"Asian" Gangs Running Car Crash Scam

Criminal Asian gangs have found a new way to make money in parts of England - deliberately causing car accidents, sometimes serious ones, and then fleecing the other party's insurance company.

From The Irish Sun:

Pakistani, Afghan and Bangladeshi criminal gangs in Britain are staging deliberate car accidents in order to claim their victims' car insurance money, police say.

In what has been dubbed a 'cash for crash' scam, the organised gangs, operating primarily in Yorkshire, Lancashire and the suburbs of London, are said to be costing the British insurance industry about 350 million pounds a year.

The modus operandi of the gangs appears to be to move closely in a convoy of two cars - the first car suddenly brakes very hard, as does the second, forcing the targeted victim's car to crash into the rear of the second car, police said.

The perpetrators then make a fraudulent car crash claim to their victim's insurance company for damages to their vehicle and for personal injuries, such as whiplash - real or not.

Some fraudsters have claimed for injuries to persons not even present in the vehicle.

Ten such gangs operate in northwest London alone, and the daily count of staged accidents could be up to 20, London police inspector Nick Chalmers told BBC Asian Radio.

According to an Insurance Fraud Bureau report issued in July this year, incidents of criminally staged, fake car accidents are on the increase.

The cost to the industry is passed on to all drivers, not just the victims.

According to the Association of British Insurers, all bogus claims - including those made in 'cash for crash' scams - can add five percent, or 44 pounds, to the insurance premiums of law-abiding motorists.

A two-year investigation by Hertfordshire police, called Operation Mysterious, resulted in one gang receiving a total of 10 years in jail earlier this year.

'Innocent members of the public are being involved in serious collisions by criminal gangs just to make money. It is putting them and other road users seriously at risk,' Chalmers told Sky News.

In other - and I'm sure totally unrelated - news, it has been announced that Bradford is proportinally Britain's capital in terms of uninsured motor vehicles, closely followed by the West Midlands.

"Stocky Asian" Punches Teenage Girl in Burnley

From The Lancashire Telegraph:

A TEENAGE girl lost a tooth in a fight in a car park.

The 19-year-old had it knocked out following an ‘altercation’ in the Burnley Mechanics car park early on Saturday.

A man had approached a car and had an argument with the people inside.

Detectives said when the teenager got out to protest, she was punched in the face by the man. A 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene and later bailed.

Det Sgt Ian McLean, from Burnley CID, appealed for information to the incident, which occurred at around 4.30am.

The attacker is described as a stocky Asian. His T-shirt was ripped during the fight. Call DC Julie Leigh on 01282 472282 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Human Trafficking Gang Raided in Hounslow

From The Hounslow & Chiswick Guardian:

Members of a suspected human trafficking gang were arrested today after immigration officers raided a string of homes across Hounslow.

Seven men were arrested from 10 addresses across Hounslow, Isleworth, Feltham and Southall after a nine-month covert investigation by the UK Border Agency.

Gang members are suspected to have trafficked Afghans illegally into Heathrow and then told them to claim asylum.

All seven men, British nationals aged between 34 and 67, are being held on suspicion of facilitating a breach of the immigration laws.

Officers seized computer equipment from a number of homes and are examining hard drives for evidence.

UK Border Agency’s Heathrow director Philip Astle said: “We believe that we have disrupted a significant international organised criminal network, which aimed to assist people to enter the UK illegally. “Today’s operation is the result of an extensive investigation involving both the UK Border Agency and Met Police. That investigation continues.

“The UK Border Agency has had significant success in disrupting trafficking activity. Working with our law enforcement partners we are determined to create a hostile environment for organised criminals who prey on vulnerable immigrants, and take action against those who break the law.”

Those arrested are now being questioned at a police station in west London.

The UK Border Agency estimate three-quarters of illegal immigration is associated with organised crime.

Through close working with police, it is working to identify and disrupt organised immigration crime including human trafficking, fraud and forgery.

Notice that whilst they lament the gangs preying on 'vulnerable immigrants', they don't mention how they prey on our society. Who must raise and educate the children of these 'vulnerable immigrants', put up with gangs of their youth harassing women and passersby, pay for their elderly to use the NHS?

Here is one of the British nationals described in the article being led away by police:

Heroin Smugglers Jailed

From The Telegraph & Argus:

Two men have been jailed for a total of 23 years for a cunning and sophisticated plot to smuggle £500,000 of heroin into the country woven into carpets.

The drugs ring was foiled when a spike was driven into rolled carpets by Customs officials at Heathrow Airport.

Ansar Mahmood, 42, of Hollings Road, Girlington, Bradford, was imprisoned for 12 years. Bradford Crown Court heard his role in the conspiracy was to take delivery of heroin parcels at his home.

Hamid Khan, 31, of Burnley, described by the judge as UK controller of the drugs ring, was locked up for 11 years.

He pleaded guilty to conspiring to import Class A drugs between January 1 and April 25 last year.

Mahmood denied the charge and was convicted by a jury in July.

Judge Jonathan Rose told the men they were motivated by personal greed.

He said: “Each of you played an active and significant role in the importation of a very large amount of heroin into the UK for onward distribution and sale.”

Mahmood was found guilty on overwhelming evidence and had shown no remorse.

Judge Rose said the men’s wives, both left caring for young children, were having to pay for their greed and criminality. [Surely he means the British taxpayer? - Ed.]

Prosecutor Tom Storey said four consignments, totalling almost ten kilograms of heroin, were seized.

The first package, containing three sets of rolled carpets, was posted in Kyrgyzstan, addressed to H Khan at Mahmood’s home.

Customs officials at Heathrow Airport found fine plastic tubes packed with 7.35 kilograms of heroin woven into the carpets. The drug had a street value of £368,000. It took investigators two weeks to unpick the drugs from just one rug.

Undercover police officers delivered dummy packages of carpets to Mahmood on April 22 last year.

Minutes after his arrest, another parcel turned up at the address, Mr Storey said. Posted in Islamabad, it contained 123 pouches of heroin hidden in a jacket lining.

A third parcel, marked “return to sender” was posted to Pakistan from Bradford. It was intercepted at Leeds Parcelforce depot on its way to Hollings Road with 56 pouches of heroin concealed in a fleecy jacket lining.

The fourth consignment was also “return to sender”.
It was posted in Burnley to Attock in Pakistan and seized in Coventry on its way
back.

It was packed with eight containers of Johnson’s Baby Powder stuffed with heroin.

Mr Storey said Khan’s phone was contaminated with heroin showing he may have been concerned in packing the drug.

Khadim Al’Hassan, Mahmood’s barrister, said he was paid £110 to take delivery of the carpets. Unable to read or write, he was a man of modest means at the bottom of the enterprise.

Yunus Valli, for Khan, said he was not a main player. He was a shopfitter who ran a car sales business.

After the case, Detective Inspector Pete Darbyshire, of West Yorkshire Police Crime Division, said: “We welcome the sentences passed today and hope they send out a strong message that the importation of drugs into West Yorkshire will not be tolerated.

“The methods of concealment used to import the heroin were very sophisticated. However, thanks to the vigilance of those who monitor what enters the country, the drugs were taken out of circulation and the conspirators’ plan thwarted.”

Jamaican Criminal Deported Wearing Electronic Tag

It seems even when the British authorities get it right, they still get it wrong.

Take the case of Jamaican Donovan Baker, released early from a jail sentence for fraud and possession of cocaine.

As is standard, Baker was fitted with a tamper-proof electronic tag to monitor his movements - despite the fact he was taken straight to an immigration detention centre and actually deported back to Jamaica.

He is now demanding to be returned to Britain to have the tag removed - all at our expense, naturally.

Whilst he is here perhaps he can visit his two children, who we are paying to bring up in Croydon.

From The Sun:

IMMIGRATION officers deported a drugs con to Jamaica with his electronic tag still ON.

Now Donovan Baker, 36, is demanding to be flown BACK here at taxpayer expense to have it removed.

He claims he repeatedly told staff at Colnbrook detention centre, near Heathrow, that the device was still on his ankle - but they forgot to take it off.

Baker, who spent ten months in jail for possession of cocaine and fraud, has tried for a fortnight to rip off the tamper-proof tag.

He said: "There's nothing in Jamaica to take it off. I have to come back. I'm not walking around with this on for the rest of my life."

British High Commission officials in Kingston will see if it can be removed.

Baker was arrested with cocaine in 2001 but fled for six years.

He was caught last year when fraudulently applying for a driving licence.

He got the tag on early release from a 2½-year jail term.

Partner Tencey Coore, 39, his two kids and four step-children remain in Croydon, South London.

Immigration in Italy: Dreams Vs. Reality

Reuters last week carried a puff piece about how immigration benefits Italy, whilst dismissing legitimate fears over a rise in violent crime and being highly critical of Italy's new immigration reforms, which make being or helping an illegal immigrant a criminal offence.

For example; the fact that violent crime has risen by 17% in Italy since 2004 is apparently only a problem because Silvio Berlusconi's Northern League "whipped up fear" about it. Obviously, such things just aren't worthy of note unless you're on the far-Right.

If you believe that Italian left, then the reforms are evil. What is really needed, explain the Socialists, is to give immigrants (legal or otherwise) the vote - only that will completely end "racism and xenophobia" (i.e. observing reality and formulating policy accordingly) in Italian politics - not to mention completely destroy Italy as we know it, but you can't have everything, can you?

The Catholic Church compares not rescuing African asylum seekers at sea or towing them to Libya to "ignoring the Holocaust" (and let's be honest, they should know - when in Rome and all that).

Now we've established that Italians thinking the goodthink is more important than the existence of Italy itself, we are in a suitable place to ooh and aah because a team comprised of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi immigrant children recently won an under-15 cricket competition:

Mass immigration, unheard of 20 years ago, is fast changing society. Last month an Italian team of children of migrants from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh won an under-15 European cricket title, making headlines and winning praise from politicians like Fini.

The team, some of whom face deportation unless they receive citizenship, dedicated the victory to Northern League leader Bossi.

"This is the first European title in the history of Italian cricket," said Italian Cricket Federation President Simone Gambino. "It shows immigrants bring prestige to our country, not just problems."

No - it shows that if a country imports large numbers of people who play cricket, some of them will, er, play cricket.

Of course, whether or not this change is desirable is the big question - but it is one that cannot be asked, let alone answered. Obviously, if one does not feel that such changes are desirable, then one is a racist, a Nazi, a knuckle-dragger.

The Left pretend there are two options - but you know you can really only pick one, lest the shrill screams begin.

Speaking of the downside of immigration to Italy, here is but one good example; a feminist politician punched in the face whilst protesting against the burqa as a form of oppression to women:

MILAN: Italian female politician protesting burquas punched by muslim in scuffle. (hat tip Adam)

Santanche is currently running a campaign in Italy to expose the burqua and veil as oppressive to women. She took the fight to the front line today, entering a muslim 'prayer meeting' and asking to speak to some women to tell them they were being oppressed by a male-dominated regime masquerading as a religion, and was subsequently attacked.

Google translation here.

Daniela Santanchè, leader of the Movement for Italy, was attacked and hit with a fist while expressing, in front of the Steam Factory in Milan, against the entry of women in burqas who came to celebrate the end of Ramadan. The riot police intervened and planning is identifying the assailant.

The Santanchè - has long engaged in a battle for integration and against Islamic

fundamentalism - had arrived this morning with the intent to prohibit the entry of women in burqas. In recent days Santanchè had appealed against the burqa as an act of solidarity and witness for the tragic death of the young Sanaa killed by her father for his affair with an Italian boy. Before the riots, inter alia, had told reporters: "The Italian law forbids that turns his face covered and must be respected.

I do not blame these poor women but with whom he sends and subdues. The burqa is a humiliation for women. Not by chance even in France - has continued Santanchè - are passing a law to prevent their use. The burqa is like female circumcision because they are instruments to cancel its deepest identity. "

The event continued in an atmosphere of great tension Some protesters also ripped a street sign trying to hit the group of protesters who were with Santanchè. Challenged the decision of the organizers who initially tried to bring women with burqa from a rear entrance. The Santanchè entered into a climate of tension escorted by police and demanded to speak with some women. Members of the Muslim community have condemned the attacks and insults towards the Santanchè but they also claimed the right of their women to wear the burqa.

Photo: Daniela Santanchè, leader of the Movement for Italy.

I wonder how many international news agencies covered this? Surely there must have been at least one...

A Comment from Yvonne Ridley

Muslim convert Yvonne Ridley has left a rather weak comment on one of my posts about her (with thanks to reader Ben for actually noticing).

Whilst she accuses me of defaming her, she does not tell me which statements (all gleaned from web research, including her own Wikipedia page) are allegedly false, or attempt to challenge them with anything other than threats, and thus they stand.

The comment is very boring, but fits a pattern - telling the truth about Islam constitutes spreading hatred, and not bowing to the idle threats of the apologists and shills of the spread of Islam in the West constitutes a "smear campaign".

The original intention of the post was to highlight the fact that Ridley pretends to be an ordinary, educated Englishwoman who discovered the truth and beauty of Islam after being captured and then released by the Taliban in Afghanistan whilst working as a journalist.

She went on a university speaking tour to spread that message - but it is false. Ridley was dabbling in anti-West, far-Left and radical Islamic politics long before she went to Afghanistan - she married and had a daughter with a PLO colonel she met in Cyprus in 1992.

Whatever she pretends, this is hardly the life of the ordinary, provincial Englishwoman.

Ridley sees Islam for what it is - a very useful tool for undermining the West, particularly Israel. When one looks at her views, conversion seems a natural progression.

I am not going to stop pointing that out, and she can make as many threats as she likes.

News on Lisbon from Ireland

On 2nd October 2009, the people of Ireland will be given their second opportunity to vote on The Treaty of Lisbon, i.e. the European Constitution Mark II.

The very fact that they have to vote again after rejecting the treaty (which must be ratified by all EU member states to become binding) speaks volumes, but many predict that this time the 'yes' campaign could clinch the deal.

The economic crisis and the idea that Ireland would be cast out of the European Union in every meaningful sense if they vote no a second time seems to have somewhat overshadowed the flagrant bullying and double standards meted out since the people last spoke their minds.

Most of the threats are implicit; "What would Ireland's place in Europe be if it rejected the Treaty a second time?"

Never mind the right of the Irish people to decide the fate and direction of their own nation. Never mind the blood spilt in the struggle for Irish sovereignty, independence, freedom, nationhood. Never mind that the voters of France and The Netherlands have already rejected the thing, resoundingly, when given the opportunity.

This time, once more, the Irish are the only voters in the entire EU who get a democratic say on the ratification of a document which purports to 'tidy up' the EU's powers, but will actually see powerful centralisation and further integration occur.

We have already had an unelected Prime Minister speak on our behalf, despite promising a referendum on the Treaty.

Despite all of this, as I said, many have predicted the 'yes' side have it all sewn up this time. Of my two Irish friends, one is in favour of 'yes' and already jubilant at the scent of victory, and the other favours 'no' - but still thinks it is a lost cause.

But is it? The latest poll results look promising:

A new opinion poll shows that there has been a massive surge in support for the No side, which, if it holds till voting day would result in the Lisbon Treaty being heavily defeated by a margin of 59% NO ‘V’ 41% YES.

In one of the largest polls of its kind ever carried out: Gael Poll polled 1,500 respondents in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny, Galway, Athlone, Tralee, Dundalk and Letterkenny over the course of six days last week.The respondents were asked one single question: How do you intend to vote in the Lisbon Treaty Referendum?

A substantial 723 (59 %) said they intended voting No as opposed to 502 (41%) who indicated that they would vote Yes. The survey also showed that 15% percent of voters were still undecided. When pollsters discounted the don't knows: an overwhelming 59% of people would vote No in the referendum as opposed to 41% who indicated that they would vote Yes.

The last Gael Poll which was published in the Irish Sun (June 4th 2008)
accurately predicted that the Lisbon Treaty would be defeated by a margin of 54 % for the No side versus 46% for Yes campaigners.

On the day of the count -which took place nine days later- the actual result was 53.4% No and 46.6 % Yes.

The uncanny poll prediction which was out by only a half a percent was the
most accurate poll in the country.

It seems there is certainly cause for hope.

For any undecided Irish voters who may stumble across this, I urge you to watch Daniel Hannan's appeal to the people of Ireland:

I too have faith in the outcome - the people of Ireland know more than most the price of freedom and the cost of servitude.

Thoughts on Germany

As I continue to settle in here and get used to my new surroundings, I thought I would share some of my impressions and experiences so far.

First of all, since my last stay here (which came to an end about two and a half years ago), the number of "visible minorities" has increased dramatically. I am not in a major city and live in a fairly rural state in the north of the country, so this has come of something of a shock even to me.

But the trend is unmistakable. Even this small city could now compete with Berlin or Hamburg, proportionally, in the diversity and enrichment stakes.

It is interesting to compare the behaviour of these obviously unassimilable Third World immigrants with that of their German hosts. As my regular readers will know, I am not one to perpetuate a stereotype unless it contains a healthy dose of truth, and many of those we have about the Germans do.

Generally speaking, this is an orderly, efficient and well run country. It feels different to Britain, because the people here are not (or don't seem to be) at the stage where they let the state do everything for them - they try to enforce their values themselves.

For example; if you wait at a pelican crossing and the lights are red but there are obviously no oncoming vehicles, you will observe that German people still do not cross.

They wait until the lights change to green.

It can be fascinating to watch this; every instinct I have tells me to just hurry across whilst I have the chance - but I make myself wait, partly to observe, and partly because it is illegal to cross against the lights - and ordinary people, from pensioners to children, will call you on it without fear, whereas most modern British people would cast their eyes down, for fear of a beating or worse.

The point I am making here is that behaviour as well as such things as appearance can mark one out as a foreigner here without much difficulty.

As I arrived at the main railway station, a school party disembarked from the train in front of me and stepped on to my platform. All appeared to be German, except for three pupils who were either African immigrants or the descendants of such.

It really was a life lesson to watch these three individuals create complete havoc where there was none before. They walked differently from their classmates, spoke differently, shouted for no reason, pushed the boys, pulled the girls' hair, answered the teachers back, ran when they were told to walk - you name a problem, and they created it on behalf of the whole class, much to the (silent) chagrin of everyone in that section of the station.

It seems astounding that people as careful about the trivialities as the Germans can let such serious and far reaching transformations occur on their watch.

It was clear, observing this group, that these three boys would never fit into that class. That being said, how then can they fit into normal German society - without irrevocably damaging it?

Today, I and several other passersby were accosted by a large gang of African and Turkish/Arab "youths", to use the correct English code, for no reason at all other than being in the street and minding our business.

As heartwarming as it was to see true multiculturalism in action as the lowest of these 'communities' banded together to harass innocent people, no one seemed to appreciate the presence of these enrichers, and once they had left several people (mainly elderly) were not shy about saying as much.

I have noticed that people here tend to be slightly less brainwashed than in Britain when it comes to these issues - many will openly admit there are huge problems or at the very least that they see a downside to what officially must be worshipped.

This is balanced by the fact that events in the past mean their mind will only allow them to go to a certain point before the 'crimethink' kicks in; discussion of topics such as the catastrophically low birth rate among ethnic Germans or the fact that certain minorities are clearly never going to assimilate en masse are too controversial for polite society. The very idea that the Germans have a right to exist unmolested in their own land can be seen as provocative and taboo, when taken beyond a very cursory opening position.

I keep coming back to this conclusion; whilst many Germans seem more willing to identify the problem than their British counterparts, their history means no real solution can ever be forthcoming. No one wants to stick their head above the parapet, because the accusation of Nazism is not just a vicious/childish slur here - it carries much legal weight.

This discussion is all the more interesting because here it is Superwahljahr - election season. Whilst "conservative" Mrs Merkel is tipped to be re-elected, most state legislatures and the federal government are up against the public vote on 27th September.

This is taken quite seriously here - curiously the state seems to take charge of the furore, and rather than seeing private citizens put up signs and banners for their preferred candidate, every lamp post becomes adorned with party and candidate posters.

I left my building to go shopping this evening to find that the posters of the NPD, the Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands, had all been torn down, cut up and thrown into the gutter.

This party stands accused of neo-Nazism, and whilst I certainly don't know enough about it to endorse it, the party leadership denies these claims.

It has slogans such as 'German jobs for German workers', is very much against mass immigration and the asylum racket, and its only remotely mainstream position seems to be pulling German troops out of Afghanistan (an issue on which it is united with the far-Left, along with hatred of Israel and the insistence of a "Holocaust" in Gaza).

In a country where democracy is taken quite seriously, it is a real shame that Leftist political violence and intimidation like this is tolerated.

All parties are entitled to a voice - the socialists, the greens, Die Linke, Mrs Merkel's CDU - so why not the NPD?

If they genuinely hold abhorrent views, defeat them with logic and reasoned argument, rather than thug tactics and tantrums.

But that really is too much to ask, isn't it?

If things keep going as they are, I fear it will be Germany which ends up in the gutter - and that is a conclusion I am loathe to reach.

***UPDATE*** 18th September 09.55

I have found some more articles on the NPD linked via their Wikipedia entry. Of particular interest is this article, which claims that a majority of Germans believe that the NPD is undemocratic and a threat to Germany's image (presumably it was some of these people who took the next logical, democratic step in ripping up their campaign posters).

Fair enough, but I wonder if the same people would say that about the Leftists who recently rioted in Hamburg, for example?

I sincerely hope so, because hypocrisy is an ugly thing - perhaps not quite so much as political violence and extremism, but almost.

Light Posting - in Germany

I haven't forgotten about the blog - things have been a bit hectic here as I get myself organised, however.

Thanks to everyone who has wished me well; if you have left news tips, I promise I will get to the important stuff eventually, and if you spot anything else that seems interesting, feel free to get in touch.

Normal service should resume at the end of the week.