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Tag: seized
Nearly 70,000 Ambien pills concealed in yarn seized at Dulles International Airport
Nearly 70,000 Ambien pills concealed in yarn seized at Dulles
Nearly 70,000 Ambien pills that were concealed in yarn were seized by agents at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Customs agents intercept drug smuggling attempt
DULLES, Va. – Nearly 70,000 Ambien pills that were concealed in yarn were seized at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Authorities say U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents confiscated the pills on January 16 during a routine inspection of a shipment of yarn from India. The initial discovery was made in December.
Officials say nearly 70,000 Zolpidem Tartrate pills, the generic name for the drug, were found inside 96 rolls of black yarn spooled around pink tubes at an air cargo warehouse at the airport.
Seized pills valued at $33,000; hidden in 96 yarn rolls
The pills weigh 60 pounds and are valued at about $33,000.
“This is a very bold attempt to smuggle a significant amount of prescription medicine into the United States, but this creative concealment method failed to fool Customs and Border Protection officers,” said Christine Waugh, CBP’s Area Port Director for the Area Port of Washington, D.C. in a statement. “CBP officers are committed to protecting the public by intercepting illicit and potentially dangerous products that arrive at our nation’s ports of entry every day.”
The Source: Information in this article comes from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and FOX 5 reporting.
Customs and Border Protection officers at Dulles International Airport made a shocking discovery recently when nearly 70,000 Ambien pills were found concealed in yarn.The pills, typically used to treat insomnia, were stuffed inside skeins of yarn in an attempt to smuggle them into the country. The total street value of the pills is estimated to be over $1 million.
This seizure highlights the lengths some individuals will go to in order to bring illegal substances into the United States. It also serves as a reminder of the diligent work done by CBP officers to protect our borders and keep dangerous drugs off the streets.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
Tags:
- Ambien pills
- Dulles International Airport
- drug smuggling
- yarn concealment
- drug trafficking
- prescription medication
- airport security
- illegal drug seizure
- controlled substances
- drug trafficking bust
#Ambien #pills #concealed #yarn #seized #Dulles #International #Airport
Tesla Cybertruck seized after being unlawfully driven on Greater Manchester roads | UK News
A Tesla Cybertruck has been seized after being unlawfully driven in Greater Manchester.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) stopped a permanent UK resident in Whitefield, Bury, after they were spotted driving the unique-looking electric vehicle.
The Cybertruck is illegal to drive in the UK and this one was found to be registered and insured abroad as well.
Bury Police said: “The driver was a permanent UK resident but the vehicle was registered and insured abroad which is prohibited in the UK.
“The Tesla Cybertruck is not road legal in the UK and does not hold a certificate of conformity.
“Whilst this may seem trivial to some, legitimate concerns exist around the safety of other road users or pedestrians if they were involved in a collision with a Cybertruck.
“The vehicle was subsequently seized under S165 of the Road Traffic Act and the driver reported”.
It’s understood the vehicle was referred to Operation Wolverine, which was established in 2007 to target drivers without insurance.
The driver will now have to prove ownership and correct insurance before getting it released.
However, even if they get it back they still will not be able to drive it on UK roads.
Read more from Sky News:
Jamie Theakston reveals he’s cancer free
Award-winning actress Dame Joan Plowright dies
Haaland signs new nine-and-a-half-year dealAt 5.6m, the Cybertruck is longer than a standard Range Rover – which is just over 5m in length.
It was released by Tesla in 2023 after being first shown in prototype form in 2019.
Toward the end of last year, Tesla recalled almost 700,000 Cybertrucks in the US over an issue with the tyre pressure monitoring system
In a shocking turn of events, a Tesla Cybertruck was seized after being unlawfully driven on the roads of Greater Manchester. The futuristic electric vehicle, known for its unique design and powerful performance, was spotted by authorities speeding through the streets without proper registration or insurance.The driver, who has not been identified, now faces hefty fines and potential criminal charges for their reckless actions. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of following the rules of the road and ensuring that vehicles are properly licensed and insured before being driven.
Authorities are investigating how the driver obtained the Cybertruck and are working to determine if any additional charges will be filed. In the meantime, the seized vehicle will remain in police custody until the matter is resolved.
This incident serves as a cautionary tale for all drivers to always abide by the law and operate their vehicles responsibly. Let this be a lesson to anyone tempted to flaunt the rules of the road – the consequences can be severe. Stay safe and drive legally, for the sake of yourself and others on the road.
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Tesla Cybertruck, Greater Manchester, UK news, unlawfully driven, seized vehicle, electric vehicle, road safety, legal consequences, traffic violation, Manchester police, electric car, Tesla Motors, law enforcement, vehicle impoundment
#Tesla #Cybertruck #seized #unlawfully #driven #Greater #Manchester #roads #NewsExperts warn of Israeli intel lapses after seized documents show
In a recent reveal, Israel’s Channel 12 News exposed documents that were found during the ground operation that showed years of effort on Hamas’s part to gather intelligence about border towns and villages in Israel, including the movements and habits of leading local figures and security officers. Through meticulous information-gathering, Hamas was not only able to execute a surprise offensive but a precise one.
For more stories from The Media Line go to themedialine.org“It was clear for a long time that with the aid of Iran, Hamas had been collecting intelligence methodically and doing so in a professional manner,” Prof. Kobi Michael, a researcher at the Institute of National Security Studies and the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy, told The Media Line. “This also shows Israel’s great permeability; it wasn’t too hard of a job.”
On Oct. 7, 2023, thousands of Hamas terrorists stormed Israel’s border with Gaza and carried out the largest single-day terrorist attack against the Jewish state. Approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed and thousands more were injured. Hamas took 250 people into captivity, 100 of whom are still being held in Gaza, though many are presumed dead. The attack stunned Israel, and as the shock subsided, many questions were raised about Israel’s preparedness, the extent of the intelligence it had, and what could have been done to prevent such a tragedy.
According to the Channel 12 News report, documents and sensitive information were collected for years. Hamas hacked surveillance cameras throughout southern Israel, and the organization managed to infiltrate sensitive systems, allowing them to diligently monitor the movements of critical security figures in the border area.
“Hamas did an excellent job using OSINT (open-source intelligence) and gained access to CCTV cameras, which are so prevalent today,” said Michael. “Together, this was an endless source of intelligence.”
A computer keyboard lit by a displayed cyber code is seen in this illustration picture taken on March 1, 2017. (credit: REUTERS/KACPER PEMPEL/ILLUSTRATION) Since the attack, Israel launched a massive war against Hamas in Gaza. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed while the Israeli army has conducted thousands of airstrikes and a massive ground operation. Israeli troops are still on the ground in Gaza, though to a lesser extent than at the beginning of the war.
“In order for Israel to prevent a terrorist army to exist on its border, it needs full security control in Gaza,” Brig. Gen. (Res.) Amir Avivi, founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF), told The Media Line. “These abilities, developed by Hamas, grew as a result of Israel’s lack of control on the territory.”
Michael added that the Israeli army and its soldiers also lack operational discipline, often disregarding directives about information safety and the usage of social media.
“The defense establishment was indifferent in a sense,” he said. “The local authorities also didn’t attach much importance to this issue, and it became a blind spot that widened.”
Hamas took advantage of the growing blind spot for years.
Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, 38 years after it captured the territory from Egyptian hands during the 1967 Six-Day War. Israel maintained control of the border crossings it shared with Gaza and also its airspace and territorial waters through a strict naval blockade. Egyptian soldiers and Hamas operatives manned Gaza’s border with Egypt until Israel took control of the border town of Rafah and the crossing several months ago.
Hamas’s growth
“From 2005 until October 7, with the absence of Israeli presence on the ground, there was an exponential growth of Hamas’ abilities, including its intelligence capabilities,” said Avivi. “They developed very advanced surveillance systems which are akin to systems the Israeli intelligence holds and also operated human intelligence operations, while significantly hindering Israel’s ability to use human sources to gather intelligence.”
These circumstances demonstrate the complexity of Israel’s relationship with Gaza and the Palestinians.
Gaza residents have entered Israel to work since 1967. More work opportunities and higher wages made Israel a lucrative work destination for Palestinians. This trend continued even when Israel disengaged from the territory. This arrangement, together with Israel’s hold on most of Gaza’s borders, meant Israel and the Gaza Strip were still deeply connected, both dependent on each other.
For Israel, Palestinians provided cheap labor in certain fields, such as agriculture, in which most Israelis no longer work. For Palestinians, employment in Israel was the key to improving their standard of living in one of the world’s most impoverished territories. Over the decades, the number of work permits fluctuated, often symbiotic with the rise and ease of tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.
One clear example of this fluctuation was in the days leading up to Hamas’s stunning attack. Days before the war, Gaza residents approached the security fence with Israel, demonstrating against the blockade. In response, Israel barred the entrance of Gaza laborers into the country for a short period. In an attempt to diffuse the tension, Israel then lifted the sanction, allowing Palestinian workers in. However, tensions were not diffused. Instead, war broke out that would change the face of the region.
The economic interdependence also exists in the West Bank, territories which Israel also captured in 1967 and refers to as Judea and Samaria. Some of the territories are fully controlled by the Palestinian Authority (PA), others are fully controlled by Israel, and some are under Palestinian civil control and Israeli military hold.
In response to the war in Gaza, Israel also drastically reduced the number of Palestinian workers allowed to enter from the West Bank. From over 100,000 workers a day, the number has been lowered to a few thousand, citing Israeli security concerns and the potential for further tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. From Gaza, where the war is ongoing, there has been no entrance of workers since the fighting began.
Before Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli defense establishment and much of the political echelon believed that the entrance of Palestinians to work in Israel, both from Gaza and the West Bank, defused tensions and decreased motivation to engage in terrorism while creating an incentive to maintain the quiet between Israel and the Palestinians.
“This presumption was wrong,” said Michael. “In Gaza, it didn’t cause Hamas to change its ideology or reduce its motivation to carry out such an attack; it didn’t create a positive impact but also created an intelligence platform for Hamas.”
According to Avivi, “It was clear that work permits for Palestinians would create extensive intelligence for Hamas.”
Throughout Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank are Palestinians who share familial connections, another vulnerability that is believed to have been used by Hamas in Gaza to collect intelligence in and on Israel.
Israeli forces carry out daily raids in the West Bank against terrorist activity, detaining tens of suspects every day, making for a clearer intelligence outlook. Consequently, Israel’s ability to thwart attacks from those territories has been consistently better, and the chances of an attack similar to Oct. 7 being carried out from the West Bank are slimmer, though not non-existent. This is due to the existing familial connections and the current flow of workers into Israel.
“One cannot rely on technology alone for intelligence, and in the disengagement, Israel lost the critical ability to gather intelligence through human sources,” Avivi said. “While in Judea and Samaria, Israel has complete freedom to operate and control the arena through massive settlements, in Gaza, this was not possible, making the ability to generate quality intelligence non-existent.
Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 made it almost impossible for Israel’s secret service to recruit Palestinian agents. The withdrawal also saw an Israeli commando unit charged with recruiting agents unable to operate from within Gaza. While Israel’s security grip on the West Bank is much stronger than it has been in Gaza, it is not immune from a similar Oct. 7 scenario.
“Israel must presume that the Palestinians are capable of gathering such intelligence on Israel from the West Bank as they did from Gaza, even though Hamas’s capabilities there are much more limited,” said Michael. “But in the end, geography has little significance in such cases where surveillance cameras can be accessed remotely.”
For now, Israel remains in Gaza, with the government vowing to retain control over security matters in the territory indefinitely. With 100 remaining hostages waiting to be released from the hands of Hamas terrorists, making up for years of little intelligence is critical.
“Israeli intelligence control is therefore increasing, but there are still gaps,” said Avivi. “There is a lot of intelligence about the hostages, but in order to release them, that is not enough. It is very rare that the operational conditions that allow for rescue operations exist.”
In a recent development, experts are warning of potential Israeli intelligence lapses after seized documents revealed sensitive information. The documents, obtained by a foreign entity, reportedly contain details about Israeli military operations, intelligence gathering methods, and strategic plans.The breach has raised concerns about the security of Israel’s intelligence agencies and their ability to protect classified information. Experts fear that this incident could compromise Israel’s national security and put the country at risk of potential threats.
Israeli authorities have launched an investigation into the matter and are working to determine the extent of the breach. They have urged caution and vigilance among intelligence personnel to prevent further leaks of sensitive information.
In light of this alarming revelation, experts are calling for increased cybersecurity measures and stricter protocols to safeguard Israel’s intelligence assets. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the constant threats faced by intelligence agencies in the digital age and the importance of maintaining robust security protocols to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Tags:
- Israeli intelligence
- Seized documents
- Security breaches
- National security
- Intelligence lapses
- Classified information
- Israeli security
- Government secrets
- Security risks
- Intelligence agencies
#Experts #warn #Israeli #intel #lapses #seized #documents #show
Ukraine risks losing all Russian land it seized within months, U.S. says
After a surprise offensive earlier this year, Ukraine’s forces have lost about half the territory seized in Russia’s Kursk region and may lose the rest in a matter of months, according to U.S. officials, potentially depriving Kyiv of important leverage for ceasefire talks with Russia.
Ukraine’s military is already grappling with a lack of manpower and uncertainty about the future flow of supplies from the U.S. and other allies, even as it struggles to fend off Russian advances in its east. In Kursk, the region in western Russia where Ukrainian forces seized a swath of land, Ukrainian troops are also facing off against about 12,000 North Korean troops reinforcing the Russians.
With a more concerted effort by Moscow to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk, possibly as soon as next month, Kyiv’s forces may only be able to hold the land until spring before they are forced to retreat — or risk being encircled — the U.S. officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss their confidential assessments.
The United States has issued a warning to Ukraine, stating that it risks losing all Russian land it seized within months if it does not de-escalate tensions in the region. The U.S. expressed concerns over Ukraine’s recent actions, including the annexation of Crimea and military operations in eastern Ukraine, which have strained relations with Russia.The U.S. emphasized the importance of finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict and urged Ukraine to engage in diplomatic efforts to ease tensions. Failure to do so, the U.S. warned, could lead to severe consequences, including the loss of all Russian land seized by Ukraine.
The statement comes amid growing concerns over a potential escalation of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, where fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists has intensified in recent weeks. The U.S. has called on all parties to respect the ceasefire agreement and work towards a lasting peace in the region.
As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen whether Ukraine will heed the warning from the U.S. and take steps to de-escalate tensions with Russia. Failure to do so could have far-reaching consequences for both countries and the wider region.
Tags:
- Ukraine
- Russia
- territorial conflict
- international relations
- U.S. statement
- geopolitical tensions
- Crimea
- annexation
- European politics
- diplomatic crisis
#Ukraine #risks #losing #Russian #land #seized #months #U.S
