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British Gangsters’ Threat To London Olympics In 2012

by Aruna on Feb 24 2009 5:23 PM

The London Olympics in 2012 is turning into "Crime Olympics", since British gangsters are planning to leave their mark in it.

Mobsters are reportedly looking forward to the 93 billion pounds event, and are already lining up a series of money making scams, the Daily Star reports.

The villains include fraudsters selling dodgy merchandise, counterfeiters flogging fake tickets and cyber crooks using fake websites to solicit cash and steal identities.

Other schemers could include are people traffickers hoping to infiltrate the 50,000-strong Olympic workforce using illegal laborers, and protection racketeers who may target construction firms and possibly even the athletes themselves.

Security agencies have already shut down a number of bogus websites that have been conning people in search of work, tickets or souvenirs.

The fear of criminalizing the event has prompted a 600 million pound security arrangement to safeguard the biggest sporting event to hit UK shores.

Britain's version of the FBI, the Serious Organized Crime Agency, has warned criminals from trying to cause threat to the Games.

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The agency states: "The Olympic and Paralympic Games will present serious organized criminals with many opportunities.

"Fraud, organized immigration crimes, intellectual property crimes and money-laundering are likely to be the main threats beginning now and extending through the period of the Games and beyond," it further states.

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The agency has also warned that extortion gangs may target construction firms working on stadia and the Olympic village.

The agency stated: "The movements of increased numbers of people into and out of the UK will provide smugglers with cover for their activities, while visitors to the games are likely targets for organized fraud."

Source-ANI
ARU/L


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