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26 June 2014 – Drug use prevalence is stable around the world, according to the 2014 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with around 243 million individuals, or 5 per cent of the world’s population aged 15-64, having used an illicit drug in 2012. Problem drug users meanwhile numbered about 27 million, roughly 0.6 per cent of the world’s adult population, or 1 in every 200 people.

Launching the report in Vienna today, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of UNODC, appealed for a stronger focus on the health and human rights of all drug users, but particularly those who inject drugs and are living with HIV. “There remain serious gaps in service provision. In recent years only one in six drug users globally has had access to or received drug dependence treatment services each year,” he said, stressing that some 200,000 drug-related deaths had occurred in 2012.

The UNODC chief said sustainable success in drug control required firm international commitment. A balanced and comprehensive approach addressing both supply and demand should be backed up by evidence-based responses focusing on prevention, treatment, social rehabilitation and integration. “This is particularly important as we move towards the Special Session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem in 2016,” Mr. Fedotov stated. He also stressed that controlled substances should be made more widely available for medical purposes, including for ensuring access to pain medication, while preventing their misuse and diversion for illicit ends.   Read more

On 25^th and 26^th June the Metropolitan Command PSP Lisbon arrested in Lisbon Bairro da Boavista, two men for residential robbery using a firearm. 

In the robbery the victim was assaulted at the entrance of his home by three men who posed as police officers, using vests and badges with the word “police” and exhibiting a firearm, taking the keys to the property.

Once inside the residence and in the presence of a second victim, the suspects searched the house for valuables They took about € 7,500, without the victims offered any resistance, who were handcuffed.

One of the victims however managed to shout for help near a window resulting in a violent assault by the suspects who escaped using a car.

Responding to the alert PSP teams from the  Division of Criminal Investigation PSP Lisbon located in Bairro da Boavista the vehicle used in the escape together with the two occupants.

When police approach a suspect managed to flee but was subsequently caught. In the vehicle a total of € 2750 in cash was found.

Later it was possible to identify the two suspects, one of them having been arrested on the 26^th June, during three house searches conducted  in the neighborhood of Boavista.

The two detainees are also suspected of committing other offenses of the same nature. The PSP are conducting further investigations to link them with other crimes.

 

Detainees were present in the Criminal Court of Lisbon, for custodial proceedings pending trial.

Fraudsters are running dedicated phishing campaigns targeting members of online dating sites, say net monitoring firm Netcraft [23 June 2014]

Fraudsters launch mass phishing attacks against online dating website members. Account holders of Match.com, eHarmony, Zoosk, Plenty of Fish and Christian Mingle and many others have received an increase in phishing emails designed to steal login details said the company.

The emails had been sent from other websites, hacked by cybercriminals to hide the senders’ identity.

The company who analysed the attacks said the phishing campaign against dating sites marked a departure for fraudsters, who typically preferred to target banks.

Fraudsters want genuine accounts

Online dating fraud is often orchestrated by criminal gangs who use fake profiles to trick victims into developing long distance relationships. Once the fraudsters have gathered enough sympathy and trust from a victim, they will exploit this by claiming they need money to pay for travel costs, or to afford medical treatment for a family member. After the money has been stolen, the criminals will make up further reasons why they need more money. In some cases, the fraudsters blackmail their victim into sending money – if the victim has sent any explicit photos or videos to the criminals, they may threaten to send them to the victim’s friends and family.

The amount of money involved in these scams can be considerable. In 2011, a woman in Britain was tricked into sending more than $59,000 to a pair of fraudsters who pretended to have inherited millions of dollars from a military friend in Nigeria. The fraudsters – who were actually a mother and daughter in America – managed to net more than a million dollars before being jailed in 2013.

While many online dating sites take measures to identify fake profiles, phishing for genuine established accounts gives fraudsters the edge.

Some dating sites only allow messages to be exchanged with other users after a subscription fee has been paid; by compromising existing paid accounts, the fraudsters can reduce their traceability by avoiding the need to make payments.

Once the fraudsters get hold of your login information it can be used to befriend other users. Using the dating websites messaging system the fraudsters build sympathy and gather trust from victims and exploit this by claiming they need money to pay for travel costs, or to afford medical treatment for a family member.

You should always be careful about the information you share with anyone you meet online. This not only includes credit card details and where you bank, but also your pets’ names or your mother’s maiden name, as these could be used against you to access financial information.

If you think a profile is fake, check the website for details and report it.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph in the UK , thousands of pounds are being stolen from online shoppers through false postings on auction websites such as eBay and Gumtree

Online marketplaces such as Gumtree and eBay are at risk of becoming a “hotbed for scams”, according to a charity.

Citizens Advice has issued a warning after its consumer service bureau found one in six consumer problems it investigated from Gumtree was a scam or potential scam.

It found that one in 10 problems reported from eBay in the six months to March also involved a scam.

“These sites are an important service for buyers and sellers, but con artists are profiting from them too,” said Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy. “Scammers are swindling people out of out of hundreds or thousands of pounds by posting false products and services online.”

Online shopping and auction scams were the most common fraud reported in 2013 costing UK consumers £63.6m, according to figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureaux.

The charity gave an example of a flathunter who paid £1,650 to a “landlord” after seeing an advertisement on Gumtree, but when he tried to move into the property someone else was already living there.

Another victim spent more than £1,000 on a car bought through eBay, but the vehicle was quickly taken away by a logbook lender as the previous owner had not kept up repayments.

Other popular scams include people paying for goods online that they never receive – including furniture, phones and pets.

Citizens Advice analysed 649 Gumtree cases and 3,711 eBay cases that were reported to the consumer service between October 2013 and March 2014.

It found that one in six of the 649 Gumtree cases was a scam or potential scam (108 cases) and one in ten of the 3,711 eBay cases was a scam or a potential scam (386 cases).

Ms Guy said: “It’s time for online marketplaces to up their game and do more to protect their customers from dodgy dealings by strongly policing their websites, carrying out spot checks and immediately removing any risky ads.”

Citizens Advice also wants a change in the law to stop logbook lenders being able to take away a vehicle if they are not the original borrower.

Gumtree said: “We do everything in our power to keep scammers off our site and encourage anyone that has fallen for a scam, to report it to us and the police. We take fraud very seriously, so our dedicated safety team investigates claims and takes action such as blocking the offender from the site and working with the police in their investigations.

“Gumtree is an open platform which provides a free and easy way to buy and sell, meaning we do not track user information. We are always looking at new ways to improve customer safety such as improving methods of communication between us and our customers.

“We also work with expert third parties such as the Met Police and Get Safe Online on the latest frauds and how to prevent them. We encourage all our users to adhere to our safety tips on the site and discourage people from transferring any money in advance of seeing an item for sale.”

A spokeman from eBay questioned the research, pointing out that Citizens Advice found 386 cases of alleged fraud over six months but the site receives 19m vistors each month in the UK.

He said: “eBay invests millions of pounds each year doing just what the Citizens Advice Bureau recommends: strongly policing our website, carrying out spot checks and immediately removing any ‘risky listings’.

“Customers who purchase on eBay are covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee and get the item they ordered, or their money back.

It was reported on 30th June that the GNR had arrested three persons aged 19 – 21 years after breaking into a restaurant in Castro Marim.

The youths entered through a window and were removing items which were recovered. One of those arrested was an ex-employee of the restaurant.

The Criminal Investigation unit GNR Loulé arrested on the morning of the 29^th June two individuals, aged 31 and 33 years for drug trafficking. 

The GNR operation involved searches of a residence and a vehicle that resulted in the arrest of two suspects and seizure of 40 doses of cocaine, two LCD TVs, three phones, brass knuckles, two articles in gold and a digital scale. The suspects will appear in court.

It was reported on 26^th June that the Judicial Police have conducted a nationwide operation to combat human trafficking, slavery, abduction and kidnapping for the purpose of labour exploitation. These have taken place in various locations in the districts of Beja, Faro and Guarda, as well as in Spain.

As a result seven persons were arrested (five men and two women), strongly suspected on being involved for these crimes. Two others were also arrested during the operation for other offences including possession of prohibited weapons offenses.

This action was taken in the development of several investigations that have been initiated by the Judicial Police and have revealed a broad range of criminal activities in National and Spanish territory.

From the investigation evidence has been gathered showing that six persons have been recruited by those arrested to work in agriculture and construction industry who offered them work in return a daily amount in cash, lodging, transportation and food. Nevertheless, contrary to what they had been offered they have been forced to work unpaid and were subject to threats and abuse. Evidence gathered showed that the victims were treated poorly and as “mere merchandise”.

The Judicial Police, through the National Anti-Corruption Unit (UNCC), as part of an investigation by the Public Ministry (DCIAP), arrested in the Greater Lisbon area a 43-year-old businessman, for crimes of forgery document, aggravated fraud and money laundering arising from international business.

The amounts involved exceed one million euros. During the operation house searches were conducted and various materials related to the practice of criminal activity were seized. The person arrested will appear in court for appropriate remand measures to be undertaken.

 

It was reported on 27^th June that the Judicial Police, through the National Counter Terrorism Unit, in conjunction with the Central Bureau of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP), conducted a sting operation by executing several warrants at residences and non-banking institutions in the regions of Leiria, Nazaré and Póvoa de Varzim following an investigation into crimes of conspiracy, tax and money laundering.

Searches, which included senior staff of the Tax Authority, focused on the residences of suspects, as well as a private security company. The Office of Asset Recovery (GRA) PJ seized several hundred thousand euros in cash, in addition to several top of the range cars, and a boat. Two senior officials of the security company were arrested.

The arrested persons are also being held in connection with criminal association, whose activities, through this operation have been interrupted. Both defendants were present at the first court hearing in Central Court of Criminal Instruction, for application of remand conditions

A GNR Intervention Unit which are being deployed to strengthen Operation Safe Summer in the Algarve  arrested in the early hours of 27^th June 2014 two Portuguese citizens aged 18 and 25 years for robbery.

The GNR were on patrol in Vilamoura, and at 01h15, they noticed two persons in a parking lot of a restaurant threatening persons with a knife in the act of stealing items from them. The presence of the GNR caught the two persons, who are residents of Quarteira, by surprise and whilst trying to escape they were arrested.

One of the arrested persons has a record for robbery and drug trafficking. The stolen items were returned to the victims.

The persons have appeared before the Judicial District Court of Loule. The elder was placed on probation pending trial and the younger under house arrest.