ASSOCIATION NEWS
News snippets from around the world
U.S. recovers $2.3 million in bitcoin paid in the Colonial Pipeline ransom United States law enforcement officials said Monday they were able to recover $2.3 million in bitcoin paid to a criminal cybergroup involved in the crippling ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline. “Today we turned the tables on DarkSide,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said during a press briefing, adding that the money was seized via a court order. At the briefing, FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said that agents were able to identify a virtual currency wallet that the DarkSide hackers used to collect payment from Colonial Pipeline. https://www.cnbc.com/
Sport is the antidote for crime among youth of Khayelitsha Cape Town — In an effort to keep young people away from crime, the Khayelitsha Community Policing Forum (CPF) held a sports against crime programme. The programme, which is in the form of sporting games, aims to mobilise communities, especially the youth, to claim sport as a developmental activity, thereby avoiding destructive activities such as drugs and crime. https://www.iol.co.za/
World’s biggest meat producer JBS pays $11m cyber-crime ransom A cyber-attack earlier this month that hit the supply chains of one of the world’s
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largest perishables shippers was ended after Brazilian meat producer JBS paid an $11m ransom in bitcoin to cyber criminals. According to The Guardian, the firm has an annual IT capex of around $200m and employs over 850 tech engineers. It was reportedly told by the FBI the hacking group was likely to be from Russia. https://theloadstar.com/
Equatorial Guinea vicepresident must pay SA businessman R39.8m for illegal detention A SA businessman has scored a R40m victory in court against the playboy vice-president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodorin Nguema Obiang. Daniel Janse van Rensburg has been embroiled in protracted litigation with Obiang over his detention in the central African country. Obiang is the son of the president. Janse van Rensburg was twice held in Equatorial Guinea’s notorious Black Beach prison despite being cleared of allegations of fraud and theft. His ordeal, which included ‘torture, inhumane and degrading treatment’, spanned 549 days of detention, 423 of which were at Black Beach. https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/
Hawks hunt for international fugitive allegedly involved in R400m cocaine bust The Hawks are on the hunt for an international fugitive suspected of smuggling cocaine worth R400 million into the country for global drug cartels.
The Hawks and the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB) have issued a warrant of arrest for Ahmad Isa, for his alleged involvement in the cocaine shipment which was discovered in Gauteng. Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalas says that on 2 June, the Hawks – along with the FBI and the Australian Federal Police – nabbed Niel Pieter van Zyl, 39, on the N1 highway in Pretoria where he was found towing a 12-foot ski boat, wherein 800kg of pure compressed cocaine, with an estimated street value of R400 million, was found. https://www.iol.co.za/
Ramaphosa places health minister Zweli Mkhize on special leave President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed minister of health Dr Zweli Mkhize on special leave while the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) conducts investigations into allegations of corruption at the health department. Minister of tourism Mmamoloko KubayiNgubane will serve as acting minister of health until further notice. Mkhize has been under scrutiny after the health department awarded a R150 million contract to Digital Vibes, a company controlled by two of Mkhize’s former aides, to help communicate the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. https://businesstech.co.za/
O Kae Molao blitz nets over 700 suspects in Gauteng More than 700 people were arrested during a weekend operation by the Gauteng Police for crimes including driving under the influence of alcohol and beaching the Disaster Management Act relating to Covid-19 lockdown regulations. Gauteng acting police commissioner Major General Tommy Mthombeni was joined by Gauteng head of community safety Faith Mazibuko, Ekurhuleni acting district commissioner Brigadier Thembeka Gwebushe and senior officers from various law
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