Dublin: International Network Of Child Abuse Photographers Dismantled By EUROPOL *UPDATED

A man in Ireland is one of 10 professional photographers arrested as part of an EU operation to dismantle a "network of child abuse photographers".

He was arrested and questioned by gardaí in an investigation co-ordinated by European law enforcement agency Europol and which spanned six countries. www.europol.eu
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* www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/new-law-to-clamp-down-on-child-prostitution-30571775.html

As well as the Irish arrest, five people were arrested in the Czech Republic, two in Sweden and one each in France and Spain.

“An international law enforcement action involving six countries, to dismantle a network of child abuse photographers, has resulted in the arrest of 10 individuals and the seizure of an extensive amount of digital evidence,” according to a spokeswoman for Europol.

In a statement, the EU police agency said that during six house searches, a total of 30 terabytes — equivalent to 30,000 gigabytes — of data were seized, along with hundreds of DVDs and 480,000 files.

These will now be analysed by forensic experts with a view to compiling evidence for prosecution.

“Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), together with Eurojust, supported this international investigation into a network of professional photographers who specialised in producing and distributing child abuse material,” said the spokeswoman.

She said the operation, code-named Atelier, was initiated by the Czech law enforcement authorities and aimed at dismantling a criminal network established by their main targets in the Czech Republic and Sweden.

“The Czech target took advantage of socially and financially disadvantaged children by convincing them to pose for him — close to 70 children became victims,” said the spokeswoman.

“The suspects then distributed these illegal child abuse images off — and online to customers abroad, who are thought to be part of a worldwide network.

“The Swedish suspect co-operated closely with the Czech target to distribute the illegal material in the EU and Canada.”

There is no suggestion that the man arrested in Ireland was involved in the production of imagery.

Gardaí were not in a position yesterday to provide further information about the case or the suspect.

The Europol spokeswoman said that the agency supported the investigation by facilitating the exchange of information and intelligence, producing analytical reports and hosting an operational meeting.

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*A man has been charged with child sex offences in connection with the alleged abduction of three girls.

Vejuhadin Ghorbani, from the Clifton area of Rotherham, is accused of causing or inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity and child abduction.

The 37-year-old has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Rotherham Magistrates' Court.

Three girls, two aged 11 and one 13-year-old, were reported missing from the Rotherham area at 10.20pm on Saturday.

Their disappearance sparked a major police hunt, with officers from across the South Yorkshire force drafted in to help.

A man was arrested at his home address in the Clifton area shortly after the girls' safe return home.

Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the matter.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police on 101 quoting incident number 1220 of 6.9.14 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Dublin: Animal Rights Activists Will Protest Against Badger Cull

‘bloody’ demonstrations by animal rights activists have been threatened against badger culling set to be carried out by the Department of Agriculture.

The bovine Tuberculosis (TB) eradication programme has been run by the Department of Agriculture over the past 10 years as part of a range of measures aimed at eradicating TB.

Approximately 6,000 badgers have been culled under the programme in recent years.

As the latest round of culling is set to begin, an animal rights group said it will protest the action.

“The removal of badgers is undertaken only in areas where badgers are the likely source of [TB] infection,” said the Agriculture Department.  The badgers are captured by trained contractors who are monitored by the Department. www.naracampaigns.org

“The objective of the research is to replace badger culling with vaccination when research

currently being undertaken demonstrates that this is a practicable proposition,” said the Department.

It recently sought expressions of interest from organisations interested in tendering for the provision of services, specifically capturing badgers and vaccinating badgers.

The closing date for expressions of interest was the end of June.

‘Bloody’ protest

Animal rights group ARAN said today it will stage a “lively, ‘bloody’ demonstration” in the coming weeks outside the Agriculture Department in Dublin and has vowed to “fight tooth and nail” to stop the increased kill.

The group will also be reaching out to Brian May, guitarist with band Queen and activist, for assistance during the campaign.

It is calling on Agriculture Minister, Simon Coveney, to step down over the cull.

The group said that there other more effective humane options available than killing the badgers.

ARAN believes that improvements in testing and the development of a cattle vaccine are the best ways to eliminate this disease.

Dublin: Gardai Arrest 27 In EUROPOL Probe Into Metal Thefts: *UPDATED

Gardaí have said they arrested 27 people for questioning as part of a pan-European operation about metal theft last month.

Gardaí arrested 27 people — and recovered 1,000 stolen beer kegs — as part of a Europe-wide crackdown on the lucrative trade in stolen metal.

The beer keg haul — valued at up to €100,000 — was recovered in an operation led by the elite Organised Crime Unit, which conducted more than 70 searches in Wicklow, Dublin and Cavan.

The EU operation, co-ordinated by Europol, involved 20 countries and 8,300 checks and searches at scrap metal dealers.

A total of 271 people were arrested and 146 cases of theft identified.

The operation follows a diverse range of metal thefts in recent years, including:

- 15 manhole covers in Ennis, Co Clare, last March, worth an estimated €15,000;

- Live electricity rail cables at Shankill, Dublin, last May, which resulted in the cancellation of services between Bray and Dalkey;

- Copper piping and cylinder from a home in Newbridge, Co Kildare, which caused the house to flood extensively;

- A 236-year-old bronze bell, weighing up to 180kg, belonging to a former church in Castleisland, Co Kerry, and stolen from the town’s Ivy Leaf Arts Centre.

A Garda spokesman said the 27 people arrested were detained for a variety of offences including burglary, theft, and related matters, as well as road traffic offences.

He said the operation, carried out on May 21 and 22, was conducted with the co-operation of the Metal Theft Forum, local authorities, and other stakeholders.

Europol said checks were carried out at scrapyards, construction sites, border roads, and at railway tracks.

“Metal theft is not a victimless crime — it can have a devastating impact on individuals, communities, and businesses,” said Rob Wainwright, director of Europol.

“The overall damage caused by metal theft far exceeds the value of the stolen metal itself and can severely affect key infrastructure and services such as railway, traffic controls and telecoms networks.”

The Irish Examiner reported earlier this year that the theft of stolen beer kegs had cost the industry an estimated €40m since 2007.

The Irish Brewers’ Association said over 400,000 beer kegs had been stolen or reported missing in the last seven years.

An Eircom spokeswoman said the company had suffered 21 incidents of metal theft so far in 2014, with wiring worth over €21,000 taken. She said there were 200 incidents last year, including 60km of cable worth €240,000 taken.

During a three-week period last December, Electric Ireland recorded 12 thefts of power cables.

In one incident, a residential area in Sallynoggin, south Dublin, lost its power after a criminal gang cut live cables and stole them.

www.europol.europa.eu & www.garda.ie 

Over 70 premises were searched in Wicklow, Dublin and Cavan as part of an operation co-ordinated by Europol.

Gardaí attached to the Organised Crime Unit recovered over 1000 stolen beer kegs.

The 27 people were arrested for a variety of offences including burglary and theft as well as breaches of Road Traffic acts.

This operation, on May 21 and 22, was conducted with the co-operation of the Metal Theft Forum, local authorities and other interested stake holders with responsibility for enforcing the legislation in this area.