Latest: Hushpuppi accused of targeting English Premier League club in $100 million scam
Dubai Police seized Dh150 million in cash and more than a dozen luxury cars when they arrested an Instagram celebrity accused of online fraud and money laundering.
In a video shared by police, officers explained how they arrested Ramon Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi.
The Nigerian is accused of creating websites that appear identical to those of well-known companies and banks.
People were sent emails and messages that prompted them to log in or make payments on the fake sites.
Mr Abbas is accused of being part of a gang that hacked corporate emails and directed huge payments to accounts they controlled.
Olalekan Jacob Ponle, known as Woodberry, was also arrested along with 10 other men in an operation that involved six police teams.
Police confiscated 13 luxury cars, valued at about Dh25m, 21 computers and 47 smartphones during the raid.
They said the email addresses of 800,000 people were found and Dh1.6 billion could have been stolen from victims of the alleged scam.
The operation was called Fox Hunt 2, after a raid Dubai Police carried out in February on an African cyber-crime gang accused of stealing Dh32m in a similar scam.
Mr Abbas, who has more than two million followers on Instagram, is accused of posing as a property investor and businessman.
Posts on his account suggest a lavish lifestyle, with images of him taking trips on a private jet, wearing Louis Vuitton tracksuits and a Dh550,000 Richard Mille watch, and posing outside the Four Seasons hotel in Paris.
A video of a wedding in Dubai attended by Nigerian celebrities, which made headlines in his home country, showed Mr Abbas dancing as he threw $100 notes into the air.
Dubai Police CID chief Brig Jamal Al Jalaf said he posed as a successful businessman "celebrating his wealth via social media platforms, in an attempt to lure victims from all over the world".
“The suspects targeted victims overseas by creating fake websites for well-known companies and banks in a bid to steal victims’ credit card information and then launder the stolen money,” Brig Al Jalaf said.
Last week, a senior prosecutor told The National that "initial information includes that he was part of this gang which fraudulently obtained cash and cars from people".
He said the prosecution investigations were only beginning.
Mr Abbas is also accused of committing fraud in Europe, the US and Nigeria.
As criminals constantly change their methods, the elite officers of Dubai Police work tirelessly to tackle emerging organised crime
Dubai Police chief Lt Gen Abdullah Al Marri said cyber crime and financial scams on victims at home and abroad remain a major focus for the force.
"As criminals constantly change their criminal methods, the elite officers of Dubai Police work tirelessly with the latest technologies to tackle emerging and transnational organised crime," Gen Al Marri said.
Emirati police have in recent months focused on organised crime gangs found to be operating in the country.
Last week, a suspected drug trafficker linked to violent turf wars in Belgium was arrested in Dubai.
Nordin EH, a Belgian-Moroccan, faces various drug charges and was linked to cocaine smuggling and hand-grenade attacks on rivals in Antwerp.
In December, suspected Dutch crime lord Ridouan Taghi was arrested in connection with 11 murders in the Netherlands.
He was alleged to be behind a third of Europe's cocaine trade and is rumoured to have made €100m (Dh412m) from dealing drugs.
This month Amir Faten Mekky, an international gang leader wanted by Interpol, was arrested in Dubai.
Mekky was associated with Taghi and the Angels of Death gang and was wanted in connection with two murders and arson attacks in southern Spain.
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5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m; Winner: Faiza, Sandro Paiva (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m; Winner: Greeley, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 1,600m; Winner: Marzaga, Jim Crowley, Ana Mendez.
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7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m; Winner: AF Ashras, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m; Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Ahmed Al Mehairbi.
Specs
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6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Singspiel Stakes Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
9.25pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group Two (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm Dubai Trophy Conditions (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
10.35pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
The National selections:
6.30pm AF Alwajel
7.05pm Ekhtiyaar
7.40pm First View
8.15pm Benbatl
8.50pm Zakouski
9.25pm: Kimbear
10pm: Chasing Dreams
10.35pm: Good Fortune
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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Who are the Sacklers?
The Sackler family is a transatlantic dynasty that owns Purdue Pharma, which manufactures and markets OxyContin, one of the drugs at the centre of America's opioids crisis. The family is well known for their generous philanthropy towards the world's top cultural institutions, including Guggenheim Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate in Britain, Yale University and the Serpentine Gallery, to name a few. Two branches of the family control Purdue Pharma.
Isaac Sackler and Sophie Greenberg were Jewish immigrants who arrived in New York before the First World War. They had three sons. The first, Arthur, died before OxyContin was invented. The second, Mortimer, who died aged 93 in 2010, was a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma. The third, Raymond, died aged 97 in 2017 and was also a former chief executive of Purdue Pharma.
It was Arthur, a psychiatrist and pharmaceutical marketeer, who started the family business dynasty. He and his brothers bought a small company called Purdue Frederick; among their first products were laxatives and prescription earwax remover.
Arthur's branch of the family has not been involved in Purdue for many years and his daughter, Elizabeth, has spoken out against it, saying the company's role in America's drugs crisis is "morally abhorrent".
The lawsuits that were brought by the attorneys general of New York and Massachussetts named eight Sacklers. This includes Kathe, Mortimer, Richard, Jonathan and Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, who are all the children of either Mortimer or Raymond. Then there's Theresa Sackler, who is Mortimer senior's widow; Beverly, Raymond's widow; and David Sackler, Raymond's grandson.
Members of the Sackler family are rarely seen in public.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Specs
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Price: On request
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
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Royal wedding inspired menu
Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea
Avocado ranch dip with crudites
Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches
Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue
