Four migrant-smuggling cells have been smashed in Europe after police launched dozens of raids on the continent.
The gangs charged up to $10,000 per person, transporting them across the Mediterranean on yachts.
More than 1,000 people are estimated to have been smuggled from Turkey to western Europe.
Eleven people were arrested in Italy, including smugglers who navigated the vessels, some of which had been stolen, and Iraqi and Syrian citizens who worked out the logistics.
Police have carried out dozens of raids across Europe and arrested the people charge of four separate migrant-smuggling cells.
Another 18 were arrested in Albania and one was held in Greece.
“Of the arrested persons, four are allegedly the main perpetrators, leading separate cells or groups of the network,” EU crime agency Eurojust said.
“One of them was mainly responsible for the return of the smugglers to Turkey, where they could prepare for new transfers. The gains of the irregular migration transfers are estimated to be at least several hundreds of millions of euros.”
The co-ordinated action is believed to have dealt a serious blow to the lucrative Turkey-Europe sailboat crossings, for which people pay between $6,000 and $10,000 to reach southern Italy, with an eye on northern European destinations.
“We hope to have curbed the phenomenon, for the next few weeks or the next few months,” said Lt Col Giuseppe Giulio Leo, head of Italy’s financial police in the southern city of Lecce.
”Still, we need to take into account that there will be someone ready to join the organisation and take over the various roles.”
The smugglers used sailboats and yachts, but also fishing boats and less seaworthy craft, packing between 30 and 180 people on board, he said.
“Their destination is typically the southern region of Puglia, the closest point, but they often wind up in Calabria due to weather,” he said.
Those arrested are thought to belong to a ring of up to 80 members and to have organised at least 30 smuggling operations.
Those missions transported more than 1,100 people by boat from Turkey to the coast of Puglia, then on from Italy to other European countries, EU law enforcement agency Europol said.
Iraqi brothers Alaa Qasim Rahima, 38, and Omar Qasim Rahima, 30, are accused of running logistics to help the migrants reach northern Europe. They were arrested near Venice.
It is alleged they ran a cell that helped to transport Syrians from Turkey to EU member states using an international network of associates.
Another person, also Iraqi, is accused of helping the smugglers to evade detection in Italy and to return to Turkey through Greece.
“The criminal networks primarily used sea routes for the transfer of migrants from Turkey, via the Eastern Mediterranean road, to their final EU destinations,” Europol said.
“The sea transfers were performed with the use of leisure vessels, mainly yachts, acquired or rented by the criminal network and skippered by novice seamen purposely recruited by the network.”
Payments were made through informal money transfer systems such as hawala, which is used by criminal gangs to move cash without using wires.
Police in Greece are investigating two agencies accused of handling payments.
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Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The%20specs
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Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Fire and Fury
By Michael Wolff,
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Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
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*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
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Monster
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3/5
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
PROFILE OF SWVL
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Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
