Vladimir Dimitrov Konstantinov

Police in Peru arrested a 38-years-old Bulgarian citizen at the international airport of Jorge Chávez with 12.97kg cocaine. Bulgarian Vladimir Dimitrov Konstantinov was to fly to Spain through Amsterdam, police said as quoted by EFE news agency. Konstantinov was arrested after sniffer dogs rushed to his luggage. When police officers opened his suitcases, they found the drugs divided in 13 packages, hidden between clothes

Bulgarian customs officers

Bulgarian customs officers and police and Portuguese police arrested two Bulgarian cocaine smugglers at Lisbon airport during a joint operation.
Portuguese police detained a 38-year-old man who organised the international drug-smuggling ring from Latin America to Western Europe, and a 30-year-old drug dealer, an Interior Ministry press release said.
The dealer traveled from Brazil to Portugal. He had swallowed 1.2 kg of capsuled cocaine.
Drug dealers who swallow capsules to smuggle the drug, usually intake from 0.6 to 0.8 kg of narcotic substance, the press release said.
Bulgarian and Portuguese authorities worked nearly four months to reveal the smuggling ring. The arrest of the two Bulgarians was the last of a series of related arrests.
Bulgarian police detained two men, who had swallowed 1.2 kg of cocaine, at Sofia airport in November 2006. Other two Bulgarian traffickers were arrested at Lisbon airport a week later, on December 8 2006.

The total quantity of cocaine seized from the related operations is 4,4 kg. The drug could have been sold for more than 180 000 euro on European markets.

death of a 23 year old Brasilian

death of a 23 year old Brasilian in Porto earlier this month wasn't reported in the English speaking press. He had swallowed 52 condoms of coke, 23 of which had been expelled in his hotel room and the rest found during an autopsy. The article from Brasil's Estado states the drug would result in 10,000 doses.

Katy Conner

died during a flight from Mexico to Birmingham. After she began bleeding from her nose and mouth and the flight was diverted to Terceira in the Azores. She died due to 60 packets of the stuff bursting in her stomach

LISKA and BOHINC advertised and sold over the internet a product that they called BOOM

TIBOR LISKA and BLAKE BOHINC were arrested this afternoon on charges that they used interstate wires to market and sell, in the United States and abroad, the active ingredient in the prescription drug Viagra by falsely labeling it as a purely herbal supplement they called "BOOM!". According to a criminal Complaint filed today in Manhattan federal court:
From at least March 2006 through November 2007, LISKA and BOHINC advertised and sold over the internet a product that they called BOOM! -- purported to be a purely herbal supplement for the enhancement of sexual performance -- which was sold in individual packets containing chocolate-flavored powder. Internet advertisements for BOOM! claimed that the product was a "far safer" and "certainly less expensive" herbal alternative to Viagra.

Nigeria Arrests

32-year-old Ahukanna Chukwuka Daniel was caught by the law enforcement agents with hard drugs while boarding an Italian bound Alitalia aircraft from the airport.
Also caught was 36-year-old Ike Prince Chris, who attempted to smuggle some drugs to Germany aboard a KLM flight.
Only on last Friday, the anti drug agency, in a statement by its spokesman, Ofoyeju Mitchel said it had arrested one Mwaugo Magnus Emeka for attempting to beat the security point to export some drugs, through Ethiopian airline to Israel.

5 years for drug dealing

50 year old from Scotland who is doing 5 years for drug dealing. He filled me in pretty well on how the arrest and conviction process works over here. I must say it takes your breath away! When I think of the slack attitude most tourists in Bali have towards drugs when the reality is that possession is considered a serious offence and marijuana a Class A drug, I shudder. There are people here doing 20 years for drugs and they are going nowhere unless a Solution can be reached. My interviewee told me all about Solutions and it also blew me away.

Schapelle Corby

Schapelle Corby is languishing in a Balinese jail as are the Bali Nine, and now, a young woman of only 42 years of age is facing jail time in Lombok for her part in possessing and dealing drugs in Indonesia. At one time she was initially facing drug charges which carried a maximum penalty of death. A long-term resident of Lombok, Higgs ran a small resort with her husband Melvin before she was arrested after a raid on her home in February.
She was charged with using and dealing marijuana which is classed as a narcotic under Indonesia's tough drug laws. Prosecutors have demanded a one year jail sentence for the woman arrested in the city of Mataram for possession of 49.6 grams of marijuana. She told the police that she bought the drug for Rp 500,000 for her own use.

Bali Party Arrests

3 foreign men from Italy, Australia and Belgium were arrested at a Kerobokan villa during a raid on a party.
Its quite possible that some of those arrested had nothing to do with drugs, but were simply in the vicinity. In all likelihood the person who sold the drugs, heard about the upcoming party and informed on them. The Scottish fellow I interviewed inside Kerobokan jail a while back claimed he was arrested for being in the vicinity of a drug transaction, but had no part in it.

21 American citizens have died in custody in Mexico

21 American citizens have died in custody in Mexico and that "Mexican police regularly obtain information through torture."

Jomeh Gomshadzehi was hanged in the city of Zahedan

Jomeh Gomshadzehi was hanged in the city of Zahedan after being arrested with 3,300 kilos of opium, 84 kilos heroin, and 95 kilos of morphine. The state news agency IRNA identified him as a notorious drug trafficker who sent narcotics to Turkey and Arab states in the Gulf. It said that while trafficking drugs four years ago, he killed a policeman and then escaped to Dubai.

death penalty for drug dealing

The Philippines congress has approved and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has signed a draconian new anti-drug measure, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The act mandates the death penalty for drug dealing -- no matter how small the quantity -- or for possession of as little as 500 grams or marijuana (a pound is 454 grams), ten grams of opium, morphine, heroin, ecstasy, or cocaine, or 50 grams of methamphetamine, or "shabu," as it is called in the Philippines. The new law will go into effect in July.

"I want to deliver a message to all illegal drug traffickers to immediately close their business," said Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City) at a press conference at Malacanang Palace in Manila after President Macapagal-Arroyo signed the bill into law on June 7. "They have no future. If they are caught, they will be punished with life imprisonment or a death sentence," said Cuenco, one of the bill's most ardent proponents.

400 prisoners have been hanged in Singapore since 1991

400 prisoners have been hanged in Singapore since 1991, giving the small city-state possibly the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population of just over four million people. The execution figures include a significant percentage of foreign nationals. It is not known how many prisoners are currently on death row, but the shocking death toll from executions continues to rise.Most of those executed were convicted of drug trafficking

Trinh Nguyen Thuy

Trinh Nguyen Thuy and 32 of his associates on charges of trafficking and producing heroin, according to papers there.
According to the police investigation, the gang was responsible for bringing in about 200kg of heroin and almost 700 kg of opium from Laos to Vietnam between 2001 and 2003.
Thuy has also admitted to bribing officials so that he could be allowed to grow opium poppies on farms close to Hanoi city.
these actions would make Thuy’s gang one of the largest in Vietnam, a country that has very strict laws against the drug trade with the death penalty often enforced.

Nguyen Van Huy, aged 36, and his 39-year-old wife, Hoang Le Thuy

Nguyen Van Huy, aged 36, and his 39-year-old wife, Hoang Le Thuy, had 500 grams of heroin hidden away in bottles of medication in their baggage, as they attempted to fly from Ho Chi Minh City back to their hometown of Melbourne. Their three daughters, aged between two and 10, were travelling with them and have been handed over to relatives. They face possible decades away from their parents.

Barbara Higgs

Barbara Higgs is facing the local justice system over the seizure of 49.7 grams of marijuana at her residence in Lombok.
The interesting part of this case is the fact that Higgs is a permanent expatriate who lives in Indonesia and owns a hotel on Senggigi Beach tourist area. One might think an expat would be a little savvy to the local laws and know of the disproportionate punishments for drugs in the country.
Local sources supposedly tipped off police to the drugs in her possession.
Higgs allegedly also tested positive to Marijuana in her urine sample.
If convicted of the most serious charge, she will face the death penalty. The lesser charges she is facing will see her with between 4 and 20 years

Iwuchukwu Amara Tochi

Iwuchukwu Amara Tochi was hanged just before dawn on 26 January 2007. He had been caught with 727 grams of heroin in the transit area of Changi airport 2 years ago we gloat over the mules that we capture. Once caught, we put them on a conveyor belt to the hangman's rope. With the mandatory death penalty, there's no room for mitigation; we aren't able to offer them a reduced sentence in return for information that might lead to the capture of the drug lord. Why should they help law enforcers when they're going to be hanged anyway?

65% of all drugs in the UK had come from Jamaica.

Jamaican drug mules are reportedly paid between £2,000 (J$130,400) and £5,000 (J$335,000) for each trip.
The deputy head of the Jamaican narcotics police, Superintendent Glendon Wright, said a survey last year had shown that 65% of all drugs in the UK had come from Jamaica.four tonnes of cocaine is making its way into the UK each year through drug mules.

one in 10 air passengers from Jamaica were smuggling drugs

Jamaica's narcotics police have reportedly said "umpteen drugs couriers are travelling from Jamaica to the UK".

David Case, 44, Sebastian Stephen, 41

David Case, 44, of Kingarth Street, Cardiff, and a second man, Sebastian Stephen, 41, of Adventurers Quay, Cardiff Bay – alleged to have been the mule organiser

Marianne Telfer

Marianne Telfer is one of a growing band of women who have found themselves in prisons around the world accused of acting as drug mules.

Hundreds of British women are currently serving time for drugs-related offences in prisons outside the UK.

from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, and Bolton, Lancashire

The men, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, and Bolton, Lancashire, were reportedly planning to stash the drug in loudspeakers before smuggling it on to planes. They were arrested at a luxury hotel with 1kg of pure cocaine.

Katriya Connor, a 23-year-old chef

Katriya Connor, a 23-year-old chef from Liverpool, died after packages of cocaine exploded in her stomach during a flight from Cancún, in Mexico, to Birmingham.

Davena Payne, a 19-year-old student

Davena Payne, a 19-year-old student from central London, was arrested as she attempted to board a plane at Rio de Janeiro's international airport with more than 8kg of cocaine worth an estimated £300,000.

Nigerian women on drugs charges in UK jails has risen

The number of Nigerian women on drugs charges in UK jails has risen almost sixfold in three years, figures supplied to the BBC News website show.

On 30 June this year, 85 of the 151 Nigerian women in custody in the UK were being held for drugs offences. In 2002 there were just 15 out of 29.

“Dracuweed”

“Dracuweed” or super-hybrid marijuana is widely grown in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico and is transported by every means imaginable, to include a tunnel system into the United States. This hybrid crop is usually fueled by a sophisticated irrigation system and is extremely resilient to pesticides. The Associated Press reports that this new ‘super grass’ yields double the amount of marijuana as the old conventional type of marijuana plant and is genetically improved to achieve this growth pattern. No reports as to the strength of Dracuweed have been drafted, and it is still “Super Bubba Kush”, “White Widow” and “Super Skunk weed” that top the charts on extreme highs and harsh crashes that leave a person brain dead for hours. Wouldn’t that be a productive person to have employed in the workplace!

Black tar Mexican heroin

Black tar Mexican heroin is mixed with an over-the-counter antihistamine found in products like Tylenol PM. Both the illegal and legal antihistamine drugs have the same effect; it acts like a depressant, and when mixed together with heroin it will slow a person down and could even result in death. In Dallas alone, approximately 20 students have died in the past two years in cases that are known. Cheese heroin is now widely used, say Dallas school officials, and addiction to the substance is as common as marijuana addiction. And once a child is addicted, where and from whom do they get the money to buy these illegal drugs? They steal, most commonly from their parents. And not just cash, because drug traffickers take credit cards numbers as currency for their business sales

lost his 15-year-old son to cheese

Fernando Cortez is getting involved. He lost his 15-year-old son to cheese earlier this year. Cortez swears his son wasn’t a user and is haunted by what-ifs. What if he had done this versus that? Would his son still be alive? In the end, Cortez has had to put away those thoughts and channel his grief into something that could save lives. He goes to Dallas schools, speaking out about his painful experience and giving out his cell phone number to anyone who needs to talk. He urges parents to do the same — talk to their kids.

Drug experts add this advice: don’t bury your head in the sand. If your child’s grades drop, he loses interest in the activities he once loved, if he changes friends, if he starts to have trouble at school … all of these are warning signs that need to be acted upon immediately. With drug dealers stepping up their efforts to target your kids, police and drug counselors say we should all make as much of an effort to keep them safe.

Something called “cheese” is killing kids.

In August of 2006, no one had even heard of it — so much so, that when a school district police officer first saw a bag of this drug, he thought it was fake. Now officials realize cheese is all too real; at least 21 kids have died from overdosing on it.

Cheese is a combination of black tar heroin and crushed up Tylenol PM tablets and hits of it sell for a buck or two. Like any type of heroin, cheese is highly addictive and deadly. If that’s not enough to scare you, there’s this: drug pushers cooked it up special for kids.

“Traditionally heroin is going to be an adult user drug,” says Dallas Independent School District Officer Jeremy Liebbe. “Black tar heroin is cooked on a spoon, mixed with liquid and injected. Meaning needles. Not many kids are wild about needles, so if you want to market heroin to kids you've got to come up with an alternative to it.”

POLICE have quashed an 'urban myth'

POLICE have quashed an 'urban myth' that a new drug called Strawberry Quick is being given to school children in Lincolnshire.
Lincolnshire Police say people have been informed of the new drug by e-mail and over the web.
A police spokesman said: "The message gives information about a drug which is allegedly known as Strawberry Quick.
"The message claims this drug, based on crystal meth, looks and smells like a strawberry sweet or type of confectionary and is being handed out to school children in school playgrounds.
"It also allegedly comes in several other flavours.
"It seems this message is a hoax or urban myth which originates from the USA.
"We have long advised parents and school teachers to instruct children not to accept sweets from strangers and such advice is still relevant but there is no truth in the rumours surrounding the use and supply of any such drug within Lincolnshire.
"Lincolnshire is a very safe place to live but we do discover children and young people using illegal drugs both inside and outside schools.
"We would ask for parents, school teachers and members of the public to be vigilant and to report any concerns or suspicions to the police. "However, they should disregard the information as described above and delete any e-mails they receive regarding the drugs supply."

It tastes like candy - often times like strawberry-flavored candy - but it's flavored methamphetamine

In their quest to lure new, younger clientele, drug dealers are mixing their wares with over-the-counter pain remedies and other familiar products - even candy - and peddling them under non-threatening names.

A new drug temptation has turned up in Grays Harbor County. It tastes like candy - often times like strawberry-flavored candy - but it's flavored methamphetamine. On the street, users call it "Strawberry Quick".

Users and investigators say some kids as young as 11 and 12 already use meth. Now with a new evolution in meth production - meth with the coloring, look and flavor of sugar candy - they worry even younger kids will be lured by the drug.

Leroy Carr made his first appearance in U.S. District Court

Leroy Carr made his first appearance in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Monday. He's charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, according to a news release issued by federal prosecutors.

Both U.S. and Canadian law enforcement officers have contacted Carr numerous times over the past nine months in the vicinity of the border. He almost always was carrying large amounts of cash, night-vision goggles and a hand-held GPS unit containing the coordinates of a well-known smuggling trail, the news release states.

SAA employees, including a pilot,

SAA employees, including a pilot, had been arrested in countries such as Brazil, Australia and the United Kingdom since 2000.

Lindiwe Harriet Luthuli, 40

stewardess Lindiwe Harriet Luthuli, 40, pleaded guilty to smuggling 5kg of cocaine and 10kg of herbal cannabis - valued at about £325 000 (more than R3,5-million) - into the United Kingdom. She is expected to be sentenced in Isleworth Crown Court

South African Airways is battling to control a growing drug-smuggling epidemic

South African Airways is battling to control a growing drug-smuggling epidemic among its own staff - with three stewards arrested on charges of cocaine and dagga smuggling in the past seven months.

The airline though is adamant that the problem is not isolated to SAA, but an international problem.

Anthony Cruz, 16

Anthony Cruz, 16, was stopped by customs officials as he arrived on an American Airlines flight from Santiago in the Dominican Republic. X-rays of his body revealed 80 balloons of heroin with a total weight of 988 grams (nearly 1 kilo and more than 2 pounds). According to officials, the heroin was worth $500,000.

Gordon Vuong was 16

Gordon Vuong was 16 in January last year when he was arrested at Phnom Penh airport with more than two kilograms of heroin strapped to his body.

He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to serve 13 years in a Cambodian prison.

caught with heroin strapped to his body at Phnom Penh airport

The Federal Government has confirmed that the Australian Federal Police did play a role in the arrest of an Australian teenager who's been jailed for drug trafficking in Cambodia.

In a case which has similarities to Bali Nine drug trafficker Scott Rush, Gordon Vuong was caught with heroin strapped to his body at Phnom Penh airport in January last year.

His mother has told the Bulletin magazine that she gave the AFP information about her son, but she says she hoped the police would use it to stop him leaving Australia to traffic drugs.

latest drug mule captures

.Osvaldo Aldrete Davila, the drug smuggler who was shot in the buttocks by El Paso Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean in 2007, was arrested on drug charges at the Zaragoza Bridge this morning, officials with the U.S. Attorney's office said.
Aldrete was arrested by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General on a sealed indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and with possession with intent to distribute marijuana in September and October 2007.

Type of arrest Number of arrests United States

Estimated totals of top seven arrest offenses in the United States, 2005



Total arrests* 14,094,200
Drug abuse violations 1,846,400
Driving under the influence 1,371,900
Simple assaults 1,301,400
Larceny/theft 1,146,700
Disorderly conduct 678,200
Liquor laws 597,800
Drunkenness 556,200

*Arrest totals are based on all reporting agencies and estimates for unreported areas.
Source: FBI, Uniform Crime Reports, Crime in the United States, annually.

Nick Baker, 32, was sentenced by Chiba District Court

Nick Baker, 32, was sentenced by Chiba District Court, near Tokyo, on Thursday for violating the narcotic control act and customs act.

He was also fined 5 million yen (£25,470), a court official said.

Juan Carlos Ramírez-Abadía

Juan Carlos Ramírez-Abadía - a 44-year-old Colombian accused by US authorities of ordering hundreds of executions and smuggling billions of dollars worth of cocaine into the US was caught.

Katriya Connor, a 23-year-old chef from Liverpool,

Katriya Connor, a 23-year-old chef from Liverpool, died after packages of cocaine exploded in her stomach during a flight from Cancún, in Mexico, to Birmingham.

The men, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, and Bolton, Lancashire

arrested three British men who they alleged were planning to set up a cocaine trafficking network between South America and the UK.

The men, from Dewsbury in West Yorkshire, and Bolton, Lancashire, were reportedly planning to stash the drug in loudspeakers before smuggling it on to planes. They were arrested at a luxury hotel with 1kg of pure cocaine.

British citizen named by police as Allan Grinham

British citizen named by police as Allan Grinham was arrested trying to board an Iberia flight to Europe with more than 6kg of cocaine.

Davena Payne, a 19-year-old student from central London

Davena Payne, a 19-year-old student from central London, was arrested as she attempted to board a plane at Rio de Janeiro's international airport with more than 8kg of cocaine worth an estimated £300,000.

Austrian online bomb threat

Authorities in Quebec, Canada have arrested an alleged terrorist linked to an Austrian online bomb threat, the Blotter on ABCNews.com has learned.

Authorities say the Canadian arrest was carried out in conjunction with the arrests of three other suspects in Austria yesterday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) made the arrest Wednesday at the suspect's home in Trois Rivieres, Quebec, in a joint operation with Austrian authorities, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

Police believe the two UK based men are members of an international hacking group calling themselves the "THr34t-Krew".

Two UK men were arrested this morning following police raids in the UK and US aimed at dismantling an international hacker group believed to have created a virulent computer worm.

Officers from the Durham Constabulary arrested a 19 year-old electrician and a 21 year-old unemployed man after seizing evidence related to computer and drugs offences during a raid on two addresses in County Durham this morning.

The pair are being interviewed today by officers of the UK's National Hi-Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU).

Police believe the two UK based men are members of an international hacking group calling themselves the "THr34t-Krew".

The group has created an Internet worm, called the TK worm, which infected approximately 18,000 computers around the world, according to a statement by the NHTCU.

Actor Martin Sheen: "I've Been Arrested 65 Times"

The San Francisco Chronicle has reported that Martin Sheen claims that he has been arrested 65 times in the past 20 years. The most recent arrest was a police citation this year for trespassing on a Nevada nuclear test site. Sheen reportedly told the British magazine Empire that he fondly remembers his first arrest, also in protest of nuclear initiatives. However, Sheen was also quick to add that he has never been sentenced to more than "a little bit" of jail time. Sheen played the role of U.S. President on the television show "The West Wing."

Classic Car Broker Peter Brotman Sentenced to Prison after Bamboozling Nicolas Cage Out of $300k

Classic Car Broker Peter Brotman Sentenced to Prison after Bamboozling Nicolas Cage Out of $300k
Peter Brotman, a classic-car broker who reportedly conned actor Nicolas Cage and other clients out of large sums of money was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay $1.8 million in restitution. Brotman reportedly sold classic cars on consignment for the rich and famous, then kept the money. His attorney blamed "cash flow problems" as the reason that Brotman, 47, did not send proceeds from the sale of a Rolls Royce, an Aston Martin, three Ferraris, a Cobra and a Jaguar to the clients who owned the cars. Actor Nicholas Cage reportedly lost $300,000 when Brotman failed to pay him the full amount of car sales in 2004.

Actor Tom Sizemore from "Saving Private Ryan" Arrested for Drugs

Actor Tom Sizemore was arrested for possession of methamphetamine outside a hotel in Bakersfield, California, after an associate, Jason Salcido, started an argument while attempting to check into the hotel. Police then searched Sizemore's car and found two bags of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Sizemore was arrested and kept at Kern County Jail. He was convicted of methamphetamine possession in 2004 and was still on probation from those charges. Police said Sizemore appeared to be under the influence of drugs at the time of the arrest. If convicted, Sizemore could face a significant jail term.

judge praised actor Mel Gibson

A California judge praised actor Mel Gibson for successfully undergoing a rehab program after he made world headlines for drunken, racist, sexist rants against police in Malibu, California when he was arrested for a DUI. At a hearing in Malibu to assess his progress, Judge Lawrence Mira said he was "impressed" with Gibson's commitment to recovery, though Gibson himself was not present at the hearing. Although Gibson apologized several times for his outbursts

Handcuffing Herself to Hugh Grant

Woman Prankster Arrested for Handcuffing Herself to Hugh Grant
The star of a Dutch television show was arrested for handcuffing herself to actor Hugh Grant while he walked down the red carpet at the Amsterdam premiere of his latest movie, "Music and Lyrics." Cielke Sijben reportedly ran up to Grant and slipped a handcuff on his left wrist. Grant had to reportedly wait ten minutes for firefighters to free him from the woman. According to a report in the New York Daily News, after the woman told Grant she didn't have a key, he reportedly told her, "I am trying to be with my fans and you are pissing me off."

background checks on more than 1000 foreigners

THAI authorities are conducting background checks on more than 1000 foreigners working in Thailand after a spate of arrests for alleged child sex abuse, a senior officer said today.

Colonel Apichat Suriboonya, of Thailand's Interpol office, said police had contacted the home countries of many of the targeted foreigners, most of whom are teachers.

"We are now scrutinising more than 1000 foreign teachers working in Thailand," he told AFP.

"Before, educational institutions would only look at their academic qualifications, but that is not enough."

Colonel Apichat did not say how police had chosen the foreigners in question.

Richard Monteith, 50, from Whitley Bay, is to plead guilty to murder.

Richard Monteith, 50, from Whitley Bay, is to plead guilty to murder.

Spanish police have charged Monteith and his wife Anne-Marie, with the murder of 63-year-old Diana Dyson, from Sheffield.

But according to Stephen Jakobi, a director of Fair Trials Abroad, Monteith has confessed to the contract killing of Mrs Dyson in the Spanish resort of Torremolinos in March 2002.


Richard Monteith is being held in Spain

Mr Jakobi said Monteith told his Spanish lawyer he had been offered up to £30,000 to carry out the killing.

He said the charity would still act for Monteith's 48-year-old wife as long as she maintained her innocence.

Mr Jakobi said: "Some admissions have been made. The Spanish lawyer said that developments in DNA testing had led to a confession.

"She said what he said was that it was a contract killing and that he was offered a large sum of money to do it."

Mr Jakobi confirmed the amount in question was between 25,000 and 50,000 euros (£16,600 - £33,200).

Tests had shown the DNA of hair found under the victim's fingernails was Mr Monteith's.

'Serious crime'

He is now expected to plead guilty at the forthcoming trial, expected to take place in "a month or two".

But Mr Jakobi said he was worried about the possibility of Mrs Monteith receiving a fair hearing.

He added: "The concern is that there is no money to pay for the legal defence of Mrs Monteith, who still declares her innocence and whose husband still declares her innocence.

"The Spanish legal system is useless for serious crime. Only the young and inexperienced take legal aid cases. The rates are so rotten that serious lawyers don't do it.

"On a murder charge, particularly one where her husband has pleaded guilty, you need a good lawyer."

The couple have been held in prison in Malaga since being charged after Mrs Dyson's body was found in her apartment in Torremolinos on 10 March, 2002.

Detectives believed she was dead for four or five days before she was found.

Human Rights organisations in Egypt have stated that it is likely that the men will receive a minimum sentence of 25 years hard labour.

Majid Nawz, Ian Nesbitt and Rezha Pankhust, all British citizens are facing a military court on 20th October 2002.
Human Rights organisations in Egypt have stated that it is likely that the men will receive a minimum sentence of 25 years hard labour.
Majid Nawaz was on a compulsory year abroad as part of his degree programme. He was sent to Egypt as a SOAS student and enrolled at a course at Alexandria university. Therefore it is his right to have access to support by both SOAS and his host institution in Egypt.

enduring 20 nights on the cold concrete floor of one of South Africa’s most notorious prisons.

Derek Bond, 72, an unassuming wine enthusiast from Bristol, walked free from Durban Central Police Station after enduring 20 nights on the cold concrete floor of one of South Africa’s most notorious prisons.

The story behind Mr Bond’s arrest for international fraud and subsequent release following a misguided FBI investigation would not look out of place in a Hollywood film script.

Prague Piss Up Tours

20 March 2007
Ewan said:
"The whole stag experience was fantastic and everyone had a great time and they all appreciated the time Peter put into the weekend and all his help and advice"

Countries with a hardline stance on drugs

Death penalty
Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Heavy prison sentences
Cyprus: zero tolerance policy towards drugs and possession will usually lead to a hefty fine or even life imprisonment
Greece: possession of even small quantities of drugs can lead to lengthy and even life imprisonment
South East Asia: sentences of 40 to 50 years are not uncommon
Harsh sentences
India: 10 years for smoking cannabis
Italy: Up to 20 years imprisonment
Jamaica: Drug offences result in mandatory prison sentences and large fines. Possession of even small quantities can lead to imprisonment
Morocco: Maximum of 10 years imprisonment plus a fine.
Spain: Sentences for carrying can be up to 12 years
Tunisia: Possession of even a small amount of drugs could cost you a term in prison, while more serious charges may even result in 20 years imprisonment plus a fine
Turkey: Up to 20 years imprisonment
Venezuela: Drug carriers face minimum 10-year prison sentences in harsh conditions

Many countries outside the UK refuse to grant bail before trial and often detain people in solitary confinement

Being caught by UK customs with a small amount of class C drugs, for personal use only, may just get you a financial penalty rather than a court case, however you will get a customs record, and if caught again you will get a criminal prosecution. If someone you are travelling with is caught with drugs, you are likely to be searched and questioned too. If you are caught with drugs on you as well, no matter how small the amount, you will both get the same legal penalties.
You will still get a criminal record in the UK if caught with drugs abroad, which may effect future employment. This may also mean that you are refused a visa for the some countries including the USA.
If you've been caught with drugs abroad, you're unlikely to ever be allowed to visit the country again.
If you get injured or ill as a result of drugs, your holiday insurance may be invalidated and your tour operator can refuse to fly you home.

Brits have been arrested for purchasing souvenirs that were, or looked like, antiques

Brits have been arrested for purchasing souvenirs that were, or looked like, antiques and which local customs authorities believed were national treasures. This is especially true in Turkey, Egypt and Mexico

arrested for possessing prescription drugs

A number of travellers have been arrested for possessing prescription drugs, particularly tranquilizers and amphetamines, that they purchased legally in certain Asian countries and then brought to some countries in the Middle East where they are illegal.

Others have been arrested for purchasing prescription drugs abroad in quantities that local authorities suspected were for commercial use.

victimization of motorists has been refined to an art

In many places frequented by tourists, including areas of southern Europe, victimization of motorists has been refined to an art. Where it is a problem, British embassies are aware of it and consular officers try to work with local authorities to warn the public about the dangers.

Carjackers and thieves operate at petrol stations, car parks, in city traffic and along the highway. Be suspicious of anyone who hails you or tries to get your attention when you are in or near your car. In some urban areas, thieves don't waste time on ploys, they simply smash car windows at traffic lights, grab your valuables or your car and get away.

In cities around the world, "defensive driving" has come to mean more than avoiding auto accidents; it means keeping an eye out for potentially criminal pedestrians, cyclists and scooter riders.

India, Thailand and Australia also appear in the top ten countries where Briton’s required consular assistance

The Czech Republic features as one of the countries where most consular assistance is required with a disproportionate number of lost passports, arrests and hospitalisations. This is likely to be due to the massive influx of hen and stag parties to Prague.

India, Thailand and Australia also appear in the top ten countries where Briton’s required consular assistance - perhaps suggesting although Brits are getting more adventurous with their travels they are not doing enough preparation before they go. The high figures in India might well be a result of many British Asians visiting family members and forgoing usual travel preparations such as vaccinations or travel insurance.

Fair Trials Abroad may be called on to help with the actual investigation of a crime

Fair Trials Abroad may be called on to help with the actual investigation of a crime, in some cases even gathering evidence and statements.

"When you suffer a miscarriage of justice and you have been arrested for something you did not do, you will have a sense of rage, as will your relatives, and that may transcend you being reasonable," Mr Jakobi said.

"Quite obviously your first reaction will be to wonder where the Foreign Office is and ask why they are not securing your release. That is when we have to work together."

Henry Stableford has been freed.

The Italian authorities exceeded the 30 day limit to present necessary papers from Morroco as these had not been forthcoming.

However, the effort will continue as the arrest warrants are still active. We will be building a campaign and amending this website to reflect this over the coming days.

SECOND INNOCENT BRITISH MAN ARRESTED ABROAD ON GROUNDLESS CHARGES FACES EXTRADITION TO MOROCCO

Another innocent British man has been arrested abroad in connection with the delivery of a boat to Morocco in 1997. Henry Stableford, a member of the ill-fated UK crew of Duanas has just been arrested in Fano Italy, on an international arrest warrant and now faces extradition to Morocco.

Almost one year ago crewmember John Packwood was released from a Moroccan prison after His Majesty the King of Morocco granted his freedom before his trial on the basis that there was no case to answer. A second innocent crewmember is now confronted by the same nightmare ordeal.

Unbelievably, Byranston educated Henry Stableford 31, a keen sailor who was a 21 year old deck hand on the Duanas at the time, now faces extradition to Morocco on the same groundless charges. He was working in Fano, on the Adriatic coast, as a subcontracted boat builder for Wally Yachts. He is currently in Pesaro prison.

The Duanas was formerly HMS Cygnet, a Royal Navy patrol vessel once commanded by Tim Lawrence, the Princess Royal’s husband, and sold by HMG through a broker to the new owners. Like Mr Packwood, Henry responded to the advertisement to deliver the boat from Southampton in 1997. Upon arrival in Agadir, and after the boat being thoroughly searched and cleared by Moroccan customs, the hapless UK crew returned home.

Two months later and unbeknown to the crew and sellers of the boat, the Duanas was used by a Columbian drug cartel with a Columbian crew to smuggle cocaine. They were caught off the Moroccan coast. No suggestion was ever made or evidence tendered to suggest the UK crew or the sellers of the boat knew that the owner was part of a cartel, or that they had any nexus whatsoever to the drugs later seized from the vessel. The UK crews’ only crime therefore, was that of answering an advert on a reputable crew agency website (Crewseekers) to deliver a boat from A to B.

Over seven years later in October 2004, totally unaware that a Moroccan court had issued an international arrest warrant for the UK crew, John Packwood went on holiday to Spain. Thereupon he was arrested and spent over a year fighting extradition from a Madrid prison (a process that took no notice of evidence and was merely procedural). Inevitably, he was extradited to Morocco.

The injustice of John’s case attracted the support of many celebrities and well known public figures, including George Clooney, Hugh Grant, Mark Knofler, Andrew Turner MP and numerous MEPS, who campaigned for his release with his lawyers. The proof of innocence and groundswell of support led to the welcomed intervention of the King of Morocco, before Mr Packwood’s trial, who granted his freedom based on there being no case to answer. Thankfully, after a nightmare ordeal, Mr Packwood was back home for Christmas 2005 with his family.

Human rights is a very flexible concept... It depends how hypocritical you want to be on a particular day

A former CIA official has confirmed suspicions that dozens of terror suspects have been flown to jails in Middle Eastern countries where torture is routinely practised, and without reference to courts of law.
Michael Scheuer, who once headed the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and left the CIA last November after a 22-year career, said the practice, known as "extraordinary rendition", was seen by the US as a key tactic in its war on terror.

"The bottom line is getting anyone off the streets who is involved in acts of terrorism is a worthwhile activity," he told the BBC's File On 4 programme.


Mike Scheuer,
former CIA agent
Mr Scheuer said the operation was authorised at the highest levels of the CIA and the White House and was approved by their lawyers.


"The practice of capturing people and taking them to second or third countries arose because the Executive assigned the job of dismantling terrorist cells to the CIA.

"When the agency came back and said 'Where do you want to take them?' the message was 'That's your job'."

He added: "The idea that this is a rogue operation that someone has dreamt up is just absurd. I personally have no problem with doing any operation as long as it's justified legal by my superiors."

2,421 British nationals detained overseas

As at 30 September 2006, British consular officials were aware of 2,421 British nationals detained overseas. We provide consular assistance to any British national, regardless of country of residence. Additionally collecting data on nation of residence would not be possible because laws covering permanent residence

Seven British nationals were arrested in the early hours of this morning, between 2am and 4am, outside a nightclub near the stadium after being involv

The supporters were detained following a fracas outside a nightclub in the capital city of Skopje, the Foreign Office said.
All have since been released without charge following the incident near the Skopje City Stadium and will be free to watch the tie against Rabotnicki.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "Seven British nationals were arrested in the early hours of this morning, between 2am and 4am, outside a nightclub near the stadium after being involved in a fight.
"All seven were taken to the local police station, questioned and released without charge."