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SPAIN’S GOVERNMENT SAYS a joint investigation by Spanish and French police has busted a gang that allegedly was smuggling Chinese citizens into Europe and the United States.
The Interior Ministry said today that 75 people have been arrested, 51 in Spain and 24 in France, including the two Barcelona-based suspected heads of the organisation in Europe.
A police officer displays visa stamps found during the raid. Pic: AP Photo/Spanish Police
The gang allegedly charged up to €50,000 ($66,700) to transport Chinese nationals to the US, Britain, Spain, France, Greece, Italy and Turkey.
Some of the people trafficked ended up in the sex trade, the ministry says.
A police officer shows passports, stamps, a gun, right partly seen, Ids, printers and mobile phones found after member of gang allegedly dedicated to smuggling Chinese citizens into Europe and the USA were arrested by police in Barcelona. Pic: AP Photo/Spanish Police
The gang’s main European hub was Barcelona airport.
It allegedly used the northeastern city as a stopping-off point for Chinese while false documents were prepared.
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Send the woman home for feck’s sake. Horrible treatment of someone who you obviously know has done nothing wrong.
@nazi killer: Am not an expert on this case, but how do you know it is obvious that she did nothing wrong, or is it your gut feeling? Or have you automatically just trusted the word of the british government on it?
@Oscar Leary: you
@Oscar Leary: your prejudice is getting in the way of your humanity. You’re casting aspersions just because you want to get a pointless dig in against the U.K. government.
@Oscar Leary: for me it’s the fact that they keep on deferring her case. If they had something on her they’d try her. But even in an unfair Revolutionary Court they’ve nothing except keeping her in an indefinite remand.
@Sara Davis: It is a fair question to ask, as to automatically assume the opposite (that Iranians / muslims can’t possibly provide a fair trial) could also be called prejudiced. Also I don’t believe the UK government is in a habit of confirming that their agents are spies or have been on spying activities when they’ve been caught in foreign countries. And for me, the UK government have been strangely quiet on this. I would hope that if an innocent Irish citizen was caught in a similar predicament that the Irish govt would be making a lot more noise about it than the UK govt currently is in this situation, hence my questions.
@nazi killer: Thank you. But I think they did try her when she was first detained. I don’t know anything of that trial or the evidence or its fairness. This latest trial relates to new charges.
@Oscar Leary: It’s not that Iranians/muslims couldn’t possibly provide a fair trial, don’t be silly. No one is suggesting that.
It’s that this Iranian *regime* filled with hardline clerics can’t be trusted to run a show trial nevermind a fair one. They regularly execute their political opponents for god’s sake.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/07/irans-staggering-execution-spree/
Put the bickering about the Brits to one side for a second; a legal system that treats people like this and has done since the 1979 ‘Revolution’ doesn’t deserve to be defended by the likes of yourself.
@Oscar Leary: mó the British government was pretty mute on the subject
@ihcalaM: Yeah their system looks pretty grim alright. But all that is commentary on the general system, not this specific case. My original Q was genuine. How was it obvious she is innocent? Did the OP know something substantial? And to be honest, with respect, I don’t think he/she did. Given that a reference was made to Nazanin being currently on remand, which as I understand now she is currently serving the sentence from her original trial. So the possibility is there – I don’t know either way – that she is a British agent. And if she is and was on official British agent work in Iran, then if caught she was always likely to serve a long time in prison. Either way, the UK govt knows. But I haven’t heard anything yet that has made me believe fully in guilt or innocence either way.
@Oscar Leary: Situations reversed, what would have happened to Iranian spies in the UK or even the US. I imagine the sentencing would have been strong too. The US have in the past executed foreign agents for espionage for example.
@Oscar Leary: Julian Assange?? Now if he had been through in Iran what he’s been going through in UK there would be uproar.
@Oscar Leary: You commented on not knowing about the fairness of the trial – I was pointing out that the Iranian Revolutionary justice system is totally broken, based on fear and retribution rather than facts, and carries out regular and unconscionable human rights abuses.
Since this woman has not been tried in an impartial court, and the regime/prosecutors are keeping their ‘evidence’ to themselves, I’m not prepared to say she’s done anything wrong. Especially when she has this trial constantly delayed for no reason and with no explanation, and no actual evidence of her guilt in the public domain.
I just hope she is released and let leave the country. My heart goes out to Zaghari and her family. Why are the British government not putting pressure on Iran but not Boris Johnston as he made a blunder when trying to negotiate her release.
@Orla Cosgrave: imagine Boris making a mess of something
@Alan McArdle: imagine him getting anything right!
Because what she was doing was illegal and against the law of the Country
So the Britush government refused to supply the tanks and kept the money which had been paid. Well maybe they should pay up. This woman is obviously a pawn being used to pressure Britain. Britain has form in making agreements and then reneging on them. They are at it again now with Brexit and the EU. The woman when released should sue both Iran and the British Government.
So the UK stole from Iran and now they’re holding one of the UK’s citizens for random to the tune of 400million.feel sorry for that woman. Not her fault she’s British
@Colm Walsh: Just shows how lucky we are in this country with a fair, democratic and liberal criminal justice system, too liberal some might say!
Boris Johnson should be ashamed of himself. His big mouth made her situation infinitely worse.
Horrible evil iran government regime make up arrest her no reason, she never spies and should invasion war against Iran finish off cos illegal develop nuclear without sign international
@Brian Flavin: ???
@ihcalaM: Brian is a regular around here. Always gets his point across too.
@Brian Flavin: what are you on about ……
@Brian Flavin: Gud Inglish
@Fr. Fintan Stack: Actually think I remember seeing someone say he was blind (maybe?) If so, fair enough!
@ihcalaM: you what?? Your comment bored
@Colm Walsh: you need look Google history of regime iran
@Brian Flavin: well you’re name is not Brian flavin,,, with English like that..
@Patricia O’Reilly: You should think before you make uneducated comments on people!!
Boris Johnson has scuttled any chance of this women ever being released
I am sure she will be released very soon. At least she is under house arrest now and not in jail. Just a little more patience and all will
Work out.
@Margaret O Neill: I agree
@Margaret O Neill: I fear not, another trial called where her side will not be heard.. she could end up with a very fast death sentence which is their justice… they will only listen to their witnesses with made up stories.. poor woman can’t have a defense. Very dangerous nation.
Ship out the tanks, probably obsolete spec anyway, or refund the money. The trade embargo also needs to be scrapped in favour of normalising relationships. The continuing aggro is too dangerous.
The Brits have a counter claim in respect of seized assets, but the facts are that imperial Britain scoured many countries of resources, so Iran has some historic basis to get their funds.
Pretty uncivilised way to imprison & mentally torture this woman to get their money though.
A sure I’ve been under house arrest for the last 6 months because of Covid ~ It’s not that bad if you are not greedy emotionally or financially but narcissists or egoists would find it hell ~~~ Now really greedy feckers like yer man from Cityjet need a rare auld slapping !
UK just as evil as Iran. They kept 400m Iranian money. Perfidious?
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