Sunday, 10 July 2011

Two charged with smuggling 31 illegal immigrants to Palm Beach County

By ALEXIA CAMPBELL

Sun Sentinel

Federal agents have arrested a Miami man and woman on human smuggling charges for trying to bring 31 illegal immigrants to South Florida on a 40-foot fishing boat this week, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Jesus Saavedra-Reyes, 52, and Sandra Anderson, 50, were intercepted in their boat east of Boynton Beach on Monday by U.S. Coast Guard crews, according to a federal complaint.

With them on Le Superior were 19 illegal immigrants from Haiti, six from Brazil, four from Jamaica and two from Sri Lanka.

Coast Guard crews returned the Haitians to Haiti and the rest were interviewed and processed for deportation in West Palm Beach and Miami. Seven of them had been deported before, according to ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents.

The immigrants interviewed identified Saavedra-Reyes as the boat captain and Anderson as the boat owner. They told agents they expected to stay at Anderson's Miami home until they each paid the $5,000 smuggling fee.

Both Saavedra-Reyes and Anderson denied being involved in a human smuggling ring, the complaint said.

Saavedra-Reyes and Anderson were arrested Tuesday night and appeared Wednesday in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach. A federal judge ordered them held in pre-trial detention.

Both face a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, $250,000 in fines and three years of supervised release.

The number of illegal immigrants intercepted at sea en route to the United States has decreased in the past three years, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Statistics show 2,088 people were intercepted in fiscal year 2010, compared with 4,802 in fiscal year 2008.

As recently as August, 22 immigrants, mostly from Haiti, made it to shore in Boca Raton and Manalapan. Boca Raton police and Border Patrol officials detained 16 people, including three children, near the South Inlet Park.

A second group of six people, apparently including at least one Sri Lankan national, was detained in Manalapan. All were processed for deportation.

One of the more dramatic human smuggling cases also was off the Palm Beach County coast. In May 2009, a boat carrying about 30 Haitian immigrants capsized off Boynton Beach, killing 10 people, including a pregnant woman.

The two boat captains - Jean Monique Nelson, 32, and Jimmy Metellus, 33 - were charged with alien smuggling resulting in death and were each sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison.

According to the federal complaint, the two had met up in Haiti and agreed to captain a boat from the Bahamas to the United States with Haitian immigrants, who paid up to $4,000 for passage.

After some engine trouble, the boat capsized about 18 miles off Boynton Beach. There, the Haitians stayed in the water for 11 hours until a good Samaritan saw them.

Among the dead brought ashore was an 18-month-old child. Prosecutors also counted a pregnant woman's fetus among the dead, saying it was viable outside the womb.

Alexia Campbell can be reached at apcampbell@SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6609

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/two-charged-with-smuggling-31-illegal-immigrants-to-972973.html?cxtype=rss_1531308

TAMIL LANKAN JAILED AFTER 517 CARDS CLONED IN CHIP-AND-PIN FRAUD

Sri Lankan jailed after 517 cards cloned in Wallasey petrol station chip-and-pin fraud

Read More http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/07/09/sri-lankan-jailed-after-517-cards-cloned-in-wallasey-petrol-station-chip-and-pin-fraud-100252-29022178/#ixzz1RhfzSEQE

AN ILLEGAL immigrant was today behind bars after ripping off hundreds of customers at the Merseyside petrol station where he worked.

Sri Lankan Murugaiya Selvakumaran, 36, swapped the chip and pin machines at a Murco petrol station in Wallasey with card readers which allowed international criminals to copy customers’ cards and make fraudulent withdrawals.

The fraud only came to light towards the end of February 2009 when banks began to tell their clients they were victims of £41,500 of illegal transactions.

In total, 517 credit and debit cards were compromised.

The petrol station, in Leasowe Road, is run by a Sri Lankan family but they were not related to Selvakumaran, who gave them a fake name when he moved to Wirral from Middlesex.

Jo Maxwell, prosecuting, told Warrington crown court yesterday: “Some 200 customers of the Murco store contacted Merseyside police to let them know that a fraud had taken place.

“Their investigations, and extensive CCTV, showed all the transactions had taken place during shifts when Mr Selvakumaran was at work.”

The court heard CCTV showed him swapping the pin machines for the card readers, which were never recovered.

Ms Maxwell added Selvakumaran, who has lived in the UK for nine years, was an illegal immigrant who had exhausted all legal options to stay and had his work visa revoked.

Ken Heckle, defending, said: “He was not the brains of the operation and he has not benefited.

“This money went to other people more criminally sophisticated than himself.”

Selvakumaran, who was assisted at court by a Tamil interpreter, was caught by police in Surrey on an unrelated matter in March.

Wednesday, 29 June 2011

UK: HARROW: MURDER: Tamil - Tamil Murder at a PARTY in a flat above a Chicken Shop!

Ugarajan Swaminathan died in this flat above the chicken shop

-RIP-

A MAN has been charged with the murder of Harrow man Ugarajan Swaminathan

The 34-year-old died after being attacked in his home above a chicken shop in Station Road on Wednesday.

Jastin Chandrakanthan, 31, also of Station Road, will appear in custody at Hendon Magistrates Court on Monday to face the charge.

A second man, aged 32 years has been bailed to return pending further enquires.

Police were called to Mr Swaminathan's address at 2.20am to reports of a man with head injuries.

Officers believe he was enjoying a gathering of friends and neighbours in the flat when he was attacked.

He was taken to hospital but died ten hours later..

Anyone with information can contact officers on 0208 358 0200, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/4855486.Man_charged_with_town_centre_murder/

Ritual murder of shopkeeper is linked to Tamil Tigers

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-425360/Ritual-murder-shopkeeper-linked-Tamil-Tigers.html#ixzz1QexRU4wE

Mr Sivakumar with one of his children

A terror group banned in Britain is at the centre of a Scotland Yard inquiry into the ritual-style murder of a London shopkeeper.

Detectives investigating the killing of Subramaniam Sivakumar, 44, believe it may have been the work of followers of the Tamil Tigers, the Sri Lankan separatist group outlawed across the world.

The father of three was found nearly a year ago laid out face down on the floor of his store the Apna Bazaar in Willesden High Road.

His body was pointing south, with his hands by his side. A single white shoelace was tied around his neck and bags of rice placed over his body.

A post-mortem examination was unable to determine cause of death but puncture marks were found behind his ear and he had been tied up before he died raising the possibility he had been tortured.

The police investigation has focused on a diary entry made by Mr Sivakumar in which he referred to a visit by an organisation he called the "Tiger Boys" - since confirmed as a reference to the Tamil Tigers.

The men had demanded £15,000 and were due to return to his shop around the time of his murder in January this year.

Supporters of the Tamil Tigers are known to run ruthless fund raising rackets around London to help pay for the group's activities in Sri Lanka.

Police are also urgently seeking Jeyanthan Anandarajah, known as "Apan", an employee of the shopkeeper who was the last person to see him alive.

After the murder Apan returned to his family in Germany but he has since gone missing.

Detective Inspector Tim Wilkinson, the officer leading the murder hunt, said: "It is now one year since Mr Sivakumar was murdered. I know the Tiger Boys are the Tamil Tigers but we are keeping an open mind about the death. We are treating it as murder but it is possible his death was not intentional.

"The people who were there are the only people who know how he died. We will treat this as murder until someone comes forward and tells us that it was not."

Police are co-operating with the German authorities in the search for "Apan" and MrWilkinson said it was vital he contacted them.

A £20,000 reward had been offered for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the murder.

The separatist ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka has claimed more than 60,000 lives since 1972. More than 200 people have died in recent months after the collapse of a peace agreement brokered in 2002.

Anyone with information should telephone the incident room on 020 8345 4133 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Aussie fraudster Rajina Subramaniam found guilty over A$16m shopping spree

Updated: 23 Jun 2011

Accused fraudster Rajina Subramaniam. Picture: Adam Taylor

A WOMAN who defrauded ING of $45m which she spent on a cache of luxury items has pleaded guilty to more than 20 fraud charges.

Rajina Rita Subramaniam, 42, was arrested in October 2009 and charged with defrauding the financial group of millions as she worked in their Sydney office as a senior account manager.

Among her haul was $16m worth of jewellery from Paspaley pearls, as well as handbags, make-up and clothing from high-end designers such as Armani, Chanel and Hugo Boss.

The Castle Hill wife was said to have stored most of her purchases in her Kent St office.

Mrs Subramaniam has this morning pleaded guilty in Sydney's Central Local Court to 26 charges of fraud, with the Crown withdrawing the other 11 offences.

Her husband watched the court proceedings unfold from the back of the courtroom.

The pleas were accepted by Magistrate Lee Gilmour who adjourned the matter to Sydney's District Court on July 1, when a date for her sentencing hearing will be set.

SOURCE: News.com.au

http://www.whatsonsanya.com/news-16829-aussie-fraudster-rajina-subramaniam-found-guilty-over-a-16m-shopping-spree.html

Australia's largest ever individual fraud committed by a Tamil woman!

Revenge in riches - scorned finance worker Rajina Subramaniam helped herself to $45 million

Haul ... alleged serial fraudster Rajina Subramaniam / Pic: Adam Taylor Source: The Daily Telegraph

RAJINA Subramaniam was a dutiful employee of the financial group ING for 20 years, but her belief that she was "abused" in the workplace turned her loyalty into resentment and a quest for revenge, a court was told yesterday.

Not content with a small-scale operation to get back at her bosses, the woman undertook one of the country's largest ever individual fraud operations - and netted more than $45 million to spend on a cache of designer items.

The extent of Subramaniam's five-year scheme was revealed in Central Local Court yesterday, when she pleaded guilty to 26 fraud charges.

The immense size of the deceit was matched only by the range of clothing, jewellery and cosmetics she purchased from designers including Chanel, Hugo Boss, Tiffany and Paspaley Pearls. The spending spree also included eight apartments at , and the city, the court was told.

Documents before the court state that Subramaniam, in her role as a senior accounts manager, had access to ING's online banking system and could use two identities that enabled her to "generate the illegal transfers" with plausible labels.

In total, more than $11 million was siphoned from ING accounts and paid to a range of top designers, with documents revealing Subramaniam achieved "VIP customer status" at Paspaley, Chanel and Hugo Boss "as an extremely wealthy customer".

She was arrested after representatives from Paspaley informed ING of a $2.5 million payment from her to buy diamonds at a coming auction, documents say.

During a police raid at her office, boxes filled with "extremely delicate jewellery" were found, including a 6.6 carat diamond ring from Bvlgari.

The court heard that more than 600 pieces of jewellery, a 900ml bottle of Chanel No.5 perfume, 20 pieces of Swarovski crystal and a 1500ml bottle of vintage Dom Perignon champagne were in her haul.

As a reason for her behaviour, documents reveal Subramaniam claimed she had been abused in the workplace "and had a lot of revenge and resentment towards ING".

She will face the District Court on July 1, when a date will be set for sentencing.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-nsw/revenge-in-riches-scorned-finance-worker-rajina-subramaniam-helped-herself-to-45-million/story-e6freuzi-1226080921474

Debit-card ring may be linked to Tamil terrorists

A routine traffic stop this week has unravelled an international debit card fraud ring, has led to 373 criminal charges and possibly has broken up a Tamil Tiger terrorist fundraising and money laundering operation, police said Wednesday.

TORONTO- A routine traffic stop this week has unravelled an international debit card fraud ring, has led to 373 criminal charges and possibly has broken up a Tamil Tiger terrorist fundraising and money laundering operation, police said Wednesday.

All because four men ran a stop sign in a Scarborough, Ont., last Monday, Det. Peter Trimble said.

"That's not too smart a thing to do when you're driving a van full of stolen bank cards," he said. "And they had been drinking and had open liquor in the car, which also isn't very smart."

Constables Scott Aikman and Patrick Pelo saw the rented van cruise through a stop sign and pulled up behind them in his cruiser, his lights flashing. That is when the officers noticed one of the four men inside frantically trying to hide something in the back of the van.

When the van finally stopped, the two constables realized immediately the driver had been drinking and there was open liquor in the vehicle. "That gave them the right to search the vehicle, which they did, and found a number of plastic gift cards," said Trimble

Those cards later proved to have debit card information on the magnetic strip on the back, which police believe was stolen from bank customers in the United Kingdom. All four were arrested and another such card was found in one of their wallets.

Police later searched a hotel and a home and found another 88 cards, all with debit card data from British banks on their magnetic strips, as well as $25,000 in Canadian $20 bills, laptop computers and memory sticks, receipts for money transfers to the U.K., travel documents and passports and what detectives described as "Tamil Tiger paraphernalia."

But Trimble could not confirm the bank card fraud ring was tied to the Tamil Tigers, formally known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is officially listed as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government, but is believed to be continuing fund-raising activities here through various front organizations.

"Is there a huge global conspiracy behind this? It's too early in the investigation to confirm anything like that," he said. "But there is clearly an international connection."

John Thompson, the executive director of the Mackenzie Institute, said the debit-card ring has all the hallmarks of a Tamil Tiger fund-raising operation. "This is the new standard in how terrorist groups fund themselves," he said. "It's the fastest-growing area of crime in the world and it's not going to go away anytime soon."

Thompson said similar operations have been broken up by police in the past, including one in 1993 when 18 men were arrested for skimming debit cards from customers at a Toronto gas station. "Supporters of the Tamil Tigers have been doing this in Canada for at least the last 10 years."

Trimble said the cards seized were worth an estimated $250,000. The data on them had been "skimmed" from British bank card users, likely through a debit machine rigged to record their cards' electronic signature and a small camera positioned to record the bank users' PIN number. Police also found card-reading hardware and a pinhole camera during their searches of the home and the hotel.

Two of those arrested are from London, England, and Toronto police have contacted Interpol, said Trimble.

Pratheepan Thambu, 22, Lojanand Srianandan, 27, both of Toronto, Sethukavalar Saravanabavan, 35, and Kirubakaran Selvanayagam Pillai, 38, both of London, U.K., each face 41 charges of fraudulent possession of credit card data; 41 charges of possession of property obtained by crime; and one of participating in a criminal organization. Pillai faces an additional 41 charges of fraudulent possession of credit card data.

They are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

National Post

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=84b20bd7-ca6f-43a4-8ee8-0d368f899810

Tamil Diaspora Terrorism - No Comparables