Showing posts with label Crimes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crimes. Show all posts

Zamzam water is safe to drink, but maybe not the fake one

air zamzam palsu dicampur toksik
On 5 May 2011 , BBC reported that holy drinking water contaminated with arsenic was being sold illegally to Muslims by UK shops (Muslim bookshops) in Wandsworth, south-west London, and Upton Park, east London, as well as in Luton, Bedfordshire.


Contaminated 'Zam Zam' holy water from Mecca sold in UK

"Zam Zam" water is taken from a well in Mecca and is considered sacred to Muslims, but samples from the source suggested it held dangerous chemicals.

The president of the Association of Public Analysts said he would "certainly would not recommend" drinking it.

"The water is poisonous, particularly because of the high levels of arsenic, which is a carcinogen," said Dr Duncan Campbell, president of the Association of Public Analysts.

The BBC asked a pilgrim to take samples from taps which were linked to the Zam Zam well and to buy bottles on sale in Mecca, to compare the water on sale illegally with the genuine source.

These showed high levels of nitrate and potentially harmful bacteria, and traces of arsenic at three times the permitted maximum level, just like the illegal water which was purchased in the UK.

Dr Yunes Ramadan Teinaz, an environmental health officer who has previously warned about "Zam Zam" water, said it was "a sensitive matter".

"People see this water as a holy water," he added.

"They find it difficult to accept that it is contaminated but the authorities in Saudi Arabia or in the UK must take action," he said. [BBC]

Fake Zamzam water sale thriving along highways

MAKKAH: A large number of illegal foreigners and some Saudi citizens have made selling fake Zamzam water a lucrative profession. They mix the holy water with ordinary water and sell the mixture as pure Zamzam water.

The fake water may have adverse health effects that can be perilous for the users. The sellers of fake Zamzam water are spreading along the highways, around the exits and entries of Makkah, and near the holy mosques. They continue their illegal trade without heeding the concerned authorities that are always after them.

Arab News made a tour of the places where fake Zamzam water is put for sale. The tour started at the central area of the Haram in Al-Ghazzah area, where many people from the African communities practice this illegal profession. They buy new empty gallons in various colors, put a small quantity of Zamzam water in them and fill the rest with plain water. They do the mixing of water in far away places and then bring their products to Al-Ghazzah area with its concentration of pilgrims and visitors. Their selling operation continues 24 hours a day, but they run away and hide whenever a security team is spotted.

In Kudai area, which has a pumping station for Zamzam water, a number of Africans, Burmese and Bangladeshis fill their gallons with Zamzam water. They empty part of the gallons in other containers, fill them with ordinary water, and sell the mixture to the salesmen around the Jeddah-Makkah Expressway. Evidently, they do this illegal job away from the eyes of the passport police.


Along the expressway, particularly near the gas stations around Makkah exits, are some groups of people selling their fake water round the clock. They put their gallons on small trucks parked there, after covering them with cloth. They leave for their homes at night and return next day to continue their job. The Zamzam water may be exposed to direct sun rays and to dust, making the fake holy water unhygienic.

Sellers of the fake Zamzam water may make more than SR400 a day, going up to SR600 during weekends and school summer vacation. A large gallon of the mixed water is sold at SR15, the medium at SR10, and the small at SR5. They buy the Zamzam water from the pumping station at SR2 a gallon.

Consultants and doctors specialized in chest diseases warn against the risk of such water, which may cause various diseases including diarrhea and typhoid. They advise all interested purchasers to buy directly from the filling factory. [Arab News]



Zamzam Water is Safe to Drink

British reports have come out claiming that the Holy water of Zamzam is poisonous and contains high levels of arsenic and other pollutants!

The reports came after BBC London tested samples of Zamzam water*.

The ministry of Hajj released a statement today rebuking the reports and stating that the water is tested regularly by the Group Laboratories CARSO-LSEHL in the French city of Lyon, and who are authorized by the French Ministry of Health to work in the analysis of drinking water.

The latest tests were conducted in March and the reports revealed that "According to drinking water standards in France and based on the analysis conducted on the samples of Zamzam water, this water is fit for human consumption."

The samples that were tested by BBC, might have come from bottled water being sold in the UK as being Zamzam water.

The BBC investigated and discovered Zamzam water was being sold by Muslim bookshops and mini markets around the UK.

The Saudi Embassy in London assured that Saudi Arabia has not exported Zamzam water and that the presence of people in the United Kingdom engaged in the trade of selling Zamzam water is the responsibility of the British authorities in dealing with them.

It pointed out that writing on the bottles the words of Zamzam water does not mean that they contain Zamzam water which is pure and that comes from the source in Mecca.

It's true, not every bottle of water that has Zamzam written on it means it has come from the well of Zamzam in Mecca! It could be water from God knows where and bottled by God knows who!

I think the BBC should have been more patient before releasing the report and should have been more accurate. They should have taken actual samples from the Zamzam well in Mecca! [waleg.com]

People in Haiti fight and kill each other for food, water and medicine

More than 30 aftershocks had rocked the city in Haiti on the latest eartquake. World leaders have stepped up to pledge aid to rebuild a devastated Haiti, but on the streets of its wrecked capital quake survivors were still waiting on Sunday for the basics - food, water and medicine.

A mob of men and children watch as the bloodied corpse of a suspected thief is brutally beaten by a man with a stick.



The victim is naked and bound at his hands and feet. It is broad daylight in the devastated capital city of Haiti.

These are the latest in a series of chilling images from the country as anarchy threatens to destabilise the relief effort following Tuesday's earthquake.



Meanwhile, fears are growing for the continued safety of the nation with violence rife as scavengers and looters swarm over the wrecks of shops, carrying off anything they can find.

Robbers prey on survivors struggling without supplies in makeshift camps on roadsides littered with debris and decomposing bodies.

Fighting broke out between groups of looters carrying knives, machetes, ice-picks, hammers and rocks. Many Haitians streamed out of the city on foot with suitcases on their heads or jammed in cars to find food and shelter in the countryside, and flee aftershocks and violence.

Many others crowded the airport hoping to get on planes that left packed with Haitians. President Barack Obama promised help as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton flew to Haiti, where the shell-shocked government gave the United States control over the congested main airport to guide aid flights from around the world.

On the streets of Port-au-Prince, where scarce police patrols fired occasional shots and tear gas to try to disperse looters, the distribution of aid appeared random, chaotic and minimal. Downtown, young men could be seen carrying pistols.

Heavily armed gang members who once ran Haiti's largest slum, Cite Soleil, like warlords returned with a vengeance after the quake damaged the National Penitentiary allowing 3,000 inmates to break out.

A Reuters photographer saw police shooting in the air, grabbing and throwing people to the ground, and occasionally kicking detainees in parts of the city. But once the police left, looting and scavenging started again.








One Russian search team said the general insecurity was forcing them to suspend their rescue efforts after nightfall.

Some of the trouble stems from the destruction of the the country's main jail and subsequent absence of its prisoners.

All the while rescue workers have continued to search for anybody still alive in the mountains of rubble.

Haiti is the Western Hemisphere's poorest country and has for decades struggled with devastating storms, floods and political unrest. Around 9,000 U.N. peacekeepers have provided security here since a 2004 uprising ousted one president.

The U.N. mission responsible for security in Haiti lost at least 40 its 9,000 members when its headquarters collapsed in Tuesday's quake. The United Nations confirmed that its mission chief, Hedi Annabi of Tunisia, and his deputy, Brazilian Luiz Carlos da Costa were killed.








Via - Daily Mail , Gulf News , Reuters

Father charged with 185 counts of raping daughters

A 48-year-old Co Galway father has been charged with 185 counts of raping three of his daughters over a 17 year period. He appeared before Athenry District Court on Tuesday where he was remanded in custody.

The charges are in addition to 10 rape charges, which include a fourth daughter, and two counts of neglect and cruelty towards a son which were put to the man when he was arrested on Christmas Eve.

His wife, who faces a total of 18 charges of cruelty and neglect of her children between May 2002 and June of last year, was also remanded in custody.

Judge Joseph Mangan remanded the 45-year-old mother in custody at Mountjoy Women’s Prison to appear before Ennis District Court on Friday week, January 22nd.

Her husband was remanded in custody to Castlerea Prison to appear before Harristown District Court this Friday, January 15th.  The man has been charged with 140 counts of rape against one daughter from 1991 to 2008.


He has been charged with 24 counts of rape of another daughter from 1991 to 1996. The man faces 21 charges of rape of a third daughter in a period from 1991 to 1996. The couple cannot be named for legal reasons.

It was the third time the matter had been before the courts after brief hearings in Galway on Christmas Eve, and Ennis on December 29th, where they were refused bail.

The couple’s solicitor Sheena McCarthy said that a High Court application for bail on Monday was adjourned.

The application will be heard today (Friday). An application for bail for the 48-year-old father was refused by Judge Mangan.



Via - Irish Times

Body of Playboy model found burned in Miami rubbish bin

The body of a Playboy model has been found in a Miami rubbish bin on Sunday, but because of extensive burns, her remains were not identified until Wednesday. She had to be identified by her dental records.

Paula Sladewski, 26, had been visiting the Florida city with her boyfriend over the New Year after seeing her parents in Michigan, said police.

The Los Angeles-based model appeared in Playboy magazine and the 2003 movie, "Playboy: The Ultimate Playmate Search."

Playboy model found burnedShe went to see a Miami concert by the singer Lady Gaga on New Year's Eve and then spent the weekend visiting bars and nightclubs.

She was last seen early on Sunday morning at 7 a.m. at Club Space in Miami with her boyfriend, Kevin Klym, 34. He told police they got into a fight after he wanted to leave because he believed she was "too drunk".

She reportedly shouted at him and bouncers threw him out of the club, whereupon he said he took a taxi back to their home.

He told police it was the last time he saw her. He later called hospitals and police stations, filing a missing person's report in which he listed her profession as "stripper".

That night, hours later, Sladewski's body was discovered by Miami Dade firefighters who were responding to reports of a fire in a rubbish bin behind a propane store. The body, which was still burning, was beyond recognition.

Richard Watkins, Miss Sladewski's step-father, said his daughter and her boyfriend had a "very volatile relationship".


"They had a horrible relationship," said Watkins. "I have told them from the start that they shouldn’t be together."

Watkins said the couple, who had been together for two years, argued often. He said a month ago, Klym broke Sladewski's nose during an argument and was arrested.

Police said Mr Klym was cooperating with their investigation and was considered a "person of interest as would be anyone who last saw her alive".


Via - Telegraph

US couple tattooed their children with guitar string

Tattooing children under 18 is a crime under Georgia state law. But a man and woman in the US state of Georgia are facing child cruelty charges after using a homemade device to tattoo six of their children.

Patty "Jo Jo" Marsh and Jacob Edward Bartels allegedly used a plastic pen fitted with a piece of guitar string to mark the children, aged 10 to 17.

Unlicensed tattooists and the tattooing of minors are illegal in Georgia.

Ms Marsh told local media she had not done anything wrong and that the children had asked for the tattoos.

"I'm not breaking the skin. It's going to fade away, it's like a pen mark," she told reporters.

The children were marked with small black crosses on the skin between their thumb and index finger. One was also tattooed with the words "Mama & Dad".

Chattooga County Sheriff John Everett said the couple had been reported by the biological mother of some of the children, who noticed the ink marks could not be wiped off.

"We've never seen anything, or heard of anything like this, in the surrounding counties, or anywhere," he told the WHEC news website, adding that police believe the same improvised needle was used for all the children.

Mr Bartels and Ms Marsh were released on bail by police, but Ms Marsh said she could not understand the public's reaction.

"I love my children, we'd never do anything to harm our kids," WHEC quoted her as saying.


Via - BBC News

Man, 70, found overdosed on sex stimulants

A 70-year-old (septuagenarian) man learnt his lesson the hard way when he overdosed on sex stimulants to enhance his performance in bed.

The man had gone toa hotel in Segamat, Johor, with a friend on Thursday. He entered the room and about five minutes later, the prostitute ran out screaming for help after realising that the man was foaming in the mouth..

The man's friend, who was waiting for him outside the hotel, rushed into the room and saw him unconscious on the bed.

With help from several people, he sent the friend to the hospital in a taxi. The incident was believed to be caused by an overdose of sex stimulants, reported China Press.

However, they did not call an ambulance as they did not want the matter to go public.

The man was in good health after receiving treatment. This was the second incident of an elderly man consuming excessive sex stimulants reported within a week.

On Dec 27, a 65-year-old man, said to be a well-known figure among the locals, died in a hotel room in Kulai, Johor.

He was believed to have taken sex stimulants such as Viagra earlier. No one else was in the room when his body was discovered in the evening.  Police have ruled out foul play.


Via - AsiaOne

Chewing gum thieves in Southern Russia

Maybe you do not think that there will be people will rob chewing gum, but not to robbers in the Stavropol Territory.

Three thieves have stolen 250 boxes of chewing gum estimated at over 1.7 million rubles ($57,500) from a truck in southern Russia's Stavropol Territory, a police source said on Monday.

"Three unidentified assailants entered a parking lot, threatened the watchman with bodily harm, and tied him up. Then they stole 250 boxes of chewing gum estimated at 1.7 million rubles from the Mercedes truck and disappeared," the spokesman said.

In the beginning of December, a chemistry student from the northern Ukrainian city of Konotop was killed when a stick of chewing gum exploded in his mouth.

A forensic examination established that the chewing gum was covered with an unidentified chemical substance, thought to be some type of explosive material.

Police questioning revealed that the student had a bizarre habit of chewing gum after dunking it into citric acid. On his table, police found both citric acid packets and a similar-looking unidentified substance, believed to be some kind of explosive material.

Investigators believe that the student simply confused the packets, and put the gum, covered with explosive material, into his mouth.


Via - Rianovosti

Using Facebook to make Sex blackmail

A Wisconsin teenager who used Facebook to blackmail fellow male students to have sex with him faces up to 30 years in jail.

Anthony Stancl, was convicted in by a judge in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on two counts of sexual assault - 10 other counts were dismissed as part of a plea bargain.

Had he been found guilty on all 12 counts, he would have faced nearly 177 years behind bars.

Stancl, 19, posed as a girl on Facebook and persuaded at least 31 boys at New Berlin Eisenhower High School to send him pictures of themselves posing naked.

He then blackmailed some of them into having sex with him by saying he would make the photos public if they refused.

"Frankly, judge, I've never had a case where victims and parents have been more apprehensive about testifying than in this case." said District Attorney Brad Schimel


Via - Sky News

Police arrest dirty intruder as he bathes

Police arrested an intruder who broke into an east Texas house in U.S - after they arrived at the crime scene to find the 25-year-old man having a bath in the house he'd broken into.

The incident happened about 3:30 in the morning Sunday in a blue-collar neighborhood of Northwest Tyler. Police Sgt. Matthew Smyser said a resident called to report that a man had kicked in the front door of the house.

While en route, officers were advised the resident had left the house but the intruder remained inside.

Officers entered the house to find the man had stripped naked and was taking a bath. After a brief struggle, the man was arrested and booked into the Smith County Jail.

Larry Ticey was jailed on a misdemeanor criminal trespass charge punishable upon conviction by up to one year in jail. No bond amount or attorney is listed in jail records.


Via - Fox11 Online

Woman, 98, Strangled 100-Year-Old Room-Mate

A 98-year-old nursing home resident has been charged with second-degree murder for allegedly suffocating her 100-year-old room-mate.

Laura Lundquist from Massachusetts is accused of killing Elizabeth Barrow (picture at left), who was found dead in her room in Dartmouth in 24 September with a plastic bag over her head.

Police initially thought Ms Barrow had killed herself but a medical examiner declared it murder after a post-mortem indicated she had been strangled.

Scott Barrow, the victim’s son, said, that Lundquist made threatening remarks to his mother and said she would outlive Barrow. Ms Lundquist had frequently complained that her room-mate had too many visitors.

"We're devastated," Scott Barrow told a local TV station. "My mother was well-loved. She loved everyone at the nursing home.

"She had a daily routine where she would go up and down the hallway and hug people who weren't as fortunate as she."

A state judge ordered Ms Lundquist to a local hospital where doctors will evaluate her competency before she is arraigned, according to local media.

She is believed to be the oldest murder defendant in the history of Massachusetts. However, her case may never get to court because of her mental issues.


Elizabeth Barrow



Via - Sky News

Man arrested in sexual assault of 91 year old

Broward County Sheriff's Office detectives arrested a suspect linked to the brutal sexual assault of a 91-year-old woman in November. Authorities are charging Chad Weiner, 38, with burglary, sexual battery and kidnapping.

Chad Weiner, 38, was arrested after leaving his Tamarac home in South Florida on Wednesday. Authorities say a DNA analysis and other evidence tie him to the crime.

According to the Broward Sheriff's Office, the victim told she was at home sleeping when she woke up at 2 a.m on Nov. 19 and found Weiner in her residence.

Police say Weiner then told the woman, "This won't take long." The intruder then bound and raped her. Police say the elderly woman, whose name was not released, was distraught from the traumatic experience and was taken to the Florida Medical Center for treatment.

Investigators then took her to the Sexual Assault Treatment Center. During their investigation police ascertained why there was no sign of forced entry into the woman's apartment. Reportedly she lost her wallet a few days earlier and in the walled was a spare house key.

Detectives were able to trace a call Weiner made to the victim hours before he entered her home. However, he denied knowing anything and consented to a DNA swab.

Weiner has no criminal record and is reported to be a chef at a local restaurant and lives with his parents a mile away from the victim's home.


Via - Wptv

Prostitutes stealing kidneys from their clients after sex

Two calls to his handphone yesterday by men claiming that syndicates in Johor Baru were "stealing" kidneys from those who visit prostitutes in the capital of Johor has set Datuk Michael Chong's alarm bells ringing.

Chong said in the first case, the caller claimed that his friend had visited a prostitute and ended up waking in a bath tub full of ice.

"The caller claimed that a handphone was placed next to his friend so he could call for medical help. He also claimed that the friend's waist also had stitch marks," he told The Malay Mail this morning.

Chong, who is the MCA Public Service and Complaints Bureau head, said on the same day, he received another call from a man claiming that his friend had also gone through the same experience.

"This time, the caller claimed that his friend had woken up with ice packs around his waist at a bus stop. A handphone was also left by his side."

Chong said both the callers were advised to contact him at 03-21615678 or via email michaelchong@mca.org.my if they needed assistance. He could not call them back as their numbers did not register on his handphone.

"I cannot verify these cases; nor can I assist them if they do not come forward. I am anxious to know if these are authentic. It is my responsibility to find out the truth as we do not want more people to fall victim to this scam, should it exist," he said.

"I promise confidentiality should they come forward."

Chong said he had sought an expert's opinion and was told that it would take a full team to carry out such a surgery.

"To dismiss such cases would be wrong as these happen regularly in the Phillipines, India and China," he said.



Source - The Malay Mail

Jealous wife accused of setting fire to husband's penis

A jealous wife in Australia who allegedly set her husband's sex organ / penis on fire will answer a murder charge in January.

Rajini Narayan, 44, appeared briefly in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday charged with murder, arson and endangering life.

The mother of three allegedly set fire to the genitals of her husband, Satish Narayan, in December last year.

Mr Narayan suffered major burns and died several weeks later.

The fire also gutted the family's suburban Unley home leaving a damage bill of about $1 million.

A previous court hearing heard Narayan had told neighbours: ``I'm a jealous wife, his penis should belong to me. I just wanted to burn his penis so it belongs to me and no one else ... I didn't mean this to happen.''

In court on Friday, defence counsel Lindy Powell, QC, asked for a delay in the date for her client to answer the charge as discussions were still under way with the prosecution.

Magistrate Alf Grasso set down January 22 for Narayan's next appearance.



Source - Perth Now

Virus that turns your iPhone into a zombie

An iPhone virus that turns your mobile into a zombie has infected a number of handsets in Europe, a security firm has warned today.


Reports suggest the new worm, called 'Duh' or 'Ikee.B' by researchers, is spreading quickly in The Netherlands.

Some Dutch iPhone users visiting their online bank ING through their mobiles have reported being redirected to an imitation site by the worm, leaving them vulnerable to cyber criminals.

However, security analysts at Sophos say only jailbroken phones are at risk. Jailbreaking is a hacking process that allows devices to bypass the official App Store and run unapproved services.

Around four million out of 40million iPhones are believed to be jailbroken by their owners.

'Duh' can hunt for 'cracked' iPhones on a wide range of IP addresses including Australia, The Netherlands and Portugal.

The malicious virus appeared just two weeks after an Australian student created the first iPhone virus, which changed a user's wallpaper to a photo of singer Rick Astley.



Read more at - Dailymail.co.uk

Indonesian man's sex organs chopped off

Police had a gruesome experience when they responded to a call from residents of the Taman Pelangi flats in Bukit Mertajam, Selangor, Malaysia on Tuesday.

They found the badly slashed and naked body of an Indonesian man in a bedroom at one of the units on the fourth floor of Block E.

The deceased’s penis and testicles had been chopped off and left next to the body. An Indonesian woman who was found injured in another bedroom in the unit has been arrested.

The woman, who had bruises on her face, was taken to the Seberang Jaya Hospital where she was admitted. She is in her 30s. It is learnt that she was still in a state of shock Wednesday.

Police also recovered a broken piece of the window pane glass which is believed to be the murder weapon, as well instruments for consuming drugs.

The woman had valid travel documents but police were investigating if the deceased, who was either in his 30s or 40s, was in the country legally.

Central Seberang Prai acting OCPD Supt Mohan Singh said the murder was believed to have been committed as early as 4am that day as several residents heard a loud quarrel and the throwing of things.

“We have yet to determine the relationship between the man and woman. We will investigate on the motive. We are also checking whether there was a quarrel between the two or if there was involvement of a third party,” he said.

Supt Mohan Singh did not reveal the identity of the victim whose body was sent to the Seberang Jaya Hospital for a post mortem.

He urged those with information or had witnessed the murder to contact investigation officer ASP Mohd Naim Asnawi at 019-5728844 or the nearest police station.



Via - Daily Chilli

Female Robin Hood Banker Gave Millions To Poor

Another bank manager behaved like Robin Hood, and the person is a female. The first person is Benedict Hancock, 39, last year. And now, a German bank manager secretly transferred millions of pounds from rich clients to debt-ridden customers has been spared jail.

The 62-year-old, dubbed the "Robin Hood banker", was found guilty of moving a total of 7.6 million euros (£6.85m) between 2003 and 2005.

She carried out 117 separate transfers to try and stop people's accounts closing due to lack of funds.

As a rule, the banker - whose name was not reported under German media conventions - moved the money back when the indebted clients were solvent again.

But 1.1 million euros (£991,000) was lost when certain customers were unable to pay their debts. A court, in the western city of Bonn, took a lenient view of the fraud because the defendant owned up immediately and did not take any money for herself.

A judge also said the banker had suffered enough after losing her job and paying compensation. The manager was given a 22-month suspended jail term and she now lives off a tiny pension.


Via - Sky News

Man tried to smuggle 1,000 live spiders out of Brazil

A Briton was reportedly caught by Brazilian police trying to smuggle 1,000 live spiders in his luggage out of the country.

The unnamed man is believed packed the animals into individual boxes and locked in two cases that had been checked as baggage, a police official said.

Deputy head of airport police Rafael Potsch Andreata told Folha Online: "He's the owner of a pet shop in London and was apparently selling spiders there.

"We are investigating if he has done this before and if there is some other kind of market such as selling them to extract poison in order to make medicine."

The man, who has reportedly confessed to smuggling the spiders, could face up to a year in prison and a £1.5m fine if convicted of animal trafficking. The spiders were taken by Brazil's environmental agency for examination.




Via - Telegraph.co.uk

Thieves steal circus van and lion in it

Thieves in western German city of Wuppertal stole a circus truck - without realising there was a lion asleep in the back.

They abandoned the vehicle after crashing into a road sign in the western city of Wuppertal, reports the BBC.

According to Wuppertal police spokeswoman Claudia Otto, Circus Probst filed a stolen vehicle report and explained that their five-year-old carnivore “Caesar” was in the truck and likely getting hungry and thirsty.

“At same time an anonymous report came in around 2 am that a truck had crashed into a traffic sign and the driver had fled,” Otto said.

Police later had the truck towed away to a depot - unaware that the five-year-old lion called Caesar was inside.

Caesar appeared unhurt when a lion tamer arrived to reclaim him after Circus Probst had reported the theft.

The thieves got away and may have been unaware of Caesar's presence, say officers.

A circus spokesman, Laurens Thoen, told German media that there was no indication on the truck about its dangerous cargo. The animal had been dozing in the back of the truck when it was stolen, and was by now probably looking for food and water.

Caesar is reported to be "fine" and is due to perform again with the circus in Krefeld.



Via - Orange News