In a coordinated air-sea operation, the Indian Coast Guard has seized more than five tonnes of synthetic narcotic contraband (initial testing indicates Methamphetamine), off the Andaman and Nicobar islands. The suspicious foreign-origin fishing vessel was identified and tracked by an Indian Coast Guard Dornier-228 maritime surveillance aircraft, following which fast patrol vessels were tasked to intercept and apprehend it. Watch in for more details!

Indian Coast Guards Seizes Nearly Five Tonnes Of Contraband

Members of organised criminal groups get hired as prison guards with the “sole purpose” of smuggling contraband into the prisons in UK, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has warned.

The POA, the union representing prison workers, has said that online interviews were the prime contributor of “hiring the wrong people”.

“Organised crime groups realise that there’s a lot of money to be made by smuggling contraband into prisons. People can be recruited as a prison officer and go into [the jail] with that sole purpose of bringing contraband in, to make a lot of money. They can do it by themselves or for an organised crime group,” a POA spokesperson said, according to the Guardian.

“You get paid to train and you do whatever you want after that. If you have a good run, you don’t get caught and get out after five or six months having made good bucks. It sounds a bit surreal. But that’s actually happening.”

The union said that a vast majority of prisons are facing this problem, and added that fail-safety measures are needed to curb this practice.

“In the vast majority of prisons, a lot of young staff could be conditioned into bringing stuff in, and other staff come to us with the sole intended purpose of taking stuff in.”

<h2>Low and inexperience major risk factors</h2>

Apart from that, inexperience and low pay are also contributing to young prison guards being lured by the gangsters.

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“There are always two types of corruption [in prisons]. You’ve got the very sophisticated type of corruption, where someone linked with organised crime almost goes in as a sort of sleeper. But most corruption isn’t that – most corruption is that someone naive gets into a relationship, sexual or otherwise, with a prisoner which is inappropriate. And of course, once you’ve been pulled in, it’s very hard to stop,” Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, told the Guardian.

The police officer recalled a case where 18 female guards were fired&nbsp;and three were jailed for having relationships with prisoners at HMP Berwyn in north Wales.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trudeau-issues-apology-for-standing-ovation-to-nazi-veteran-in-canadian-parliament-640402">Trudeau issues apology for standing ovation to Nazi veteran in Canadian Parliament</a>

“In those cases, you have to ask, were they recruiting the right people? Or were they training these people properly in order to understand the risks of potential corruption?”

The union has urged the government to increase the minimum age of prison officers to 21 and better gate security to stop contraband arriving with corrupt officers.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
&nbsp;

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Members of organised criminal groups get hired as prison guards with the “sole purpose” of smuggling contraband into the prisons in UK, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has warned.

Members of organised criminal groups get hired as prison guards with the “sole purpose” of smuggling contraband into the prisons in UK, the Prison Officers’ Association (POA) has warned. The POA, the union representing prison workers, has said that online interviews were the prime contributor of “hiring the wrong people”. “Organised crime groups realise that there’s a lot of money to be made by smuggling contraband into prisons. People can be recruited as a prison officer and go into [the jail] with that sole purpose of bringing contraband in, to make a lot of money. They can do it by themselves or for an organised crime group,” a POA spokesperson said, according to the Guardian. “You get paid to train and you do whatever you want after that. If you have a good run, you don’t get caught and get out after five or six months having made good bucks. It sounds a bit surreal. But that’s actually happening.” The union said that a vast majority of prisons are facing this problem, and added that fail-safety measures are needed to curb this practice. “In the vast majority of prisons, a lot of young staff could be conditioned into bringing stuff in, and other staff come to us with the sole intended purpose of taking stuff in.” Low and inexperience major risk factors Apart from that, inexperience and low pay are also contributing to young prison guards being lured by the gangsters. Also read | Half of Britain's bird and plant species at risk of extinction: Study “There are always two types of corruption [in prisons]. You’ve got the very sophisticated type of corruption, where someone linked with organised crime almost goes in as a sort of sleeper. But most corruption isn’t that – most corruption is that someone naive gets into a relationship, sexual or otherwise, with a prisoner which is inappropriate. And of course, once you’ve been pulled in, it’s very hard to stop,” Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, told the Guardian. The police officer recalled a case where 18 female guards were fired and three were jailed for having relationships with prisoners at HMP Berwyn in north Wales. Also read | Trudeau issues apology for standing ovation to Nazi veteran in Canadian Parliament “In those cases, you have to ask, were they recruiting the right people? Or were they training these people properly in order to understand the risks of potential corruption?” The union has urged the government to increase the minimum age of prison officers to 21 and better gate security to stop contraband arriving with corrupt officers. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Criminal gangs sending aides as prison guard recruits in UK, warns officers’ union

In a joint operation between the Indian Coast Guard and the Narcotics Control Bureau, a suspicious boat with four crew members were apprehended. The incident took place on Monday 21st&nbsp;November, when the suspicious vessel was trying to flee at high speeds, near Rameshwaram in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu.&nbsp;

On investigation, 300kg of marijuana in eight gunny bags and 500gm of Hashish oil were recovered from the boat. The market value of the seized contraband is estimated at Rs.1.3 crores or $159,000.&nbsp;

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This comes just a week after the ICG thwarted a smuggling attempt in the same region, involving fishing boats from India and Sri Lanka. Back then,&nbsp;104 bags of Tendu leaves, weighing nearly 2.8 tons and worth Rs.2 crores (USD245K) was recovered from the boats.&nbsp;Leaves of tree species 'Diospyros melanoxylon' are used as wrappers of tobacco to produce bidi. This tree is commonly known as "tendu".

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In a joint operation between the Indian Coast Guard and the Narcotics Control Bureau, a suspicious boat with four crew members were apprehended. The incident took place on Monday 21st November, when the suspicious vessel was trying to flee at high speeds, near Rameshwaram in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu.

In a joint operation between the Indian Coast Guard and the Narcotics Control Bureau, a suspicious boat with four crew members were apprehended. The incident took place on Monday 21st November, when the suspicious vessel was trying to flee at high speeds, near Rameshwaram in the Southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu. On investigation, 300kg of marijuana in eight gunny bags and 500gm of Hashish oil were recovered from the boat. The market value of the seized contraband is estimated at Rs.1.3 crores or $159,000. Also read | Indonesia quake toll rises to 252, president announces compensation for families of victims This comes just a week after the ICG thwarted a smuggling attempt in the same region, involving fishing boats from India and Sri Lanka. Back then, 104 bags of Tendu leaves, weighing nearly 2.8 tons and worth Rs.2 crores (USD245K) was recovered from the boats. Leaves of tree species 'Diospyros melanoxylon' are used as wrappers of tobacco to produce bidi. This tree is commonly known as "tendu".

India: Coast Guard intercepts fleeing boat, recovers contraband valued at $159K

A Pakistani boat carrying 40 kilograms of heroin worth Rs 2 billion ($25 million approx.) was apprehended in the Arabian Sea off the western Gujarat coast during a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the state's Anti-Terrorist Squad.

Six crew members belonging to Pakistan have been arrested and the boat, which was six nautical miles inside the Indian waters, was seized.

“The fishing boat carrying drugs was intercepted mid-sea by a joint team of the Coast Guard and ATS near Jakhau harbour in Kutch district,” the official said, according to PTI news agency.

The ATS and Coast Guard officials along with the seized boat are expected to reach the Jakhau coast later in the day.

The enforcement officials said the drugs was intended for Punjab after delivering them on&nbsp;the Gujarat coast.&nbsp;

“The heroin was meant to be transported to Punjab by road after being offloaded on the Gujarat coast. Based on a specific tip-off, we intercepted the boat which left from Pakistan, and caught six Pakistani nationals with 40 kg of heroin,” the official added.

Of late, the Gujarat coast has emerged as the preferred route to smuggle the contrabands. The state ATS and the Indian Coast Guard had foiled similar attempts of drug smuggling in the past and also caught foreign nationals with huge quantities of narcotics which they planned to smuggle into India.

In October last year, officials seized a consignment of 2,988 kg of heroin from Gujarat’s Mundra port, which was estimated to be Rs 210 billion, making it one of the biggest drug hauls near the Gujarat coast.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A Pakistani boat carrying 40 kilograms of heroin worth Rs 2 billion ($25 million approx.) was apprehended in the Arabian Sea off the western Gujarat coast during a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the state's Anti-Terrorist Squad.

A Pakistani boat carrying 40 kilograms of heroin worth Rs 2 billion ($25 million approx.) was apprehended in the Arabian Sea off the western Gujarat coast during a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the state's Anti-Terrorist Squad. Six crew members belonging to Pakistan have been arrested and the boat, which was six nautical miles inside the Indian waters, was seized. “The fishing boat carrying drugs was intercepted mid-sea by a joint team of the Coast Guard and ATS near Jakhau harbour in Kutch district,” the official said, according to PTI news agency. The ATS and Coast Guard officials along with the seized boat are expected to reach the Jakhau coast later in the day. The enforcement officials said the drugs was intended for Punjab after delivering them on the Gujarat coast. “The heroin was meant to be transported to Punjab by road after being offloaded on the Gujarat coast. Based on a specific tip-off, we intercepted the boat which left from Pakistan, and caught six Pakistani nationals with 40 kg of heroin,” the official added. Of late, the Gujarat coast has emerged as the preferred route to smuggle the contrabands. The state ATS and the Indian Coast Guard had foiled similar attempts of drug smuggling in the past and also caught foreign nationals with huge quantities of narcotics which they planned to smuggle into India. In October last year, officials seized a consignment of 2,988 kg of heroin from Gujarat’s Mundra port, which was estimated to be Rs 210 billion, making it one of the biggest drug hauls near the Gujarat coast. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Indian officials seize Pakistani boat carrying 40 kg heroin worth $25 million

South Korea has said it would take legal action against two organisations that conduct sending propaganda and contraband into the North.

This has come in the aftermath of North Korea suspending communication hotlines with the South over such defectors.

North Korea gets enraged when the defectors in the South send material such as anti-North leaflets and rice - usually by balloon over the heavily fortified border or in bottles by sea - and its media has in recent days denounced the "mongrel dogs" who do it.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, recently called defectors "human scum little short of wild animals" and said North Korea would cut communication with South Korea because of its failure to stop them.

South Korea, which is trying to improve ties with the North, said on Wednesday two defector-run groups, Kuensaem Education Center and Fighters for a Free North Korea, had violated the Inter-Korean Exchange and Co-operation Act by sending the leaflets, as well as aid like rice and medicine.

The two defector groups "have created tension between the two Koreas and caused danger to the border-area residents' lives and safety", said the South's Unification Ministry spokesman Yoh Sang-key.

One defector, Park Sang-hak, who left North Korea in 2000 and heads the Fighters For Free North Korea, has been sending leaflets about once a month for the last 15 years.

“You can never buy peace with flattery and begging," he said of the South Korean government's response to the North Korean criticism.

About 33,000 North Korean defectors live in South Korea.

As part of the effort to improve ties with the North, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has sought to discourage the leaflet and rice campaigns, and defectors complained of pressure to avoid criticism of North Korea.

On Monday, activists were stopped by residents when they tried to send plastic bottles stuffed with rice by releasing them at sea.

(with inputs from Reuters)

South Korea has said it would take legal action against two organisations that conduct sending propaganda and contraband into the North. This has come in the aftermath of North Korea suspending communication hotlines with the South over such defectors.

South Korea has said it would take legal action against two organisations that conduct sending propaganda and contraband into the North. This has come in the aftermath of North Korea suspending communication hotlines with the South over such defectors. North Korea gets enraged when the defectors in the South send material such as anti-North leaflets and rice - usually by balloon over the heavily fortified border or in bottles by sea - and its media has in recent days denounced the "mongrel dogs" who do it. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, recently called defectors "human scum little short of wild animals" and said North Korea would cut communication with South Korea because of its failure to stop them. South Korea, which is trying to improve ties with the North, said on Wednesday two defector-run groups, Kuensaem Education Center and Fighters for a Free North Korea, had violated the Inter-Korean Exchange and Co-operation Act by sending the leaflets, as well as aid like rice and medicine. The two defector groups "have created tension between the two Koreas and caused danger to the border-area residents' lives and safety", said the South's Unification Ministry spokesman Yoh Sang-key. One defector, Park Sang-hak, who left North Korea in 2000 and heads the Fighters For Free North Korea, has been sending leaflets about once a month for the last 15 years. “You can never buy peace with flattery and begging," he said of the South Korean government's response to the North Korean criticism. About 33,000 North Korean defectors live in South Korea. As part of the effort to improve ties with the North, South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has sought to discourage the leaflet and rice campaigns, and defectors complained of pressure to avoid criticism of North Korea. On Monday, activists were stopped by residents when they tried to send plastic bottles stuffed with rice by releasing them at sea. (with inputs from Reuters)

South Korea to take legal action against defectors sending messages to the North

The Haryana Police has seized 1,204 kilograms of narcotics worth crores of rupees during a month-long special anti-narcotic drive across the state in the lead up to the assembly polls, said Director-General of Police, Manoj Yadava on Monday.

They have also arrested 483 persons by registering 386 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act&nbsp;(NDPS), Yadava added.

"A special drive was launched between August 20 and September 20, 2019, ahead of the announcement of Vidhan Sabha polls, to bust the network of supplying drugs and tightening the noose on those involved in the peddling them in the state," the Director-General of Police said.

As part of the crackdown, the DGP said that 559 kg marijuana, 1 kg&nbsp;heroin, 630 kg poppy husk, 5 kg&nbsp;opium, 3 kg&nbsp;charas, over 2 kg of smack and 458 gram&nbsp;sulfa have been seized from the&nbsp;arrested.

In addition to the above, police teams have also seized prohibited medicines including 1,43,483 tablets, 196 bottles of syrup, 15,469 capsules and 827 injections.

Sharing further details, the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh Virk said that the maximum number of cases - 129 cases were&nbsp;registered in the district of Sirsa, where 178 accused were arrested under the NDPS Act.

Similarly, 30 cases were registered in Fatehabad with the arrest of 85 accused, 23 cases each were registered in Ambala and Panipat, 20 in Gurugram, 18 in Rohtak, 16 in Kurukshetra, 13 in Karnal and 10 in Yamunanagar by recovering huge consignments of drugs including heroin, poppy husk, marijuana and opium.

Virk said that the Police Department under the guidance of DGP Manoj Yadava has made elaborate security arrangements to implement a multi-pronged pre-poll strategy to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling in the state.

The Haryana Police has seized 1,204 kilograms of narcotics worth crores of rupees during a month-long special anti-narcotic drive across the state in the lead up to the assembly polls, said Director-General of Police, Manoj Yadava on Monday.

The Haryana Police has seized 1,204 kilograms of narcotics worth crores of rupees during a month-long special anti-narcotic drive across the state in the lead up to the assembly polls, said Director-General of Police, Manoj Yadava on Monday. They have also arrested 483 persons by registering 386 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), Yadava added. "A special drive was launched between August 20 and September 20, 2019, ahead of the announcement of Vidhan Sabha polls, to bust the network of supplying drugs and tightening the noose on those involved in the peddling them in the state," the Director-General of Police said. As part of the crackdown, the DGP said that 559 kg marijuana, 1 kg heroin, 630 kg poppy husk, 5 kg opium, 3 kg charas, over 2 kg of smack and 458 gram sulfa have been seized from the arrested. In addition to the above, police teams have also seized prohibited medicines including 1,43,483 tablets, 196 bottles of syrup, 15,469 capsules and 827 injections. Sharing further details, the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Navdeep Singh Virk said that the maximum number of cases - 129 cases were registered in the district of Sirsa, where 178 accused were arrested under the NDPS Act. Similarly, 30 cases were registered in Fatehabad with the arrest of 85 accused, 23 cases each were registered in Ambala and Panipat, 20 in Gurugram, 18 in Rohtak, 16 in Kurukshetra, 13 in Karnal and 10 in Yamunanagar by recovering huge consignments of drugs including heroin, poppy husk, marijuana and opium. Virk said that the Police Department under the guidance of DGP Manoj Yadava has made elaborate security arrangements to implement a multi-pronged pre-poll strategy to ensure free, fair and peaceful polling in the state.

Haryana police arrests 483 people, seize over 1000 kg of contraband before polls

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