Money laundering gang busted, nearly 95 tonnes of gold seized

[email protected] (Khaleej Times)
December 27, 2011

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Abu Dhabi, December 27: Security agencies on Sunday announced that they had busted one of the world’s largest money laundering networks which was involved in the smuggling of around 95,000kg of gold and SR10 million (over Dh9 million) in cash.

The operation was led by State Security with help from law enforcement and investigating agencies against the international gang of criminals who planned to use the UAE banking system to launder the black money and gold.

The gang planned to smuggle 94,410kg of pure gold from an African country and SR10 million in cash into the UAE through the Ghuwaifat check post on the Saudi border. “The gang of criminal was planning to channel the gold into the banking system and then transfer them to a number of Arab and other foreign countries, but the full-proof inspection measures adopted by the Ministry of Interior at land and air ports had aborted the smuggling attempt and apprehended members of the network,” the official Emirates News Agency (Wam) reported.

However, the nationalities and full names of the apprehended gang members were not disclosed as the investigation is ongoing.

The ring planned to smuggle the gold and money through oil tankers from an African country to a neighbouring country where three members, identified as A.M.A, H.B. and A.A, carried the consignment for delivery to another group of the gang who were identified as owners of the tankers for further transportation to the UAE.

The tanker owners were tasked to smuggle the gold and cash into the UAE and hand them over to their accomplices here.

The entire plan was aborted when undercover agents of the State Security and police waited for the consignment to arrive at the Ghuwaifat border post, and a key gang member was arrested red-handed. This led to the arrest of other accomplices. The culprit was arrested in possession of SR10 million hidden in the oil tanker. Further investigation and follow-up helped in rounding up the entire network.

Money laundering has been a pressing issue for the international community, particularly the UAE due to its fast economic development and growth. Money launderers have been using different methods, including Hawala, to launder black money through operators based here and front countries in different parts of Asia.

To curb the misuse of Hawala transaction of money, the Central Bank has already started registering all Hawala operations. The Central Bank has asked all such money transaction operators to declare their transactions and operate through legal channels.

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Agencies
May 25,2020

Hyderabad, May 25: Indicating foul play in the death of nine people, including six of a family, whose bodies were fished out from a well near Warangal, a forensic expert on Sunday virtually ruled out suicide theory, saying it appeared seven of them had been dragged and thrown into the water body.

Mystery shrouded the death of nine people, including six of a family, whose bodies were found in a well, five of them on Friday and four on Thursday, on the outskirts of Warangal in Telangana.

Police stepped up the probe and forensic analysis was also underway in the case.

The forensic expert, who visited the crime scene as part of the investigation citing preliminary tests, said that the seven of nine people had scratch injuries and appeared to have been "dragged" and "thrown" into the well.

Forensic reports are expected in 10 days, the forensic expert told media on Sunday adding after examining the crime scene it appears that the deaths were not suicides.

"We have preserved all organs and the same were sent to forensic science laboratory (FSL) for examination... some two or three persons might have been involved in the crime. There are scratch injuries on the bodies," he said.

"It appears that they were thrown into the water... There were no injuries on the child's body. We are awaiting the forensic report (to ascertain) whether they were poisoned. It didn't appear as if they committed suicide," the expert, who performed the post-mortem said.

Police sources said at least two people were picked up for questioning.

Bodies of the head of the family, wife, daughter and three-year old grandson were found floating and fished out on Thursday.

On Friday morning, some bodies were seen floating following which police pumped out the water from the well and found others.

The 48-year old man had migrated from West Bengal over 20 years ago and had settled down here. His family had been staying in two rooms on the premises of the unit, police had earlier said.

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News Network
July 19,2020

Thane, Jul 19: A 34-year-old man was arrested on Saturday for allegedly killing his wife after picking up a fight as he did not like the food she cooked, Thane police said.

Sachin Godane, a resident of Gaikwad Pada in Ambernath, locked his two children and an aunt in one room of the house on Friday afternoon and brutally beat up his wife Chandrakala (28) with a log and then strangled her, said Assistant Inspector JB Bhoyer of Shivajinagar police station.

Godane has been remanded in police custody for four days, he added. 

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News Network
June 2,2020

Pratapgarh, Jun 2: In a shocking incident, a young man was tied to a tree and set afire by the family of a woman with whom he was allegedly having an affair in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh late on Monday night.

The man, 25, was a resident of Bhujauni village under Fatanpur police station, and he died on the spot.

Enraged over the incident, his family members and local people turned violent and set two police vehicles on fire.

Additional forces were rushed in to control the situation that remains tense.

The body has been sent for post-mortem.

According to Superintendent of Police (SP), Pratapgarh, Abhishek Singh, "Some people barged into the house of Ambika Patel and dragged him away. They then tied Patel to a tree some distance away and set him on fire after sprinkling petrol on him. They fled immediately after." Agitated family members and villagers assembled at the site and set a 112 police response vehicle (PRV) and another police jeep on fire. They were demanding immediate arrest and action against the accused.

The official said that Patel's relatives claimed that he was having an affair with a woman from his village and this had resulted in many face-offs between the families.

Patel had reportedly shared a video clip of the woman on social media a few months ago further increasing tension between the families.

The woman's family members had registered a police complaint against Patel in this connection at the Fatanpur police station that led to his arrest. He was released from jail recently, police added.

The woman had been recently selected as a police constable and was posted to Kanpur.

The SP said that an FIR had been registered on the complaint of the victim's family and efforts were on to arrest the accused.

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