Indian-origin man jailed for smuggling banned drugs into the UK
LONDON, Aug 26: An Indian-origin man and his accomplice have been sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment each after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle banned drugs into Britain after an investigation led by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA). Sundeep Singh Rai, 37, and accomplice Billy Hayre, 43, belonged to an organised crime group (OCG) responsible for 30 kilos of cocaine and 30 kilos of amphetamine being smuggled to the UK on a cargo plane from Mexico. The duo initially denied charges of conspiracy to supply class A banned drugs, but changed their pleas to guilty just before a trial was due to start at Wolverhampton Crown Court earlier this year and were sentenced for the crimes at the same court on Friday. “Rai and Hayre were behind a sophisticated attempt to smuggle class A drugs from Mexico onto the streets of the UK,” said NCA Operations Manager Chris Duplock. “I have no doubt that had we not stopped them, they would have used this route repeatedly to bring in more drugs. Working with partners at home and abroad, we will do all we can to disrupt the supply of class A drugs which are inextricably linked to gang violence and real suffering across UK communities,” he said. (PTI)
Wildfires burn 60,000 hectares in Italy this year
ROME, Aug 26: Wildfires have so far burned more than 600 square km. (60,000 hectares) of land in Italy, more than in all of 2022, Coldiretti, the country’s main agricultural association said. It said on Friday that the past two unusually dry and hot summers have left water levels in rivers and lakes low, contributing to dry conditions in wooded areas. The areas impacted most by the fires are the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, but other parts of southern Italy also experienced uncontrolled blazes. Most recently, fires torched the eastern part of the Tuscan island of Elba. The total area impacted by fires is more than three times the size of the city of Milan in northern Italy. (IANS)
