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Updated 7.45pm
MEMBERS OF A crime gang with strong links to Limerick have been sentenced for plotting to steal up to €73 million worth of jade and rhino horn artefacts in England.
Seven men from various parts of the UK were sentenced today, and six more are due to be sentenced tomorrow. Another man was previously sentenced to 15 months in prison in April 2015 for his involvement.
BBC News reports that the following sentences were handed down at Birmingham Crown Court today:
Some of the men have strong links to the Irish Traveller community in Rathkeale in Limerick, and have been dubbed the Rathkeale Rovers.
Chi Cheong Donald Wong is a London-based intermediary who would find buyers for the stolen items, and made frequent trips to Hong Kong.
The group’s targets had included Durham University Oriental Museum, the Norwich Castle Museum in Norfolk, a robbery at Gorringes Auction House in East Sussex and a burglary at Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
The police estimate that the loot netted from the thefts would have fetched between £18 million and £57 million (€23 million to €73 million) in China (the variation in price coming down to how much they may fetch at auction).
There is high demand for rhino horns in China, where they are used in highly controversial preparations of traditional Chinese medicine.
In recent years, prices of drinking cups made of sculpted rhinoceros horns also have soared in the Chinese art market.
- Contains reporting from AFP and Órla Ryan
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Could he not just read the Journal and find out the truth
@Aideen Pollard: most truthful comments get b
@Aideen Pollard: You mean when U.S. intelligence stated there were Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
@Donal Desmond: US intelligence reports and memos also said there were no WMDs. The Bush administration basically “cherry picked” the intelligence that suited their narrative and ignored good intelligence reports and agents that were actually accurate.
He knows exactly what is happening the spineless little man
The Russia changed tactics after Feb 27, that is the day their troops went on a kamikaze mission into Kharkiv.
Putin was likely livid that no major city was taken 3 days after the invasion started (this was supposed to be a 3 – 4 day mission) and he ordered the generals to send troops into Kharkiv.
Bizarre scenes of un-armoured canvas covered trucks driving towards the heavily defended city centre and other scenes of a few troops walking nervously behind lightly armoured vehicles, with tactics so inept they looked like a bachelor party playing paintball.
After that mess Russian troops avoided direct confrontation with the motivated Ukrainian army, switched to sitting outside cities and firing artillery and cruise missiles at them, the invasion had failed on that day, it ground to a halt (only a few gains in the south, but that came as a cost of loosing generals that acted as cheerleaders on the front line, trying to rally the troops).
Mr putride, a thug of the highest order.
@Richard Ahern: Herr Putin.
I suppose that’s what happens when you surround yourself with sycophantic yes men?
They aren’t telling him because they are terrified of him.
Advisors also told Putin that ruble is best performing currency in March…
The truth must slip out occasionally, and the people who forget to button it get fired or put under house arrest.
Such a horrible face. His eyes are so close together. Isn’t that a sign of a looper?
They remember how his Uncle Adolf used to react to the truth?
@Gerry campbell: they reckon the battle for D Day could have been very different if anyone had dared to wake Hitler to tell him the invasion has started. As it was he slept on blissfully unaware and by the time he eventually found out priceless hours had been lost that could have been used to bolster defences.
Yeah what are the chances of that
It’ll end badly for Putin. It always does for despots like this. And soon in his case.
Beware of those whose eyebrows meet for in their heart there lies deceit.
@Aine O Connor: The hair on his head doesn’t even meet in the middle lol
have your say