Vulnerable: It is not known if the animals, a three-month old white-cheeked gibbon, left and a leopard cub, right, were to be sold or kept as exotic pets when they got to Dubai
Undercover anti-trafficking officers had been monitoring the suspect since he allegedly bought the rare and endangered baby animals on the black market, according to the FREELAND Foundation, an anti-trafficking group based in Thailand.
When authorities opened the suitcases they found two leopards, two panthers, and Asiatic black bear and two macaque monkeys - all about the size of puppies.
Steven Galster, director of FREELAND, who was present when the man was intercepted said that the animals yawned when the bags were opened.
'A virtual zoo': Four two-month-old leopard cubs look from inside a cage. Undercover anti-trafficking officers had been monitoring the suspect since he bought the rare and endangered baby animals on the black market
Let us out! A baby Malayan sun bear, left, looks out from his cage; right, a black tufted Marmoset monkey clutches the bars of his prison with a mournful expression on his face
Imprisoned: A three-month old white-cheeked gibbon reaches out from him cage
Baby: A three-month old Malayan sun bear looks from inside a cage. Authorities believe the man was part of a trafficking network and were searching for suspected accomplices
Slumber: The baby bear sleeps off his sedative. The animals had been drugged and were heading for Dubai
Let us out! A baby Malayan sun bear, left, looks out from his cage; right, a black tufted Marmoset monkey clutches the bars of his prison with a mournful expression on his face
Imprisoned: A three-month old white-cheeked gibbon looks from inside a cage
'It looked like they had sedated the animals and had them in flat cages so they couldn't move around much,' Mr Galster said. Some of the animals had been packed inside canisters punched with air holes.
Authorities believe the man was part of a trafficking network and were searching for suspected accomplices.
Mr Galster said: 'It was a very sophisticated smuggling operation. We've never seen one like this before.
'The guy had a virtual zoo in his suitcases.'
Baby: A three-month old Malayan sun bear looks from inside a cage. Authorities believe the man was part of a trafficking network and were searching for suspected accomplices.
Thailand is a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking, but authorities typically find rare turtles, tortoises, snakes and lizards that feed demand in China and Vietnam. Finding such an array of live mammals is unusual.
In Thailand, leopards and panthers fetch roughly $5,000 a piece on the black market, but their value in Dubai was presumably higher, Mr Galster said.
It was not known if the animals were destined to be resold or kept as exotic pets, a practice popular in the Middle East.
Slumber: A baby bear gets some rest. The animals had been drugged and were heading for Dubai
source:dailymail

VIA Baby bears, panthers and monkeys: The extraordinary menagerie smuggled in first class passenger's suitcases

Art Tower in Dubai

VIA «Skyscraper under an inclination»

Burj Dubai Skyscraper

Form Burj Dubai reminds a stalagmite. A huge stalagmite. According to Wiki, since May, 19th, 2008 this highest construction in the world, from all existing and ever the existing.

The Kilometer Skyscraper

The exact definitive height of a structure is still unknown, and estimated makes 818 meters (more than 160 floors). We suggest you to look at Dubai even above than from height of the bird's flight and will present, what will be a shade from this almost kilometer giant.

VIA «The Highest Tower of the World»

The Futuristic Structure

For the next addition to a sky of the city of Dubai architectural studio Graft Lab answers. The new object is called “Vertical Village”. This set of multifunctional buildings applies on LEED Gold Certificate.

The architectural decision is optimized for climatic conditions of a place; the building minimizes heating from the sun and on-maximum uses possibilities for solar energy manufacture.
The building for itself creates a shade, in northern block, and on east and a West side is built in such a manner that penetration of long solar beams is complicated.

The Architectural Generation

The Solar Energy in Dubai

Solar collectors in the south automatically rotate behind the sun. Crossing of intricate coal forms gives the chance to generate the internal block where pools are placed. The composite ensemble of separate buildings creates the integral project.

VIA «The Solar Energy Absorber»

The "unique" four foot marble statue is said to have been illegally dug up in Cyrene, a UNESCO world heritage site, before being smuggled to the UK in 2011, via Dubai.

It was uncovered in a west London warehouse by customs officials two years later and handed to the British Museum pending a court's decision over ownership.

District Judge John Zani, who is overseeing the case at Westminster Magistrates Court, was given a detailed analysis of the sculpture during a two hour viewing at the museum.

Accompanied by barristers, solicitors and his legal adviser, the judge carefully examined the statue as he was told stains and other evidence demonstrated that it was “definitely” excavated illegally from the ancient Greek colony of Cyrene.

The statue, which depicts a Greek woman wearing a hood and flowing gown, is said to be unparalleled besides a single comparable example in the Louvre. The woman wears two snake-like bracelets and carries a doll.

It hails from the third centuries BC, when it served as a grave marker.

Authorities in Tripoli have already launched a bid to repatriate the work of art.

A British Museum spokesperson said that as far as they were aware it was the first time a court had convened on the premises.

Jordanian, Riad Al Qassas, who does not reside in the UK, is accused of falsifying paperwork after telling customs that the sculpture came from Turkey, rather than Libya, and was worth £60,000, rather than between £1.5m to £2m.

He denies one count of knowingly or recklessly delivering a false document to HMRC on November 1 last year.

Dr Peter Higgs, curator of Greek sculpture at the British Museum, told District Judge Zani the statue looked “fresh” and had been excavated “fairly recently”.

Highlighting earth stains and marks from vegetation, he pointed to “small pickaxe” marks as the judge circled the statue, studying it closely in a tiny store-room.

A video of the viewing was later played in court.

Dr Higgs said: “The statue is a three-quarter length figure. It is a funerary statue that I believe comes from the region of Cyrenaica, in Libya, which was a Greek colony.

“The statue is thought to represent either Persephone, the goddess of the underworld...or it is meant to be someone who is dedicated to the goddess. I believe it is very unlikely to come from Turkey.”

Dr Higgs said the statue was one of a kind, adding that it was in “the top ten” of its class.

“I believe that the statue was definitely made in Libya, in Cyrenaica,” he added.

“I believe, as I said, it is one of the best examples of its type and is extremely rare.”

Andrew Bird, for HMRC, has told the court that documents suggest Al Qassas had only a marginal role in the export.

He claimed Hassan Fazeli, a Dubai businessman who has claimed the sculpture has belonged to his family collection since 1977, was behind the crime.

Mr Bird said the false documents were submitted by Hassan Fazeli Trading Company LLC, which is based in Dubai, and which was last year accused by New York prosecutors of illegally bringing five ancient Egypt artefacts into the USA.

Ben Watson, representing Al Qassas, indicated his client would be happy to hand over the sculpture to Libya if it was shown to originate from there.

Libya has been plagued by looting and cultural vandalism since the fall of Colonel Gadaffi in 2011, with the resulting power vacuum effectively ending the state-sponsored preservation of Libya's multiple Greek and Roman sites.

The expansion of Islamic State fanatics into North Africa has stoked fears that unique sites will be destroyed, mirroring shocking images from the IS-controlled city of Mosul in Iraq.

A British Museum spokesperson said that as far as they were aware it was the first time a court had convened on its premises.

Author: Victoria Ward | Source: The Telegraph [March 31, 2015]

The Economic Moon

Financial crisis — not a hindrance for scale building of the landscape park Zabil. «The new Moon» becomes the central construction of the project. The construction in the form of a half moon — a symbol of force and energy of the countries of the East — will tell about today's prosperity of the United Arab Emirates.

The New Moon in Dubai

Monument interiors contain 5 floors. Everyone symbolizes one of five postulates of Islam: belief, a pray, mercy, mutual aid and pilgrimage. The design contains in itself a conference hall, cafe, children library and an information desk.

The New Moon Monument

The external part of a building decorated by the Arabian inscriptions represents a steel skeleton with emptiness. Such decision will give the chance to supervise illumination and air temperature on all platforms of the New Moon, will protect an interior from a direct sunlight and will provide free circulation of air streams. Inside there will be a special microclimate which will unload the central systems of safety. The project completely corresponds to ecological building standards. Solar batteries will be built in a building covering, and it considerably will lower energy consumption.

VIA «Rising of the New Moon»

Please welcome me in joining fantasy author Kim Hanks on his first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations as he travels the blogosphere in March to talk about his latest release, "Save the Best For Last".

About the author:

Kim is a 21 year older author who has hit the literary world with his debut novel, Save the Best for Last. Born in Uganda, mityana district. He grew up in a wonderful small family and studied in almost five different schools from childhood until college. Story telling was a secret in his blood, he also loved reading. “I always read fantasy and a variety of other genres that caught my interest. Though, I always lay my honor on books that were on my literature syllabus by then.” Kim explains.

From a comprehensive junior school, he joined modern ss where he started taking English literature classes. Exposing himself to reading earlier, these were few of his favorite authors; Stephen king, terry brooks, shake spears, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, and Charlotte Bronte. However, due to the fascinating magic spells in the world of Harry, Kim added JK Rowling on the list of his best authors, “at school, I loved the English literature teacher, she was not just a teacher, but also a parent to me.” he says now. Towards the end of his college, he wrote and self published a book, which was titled “My Trip”. It was only published in few countable copies for schoolmates and his family. Publication of that book intrigued praise from his teachers and compliments about his work started influencing his desire to write. This was a wonderful experience laying ground work to his literary craft. His fantasy novel Save the Best for Last, is the first book of the series. Now living in Dubai, he’s working on two edgy and engrossing novels coming in the near future. And he spends his free time reading and listening to music.

Book summary:

Zwick Lamps, a secret admirer to Whitney Barnes, got targeted by a genius son of the past eveil family that had lived in Green Oasis Town. However, it was once before that Zwick had finally discovered his supernatural powers that were only known by the isolated old woman Tabitha, a misfortuned lady whose husband died on their wedding day. You can visit his website at http://www.kimhanks.net/.

Check back on Thursday for a guest post by Kim Hanks.

The move follows investigations led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in New York, Baltimore, Austin, Texas, and New Haven, Connecticut, the department said in a statement.

One of the most significant items that was returned is a limestone statue depicting the head of the Assyrian King Sargon II, an eighth century B.C. ruler.

Immigration and Customs agents seized the looted artifact in August 2008 after an antiquities dealer based in Dubai shipped it to New York. The investigation led to the identification of an international network dealing in illicit cultural artifacts, the statement said.

Other artifacts repatriated to Iraq include gold-plated items, such as a soap dish, looted from the private airport and palace of executed former President Saddam Hussein.

Bronze objects, including a Luristan ax from early Sumeria, and clay reliefs and glass objects were also returned.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit has returned more than 1,200 items to Iraq in four repatriations since 2008, the statement said.

Source: Reuters [March 16, 2015]

The BBC has been investigating the trade, and the routes from Syria through Turkey and Lebanon to Europe.

The Smuggler

It has taken many calls and a lot of coaxing to get a man we are calling "Mohammed" to meet us. He is originally from Damascus but now plies his trade in the Bekaa valley on the border between Syria and Lebanon. He's 21 but looks much younger in his T-shirt, skinny jeans and black suede shoes. As we sit in an apartment in central Beirut I have to lean forward to hear the softly spoken young man describe how he began smuggling looted antiquities from Syria. "There's three friends in Aleppo we deal with, these people move from Aleppo all the way to the border here and pay a taxi driver to sneak it in." He specialised in smaller items which would be easier to move on - but he says even that has become too risky. "We tried our best to get the items which had most value, earrings, rings, small statues, stone heads," he says.

He made a good profit but bigger players with better connections "sold pieces worth $500,000, some for $1m", he says. When I ask who's making the money and controlling the trade in Syria his gentle voice takes on a flinty tone: "IS are the main people doing it. They are the ones in control of this business, they stole from the museums especially in Aleppo," he says. "I know for a fact these militants had connections overseas and they talked ahead of time and they shipped overseas using their connections abroad." Mohammed is still involved in cross-border trade, but no longer in antiquities. "Anyone caught with it gets severe punishment," he says. "They accuse you of being IS."

The Go-between

To sell looted antiquities you need a middle-man, like "Ahmed". Originally from eastern Syria, he is based in a town in southern Turkey - he doesn't want me to specify which one as he doesn't want the police to know. As a Turkish-speaker he is popular with Syrian smugglers, who ask if he can move goods on to local dealers. When I speak to him via Skype he shows me a blanket next to him filled with artefacts - statues of animals and human figures, glasses, vases and coins. They were dug up in the last few months. "They come from the east of Syria, from Raqqa, all the areas controlled by ISIS (Islamic State)," he says. Islamic State plays an active part in controlling the trade, he tells me. Anyone wanting to excavate has to get permission from IS inspectors, who monitor the finds and destroy any human figures, which are seen as idolatrous (those Ahmed is showing me have slipped through the net). IS takes 20% as tax. "They tax everything," he says.

The main trade is in stoneworks, statues and gold, and it can be extremely lucrative. "I have seen one piece sold for $1.1m," he says. "It was a piece from the year 8500BC." He gently handles each artefact as he brings it closer to the webcam to give me a better view. He has had to pay a sizeable bond to the smugglers to get this material and he doesn't want to lose any of it. The final destination is Western Europe, he says. "Turkish merchants sell it to dealers in Europe. They call them, send pictures... people from Europe come to check the goods and take them away." Ahmed will have to return the looted artefacts to his Syrian contacts, as I am clearly not buying them, but he won't be returning to his homeland. "If I went back I'd be killed," he says.

The Dealer

It's an unremarkable tourist shop in the centre of Beirut. Inside the glass cases are ancient oil lamps, rings and glassware but the shop owner, a laconic man in his late 40s, has an unusual selling tactic - he says much of it is fake. However, he assures me he does have genuine pieces from the Hellenic and Byzantine periods, around 1,000 years old. I'm interested what other items he can get, mosaics for example? I had been advised by archaeologists that mosaics would almost certainly be looted - at the moment, that would mean most likely from Syria. He asks which kind I want. Faces, animals, geometric designs? "If you're serious we can have a serious negotiation... there is always a way," he promises. When I ask if it's legal he smiles as he tells me the only way to legally ship these items is with official documentation from a museum saying they have been cleared for export.

If it was only a small mosaic I wanted, I could take the chance and try to smuggle it out myself but he warns it's a serious decision, as I could get caught. For a fee he can have them shipped to the UK but it will cost me many thousands of pounds. We shake hands as I leave and he gives me his business card. It has only taken 10 minutes to be offered illicit antiquities. Arthur Brand, an investigator who helps recover stolen antiquities isn't surprised, it chimes with his experience in Lebanon. "I've been there several times and at times and it really is amazing," he tells me from his base in Amsterdam. "The illicit trade is run as a professional business with offices and business cards and you can buy antiquities from Lebanon, but also from countries like Syria, Iraq." The link between smugglers and dealers is the dirty secret the art world doesn't want to admit to, he says.

The Cop

He could easily pass for the star of an Arabic cop show but Lt Col Nicholas Saad is a real policeman, head of Lebanon's bureau of international theft. In his office, filled with certificates from the FBI and Scotland Yard, he shows me photos of huge Roman busts seized in a recent raid in Lebanon. We go up to the roof of his police station, where out to the east, beyond the mountains, is the border with Syria. This is where refugees pour into the country and are exploited by the smuggling gangs.

"The refugees come in big numbers and the gangs put things between the belongings of the refugees," he explains. Since the conflict in Syria he has noticed a significant increase in the smuggling of looted artefacts, "especially from the Islamic parts, Raqqa (the base) of the Islamic State", he adds. His team has seized hundreds of Syrian artefacts. "We have the archaeology expert that said they're very valuable from the Roman period, from the Greek period, years before Christ," he says. But there isn't a market for them in Lebanon. "Lebanon is a transit station, it's one of the the doors that goes to Europe. The real money is made in Europe."

The Treasure

Inside the Beirut National museum are treasures from the cradle of civilisation - Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine statues, busts and sarcophagi 3,000 years old. Hidden away from the public in a store room below the main galleries, seized looted antiquities wait to be returned to Syria. My guide is Dr Assaad Seif, an archaeologist and head of excavations at the directorate general of antiquities in Beirut. He rings a bell and a wrought iron door is unlocked. Inside are scores of items - pottery, stonework - but the most valuable items are sealed away in a warehouse. "We have huge funeral sculptures, representing men and women used to seal the tombs, from Palmyra," he says.

Most of the seized items are from excavations rather than thefts from museums. The looters target warehouses at ancient sites like Palmyra, a Unesco world heritage site. "The warehouses at archaeological sites have objects they know are not listed or catalogued yet, and they think it could be easier to sell them," he says. "The Palmyra objects had value for people in Syria... it gives a kind of identity," he says. Although reluctant to put a price on any of the bigger items, after some coaxing he relents. "We have a dozen objects that would sell for $1m each on the open market." I understand why they keep them out of sight of curious foreign visitors.

The Destination 

It has taken days to get through to Dr Maamoun Abdulkarim, the archaeologist in charge of Syria's dept of antiquities in Damascus. When I do reach him, he's angry. "The sites under the control of ISIS, in these areas we have a disaster, a lot of problems. IS attack all things just for the money," he says. "It is our memory, our identity, for the government, the opposition, for all Syria." It's impossible to stop the looting but he is adamant more could be done to crack down on the trade. "We are sure through all the sources a lot of objects go from Syria to Europe, in Switzerland, in Germany, in UK - and Gulf countries like Dubai and Qatar," he says.

It was a common refrain. Everyone from the Lebanese police to Mohammed the smuggler and Ahmed the go-between said the main market was Europe. In the UK there have been no prosecutions or arrests for selling looted Syrian artefacts but Vernon Rapley, who ran the Metropolitan Police's art and antiquities squad for almost a decade, says too much shouldn't be read into this. "I'm quite confident that there have been seizures of material like this," he confidently states, as we stroll around his new workplace, the Victoria and Albert museum, where he is director of security.

Rapley still liaises closely with his former police unit and he is certain that artefacts from Syria are being sold here. He wants the trade in these antiquities to become "socially repugnant and unacceptable" so that in the future, he says, "we don't have interior decorators looking for these things to decorate people's houses".

Author: Simon Cox | Source: BBC News Website [February 17, 2015]