OLIVE PRESS
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GIBRALTAR
Vol. 5 Issue 157
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September 22nd - October 5th 2021
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A phoenix from the flames as thousands of northern European residents rally to the fire call and animal home Brits describe how they saved 100 dogs from the deadly blaze that left a pall of smoke visible from Gibraltar DOUBLE TROUBLE: Two sets of fire threatened homes in Selvo area as (inset) ADANA bosses tell the Olive Press of dramatic escape and firefighter describes the start of the blaze
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A WHOPPING £1.7million in cash has been confiscated from a tobacco wholesaler in a massive money laundering probe. The Supreme Court granted the seizure against Southase Ltd after a long four year investigation by the Royal Gibraltar Police. The ruling comes after indepth work by the RGP’s Money Laundering Investigation Unit, launched after a €1.5million robbery took place at SouthEase’s premises in June 2017. The record-breaking heist allegedly saw two teenagers kidnapped and tortured and an armed Moroccan man landing an eight-year sentence.
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The company was also ordered to pay £450,000 in costs for the forensic accountants who
Tobacco wholesaler, the victim of Gib’s biggest robbery in 2017, has £1.7 million seized in money laundering probe By Dilip Kuner
were called in to assist in the investigation. “This is a great result and a vindication of the unit’s hard work and dedication over a number of years,” said a RGP spokesman. “This order will show the international community that Gibraltar takes money laundering seriously and is willing to tackle it head on”. The dramatic heist took place in New Harbours in June, 2017, when a gang stole €1.5million from the tobacco wholesalers in just 25 minutes. Armed with guns and with their faces covered, the crime group assaulted a security guard and tied up workers at the tobacco warehouse. They then took three bags con-
taining €500,000 each and fled. Two of the men, Rachid Behdaoui, 53, and Samir Douaoui, 29, were arrested near the scene of the crime moments later. Behdaoui was imprisoned for eight years and five months while his partner in crime, Douaoui, got three years and two months.
Onthe run
Meanwhile, alleged gang leader Hakim El Laghmich, 34, and another of the robbers Hamza Mesmoudi, 29, went on the run across the Spanish border. Mesmoudi was nabbed in October 2019 after police spotted him stepping off a ferry in Tarifa but El Laghmich evaded his spell behind bars until 2020 when Spanish authorities arrested him and handed him over to the RGP.
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Gwyneth Paltrow spotted joying family time on the enCosta
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One year on
Taking stock months after of the first 12 the Brexit vote
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July 5th
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KIDNAP DRAMA EXCLU By Laura SIVE Duckett
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The Rock ’s original community newspape r 2017
New Har bours arm ed
robbery
Two teen ‘wrongfu s tortured and fath l’ arrest over er’s £1.5 mill life in chaos afte ion robb r ery
Grave victory
A NEW suspect is Harbours robbery THE Govern after two demanding justice trial ment has swered the allegedly of his friends were “OneEstate. ankidnapped clean up theOlive Press’s call to tured followin and tor- at my of the kids turned North Front etery. house on up CemThe Gibralta g his arrest. Sunday with a broken It comes we cannot rian father, who p***ing hand and our Give after we launche blood,” he foot and sons, foundname for legal rea- this revealed himself at paign last Them Respect cam-d tre of a high-pr the cen- “Twoweek. unkempt issue to clean up the guys investigation, ofile crimina stepped on kidnapped him, dozens of grounds followin has led to which he claimsl and his legs readers. complaints from ourg and grave two kidnappings he hands and askedand feet threats to Works will knew where him Gibraltar’s ily. his fam- were.” begin on the millionif sewage 1, confirm August problem needs urgent Speaking s He spokesman,ed a government attention Olive Press,exclusively to the the claims the men monies had after announcing his friends, he claims two of dow16-year-old out then threw been put aside of the winPage 7 ing the budget. 18 and 16, of snatched durwere “Thank his flat. Minister John god few days in the space of a floor,” he he lives on the first following in his summa Cortes revealed arrest and his said, ry of the get that a hobbled to adding: “He quent release.consebudthe awarded contract had been saying he'd hospital The CRIME SCENE ‘for the the unnamed and mainten fallen upkeep man, in off a bike : New Harbo areas of the ance of the planted because urs Indust of June 21. revealed his 20s, he was terrified rial Estate He added Cemetery’. In dramat teenagers that the tell the truth, to that the mainten programme been in trouble were but 29-year-old ic fashion, the tortured ance when he has been prepare in in was came by the minor conthe past for 1am by armed woken up at to nection my house offences, d partment Dethe who police, the morning. robbery, to the me I calledand told of next he remains on bail, suspect, the the pohas changed Environinsisted “They arrived is underst which lice,” he added. ood his ment has out ways to of nowher with assault not been in have ended It was the The Costa e the police in trouble and sultatio conrifles,” in the second “At first I seizure n with alleged for the past with the didn’t realisehe said. years. its glory de la Luz in all of kidnapwas so I called pounds, of 1.5m ping followin six GardenBotanic who it “I got the told them warehousefrom a young man’s g the s. OF GRAV there werepolice and smuggl in trouble as It comes own side my house Harbours in New a kid arrest for Page 9 men ing CONCERNE his Indusfortnight aftera with rifles. out- changed mytobacco but I have “I was s**t involvementalleged life, and now OP readers whack in the had apparenscared. They said armed robbery , I denly this on me - I have they includin tly taken £1.5 lion.” in gone up the g Ivasudthe early mil- crimina evening ranks in the na Finlayso Although l underground,” n, he admitte compla the father-o ined d he has said reach the that they could not “I just want f-one. graves of justice for a normal life, and tives due to their relaand shrubbe the state of weeds Last night,my friends.” firmed they the police con- Last year wery. reported change.org the case andwere still probing how launched petition had beena investigation that ‘all lines to counter They added are still open’. of neglect’, gaining ‘years MAYFA IR more than of covered a that they have re- signatures, ONMAI 700 N little attentiobut it had garnere money and‘substantial’ sum of d n from the have since ed and charged governGibraltar’s arrest- ment. luxury a man, Rachid Opposition Behdraoui, salon experie hair MP Trevor a 51-year-old mond roccan nce Hamfully-backed Monationa where quality of the robbery l. He is accused paign last our camservice matter& and possess warned thatissue, however he of a firearm ion cerns the public’s They did . were ‘falling connot confirm on deaf ears’. It comes after were looking 286 Main if they tion to Parliamhe tabled a moat this stage. for anyone else, Gibraltar, Street GX11 ent last November calling Behdraoui’s (+350) 200 1AA for the governm bail was turnedapplication for to put togethe info@mayfairo 75913 r a manage ent down on Mon- plan for day, citing www.mayfairo nmain.gi ment the Despite it cemetery. the offence the seriousness of nmain.gi ly, nothingpassing unanimoushas no locals and the fact he until now. was done about flight-risk. ties and poses it a He will appear Court on July at the Suprem e 28. Opinion Page 6
It stinks!
See the ligh t
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Gonzalez
TRUE HERO
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47 www.gibraltarolivepress.com
Century21
June 21st
202-204 Main Tel: 00 - July 4th A BRAVE 2017 Street Mob: 350 200 51020 fighter was Gibraltarian fireGibraltar 00 350 56523000 enter the among the first to info@century21gibraltar.com fell Tower fire-ravaged Grenin London. Russell part of a Gonzalez, 31, was search and team which saved the rescue a woman life of on the 21st the 24-story block. floor of The third-generation fighter, based firein Paddington, was breathing able to use special apparatus allows firefighters which burning buildings to stay in This was for pivotal for longer. gerous mission the danof it to the upper floorsmaking block. of the His father watched screen in horror as his TV scenes unfolded. the tragic “When I saw those He said: thought to images, there, he’s myself: ‘If he’s inI By Laurence Thankfully dead’.” and Laura Dollimore out safely, Russell made Duckett it making his and Gibraltar family proud. THE Government ised to address has promNorth Front the state of the to an Olive Cemetery thanks It comes Press probe. after we drew tion to the attengraves and poor state of the relatives of mounting anger Photos sentthose buried there.of to us by Ivana layson, whose concerns are ‘falling mum, sisterFinlaw and grandfather ears’. on deaf in there, are Last November, now also are buried on social media. circulating he tabled tion to Parliament, a moThe 47-year-old the government calling for Gibraltarian and many a management to put together about the others are concerned plan for the etery. lack of maintenance. cem“It’s dangerous He explained and last night poor state spite it passing that dePage 3 of repair,”in a very the Olive Press unanimously, she nothing has this week. told “It needs “While the been done since. to be made Minister's able and tidied respecttion is elsewhere, attenmy loved ones up not only for many people struggle to but for everyone visiting the loved ones. access the graves of She added place.” acceptable,” This is simply not he told the reach someit is very hard to Press. Olive of the graves, GRAVE: which are The Gibraltar Under weeds Heritage Trust shrubbery strangled by thick thing going clined comment. have a very deto be done? “If you are and weeds. bad that serious injury,” I feel Environment lucky enough said. to your relative’s minister she graves justI have to step over Cortes to insisted the John grave you get She claims its ther get your Last year a to visit relatives.” was due to government current state ei- the worst change.org legs scratched dirty from is was launched she has petition the matter. act ‘imminently’ on or in the the amount weeds. 13 years sheever seen it of neglect’, to counter ‘years He told of high visiting. the Olive gaining more has been 700 “I worry signatures, than day that a ‘major Press yesterAnother relative but it tripping upmost about people nered little announcement added: I visit and falling attention has gar- on the maintenance Page 11 process. from the etery will in the cringe my son's military “When government. of the cembe issued imminently.’ as the cemetery grave I Opposition “An elderly visitor could grace.” MP Trevor is a dis- mond easily Another Ham- Sign of the our campaignGSD fully backed h t t p s the petition here: said: “When ://www is some- ever, this .chang insisting that week, how- org/p/cm-gibraltar-gove. the public’s gi-improve-our-cemetery
The Rock has had many inspirational LGBT leaders. We honour them during International Month, see Pride page 6
The Olive Press launches campaign for much needed makeover of North Front cemetery
GIVE THE
The Olive Press reported how two teenagers, 16 and 18, were kidnapped and tortured in the days following the raid. A friend of the boys claimed that one of them had been thrown out of a first floor window. The seized cash will be handed over to Gibraltar government coffers. M
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