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Cebu City buy-bust: Over P12M ‘shabu’ seized from 2 HVIs
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Police confiscated over P12 million worth of suspected shabu from the possession of two men during a bust-bust operation in Brgy. Bulacao, Cebu City on Tuesday evening, March 26. The buy-bust operation was conducted at around 10 p.m. in Lower Sario in Brgy. Bulacao. One of the suspects was identified as.....»»
2 nabbed for possession of shabu, explosives, guns in Zamboanga City
The police arrested two men after authorities discovered explosives, firearms and shabu from their hideout in Barangay Quiniput, Zamboanga City on Wednesday afternoon......»»
Mandaue drug bust: P476,000 ‘shabu’ seized from HVI
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Authorities seized suspected shabu worth at least P476,000 from a 45-year-old man described as a high-value individual during an anti-illegal drugs operation in Mandaue City early on Wednesday morning, March 27, 2024. The operation took place along Realty Road in the North Reclamation Area in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City, Cebu. The.....»»
Shabu dealer linked to Dawlah Islamiya busted in Marawi
Another drug trafficker identified with the Dawlah Islamiya was arrested after selling P102,000 worth of shabu to non-uniformed policemen in a sting operation Thursday in Barangay Cabasaran in Marawi City......»»
BI reminds departing aliens to settle fees; arrests high-profile Korean fugitive
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday advised all foreign travelers who are leaving the country during the upcoming Undas holiday break to comply with their immigration departure requirements early to avoid unnecessary queuing at the airport on the date of their departure. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco reminded registered foreigners who are studying, working, or living permanently in the Philippines that they can obtain their special return certificate (SRC) or re-entry permit (RP) prior to departure at any of the various BI's district, field, satellite, or extension offices nationwide. While foreign tourists who have stayed in the country for more than six months may also secure their emigration clearance certificates (ECC) before departure, Tansingco said securing the required permits early will decrease queueing time by half, as they will not have to line up at the BI’s airport cashiers anymore. The BI chief added that with the complete elimination of all COVID-related travel restrictions, the bureau is anticipating a spike in passengers at all international airports in the country, especially at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), this upcoming December, and this time they are also experiencing a big increase in the volume of New Year's Day travelers. During this peak season, the bureau reminded all travelers that other immigration services are also available online via the BI’s e-services portal at e-services.immigration.gov.ph. Tansingco shared that the bureau also has a one-stop shop (OSS) facility located at NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City, where departing aliens may also secure the said documents. He also reiterated previous reminders for passengers to arrive at least three hours prior to their flight and go straight to immigration after check-in. The BI is confident that its operations will be smoother this holiday season as it has deployed additional immigration officers and assigned a rapid response team as well as mobile counters for immediate deployment as necessary. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, 24 October, BI agents detained a South Korean wanted person who was allegedly part of a major narcotics ring that smuggled contraband into Korea from the Philippines. Commissioner Tansingco identified the suspect as Choi Sun Hyeok, a 56-year-old male who was arrested at his residence in Bgy. Lahug, Cebu City by the BI Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) operatives. The BI-FSU operatives were armed with a warrant of deportation, which Tansingco issued pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI Board of Commissioners issued against Choi in 2017. Tansingco said that Choi would be immediately deported to Seoul, South Korea after the bureau had secured the necessary clearances for his departure. According to the South Korean government, Choi was tagged as a high-profile fugitive, as he is believed to be a member of the so-called MS Alliance syndicate that facilitates the illicit transport of narcotics to Korea. A red notice for his capture was also issued by Interpol this year after an investigation confirmed that he was in the country. According to Interpol’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Manila, Choi is the subject of a warrant of arrest issued by the Changwon District Court in Korea, where he is charged with violating his country’s narcotics control act. Investigators have also established that this year alone, Choi’s accomplices in the syndicate managed to smuggle into Korea more than 265 grams of methamphetamine by concealing the drug in their underwear. It was gathered that the passport of Choi, who will be committed to the BI detention facility in Taguig City, was already revoked by the Korean government, thus making him an undocumented alien. Choi's name was also placed on the BI blacklist to prevent him from re-entering the Philippines. The post BI reminds departing aliens to settle fees; arrests high-profile Korean fugitive appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CHR welcomes murder charges vs. cops linked to Jemboy Baltazar’s death
The Commission on Human Rights on Saturday welcomed the filing of murder charges against six police officers in connection with the “unjust killing” of 17-year-old Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar Navotas City in August. In a statement, the CHR likewise commended the Department of Justice for “conducting a comprehensive review” of Baltazar’s slay case, which has led to the decision to file murder charges against police officers allegedly involved in the killing. “This swift development on the case is an important step towards ensuring justice and accountability, especially as it involves law enforcement agents,” it said. The human rights body said the “senseless death” of Baltazar “underscored the importance of holding law enforcement agents” accountable for their actions to curb violations and abuses that breach fundamental rights. CHR firmly stressed that positions of authority, including law enforcers, “are not above the law. “Those who committed alleged violations must be held responsible considering that they made an oath to serve in accordance with the rules and standards required of police officers," it added. CHR hopes that the filing of murder charges against the suspects "will serve as a strong message that any alleged human rights violations by law enforcement officers will not be tolerated in our society.” “Aside from its crucial importance in delivering justice to Jemboy and his family, it can also help restore public trust in our law enforcement agencies,” it further stated. "The Commission also expects that the case amplifies the importance of abiding with established rules of operations that adhere to human rights-based policing to prevent violations that denigrate human rights, especially the utmost right to life.” CHR likewise urged the Philippine National Police to continue strengthening its programs and training “that will imbue its personnel with a renewed commitment to human rights practice” and values in the conduct of their duty. The commission said it will continue monitoring the case and provide support “in aid of ascertaining justice.” “As we mark this positive development, it is equally important to ensure continued commitment to due process, transparency, and accountability throughout the legal proceedings," it said. After the issuance of the warrant of arrest, the six police officers turned themselves into the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Lucena City in Quezon last Wednesday. They will be facing murder charges and are not entitled to bail. Eight policemen, including the six who were ordered arrested by the court, were dismissed due to serious grave neglect of duty. Since then, their benefits have been forfeited and their eligibility was revoked. While they were perpetually disqualified from holding any other government posts. The post CHR welcomes murder charges vs. cops linked to Jemboy Baltazar’s death appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NBI arrests man for ‘sextortion’
Charges will be filed against a man who threatened his girlfriend that he would expose her sex videos, nude photos and rape of her teenage daughter if he would not shell out P10,000. This after the National Bureau of Investigation Anti-Organized and Transnational Crimes Division arrested him based on the complaint of the girlfriend, in an entrapment operation last 19 September in Quezon City. The NBI-AOTCD arranged the entrapment at the girlfriend’s place of work where she handed P10,000 to the man. “Upon handing over of the marked money, the operatives immediately approached the subject and put him under arrest,” the report said. Agents were able to seize the man’s cellphone which contained the nude photos and sex videos of the complainant. Charges were filed before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office with robbery and robbery with violence or intimidation of persons under Articles 293 and 294 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended; grave threats as defined and penalized under the RPC; and violations of Republic Act 9995, the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009; and RA 9262, the Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004. The NBI said that the suspect’s cousin “offered his testimony in support of the complainant’s allegations, stating that he saw the threats that his cousin sent to complainant and confirmed that subject was extorting P10,000 from the complainant.” The cousin stated that the complainant showed him several online transactions of money transfers to the subject amounting to P50,000. The post NBI arrests man for ‘sextortion’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
U.S. backs probe on Sikh’s slay
An American official has supported a call by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for India to cooperate in the investigation of a Sikh leader’s assassination in Vancouver in June. “We want to see accountability. And it’s important that the investigation run its course and lead to that result,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in New York, where he was taking part in the United Nations General Assembly. “We would hope that our Indian friends would cooperate with that investigation as well,” Blinken said, referring to Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who was wanted in India for alleged terrorism and conspiracy to commit murder, was shot dead by two masked assailants. Blinken’s statement came four days after Trudeau linked Indian intelligence agents to the murder of the activist campaigning for the creation of a Sikh homeland called Khalistan. New Delhi insisted it had nothing to do with the killing, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “completely rejected” the accusation when earlier raised privately by Trudeau. Following Trudeau’s bombshell, Sikh leaders in Canada demanded justice for Nijjar’s killing. “We want a full investigation that brings to justice the people involved in this assassination, including those who pulled the trigger and the ones who plotted this assassination,” Harkirt Singh Dhadda, a lawyer and prominent member of the Sikh community in the Toronto area, said. Nijjar’s son also demanded the arrest of his father’s killers. “Hopefully, you can take this a step further and get specific individuals,” Balraj Singh Nijjar told reporters. Jaskaran Sandhu, co-founder of Baaz News, a website for the Sikh community, warned that “if the government doesn’t take a strong stance and send a strong message, all it declares to the world is that it’s open season on our citizens.” Jagmett Singh, the leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party and a Trudeau ally said Trudeau’s announcement confirms suspicions that India was interfering in the democratic rights of Canadians. Canada must also put an end to intelligence sharing with New Delhi, Sikh officials said. Since 2018, the two countries have established cooperation on counter-terrorism activities which commits them to financial, judicial and police cooperation — an agreement eyed warily by 770,000 Canadian Sikhs today. WITH AFP The post U.S. backs probe on Sikh’s slay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Drug suspect with 2,454 grams of shabu worth P16-M nabbed in Pasay
Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested a man with 2,454.85 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride, valued at about P16 million, in Pasay City. The NBI identified the suspect as Raymond Darag Dulla, who, after his arrest last 14 September, was charged with illegal transport of prohibited drugs under Section 5 of Republic Act No. 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The seized drugs were subjected to forensic examination which determined the drugs as shabu. Dulla was subjected to a drug test which found him positive for marijuana and shabu. It said that Dulla was arrested during an interdiction operation conducted by NBI National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) last 14 September along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City. Confiscated from Dulla were tape dispensers containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu. The operation stemmed from information that on 14 September 2023, Dulla would be transporting shabu concealed in tape dispensers placed inside a brown box. “Additional information revealed that Subject will be renting a taxi that will traverse the service road near Kenny Roger’s along Roxas Boulevard and Heritage Hotel in Pasay City at around 8:00 in the evening.” Agents of NBI-NCR proceeded to the area where the taxi was supposed to pass, and after spotting the taxi boarded by Dulla, the agents discretely followed it. The NBI-NCR operatives flagged down the taxi but the taxi tried to accelerate but was eventually blocked by the vehicles of the operatives before it could escape. The post Drug suspect with 2,454 grams of shabu worth P16-M nabbed in Pasay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
3 registered SIM card sellers arrested
Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation arrested three persons reportedly engaged in the online selling of registered Subscriber Identity Module cards. Arrested in separate operations in Pasay City and Las Piñas City were identified by the NBI as Beverly Cruz, Keone Gabrielle Lebumfacil and Aljon Christian Reyes. Violations of Section 7 of Republic Act 11934, the Sim Registration Act, in relation to Section 6 and Section 4(a)(5)(i)(aa) of RA 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 were filed against them. The NBI said the operation stemmed from the information that several individuals were selling registered SIM cards on Facebook specifically on the SIM Card Philippines buying and selling group. The registered SIM cards are allegedly used for fraudulent purposes, such as online scams. It said that Lebumfacil and Reyes were arrested in Las Piñas City as part of an operation against the Facebook account with the name Armando Samling which claimed to have 5,000 pieces of registered SIM cards that were being sold at P30 each. The NBI said the subjects Lebumfacil and Reyes were placed under arrest after receiving P2,000 as payment for the registered SIM cards. A total of 1,023 SIM cards of different networks were seized in the said operations wherein some were verified to be registered and some are unregistered, deactivated, or expired. The post 3 registered SIM card sellers arrested appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mexico extradites son of cartel kingpin ‘El Chapo’ to US
Mexico on Friday extradited the son of Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States to face narcotics charges, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said. Ovidio Guzman Lopez, also known as "El Raton" or "The Mouse," was indicted earlier this year on drug trafficking charges linked to the fentanyl crisis plaguing the United States. His father was convicted in 2019 of running what was believed to be the world's biggest narcotics syndicate and is serving life in a supermax prison in the state of Colorado. Garland hailed the extradition as "the most recent step in the Justice Department's effort to attack every aspect of the cartel's operations." "The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country." After Guzman's conviction, several of his sons, collectively known as "the Little Chapos," inherited control of the Sinaloa Cartel, US authorities said. Security agents captured the younger Guzman in the Sinaloa city of Culiacan on 5 January. Following his arrest, cartel members set vehicles on fire and created mayhem, an echo of the massive shootouts in 2019 when the younger Guzman was briefly detained but then freed to avoid bloodshed. At the time, US authorities had a $5 million bounty for his arrest, accusing him and his brother, Joaquin Guzman Lopez, of overseeing methamphetamine labs in Sinaloa state producing an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 pounds of meth per month. "Other information indicates that Ovidio Guzman Lopez has ordered the murders of informants, a drug trafficker, and a popular Mexican singer who had refused to sing at his wedding," according to a website of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Ovidio Guzman, 33, will spend his first nights in a US prison just as his father's wife, Emma Coronel, walks free. Coronel, who is not Guzman's mother, was released from a California halfway house this week after completing a sentence for collaborating with Chapo Guzman in his narcotics activities. Coronel is a dual US-Mexican citizen. tjj/qan © Agence France-Presse The post Mexico extradites son of cartel kingpin ‘El Chapo’ to US appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CIDG nabs 6 suspects in missing cockfighters case
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Friday arrested six suspects in the case of missing 'sabungeros' (cockfighting enthusiasts) in Parañaque City, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said on Friday. According to CIDG chief Maj. Gen. Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr., the CIDG Region 4A arrested Julie Patidongan alias Dondon, Mark Carlo Zabala, Roberto Matillano Jr., Johnny Consolacion, Virgilio Bayog and Gleer Codilla at around 1:45 p.m. at Jackielou Village and Fortunata Village, both in Parañaque City, based on the arrest warrant for kidnapping and serious illegal detention issued by Regional Trial Court NCJR Branch 40, Manila, dated 24 January 2023, with no bail recommended. Acorda said aside from the six suspects, two companions of the suspects identified as Melchor Neri and Victorino Diocoso were also arrested for obstruction of justice. “I hope that with the arrest of these suspects, those who were reportedly backing out as witnesses may reconsider their position, and I do believe the case is still strong. We have enough evidence to continue with the case,” Acorda said in a press briefing held at Camp Crame. Acorda said the CIDG created Special Investigation Task Group “Sabungero” on 24 January 2022 to focus on the reported missing sabungeros. Based on the agency's investigation, at least 34 sabungeros have been reported missing as of this date. “I would like to commend the CIDG for their unrelenting efforts that led to the arrest of the six suspects. We hope that their arrest will give assurance to the families that the PNP have not reneged on their commitment to pursue this case until justice is served,” said Acorda. The Department of Justice has offered a P6 million reward for any information on the arrest of the six suspects. Acorda said that because police officers are not allowed to receive rewards and this goes to the action agents, the informants who are instrumental in their arrest will receive the reward, with the hope that this will convince others to support the PNP in manhunt operations against other wanted persons. A separate case for kidnapping and serious illegal detention was also filed by CIDG in relation to the case of the missing master agent of online "sabong" Ricardo Lasco, who was reportedly abducted on 30 August 2021 in San Pablo, Laguna. So far, the criminal complaints filed by the CIDG in the Manila Arena case and the case of Lasco have been found by the courts to have probable cause, resulting in the indictment of respondents through the issuance of arrest warrants. The post CIDG nabs 6 suspects in missing cockfighters case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Over P7-M shabu seized
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Authorities arrested four individuals during separate sting operations in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur and seized at least 1.125 kilos of suspected shabu worth P7.659 million. Police Regional Office in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region director P/Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza on Friday narrated that anti-narcotics agents arrested two drug peddlers during the first drug buy-bust operation at Hayfah compound, Barangay Gadongan in Marawi City about 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Nobleza identified the arrested drug peddlers as Rahib Solaiman Cayugan alias Mosep, a resident of Making, Parang, Maguindanao del Norte and Norain Anto Gunda, a resident of Barangay Pindolunan in Butig in Lanao del Sur. Seized from the two suspects were 1.025 kilos of suspected shabu worth P6.97 million. Police disclosed that two other individuals were able to elude arrest after sensing that the group was dealing with government anti-narcotics operatives. Those still at large were identified as Aripoden Kiram Ander and Rania Musor Maca-angcos, both residents of Tubod in Lanao del Norte. Nobleza said Cayugan and Gunda were arrested after they sold to a police poseur-buyer 25 grams of shabu worth P170,000. Also recovered from the possession of Cayugan and Gunda was a piece of Green Chinese Tea bag labeled “Chinese Pin Wei” containing one piece of an open transparent plastic bag. Cayugan and Gunda are now detained at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency BARMM Jail Facility while cases for violations of Republic Act 10640 are being prepared to be filed against them. In the other anti-illegal drug operation, P/Col. Robert S. Daculan, director of Lanao del Sur Police Provincial Office reported the arrest of Sarip Osngan Mamangacao and Alihassan Ampuan Mangacop in Barangay Bobonga-Marawi in Marawi City at 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday. Daculan said anti-narcotics agents recovered from the possession of Mamangacao and Mangacop were 100 grams of suspected shabu worth P689,000 and buy-bust money. Mamangacao and Mangacop and recovered pieces of evidence were brought to Marawi City Police Station for proper disposition. The post Over P7-M shabu seized appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PDEA nabs La Union weed ‘cultivator’
LA UNION — Persistence almost always pays off in the campaign against illegal drugs. This after a suspected marijuana cultivator who evaded arrest during an operation in the town of Santol here in April was arrested in a follow-up operation by agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. PDEA Regional Office I chief, Director Joel Plaza, identified the suspect arrested by virtue of a warrant as Renato Comela Celis, alias Celes or Seles. During the operation, operatives uprooted nearly 8,000 fully grown marijuana plants worth P1,599,000, and seized over 35,000 pieces of marijuana seedlings worth P1,420,000 from six plantation sites. Celis was charged with cultivating plants prohibited by the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. “The effort of PDEA is not only concentrated on eradication but also on ensuring that suspects are dealt with under the law,” Plaza said. The post PDEA nabs La Union weed ‘cultivator’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
No escape for Cordillera ‘pusher’
Hassanal Diampuam Kiram, who sent his 20-year-old nephew to deliver 150 grams of shabu valued at P1,020,000, resulting in the young boy's earlier arrest by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cordillera agents, will still be sued for drug trafficking. Special Investigator Nielbert T. Pisec, who worked on the case with the NBI Cordillera and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Cordillera operatives, stated that they have enough evidence to prove Kiram was selling shabu in bulk. Since February, when the plan to apprehend Kiram was launched, NBI Cordillera director Janet M. Francisco has ordered five successful test buy operations against him. Although wise by sending his nephew, Muhammad Yasser Rangaig Pangadapun, also from Marawi, Kiram cannot deny the evidence that he was a big-time drug trader. Pangadapun, who on Thursday tested positive for shabu use, underwent inquest proceedings before the Baguio City Prosecutor’s Office last Friday, while Kiram’s drug sale charges will undergo regular filing, Pisec explained. Wednesday’s drug haul was the biggest anti-drug operation the NBI Cordillera had in recent years. The post No escape for Cordillera ‘pusher’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Druggie’ couple nabbed for shabu
ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao reported that its operatives arrested a couple and seized over 500 grams of suspected shabu worth over P3.4 million in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte. PDEA-BARMM director Christian Frivaldo on Wednesday disclosed that narcotics agents, backed by other police agencies and soldiers, conducted a buy-bust operation in Barangay Simuay Crossing, Sitio Abubakar, Sultan Kudarat on Tuesday. The operation has resulted in the arrest of a couple whom the authorities have been hunting for the past months identified as Samera Osmeña Usman, also known as Samera “Baby” Osmeña, and her husband Saidamin Samama Laguiamuda, also known as Damin. The post ‘Druggie’ couple nabbed for shabu appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Careless CEO Jeffrey Oh nabbed; James Reid’s dad behind arrest
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed on Tuesday, 8 August, that its agents arrested Careless Management chief executive Jeffrey Oh in Poblacion, Makati City. The 34-year-old American executive was nabbed for allegedly engaging in gainful employment without the necessary work permit, which was in violation of Philippine immigration laws, according to the BI. It added that Oh will remain in the BI facility in Bicutan, Taguig City while awaiting deportation. In her YouTube channel, veteran showbiz columnist and talk show host Cristy Fermin disclosed that it was James Reid's father Malcolm who had caused the arrest of Oh. She further revealed that money was behind the conflict between Reid's dad and business partner. Reid is the founder and president of Careless Management, whose talents include actress Liza Soberano and singer Issa Pressman. The post Careless CEO Jeffrey Oh nabbed; James Reid’s dad behind arrest appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chinese national arrested over P1.9-M fake cigarettes
A Chinese national has been arrested in Cebu City after P1.9 million worth of fake cigarettes were found in his store during a buy-bust operation. Allen Lim, 40, was arrested while his companion, Marilyn Lim, evaded arrest during the raid of the SYH Wholesale and Retail store in MC Briones Street, Barangay Ermita by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Mandaue City Field Unit. The CIDG personnel were accompanied by representatives of the Bureau of Internal Revenue Region 13 and Fortune Tobacco Company and Japan Tobacco International during the seizure operation. Seized were nine boxes of Mighty Green, four boxes of Mighty Red, three boxes of Winston, two boxaes of Marlboro, three boxes of Jackpot, 49 reams of Berlin, 49 reams of Astro, 39 reams of New Berlin, one box of Canon, one box of Union, 21 reams of Fortune Green and several boxes of other brands. CIDG Mandaue chief Police Captain Nigel Sanoy said the stamps on each pack of Mighty cigarettes have the same code, indicating that it was photocopied. The post Chinese national arrested over P1.9-M fake cigarettes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Twitter, Saudi Arabia sued in US over jailed user
The sister of a Saudi national imprisoned after tweets criticizing the government on Tuesday sued both Twitter and the kingdom, alleging they worked together to support "repression." The lawsuit filed in a US federal court in San Francisco, which named powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a conspirator, seeks a jury trial to determine damages. Abdulrahman al-Sadhan was working for the Red Crescent in Riyadh when he was taken away from the office in 2018 and later handed a 20-year jail sentence. Al-Sadhan, who had studied in the United States, had set up an anonymous Twitter account through which he critiqued the ultra-conservative monarchy and retweeted dissident voices. US prosecutors later charged two former Twitter employees for spying on behalf of Saudi Arabia. One was convicted in December with another believed to have left for the kingdom. The lawsuit said the agents transmitted confidential Twitter data 30,892 times. Al-Sadhan's sister Areej al-Sadhan, a US citizen, said in the lawsuit that she learned that secret police "broke Plaintiff Abdulrahmam's hand and smashed his fingers, taunting him that 'this is the hand you write and tweet with.' "The secret police also tortured Plaintiff Abdulrahman with electric shocks, flogged and hung him from his feet, suspended him in contorted positions, deprived him of sleep, threatened to behead him, insulted him, and kept him in solitary confinement for years," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit sued Twitter and Saudi Arabia on allegations of racketeering, a US crime initially used to target the mafia that involves coordinating illegal activity for profit. The lawsuit noted that a Saudi investment firm as of late last year was the second biggest shareholder in Twitter after CEO Elon Musk and that some of the Saudi stake had been sold to the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund. The lawsuit said that Twitter, including by allowing anonymous accounts, had been a champion for activists in the Arab Spring democratic uprisings. "Unfortunately, Defendant Twitter became a participant tool of transnational repression to silence voices of dissent beyond Saudi Arabia's borders in the United States and abroad, all in an effort to monetize its commercial relationship with Defendant KSA," it said, referring to the kingdom. Areej al-Sadhan said in the lawsuit that she has had to be "constantly vigilant" since her brother's arrest and fears being kidnapped. "Plaintiff Areej suffers daily as a target of the Saudi Criminal Enterprise, in what she can only describe as a 'living nightmare,'" it said. The post Twitter, Saudi Arabia sued in US over jailed user appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wanted Japanese ‘thief’ collared
The Bureau of Immigration announced the arrest of a Japanese national who is wanted in Tokyo for involvement in financial fraud. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the fugitive as Sato Shohei, who was nabbed last 24 April in Pasay City by the BI Fugitive Search Unit operatives. Tansingco said the arresting agents were armed with a warrant, which he issued pursuant to a summary deportation order that the BI Board of Commissioners issued against Shohei in February this year. The BI chief added that suspect was ordered deported after Japanese authorities sought their assistance in locating and arresting Shohei, whose name was already placed on the immigration blacklist. BI-FSU acting chief Rendel Ryan Sy, meantime, disclosed that Shohei was issued an arrest warrant by a summary court in Tokyo, where a case for theft was filed against him in October last year. Japanese authorities have reportedly alleged that Shohei conspired with several other accomplices to steal money from the bank accounts of victims whose ATM cards they obtained by misrepresenting themselves as police officers or financial service agency representatives. The fugitive is currently detained at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City while awaiting deportation The post Wanted Japanese ‘thief’ collared appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»