A London man has been charged after police found £6million worth of cocaine in a van. The bust was made by Essex Police on Monday (March 25).
They recovered 62 kilos of the drug. Nadim Aitchegou, 21, of London, has been charged with being concerned in the supply of cocaine and possession with intent to supply cocaine, a class A drug.
Miroslaw Perka, 33, of no-fixed-abode, has been charged with being concerned in the fraudulent evasion of a prohibition on the importation of a class A drug. Aitchegou and Perka appeared at the North Staffordshire Justice Centre on Wednesday (March 27) and have been remanded in custody ahead of their next appearance at Stafford Crown Court on April 26.
The seized drugs are believed to have a street value of £6 million (Image: Getty)
Elsewhere in the capital, police are searching for a man after two teenage girls were sexually assaulted on the escalators of a Tube station. Both incidents happened at around 5pm last Friday (March 22) at North Greenwich station as both girls felt 'something wet' on them that is believed to be bodily fluid from the man stood behind them on the escalators.
A teenage girl was stood on the escalator leaving the station when she felt something wet on her leg. When she inspected it, on closer look it appeared to be body fluid from the man who was standing behind her. The second incident also happened around the same time at North Greenwich station, she was on the escalator when she felt something wet hit her back and bottom, the man then sexually assaulted her.
Anyone who recognises him is asked to contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference number 574 of 22 March. Alternatively you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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Two killers who stabbed a man in the heart in an argument over booze outside a shop in Hounslow have been sentenced. Arpith Mandava died after being stabbed following an argument involving two groups of men in the early hours of October 14 2022.
An investigation was launched after Arpith was found seriously injured in Beavers Lane at around 12.40am. A short time earlier he had been stabbed in the heart and his left arm in Earl Haig Close He was taken to hospital where he sadly died on October 27 2022.
Detectives recovered CCTV from 71 cameras to establish the circumstances that resulted in him being attacked. They found that Arpith came to the area with friends to purchase alcohol. Two of his group had gone to a shop in Cavendish Parade to buy alcohol shortly after midnight.
Arpith's attackers tried to take his alcohol (Image: Met Police)
After leaving the shop, they walked past Arpith’s attackers, who took the alcohol from them. Arpith and his friends came to their aid and the two groups started arguing, this escalated into a disturbance however Arpith and his friends ultimately walked away.
Footage then showed Ivanov asking Kusins for a knife which he used to attack the pair. The defendants were then seen leaving the area in separate directions.
Ivanov was caught on CCTV attempting to enter a nearby petrol garage on Burns Way. He was seen putting his hand against the glass door and forensic scientists found his handprint on the glass.
On October 16 Ivanov then left the UK by Eurostar and travelled to Paris. He was arrested in France on 25 October and brought back to London. Kusins, who gave Ivanov the knife, was arrested on 22 October.
The two killers appeared at Kingston Crown Court on March 27 where Denis Ivanov was found guilty of murdering the 24-year-old and stabbing another man who was also injured in the attack and possession of an offensive weapon. A second man, Denis Kusins, was found guilty of manslaughter, actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.
Denis Ivanov was found guilty of murdering the 24-year-old and stabbing another man (Image: Met Police)
Detective Inspector Kevin Martin, who led the investigation, said: "This was a callous attack that resulted in the death of a young man who had simply gone with friends to buy alcohol. What started out as a minor disagreement quickly escalated into violence.
"While Ivanov carried out the attack, both men were responsible for Arpith's murder and they will now face the consequences of their actions. They could have done the right thing and walked away.
"We will continue to do all we can to tackle violence on the streets of London and hold to account those who carry out such awful crimes."
The conviction details are as follows:
Denis Ivanov 23, of Brabazon Road, Hounslow, was found guilty of murder, grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 26 years.
Denis Kusins 22, of no fixed address, was found guilty of manslaughter, actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment.
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A police incident at a South London station has seen all trains cancelled. No services are currently calling at Purley station as the force deal with the incident.
Southern Rail have posted an update on X saying: "Due to police dealing with an incident, services are not currently able to call at Purley station until further notice. We are currently working to arrange ticket acceptance to help assist with your journey this morning."
The train operator have confirmed that you can use your tickets to/from Purley on Southern or Thameslink services on any reasonable route. You can also use London buses on routes between Redhill, Caterham, or Chipstead and East Croydon via Purley and Metro bus routes between Redhill and Caterham, and also between Redhill and Sutton via Tattenham Corner.
Families planning a day out at major attractions like Thorpe Park and Legoland might have to pay more on certain days of the year. The owner of these attractions, which also includes the London Eye and Madame Tussauds, says it is introducing "dynamic pricing".
This means that people will have to pay more on sunny days. Merlin Entertainments, the company behind these attractions, said this new pricing strategy would help makeup for the drop in visitors since the pandemic started. About 20 of its global venues will see these changes this year, but it is not known which ones will be included.
Merlin already uses off-peak and peak-time pricing. This allows them to change prices based on how busy they expect to be at different times of the year. But now, they're going to use machine learning to make their ticket pricing even more flexible and detailed.
For example, if a sunny Saturday during the summer holidays turns out to be less busy than expected, the company could decide to lower ticket prices on the day. Merlin the pricing structure would help make sure the park isn't too crowded during peak times.
The company mentioned that "these changes enable greater flexibility for guests booking online to choose discounted prices for select dates and times". Scott O'Neil, the group's chief executive, explained that this approach allows them to adjust prices depending on the season and manage visitor numbers.
The London Eye is owned by Merlin Entertainments, but it is not clear whether it will be included in the "dynamic pricing" structure (Image: Getty)
He added: "We had it in 2023 and we had the highest guest satisfaction scores in the history of the company, and seven million additional guests." But not everyone is happy with the "dynamic pricing" model, like the ones Uber and some restaurants use, with complaints that it is not always clear why prices go up at certain times.
Mr O'Neil said that "dynamic" pricing is good for making sure visits are enjoyable even when it's really busy, by helping to control long lines at popular spots. He also said that offering cheaper tickets when it's less busy, like a rainy weekend in March, means more people can come. Mr O'Neil compared it to "happy hours" in pubs or how hotels and planes change their prices.
"It is not a new concept, but our focus is on two things that matter most; the guest experience and making sure that we are accessible and value-based for families," he added.
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Merlin revealed its sales soared to a record high last year as more visitors flocked to city-centre attractions. Total revenues jumped by 8% to £2.1 billion in 2023, compared with the previous year, and it had 62 million total visitors across the globe.
About a quarter of all tourists to London visited one of its attractions last year, and 40% of those visited more than one, according to the company. However, Merlin revealed it swung to a pre-tax loss of £214 million last year, from a profit of £106 million the previous year, which the company said was due to one-off costs including refinancing some of its debts.
The group said it had agreed to buy Orlando Wheel at Icon Park, the tallest ferris wheel on the US east coast, which will strengthen its presence in a top global tourist hub. Mr O'Neil also said it was expecting a boost from a new rollercoaster opening in May at Thorpe Park, named Hyperia, which will be its tallest and fastest ride.
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A 72-year-old man has appeared in court accused of stabbing his neighbour to death over a long-running dispute.
Derek Brown allegedly attacked Richard Braithwaite, 72, with a knife over a belief the victim was leaving items in their shared alleyway in Wembley, north London.
Mr Braithwaite's 71-year-old wife Annetta was allegedly punched and suffered cuts to her head and face during the incident around noon on March 21.
She had called police who found Mr Braithwaite bleeding from a stab wound from which he died at 12.30pm.
The defendant was arrested later outside Wembley police station.
On Tuesday, Brown, of Cromwell Road, Wembley, appeared at the Old Bailey charged with murder, wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Prosecutor Deanna Heer KC told the court the killing allegedly arose from a "long-running neighbour dispute between the defendant and the deceased".
Judge Sarah Whitehouse KC set a plea hearing for June 11 and a three-week provisional trial from January 27 next year. Brown was remanded in custody.
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A north London police officer has been arrested after strangling a woman. The Met officer reportedly carried out the assault on a woman known to him whilst off-duty.
PC Mahad Abdalla was charged on Sunday, March 24 with non-fatal strangulation and assault. He is due to appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (Monday, March 25).
PC Abdalla is attached to the Territorial Support Group on the north west area and has been suspended from duties due to the incident. Enquiries by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards are ongoing.
DC Campbell became involved in an altercation with two members of the public when she was off duty on July 25, 2021. Following this she claimed to her colleagues that she had identified herself as a police officer after a victim of domestic violence had come forward to her and then been surrounded by up to 50 people acting aggressively.
She resigned from the Met on Tuesday, March 14, two days before her hearing.
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A man, 30, has died in a hit and run in Newham this morning (Sunday, March 24). Police said they were called to a 'disturbance' in East Ham in East London.
The incident happened at around 5.11am on Barking Road, at the junction with Arragon Road. Police were called to reports of a disturbance and a collision involving a car and a pedestrian.
The car did not stop at the scene. Police are looking for it and the driver. Met officers arrived on scene and began administering CPR before London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance paramedics treated the man. Despite their best efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A crime scene is in place as police search for the driver and car that fled the scene (file image) (Image: Ollie Millington/Getty Images)
Officers believe they know who the man is and his next of kin have been made are aware. As police carry out their investigation a crime scene is in place and officers are working to establish what happened.
There have been no arrests at this time. To share information and material with police, call 101 or post @MetCC ref CAD 1281/24 Mar.
