, when he was turned over to federal authorities for deportation.

    Federal authorities were involved in the forensic analysis of the electronic devices Neri-Soto possessed. The cyber review allegedly found numerous images of child sexual abuse on one of the devices. Neri-Soto was charged federally by criminal complaint with receipt of images of child sexual abuse.

    The grand jury returned an indictment for receipt of child pornography late yesterday.

    The charges are punishable by up to twenty in prison.

    Neri-Soto is scheduled for arraignment on March 13, 2025.

    The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    The case was investigated by the Bothell Police Department and the FBI.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

    This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Security News: New York Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy on the Northern Border

    Source: United States Department of Justice 2

    A New York woman pleaded guilty today for her role in a deadly human smuggling conspiracy that left a family of four, including two children under the age of three, dead in the St. Lawrence River.

    According to court documents, Janet Terrance, 45, of Hogansburg, conspired with five others to bring Indian and Romanian nationals into the United States for private financial gain. Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 31, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 43, both of Akwesasne-Mohawk, New York, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, and Oct. 8, 2024, respectively.

    “The defendant and her coconspirators — fueled by greed, indifference, and recklessness — smuggled aliens via vehicle and boat across the U.S.-Canada border in dangerous weather conditions,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “They endangered the lives of two small children and their parents for profit, resulting in the family’s tragic deaths. Dismantling transnational criminal organizations that smuggle people into and throughout the United States is a top priority for the Department of Justice.”

    “A family of four died because a smuggling organization put them in harm’s way for profit,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel Hanlon for the Northern District of New York. “Our top priority is the prosecution and dismantling of smuggling organizations. By securing our northern border, we aim to avoid more tragedies like this one.”

    According to court documents, Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow worked with a human smuggling organization (HSO) on the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation (AMIR) and in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, that smuggled aliens from mainland Cornwall to Cornwall Island, and then into northern New York. The HSO routinely smuggled aliens from various countries into the United States. The HSO arranged for aliens to stay in local motels in Cornwall before transporting the aliens to the AMIR to stage the aliens on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Members of the HSO would then transport the aliens by boat across the St. Lawrence River to later be driven into New York.

    Terrance, Montour, and Sharrow admitted in their plea agreements that in late March 2023, the co-conspirators were employed to illegally transport a Romanian family of four — mother, father, one-year-old boy, and two-year-old girl — from Cornwall into New York. The children were Canadian citizens. Both Montour and Terrance admitted that they were hired to transport the Romanian family to the AMIR from mainland Cornwall.

    Montour admitted that he was aware of the dangerous weather conditions on March 29, 2023 — high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — yet the family of four was loaded into a small boat by another co-conspirator to cross the St. Lawrence River. The boat capsized, and the family died as a result.

    “The tragic deaths of two innocent, unknowing toddlers and their parents underscores the devastating impacts of alien smuggling,” said Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Buffalo. “Janet Terrance and her co-conspirators moved forward with this smuggling attempt despite the dangerous conditions and sheer illegality of the act, placing these victims in the situation that ultimately killed them. ICE HSI Massena is committed to enforcing U.S. laws at our border to protect the safety and the security of our communities.”

    “The Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service is dedicated to keeping our community safe,” said Acting AMPS Chief Ranatiiostha Swamp. “By working closely with Homeland Security on this investigation, we are enhancing efforts to combat human smuggling and cross-border illegal activity, ensuring the safety and security of our territory.”

    Montour pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain, and three counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. Montour faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory penalty of life in prison on the alien smuggling resulting in death counts.

    Sharrow and Terrance pleaded guilty to two counts and one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, respectively, and each to four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy counts and two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts and a mandatory minimum of five years and maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on two of the alien smuggling for financial gain counts.

    A federal district court judge will determine the defendants’ sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, AMPS, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with foreign legal assistance requests.

    Trial Attorney Jenna E. Reed of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.

    The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Man charged with drug offending and weapon possession in Hamilton

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    A 47-year-old man is before the courts after a report was made by a Hamilton CBD business.

    At around 3.30pm yesterday, the Hamilton Neighbourhood Policing Team was conducting a foot patrol in Hamilton’s CBD, when they were notified of a man acting suspiciously on Worley Place.

    Police located the man and after initial enquiries, took him into custody.

    Upon his arrest, Police located a large knife, around $3,200 cash, a drug utensil, and around 6.5 grams of Methamphetamine.

    The 47-year-old man is due to appear in Hamilton District Court today, charged with possessing a knife in a public place, possession of methamphetamine for supply, and possession of methamphetamine utensils.

    The Hamilton Neighbourhood Policing Team will continue to work within Hamilton CBD alongside local businesses, and our partner organisations to ensure the community is safe and feels safe. Police would like to thank them for their ongoing support.

    Police would also like to thank the members of the public for their continuous reporting of suspicious and unlawful behaviour within the Hamilton CBD.

    If you see any suspicious or unlawful behaviour, please contact Police on 111 immediately with as much information as you can safely gather.

    To report after-the-fact or for non-emergencies, please contact us at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Columbus Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Their Roles in Drug and Human Trafficking Rings, Overdose and Violent Deaths

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – Two Columbus men were sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 25years and 23 years in prison for drug crimes, sex trafficking crimes and their roles in the deaths of a local man and woman. The defendants are two of nearly two dozen individuals charged in a case involving large-scale drug and human trafficking rings, the overdose death of at least one individual and the violent death of a second victim.

    Dustin A. Speakman, 35, of Columbus, was sentenced to 276 months in prison. He pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances within 1,000 of an elementary school. As part of his plea, Speakman admitted to his role in the violent death of one victim that occurred during the time he was operating a drug distribution house.

    Tyler Bourdo, 31, of Columbus, was sentenced to 300 months in prison. He also pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances within 1,000 of an elementary school, as well as distributing fentanyl and cocaine that resulted in death and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

    Speakman and Bourdo are two of 23 defendants charged in a narcotics and human trafficking case that involves at least two deaths. Two of the defendants were found guilty following a jury trial last month. All 23 defendants have been convicted or pleaded guilty.

    According to court documents, from 2008 until June 2022, lead defendants Patrick Saultz and Cordell Washington ran a large-scale drug trafficking organization in Columbus that included sex trafficking, labor trafficking and money laundering.

    Court documents detail that the drug trafficking organization brought large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, alprazolam and marijuana into Columbus. These drugs were sold or used to coerce individuals into sexual activity for some members of the drug ring and their profit.

    Speakman joined the drug trafficking organization after being released from jail in 2022, where he was housed with Saultz. Speakman was a mid-level drug distributor for the group out of residences on South Ogden and South Warren.

    As part of his guilty plea, Speakman admitted to severely beating one of his drug runners in May 2022 and then providing him with free drugs to make up for the attack. Witnesses said the male was beaten by Speakman and then given cocaine and fentanyl as compensation. Shortly after, the victim began to seize and foam at the mouth and did not respond to Narcan. The victim was driven to an alley near Grant Hospital where he was found unconscious by Columbus Fire Department personnel with severe trauma to the face and head. His cause of death was ultimately determined to be blunt force trauma caused by Speakman.

    Bourdo supplied and oversaw the drug distribution at one of the stash houses on North Warren. He was providing the property’s owners approximately $100 in illegal narcotics per day for use of the residence.

    According to Bourdo’s plea agreement, on Oct. 14, 2021, an individual was found deceased in an alley between Bourdo’s primary residence and a drug distribution house. The woman was found with a needle in her hand and another needle in her pocket and had been dead for approximately 18 hours.

    Further investigation revealed that, on Oct. 10, 2021, the woman had overdosed on crack cocaine and fentanyl at one of the organization’s drug houses that Bourdo supplied on North Warren. Witnesses on site immediately placed the woman in a bathtub and soaked her in cold water. The witnesses provided multiple rounds of Narcan, CPR and chest compressions, eventually resuscitating her. The woman left and, over the next 48 hours, met up with Bourdo on more than one occasion to get and use more drugs.

    Video surveillance of the alley shows Bourdo walking to the deceased woman’s body just moments before police personnel arrived to attempt (unsuccessfully) to obtain her phone to prevent further investigation into her death.

    As part of his plea, Bourdo admitted to coercing adult drug-addicted females into performing commercial sex acts by using violence as well as providing and then withholding or threatening to withhold narcotics and lodging.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Kelly A. Norris commended the investigation coordinated by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant; Jared Murphey , Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Andrew Lawton, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Other agencies that have assisted the task force with the investigation include the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, HIDTA Task Force, IRS-Criminal Investigation, FBI, Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Ohio National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Pickerington Police Department, New Albany Police Department, and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy Prichard and Emily Czerniejewski are representing the United States in this case.

    This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Previously Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Federal Exploitation and Sex Trafficking Crimes

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    COLUMBUS, Ohio – A previously convicted sex offender who sexually exploited two minor females and forced one of the girls to engage in commercial sex acts with men at hotels pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today. 

    Anthony Sims, 56, of Columbus, was scheduled to begin trial on March 17. He pleaded guilty today to two counts of sexually exploiting a minor and one count of sex trafficking a minor.

    The guilty plea includes a sentencing recommendation of 25 to 50 years in prison.

    Sims admitted that he raped a 12-year-old girl 40 to 50 times over the span of six months in 2020. Sims provided the girl marijuana and alcohol and talked her into getting high and drinking. At times, during the sexual assaults, Sims would hold down the victim’s arms or hold her in place. He also forced the girl to pose for photos in sexual positions either while nude or while wearing lingerie.

    Likewise, Sims convinced another, a 13-year-old girl, to smoke marijuana with him, and once she was high, Sims raped her. He also held down this victim. Sims would take nude photos of her and made her pose with stuffed animals or pillows.

    Sims also took the 13-year-old to various hotels to force her to have sex with men who paid Sims. The victim was forced to have sex with approximately 50 different men. Sims sold pornographic photos of the victim and coordinated the dates at the hotels.

    At the time of his most recent crimes, Sims was a registered sex offender with two convictions out of Michigan.

    Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission’s Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI); and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler J. Aagard are representing the United States in this case.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Sheshatshiu — Sheshatshiu RCMP thanks searchers for successfully locating overdue snowmobiler

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    A 64-year-old man is safely reunited with family and friends today after he was reported overdue from a snowmobiling trip yesterday.

    Late last evening, on March 5, 2025, Sheshatshiu RCMP received the report of an overdue snowmobiler. The man had departed Sheshatshiu alone yesterday morning heading to his cabin and had not returned.

    Searchers with Sheshathiu Search and Rescue were activated and initiated a search that continued through the night. Aerial support was secured through Provincial Emergency Services Division.

    The man was safely located this morning. After running into mechanical issues with his snowmobile, he found shelter in a cabin.

    RCMP NL thanks all those who assisted in the search and the safe return of the missing man.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Olympian Wanted for Running Transnational Drug Enterprise and Ordering Several Murders Added to FBI’s List of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives

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

    At present, Wedding is wanted for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking network that routinely shipped hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada and other locations in the United States, and for orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder in furtherance of these drug crimes.

    Wedding’s placement on the top ten list marks the 535th addition to the FBI’s list of notorious fugitives. Wedding will replace Alexis Flores who is wanted by FBI Philadelphia. Although Flores is being removed from the list today, he will remain on the FBI’s website on its Most Wanted page.

    “Wedding went from shredding powder on the slopes at the Olympics to distributing powder cocaine on the streets of U.S. cities and in his native Canada,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The alleged murders of his competitors make Wedding a very dangerous man, and his addition to the list of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, coupled with a major reward offer by the State Department, will make the public our partner so that we can catch up with him before he puts anyone else in danger.”

    Additionally, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced that it is offering a $10-million-reward for information leading to Wedding’s arrest and/or conviction. The reward was authorized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio under the Narcotics Rewards Program (NRP), which supports law enforcement efforts to disrupt transnational crime globally and bring fugitives to justice. This reward offering supplements the FBI’s current offering of $50,000 for information leading to Wedding’s apprehension, arrest, and extradition, and further, is jointly being offered with assistance from the Canadian and Mexican governments as part of a unified effort to bring Wedding to justice.

    In June 2024, Wedding and his second-in-command Andrew Clark, 34, also Canadian, were charged in an indictment out of the Central District of California with running a continuing criminal enterprise; committing murder in connection with a continuing criminal enterprise and assorted drug crimes; and conspiring to possess, distribute, and export cocaine. Clark, who was arrested last October by Mexican authorities, was among the 29 fugitives whom Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced had arrived in the United States from Mexico last week.

    In September 2024, a federal grand jury in Los Angeles returned a superseding indictment naming 14 additional defendants and including, among other counts, an attempted murder charge against Wedding and Clark. The superseding indictment alleges that Wedding, Clark, and others conspired to ship bulk quantities of cocaine – weighing hundreds of kilograms – from Southern California to Canada through a Canada-based drug transportation network run by Hardeep Ratte, 46, of Ontario, Canada, and Gurpreet Singh, 31, of Ontario, Canada, from approximately January 2024 to August 2024. The cocaine shipments were transported from Mexico to the Los Angeles area, where the cocaine trafficking organization’s operatives stored the cocaine in stash houses, before delivering it to the transportation network couriers for delivery to Canada using long-haul semi-trucks.

    “As alleged in the superseding indictment, defendant Ryan Wedding – a former Olympian – led a transnational criminal organization that murdered innocent people and put thousands of kilograms of narcotics on our streets,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The reward offered today will help bring this defendant to justice in the United States. We urge anyone with information about Wedding to contact law enforcement and help us get Mr. Wedding into custody.”

    The superseding indictment also alleges that Wedding and Clark’s organization resorted to violence – including multiple murders – to achieve its aims. Wedding and Clark allegedly directed the November 20, 2023, murders of two members of a family in Ontario, Canada, in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment that passed through Southern California. Another member of that family survived the shooting but was left with serious physical injuries. Wedding and Clark allegedly also ordered the murder of another victim on May 18, 2024, over a drug debt. In addition, Clark and Malik Damion Cunningham, 23, a dual Canadian-American citizen, are charged with the April 1, 2024, murder of another victim in Ontario, Canada.

    “The RCMP is committed to working with our international partners in the fight against transnational criminals,” said Liam Price, Director General, Royal Canadian Mounted Police International program. “It’s imperative that Ryan Wedding faces justice for the charges against him. We will continue to stand with and support our US and Mexican partners in this and other investigations to protect the public.”

    If convicted, Wedding and Clark would face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in federal prison on their respective continuing criminal enterprise charge. The murder and attempted murder charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The drug trafficking charges carry mandatory minimum penalties of 10 to 15 years in prison.

    “The former Canadian snowboarder unleashed an avalanche of death and destruction, here and abroad,” said Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles Field Division. “He earned the name ‘El Jefe’, becoming boss of a violent transnational drug trafficking organization. Now, his face will be on ‘The Top 10 Most Wanted’ posters. He’s unremitting, callous and greed-driven. Today’s announcement beams an even brighter searchlight on him. We ask that you help us find him.”

    The FBI urges anyone with information as to Wedding’s whereabouts to call the FBI via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram at +1-424 495-0614. These are neither government-operated nor government-controlled platforms. Callers may also contact their local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Confidentiality will be granted to anyone who calls with information.

    Investigators believe that Wedding is residing in Mexico but have not ruled out his presence in the United States, Canada, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala, Costa Rica, or elsewhere. Wedding is further described as follows:

    Aliases: James Conrad King, Jesse King
    DOB: September 14, 1981
    Hair: Brown, may wear a beard and/or mustache
    Eyes: Blue
    Height: 6’3”
    Weight: 240 lbs. (may vary)
    Nationality: Canadian
    Place of Birth: Thunder Bay, Canada
    Monikers: “Giant,” “Public Enemy,” “El Jefe”

    Photographs and reward information about Wedding will be posted on digital billboards in key locations, as well as on fbi.gov, and on the FBI’s social media platforms. Additional information about Wedding and other Top Ten Fugitives is available at this link: Top Ten Fugitives.

    The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list was established in March 1950. Since its inception, 535 fugitives have been placed on the list of “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives,” 496 of whom were apprehended or located; 163 were due to citizen cooperation.

    The FBI is investigating Wedding and Clark’s drug trafficking enterprise with the Los Angeles Police Department, DEA Los Angeles, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Federal Policing. In addition, significant assistance has been provided by U.S. law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations – Detroit, and United States Customs and Border Protection – Buffalo; Canadian law enforcement partners, including Niagara Regional Police Service, Ontario Provincial Police, Toronto Police Service, and Peel Regional Police; Mexican law enforcement partners; and Colombian law enforcement partners, including Colombian National Police – Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol, Special Interagency Investigation Group (Policía Nacional de Colombia – Dirección de Investigación Criminal e Interpol, Grupo Especial de Investigación Interagenciales).

    Assistant United States Attorneys Lyndsi Allsop and Maria Jhai of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Ryan Waters of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance.

    This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (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 contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: INTERPOL General Assembly provides roadmap for Organization’s future

    Source: Interpol (news and events)

    24 October 2013

    CARTAGENA DE INDIAS, Colombia – The 82nd session of the INTERPOL General Assembly closed today with strong foundations in place for the Organization’s future to better support all 190 member countries in tackling transnational crime and terrorism.

    Mick O’Connell, INTERPOL’s Director of Operational Support, gives an update on the activities of the Organization’s Integrated Border Management Task Force.

    Delegates attending the General Assembly meeting. 

    Ralph Market, INTERPOL’s Assistant Director for Strategic Partnerships and Development, briefs the General Assembly on plans for new public-private initiatives.

    A number of Resolutions were passed, along with cooperation agreements with other organizations.

    Delegates attending the General Assembly meeting. 

    Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kasperky Lab, addresses delegates on the subject of international police and private companies in the age of cybercrime.

    Igor Shunevich, Belarus’s Minister of Internal Affairs (left) and INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble sign an agreement for an INTERPOL team to support security for the 2014 Ice Hockey World Championship.

    Minister Shunevich (right) and Mr Noble discuss how the INTERPOL team can detect potential threats of terrorism, hooliganism and serious crime, and secure Belarus’s borders during the Ice Hockey Championship.

    The General Assembly endorsed INTERPOL’s new e-extradition initiative which will significantly speed up and facilitate extradition requests through the Organization’s secure communications channels.

    Rwanda was chosen as the host country for the 84th session of the INTERPOL General Assembly in 2015.

    Every year, a technology exhibition allows private sector companies to showcase their latest innovations to the global police community. This year’s participants were recognized in a special ceremony.

    Colombia became the 64th member country to recognize the INTERPOL Travel Document.

    Colombia hands over the INTERPOL flag to Monaco, the hosts of next year’s General Assembly meeting.

    INTERPOL President Mireille Ballestrazzi delivers her closing remarks.

    Monaco will host the 83rd General Assembly exactly 100 years after it held the first International Criminal Police Congress in 1914, where the idea of INTERPOL was born.

    Secretary General Noble thanks Giuliano Zaccardelli, INTERPOL’s Director of Strategic Planning.

    ‘Dios y Patria’ was written by Dutch police officers as a testimony to Erazo’s dedication to the police and as an inspiration to all those around the world who fight against crime and terrorism.

    Colombian police officer Sergeant Luis Erazo Maya (left) was held hostage by the FARC for almost 12 years. A book launched at the 82nd session of the INTERPOL General Assembly tells his story.

    Luiz Fernando Corrêa, Rio 2016 Security Director (left) and INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble sign an agreement for the world police body to provide additional support to Brazilian authorities for the upcoming Games.

    The General Assembly is INTERPOL’s supreme governing body. It meets once a year and takes all major decisions affecting policy, resources, working methods, finances and activities.

    INTERPOL President, Mireille Ballestrazzi, speaking at the press conference.

    Some 630 police chiefs and senior law enforcement officials attended the event in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

    A total of 144 countries were represented at the conference. 

    Delegates attending the General Assembly meeting. 

    Delegates attending the General Assembly meeting. 

    Among the topics discussed were illicit goods, counterfeiting and pharmaceutical crime.

    Delegates attending the General Assembly meeting. 

    With the four-day (21-24 October) conference coming just one month after the Westgate shopping centre attacks in Nairobi, Kenya, senior police officials discussed the Organization’s priorities and strategic roadmap for the next three years, focusing on policing needs in the field addressing threats ranging from terrorism to cybercrime.

    INTERPOL’s new e-extradition initiative, a technical platform which will significantly speed up and facilitate extradition requests through the world police body’s secure communications channels, was strongly endorsed as a ground-breaking initiative by delegates.

    “The resolutions adopted by this General Assembly will develop and further strengthen the partnerships between INTERPOL and other international organizations,” said INTERPOL President Mireille Ballestrazzi.

    “The various discussions and debates during the past four days reflect the collective experience of member countries and the INTERPOL General Secretariat, and will enable us all to continue to develop initiatives to enhance the safety of all citizens throughout the world,” concluded the President.

    A key decision by delegates was the endorsement of a resolution for extrabudgetary resources to be identified in order to provide long-term financial assistance towards INTERPOL’s activities and operational support to all member countries in combating transnational crime and terrorism.

    INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the decisions taken by the General Assembly paved the way for the Organization to plan for its future and provide additional assistance to member countries.

    “As the world’s largest police organization we must ensure that all of our 190 member countries can count on our support whenever and wherever needed,” said Secretary General Noble.

    “Many of the decisions taken during this General Assembly will provide us with an even stronger framework to address the various transnational crime challenges facing the global law enforcement community,” concluded the INTERPOL Chief.

    Strengthening relationships between police and prosecutorial authorities was also an important element during the conference, with the approval of a Memorandum of Understanding between INTERPOL and Eurojust.

    At the conclusion of the conference Juan Carlos Pinzón Bueno, Minister of National Defence, announced Colombia’s recognition of the INTERPOL Travel Document (ITD) thereby significantly speeding up the ability for INTERPOL officials to respond to any calls for assistance or support. To date, 64 INTERPOL member countries have officially recognized the ITD.

    The 83rd INTERPOL General Assembly will be held in Monaco, 100 years after the country hosted the first International Criminal Police Congress in 1914, where the idea of INTERPOL was born.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Henderson Man Sentenced to Over Five and a Half Years on Firearm Charge After Daytime Shootout at Gas Station

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – Jaymon Gibson, of Henderson, was sentenced today to 71 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.  Gibson, 26, pled guilty to the charges on October 10, 2024.

    According to court documents and other information presented in court, law enforcement investigated two gang-related shooting incidents where Gibson possessed or fired guns.  On May 10, 2022, at around 11:15 pm, the Henderson Police Department (HPD) responded to reports of a gunshot wound at a house on Powell Street in Henderson.  The 911 caller led officers to Gibson, who was sitting in a car with gunshot wounds to his left arm.  The 911 caller reported that she had seen someone shooting at Gibson from a black sedan. Officers canvassed the area and found a Glock 19 9mm handgun with an American flag pattern on it lying in the yard. They also found a 50-round drum magazine.  Doorbell camera footage from the home showed Gibson walking with the Glock 9mm.

    The next day, co-defendant Monica Ellis called HPD and reported that a Glock 19 and a drum magazine had been stolen from her car. Officers later confirmed with a firearms store that Ellis had purchased the firearm on March 8, 2022.  Gibson was in prison in March 2022, following a state conviction for voluntary manslaughter, and officers were able to obtain jail calls between him and Ellis.  These calls revealed that Gibson had directed Ellis to straw purchase the Glock 9mm for him, even placing a three-way phone call with Gibson and a gun store clerk.

    On May 28, 2022, eighteen days after the Powell Street shooting, the HPD responded to a shots-fired call at the Gate City Foods gas station.  Surveillance video revealed that a little after 4 p.m., a car with Gibson driving and a juvenile male in the front passenger seat pulled into a gas pump away from the store.  A few minutes later, a white car with four occupants arrived and pulled up to a gas pump closer to the store.  The front passenger, later identified as Jordan Turnage, walked into the store.  Then a rear passenger, a juvenile, stepped out of the white car holding a long gun with a drum magazine.  Gibson, who had moved to the front passenger seat, then stepped out of the car also holding a firearm.  Moments later, gunfire erupted.  Turnage fired a handgun from inside Gates City Foods through the window towards Gibson.  At the same time, from the middle of the parking lot, the juvenile with the long gun began firing toward Gibson.  The white car’s driver also stepped out with a long gun and shot several rounds, striking himself in the foot in the process.  Gibson returned fire, shooting several rounds while crouching behind his car. Both groups then fled from the scene. Later investigation found that gunshots had damaged multiple nearby cars and apartments, including one gunshot that had struck a bedroom window while a resident was sleeping.  Miraculously, no one was hurt in the incident.  Five days later, law enforcement located and arrested Gibson at an apartment in Durham. They found a 22-caliber rifle with a high-capacity magazine that matched shell casings from where he had been parked at Gates City Foods.

    “Keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals that endanger public safety remains a top priority for our office,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar.  “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those that are the most significant contributors to violence.”

    “Our partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina has been vital in our ongoing efforts to combat gun violence in our community,” said Henderson Police Chief Marcus W. Barrow. “Throughout my tenure as Chief of Police, the ATF has maintained a steadfast presence in Henderson, demonstrating unwavering support and commitment to our shared goals. Their consistent presence is having a profound and lasting impact on our region. This case serves as yet another testament to our collective dedication in the fight against gun violence, and we remain resolute in our commitment to securing a safer future for all.”

    Co-defendant Monica Ellis pled guilty to a felony offense of lying to a federal agent for statements she made related to straw-purchasing the Glock firearm.  On March 14, 2024, she was sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release. Jordan Turnage, who was not a felon at the time of the shooting, was prosecuted in state court for related felony offenses and received an active sentence of 38 to 58 months.

    Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Henderson Police Department, Durham Police Department, and N.C State Bureau of Investigation investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake D. Pugh prosecuted.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-0043-D.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Greenville Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Greenville, MS – A Greenville man was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for drug trafficking.

    According to court documents, Terrance Hall, 39, previously plead guilty to distribution of a controlled substance, which included methamphetamine and fentanyl. Chief U.S. District Judge Debra M. Brown of the Northern District of Mississippi sentenced Hall to 70 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. Hall was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service following sentencing.

    “Methamphetamine and fentanyl destroy individuals, families, and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner.  “We will continue to partner with the Greenville Police Department to remove this scourge, and the people who profit from it, from our community.”

    “We would first like to thank every agency involved in the success of this conviction,” stated Police Chief Marcus Turner of the Greenville Police Department. “Our mission is to maintain social order and provide professional law enforcement services to the citizens in the community. All available resources will continue to be used by the Greenville Police Department to pursue the individuals that spread illegal drugs in our community.”

    This case was investigated by the Greenville Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Mims prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Investment scam: Aucklander guilty of money laundering

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    A man has been found guilty of money laundering almost $2 million obtained from two Kiwi victims of a term deposit scam.

    This week, a jury found the 61-year-old Auckland man guilty on two counts of money laundering offences.

    In late 2022, two unsuspecting Kiwis were approached by offshore fraudsters advertising a fictious investment company.

    Ultimately, they both ‘invested’ a total of nearly $2m into the fictious company, with funds being transferred into a New Zealand-based account.

    This account had been set up by Carel Johannes Viljoen.

    Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Bolton, who oversees the Auckland City Financial Crime Unit, says Viljoen had been contacted separately by the offshore offenders.

    “Our investigation found Viljoen opened a New Zealand-based bank account to facilitate his offending.

    “An agreement was struck that money would be transferred to specific accounts in exchange for a fee.”

    Viljoen pocketed a total of $61,581 from both transactions. Following the Police investigation, this money has since been returned.

    Money laundering is not a victimless crime, Detective Senior Sergeant Bolton says.

    “This should serve as a wake-up call for any Kiwi that might be approached in these circumstances.

    “You should be extremely wary if someone approaches you wanting to do a deal where you receive and move money to different bank accounts, in exchange for a fee.

    “Money laundering is a criminal offence which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of seven years.”

    The Auckland Financial Crime Unit continues to investigate other instances of money laundering relating to term deposit scams, with other cases due before the court this year.

    “I’d like to pay special mention to the detailed work carried out by Detective James Priestley in this case,” Detective Senior Sergeant Bolton says.

    “We are extremely pleased with the outcome in this case.”

    Viljoen will be sentenced in June.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update over appeal into ongoing investigation

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police have had a positive response from the public over an appeal released on 6 March as part of an ongoing investigation.

    The appeal was over an incident of a sensitive nature that occurred in Auckland City last year.

    Detective Senior Sergeant Kathy Bostock, of Auckland City CIB, says Police are no longer seeking further nominations from the public.

    “I would like to thank the community for their prompt response to our appeal and for their assistance in our enquiries, which remain ongoing,” she says.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Hunters urged to be extra sure this Roar

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    With the main deer hunting season – the Roar – about to go into full swing, New Zealand’s firearms regulator is reminding hunters everywhere of the need to identify their target beyond all doubt.

    Te Tari Pūreke – Firearms Safety Authority, in co-ordination with members of the Recreational Firearms User Group, is running a hunter safety advertising campaign prompting hunters everywhere to “be extra sure this Roar”.

    Te Tari Pureke Director of Partnerships and Communities, Mike McIlraith, says while the campaign offers a number of simple actions related to hunter safety, the core message responds to the risk of mis-identifying a target.

    “We want all hunters to have a great Roar and for everyone to come home safely,” he says. “Hunting deer whether for food or sport is an activity enjoyed by many, but we know firearms can be unforgiving.

    “That’s why we are urging hunters to be 100 percent sure they have identified their target. If they have any doubts, then don’t shoot. Hunters shouldn’t feel pressured to take the shot – no meat or no trophy is better than no mate!”

    Mike McIlraith says hunters are lucky to be hunting in a time of high deer numbers in many parts of New Zealand, with lots of opportunities for deer. This means hunters don’t need to be in a rush to shoot the first deer they see, they should take their time, and wait until they see the whole animal.

    “Keeping themselves and others in their hunting area safe takes more than luck,” says Mike McIlraith. “We’ve boiled it down to three key reminders for hunters this year – make a plan for your hunt and stick to it; always treat every firearm as loaded; and identify your target beyond all doubt.

    “Whether they are using optical or thermal imaging devices, they must follow Firearms Safety Rule 4 and identify their target beyond all doubt before firing. That’s what we mean when we say, be extra sure this Roar.”

    ENDS.

    Notes for Editors:

    The Recreational Firearms Users Working Group was formed to help align the important messaging of the various stakeholder groups involved in recreational hunting in New Zealand.

    This group consists of Department of Conservation, Federated Farmers of New Zealand, Fish & Game NZ, Game Animal Council, Mountain Safety Council, NZ Deerstalkers Association and Te Tari Pūreke.

    The Roar is the name given to the time of year when hunters target Red Deer stags which are at their most vocal attracting mates.

    Other great resources can be found on:

    Te Tari Pūreke has a ‘Roar safety’ webpage

    The Mountain Safety Council website – Big Game hunting section

    The Game Animal Council of New Zealand – ‘Hunter Safety’ page

    New Zealand Deerstalkers Association

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE ATM/EBT fraud operation yields 15 arrests in Orange County

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    LOS ANGELES – From March 1-2, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Orange County and its Los Angeles El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, along with multiple law enforcement partners, conducted county wide operations targeting Romanian organized theft rings and other criminals responsible for conducting numerous unauthorized ATM transactions utilizing counterfeit/cloned EBT cards at various financial institutions in Orange County. During this operation, ICE and local police identified and arrested 15 individuals for the violation of federal law involving the use/manufacturing of an access device with the intent to defraud. In addition to the federal arrests, two state arrests were also made for subjects involved in EBT fraud. Approximately 42 counterfeit/cloned EBT cards and bulk U.S. currency was seized pursuant to the operation. The cases were presented to the United States Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California and District Attorney’s Office for both federal and state prosecution.

    “This type of fraud that is occurring in our communities cannot be combatted alone,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles acting Special Agent in Charge John Pasciucco. “Our El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force and HSI Orange County’s collaboration with our federal, state and local partners is paramount to effectively stopping ATM and EBT fraud.”

    Operational partners included the Diplomatic Security Service, Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General, Los Angeles, District Attorney’s Office, California Department of Social Services, Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Westminster Police Department, Inglewood Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Garden Grove Police Department, El Monte Police Department, Orange Police Department, Huntington Beach Police Department, La Habra Police Department, Cypress Police Department and the Brea Police Department.

    Indictments contain allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

    Anyone with information on ATM/EBT fraud are encouraged to call the ICE Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.

    Learn more about ICE HSI’s mission to protect the U.S. economy in your community on X at @HSILosAngeles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Manchester Man Pleads Guilty for His Role in a Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine to New Hampshire through the United States Postal Service

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord for his role in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine to New Hampshire through the United States Postal Service (USPS), Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

    David Orme, age 52, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely, cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2025. The defendant was indicted on December 20, 2023, along with five other defendants. To date, Orme is the fourth defendant convicted in the conspiracy. 

    According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant was involved in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that shipped cocaine from Puerto Rico to Manchester, New Hampshire. A coconspirator in Puerto Rico sent a package that contained approximately 500 grams of cocaine to an address in Manchester and the defendant signed for it using a fictitious name in a controlled delivery. Ultimately, law enforcement seized the package. Between September 2020 and December 2021, the DTO shipped over 5.6 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Manchester for redistribution. 

    The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case. 

    ###

     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Second Defendant Admits to Role in Bank Fraud Conspiracy Targeting Banks in Ten States

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    PROVIDENCE – A second individual has admitted to a federal judge that he participated in a conspiracy to defraud banks in Rhode Island and at least nine other states of more than $140,000, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.

    Jaymark Larios, 23, of Bronx, NY, pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    According to information presented to the court, Larios and other members of the conspiracy recruited and organized individuals and obtained their photographs and personal identifying information (PII). The information was used by conspirators to create fraudulent IDs that contained their own photographs and the PII of some of the recruits.

    As part of the scheme, Larios and others obtained the PII of at least 28 victim individuals, including their names, dates of birth, addresses, Social Security numbers, and bank account information. They also obtained information of at least 20 business entities, including business names and banking information. The information collected was used to create fraudulent IDs and checks. Members of the conspiracy then traveled with their recruits to banks in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Maryland, West Virginia, and elsewhere to cash fraudulent checks created by members of the conspiracy.

    Through the scheme, conspirators attempted to defraud banks of a total of approximately $143,000, successfully defrauding twenty-two banks of a total of approximately $93,200.

    On February 27, 2025, Paul Keenan, 54, of Bronx, NY, admitted to his role in the conspiracy, pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2025.

    The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christine Lowell.

    The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the East Providence Police Department, with the assistance of the Portsmouth Police Department.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –