People Carrying Offensive Weapons At Nine Year High

June 13, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The number of people caught carrying knives and offensive weapons in England and Wales has reached a nine-year high.

Figures for the year to March show 22,041 offences were dealt with by police and the courts.

The Ministry Of Justice says this has increased 34% since 2015, and is the highest number since 2010. Almost two-thirds of cases did not result in immediate prison - but for those jailed, the average term was 7.9 months, up from 7.1 months in 2017-18.

26 Civilians Injured At Saudi Airport After Missile Attack

June 12, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

At least 26 civilians have been injured in a missile attack by Yemen's rebel Houthi movement on an airport in south-west Saudi Arabia, the military says.

Three women and two children were among those hurt when the arrivals hall at Abha airport was hit early on Wednesday, according to a statement. The rebels said they had launched a cruise missile at the facility.

Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of Arab states backing Yemen's government in its four-year war with the Houthis.

MI5 Placed Under Special Measures For Use & Storage Of Data

June 11, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The security service MI5 has been criticised by a government watchdog for "unlawful" storage and handling of large amounts of data.

In the High Court, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner said MI5 was effectively in "special measures" over its use of data obtained under warrants. Some of the data will have been part of counter-terrorism operations.

Civil rights group Liberty said many of the warrants were "probably unlawful".

100 Villagers Killed In Mali Attack

June 10, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Nearly 100 people have been killed in attack in a village in central Mali inhabited by the Dogon ethnic group, reports say.

The attack happened in Sobane-Kou, close to Sanga town, according to French-language news outlet RFI. The bodies of the dead have been burned, says a local official, and the search for more bodies is ongoing.

There have been numerous attacks in Mali in recent months, some ethnic, some carried out by jihadist groups. Clashes between Dogon hunters and semi-nomadic Fulani herders are frequent.

Eight Police Officers Killed In IS Attack At Egyptian Checkpoint

June 6, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Eight Egyptian police officers have been killed in a militant attack on a checkpoint in the northern Sinai peninsula, the interior ministry says.

The attack took place west of the city of El-Arish, as local people celebrated the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr.

The jihadist group Islamic State (IS) later said it was behind the attack. A claim published by its Amaq news agency said militants killed 10 police officers in two simultaneous attacks on checkpoints near El-Arish.

Egyptian state media meanwhile broadcast photographs purportedly showing the bodies of several of the attackers.

75th Anniversary Of D Day Commemorated

June 5, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The Queen has paid tribute to the "heroism, courage and sacrifice" of those who died in the D-Day landings.

She was joined by 16 world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of history's largest combined land, air and naval operation.

Mr Trump, who was on the last day of his UK state visit, said D-Day "may have been the greatest battle ever".

Veterans of the landings in Normandy to liberate western Europe also attended.

Jihadi Jack's Mother Horrified Son Was In Syria

June 4, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The mother of a Muslim convert dubbed "Jihadi Jack" told a court she was "horrified" when he called to say he was in Syria.

Sally Lane, 56, and her husband are accused of sending or trying to send her son £1,723, despite having reason to believe he had joined Islamic State.

Jack Letts left his Oxford home at 18, married an Iraqi tribesman's daughter and moved to Syria, jurors have heard.

Mrs Lane and John Letts, 58, deny three charges of funding terrorism. They are alleged to have ignored repeated warnings that they faced prosecution if they tried to help their son while he was in IS territory.

Death Of German Political Leader A Mystery

June 3, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Investigators have begun a criminal inquiry into the death of a political leader in the German city of Kassel.

Walter Lübcke, the 65-year-old head of the regional council, was found shot in the head with no weapon at the scene, German media reported.

Police said only that the circumstances of the death were unclear and that the crime bureau was leading the inquiry.

"We are deeply shocked by the sudden death of our friend," said Hesse state premier Volker Bouffier.

Knifeman Arrested At Gatwick Airport

June 3, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A man armed with two kitchen knives has been arrested at Gatwick Airport.

The 30-year-old tried to pass through a staff search area in the South Terminal just before 02:00 BST openly carrying a knife in each hand, police said.

The area was secured and he was challenged by armed police officers who used a Taser to detain him. He was arrested on suspicion of possessing offensive weapons and making threats to kill. Police said it was not being treated as terrorist-related.

Police Missed Plenty Of Opportunities To Discover London Bridge Terrorists

May 31, 2019 / By Armoured Cars / In security

There were "opportunities galore" to identify that the London Bridge extremists were plotting an attack, an inquest has heard.

Gareth Patterson, the lawyer representing several victims' families, said there was evidence the attackers had been in contact since January 2017.

Eight people died in the attack on 3 June 2017. But investigating officer Acting Det Ch Insp Wayne Jolley denied there had been missed opportunities