Latest news with #Iranian-Dutch
Sunday World
08-07-2025
- Sunday World
‘Cocaine mule' caught with high tech gear and stealth boat says he was going to ‘boot-camp'
No drugs were landed in Ireland but 840 kilos of cocaine worth more than €58 million was found washed up on beaches in Denmark Ali Mazidi covers his face as he's led by officers One of 10 men charged with conspiracy to import drugs after being arrested with satellite phones, walkie-talkies, tracking devices, bug detection devices and stealth boat claimed he was innocent and merely going to a 'military style fitness boot camp'. Iranian-Dutch national Ali Mazidi (49), with an address in Rotterdam, was one of the alleged gang members arrested in Tragumna and Leap in west Cork following a surveillance operation on March 14 last year. No drugs were landed in Ireland but 840 kilos of cocaine worth more than €58 million was found washed up on beaches in Denmark. It is unclear if the mission to land the drugs in Ireland was aborted due to surveillance fears or poor sea conditions. The men, of various nationalities including Irish, Spanish, Iranian-Dutch and Serbian, were charged before the Special Criminal Court with conspiracy to import controlled drugs into Ireland. Some have pleaded guilty while other maintain their innocence including Mazidi, who told gardai he was taking part in a fitness boot camp. The suspects had used a 40 foot RIB (rigid inflatable boat) with three high powered engines attached to it which had been modified for stealth and speed. All lights were blacked out and any surface capable of reflecting light had been spray painted black while its screens were also taped over. Gardai believe the stealth boat was going to be used to meet with a 'mothership' to collect a large quantity of drugs but the meeting never took place and the drugs ended up washing up in Denmark. A court has also heard Mazidi had travelled to the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Columbia, Trinidad & Tobago and Ecuador on two occasions and Turkey in the months before his arrest. Mazidi told gardai he was 'a self-employed coffee distributor'. Ali Mazidi covers his face as he's led by officers Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 8th Specific details of how the operation unfolded were revealed in a recent unsuccessful Supreme Court case taken by Mazidi looking to overturn a High Court decision to refuse him bail. The court heard that uniformed garda stopped a car in Bandon on February 27, 2024, and when asked for identification, Mazidi, who was a passenger in the vehicle, said all his documents were in his hotel. However, gardai found a number of identity documents including a Dutch passport belonging to Mazidi when they searched the vehicle. The passport revealed his extensive travel history in the months previously to several countries on multiple continents with links to the international cocaine trade. Gardai also found a notepad with various pier locations, accommodations and travel times and distances between the piers and accommodations. Mazidi was later released without charge. Gardai swooped at Tragumna Pier near Skibbereen A concerned citizen had contacted gardai after three vehicles converged on Tragumna Pier, around 5km from Skibbereen, on March 12. The witness observed the boat being launched to sea and contacted gardai who launched a surveillance operation. Gardai watched as all three vehicles reconverged on the pier at 4.45am on March 14, almost 48 hours later while the RIB was approaching the coastline. All 10 co-accused were on the pier as the boat was loaded with difficulty onto the trailer. At 7.20am the campervan left the pier and drove into Leap village. Gardai arrested the occupants of the van and those remaining on the pier. Mazidi was arrested in the rear of the stolen Land Rover with three other men. Gardai found receipts which showed more than £8,500 had been spent on maritime clothing alone prior to March 12. They also found a large volume of communication devices including five owned by Mazidi. Mazidi claimed his presence in the area 'related to the organisation of a military style fitness bootcamp'. He denied any involvement in drug importation. He also claimed gardai handed him a phone and 'planted a document' in his bag during the arrest operation. In April , three of his co-accused, Mario Angel Del Rio Sanz (45) of no fixed abode in Spain; Anuar Rahui Chairi (42) of Malaga in Spain; and Aleksander Milic (27) of Svetorgorska, Belgrade in Serbia, pleaded guilty to the charges.
Sunday World
08-07-2025
- Sunday World
‘Cocaine mule's' boot-camp claim after being charged with conspiracy to import drugs
No drugs were landed in Ireland but 840 kilos of cocaine worth more than €58 million was found washed up on beaches in Denmark Ali Mazidi covers his face as he's led by officers One of 10 men charged with conspiracy to import drugs after being arrested with satellite phones, walkie-talkies, tracking devices, bug detection devices and stealth boat claimed he was innocent and merely going to a 'military style fitness boot camp'. Iranian-Dutch national Ali Mazidi (49), with an address in Rotterdam, was one of the alleged gang members arrested in Tragumna and Leap in west Cork following a surveillance operation on March 14 last year. No drugs were landed in Ireland but 840 kilos of cocaine worth more than €58 million was found washed up on beaches in Denmark. It is unclear if the mission to land the drugs in Ireland was aborted due to surveillance fears or poor sea conditions. The men, of various nationalities including Irish, Spanish, Iranian-Dutch and Serbian, were charged before the Special Criminal Court with conspiracy to import controlled drugs into Ireland. Some have pleaded guilty while other maintain their innocence including Mazidi, who told gardai he was taking part in a fitness boot camp. The suspects had used a 40 foot RIB (rigid inflatable boat) with three high powered engines attached to it which had been modified for stealth and speed. All lights were blacked out and any surface capable of reflecting light had been spray painted black while its screens were also taped over. Gardai believe the stealth boat was going to be used to meet with a 'mothership' to collect a large quantity of drugs but the meeting never took place and the drugs ended up washing up in Denmark. A court has also heard Mazidi had travelled to the United Arab Emirates, Peru, Columbia, Trinidad & Tobago and Ecuador on two occasions and Turkey in the months before his arrest. Mazidi told gardai he was 'a self-employed coffee distributor'. Specific details of how the operation unfolded were revealed in a recent unsuccessful Supreme Court case taken by Mazidi looking to overturn a High Court decision to refuse him bail. The court heard that uniformed garda stopped a car in Bandon on February 27, 2024, and when asked for identification, Mazidi, who was a passenger in the vehicle, said all his documents were in his hotel. However, gardai found a number of identity documents including a Dutch passport belonging to Mazidi when they searched the vehicle. The passport revealed his extensive travel history in the months previously to several countries on multiple continents with links to the international cocaine trade. Gardai also found a notepad with various pier locations, accommodations and travel times and distances between the piers and accommodations. Mazidi was later released without charge. Ali Mazidi covers his face as he's led by officers A concerned citizen had contacted gardai after three vehicles converged on Tragumna Pier, around 5km from Skibbereen, on March 12. The witness observed the boat being launched to sea and contacted gardai who launched a surveillance operation. Gardai watched as all three vehicles reconverged on the pier at 4.45am on March 14, almost 48 hours later while the RIB was approaching the coastline. All 10 co-accused were on the pier as the boat was loaded with difficulty onto the trailer. At 7.20am the campervan left the pier and drove into Leap village. Gardai arrested the occupants of the van and those remaining on the pier. Mazidi was arrested in the rear of the stolen Land Rover with three other men. Gardai found receipts which showed more than £8,500 had been spent on maritime clothing alone prior to March 12. They also found a large volume of communication devices including five owned by Mazidi. Mazidi claimed his presence in the area 'related to the organisation of a military style fitness bootcamp'. He denied any involvement in drug importation. He also claimed gardai handed him a phone and 'planted a document' in his bag during the arrest operation. In April , three of his co-accused, Mario Angel Del Rio Sanz (45) of no fixed abode in Spain; Anuar Rahui Chairi (42) of Malaga in Spain; and Aleksander Milic (27) of Svetorgorska, Belgrade in Serbia, pleaded guilty to the charges. Gardai swooped at Tragumna Pier near Skibbereen Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 7th
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Dystopian' video shows robot dog scaring real dog in NYC: ‘That thing is possessed'
In a moment that could only be described as 'Peak 2025,' a woman walking her robotic dog through the streets of New York City was forced to gain control of her metal mutt after it lunged at a real dog. In a clip posted to social media, a woman wearing stilettos can be seen strutting along the streets with her AI canine on a chain leash. Advertisement Suddenly, the cyber-dog comes face-to-face with what appears to be a caboodle — bringing it to a halt. 5 A woman walked along the New York City streets with her AI canine on a chain leash in a social media post. Tiktok/@sevdaliza The woman lovingly watches on as her creepy pet drops down into a 'playful' position before lunging at the horrified caboodle. The cyber-puppy then flips onto its back and rocks back and forth like a petrified Christmas beetle as his glamorous owner rushes to his aid. Advertisement Meanwhile, the shaken-up caboodle is now standing extra close to its owner who appears to be filming the debacle. 5 The cyber-puppy flipped onto its back and rocked back and forth, scaring a nearby caboodle. Tiktok/@sevdaliza Luckily, the real dog was unharmed, save for emotional distress and likely a future in therapy. Since the clip, the glamorous robo-dog owner in question has been identified as Iranian-Dutch singer, songwriter Sevdaliza — infamous for her tech-erotica inspired music. Advertisement The Vogue-featured pop artist has also invented a 'Femmenoid,' which she says is a robot proxy of herself named Dahlia. 5 The robo-dog owner is an Iranian-Dutch singer-songwriter named Sevdaliza, known for tech-erotica inspired music. Tiktok/@sevdaliza In a recent clip posted to her Instagram, the star tells a street-interviewer that her dog is 'so sweet' as it stomps its legs up and down. Social media, naturally, had a field day over the 'dystopian' scenes. Advertisement 'It's like an episode of Black Mirror,' said one viewer. Start and end your day informed with our newsletters Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters 'Yeah, we're done for,' said another. 'That thing is possessed,' said a third. Others, were less than impressed with the antics. 5 People on social media weighed in on the 'dystopian' scene. grandfailure – 'I'd be stomping on that thing so fast,' said one person. 'I'd be taking that thing out so quick no robot is about to jump at my dog,' echoed another. Advertisement 5 'Yeah, we're done for,' one person wrote. Alienmarsh – The Rise of Robo-Mutts Robot dogs — originally developed for military surveillance and now inexplicably available to anyone with an Afterpay account — have been slowly infiltrating dog parks across the world. Equipped with facial recognition, object detection, and a disturbingly realistic bark, many are programmed to mimic real canine behavior — bar the fur. Advertisement They can range anywhere between roughly $48,000 to just a few hundred of dollars, meaning anyone can get their hands on one. Major brands such as Dick Smith, Kogan, Amazon, and even AliExpress have created their own versions of the popular pet. There's even one for sale called the 'Thermonator' which is the 'first-ever flamethrower-wielding robot dog' and currently retails for $9,420. Add to cart — obviously.
