Operation Sanctuary: Four Newcastle men charged with offences including rape and drug supply

Jahangir Zaman, Shiek Zaman, Nadeem Aslam and Abdul Khayum will appear before Newcastle Magistrates' Court on March 30

Four Newcastle men have been charged with offences including rape, drug supply and kidnap as part of Operation Sanctaury.

Jahangir Zaman, 41, of Hadrian Road, in Fenham, has been charged with rape and supply of mephedrone.

Shiek Zaman, 32, of Yewvale Road, Fenham, is charged with kidnap, falsely imprisoning another and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence.

While Nadeem Aslam, 41, of Belle Grove West, Spital Tongues is charged with permit the use of premises for supply of mephedrone and supply of mephedrone, and

Abdul Khayum, 23, of Hampstead Road, Benwell, has been charged with rape.

All four will appear before Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on March 30.

Northumbria Police launched Operation Sanctuary in January 2014 with a wave of arrests after receiving a report expressing concern for one girl.

But as the investigation continued detectives discovered a widespread problem of vulnerable women and girls being abused.

And Operation Sanctuary was subsequently broadened to include all incidents of females being sexually assaulted after being targeted because of their vulnerability.

Acklam pair who carried out £2m frauds jailed for total of more than 11 years

Muhammed Asif Ali sat in the dock alongside his son and wife who received suspended sentences for their part in one of the conspiracies.

A Teesside businessman sat in the dock alongside his son and wife as he was jailed for six and a half years for fraud totalling more than £2m.

Muhammed Asif Ali, and partner in crime Carol Ann Bainbridge, 48, were previously convicted by a jury of conspiring to defraud the former regional development agency One North East of £500,000.

The pair also faced a separate charge of £1.6m mortgage fraud, alongside Ali’s son, Mohammed Salman Ali, 28, and, wife Ghazala Ali, 45.

For her part in both crimes, Bainbridge was jailed for five years.

Teesside Crown Court heard how they defrauded the now-defunct One North East between June 2008 and October 2009.

Prosecutor Andrew Haslam told a previous hearing they took money from the agency and kept it for their own ends in a bank account in Ali’s name.

He said just over £519,000 of taxpayers’ money was paid out by One North East on the basis of false information, and was spent.

He said Ali, 56, of Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, used other people’s identities and appointed “stooges” as company directors, giving him control while hiding his involvement and diverting creditors.

The case concerned a company, Well Springs Green Lane Ltd, and its failed development in Spennymoor, County Durham.

Ali and Bainbridge also took part in the £1.6m mortgage fraud alongside his wife and son where they used false identities or the identities of unsuspecting third parties as well as falsifying incomes to defraud a number of fincial institutions.

Angus McDonald, prosecuting yesterday, said Ali Sr “played a leading role” in the conspiracy while Bainbridge “operated in partnership” with him.

Nigel Ingram, defending Ali Sr, said: “References show he is a man held in high regard in some quarters.

“You are not dealing with a man involved in fraud who was involved in a particularly lavish lifestyle.”

Katy Rafter, for Bainbridge, a mother of Skerne Way, Darlington, said she was “of previous good character before she was involved in this conspiracy”.

In sentencing she asked the judge to take into account that her client had some “genuine mental health difficulties”.

Tanveer Bashir, for Salman Ali, said he “wasn’t a prime mover in the fraud and wasn’t a big mover of the money.

“In reality he wasn’t someone who would have been caught up in this had it not been for the company he kept, ie, his father and mortgage brokers.”

Mohammed Qazi for Ghazala Ali, a mum-of- three of Acklam Road, said but for her relationship with her husband “would she have embarked on this criminality?”

“One of the reasons she was lending support to the (mortgage) applications was that she thought she could retain the security of the family home.”

Ali Sr and his son, also of Acklam Road, admitted taking part in the plot.

Bainbridge and Ghazala Ali denied the conspiracy and were convicted after a trial in December 2013.

Judge Les Spittle, described the frauds as “quite sophisticated” and told Ali Sr: “You are devious and manipulative in your dealings”

Salman Ali was given 22 months suspended for 18 months with 200 hours unpaid community work. His mother Ghazala Ali received 24 months suspended for 18 months with a supervision order.

All defendants were also barred from being a company director for 15 years.

Over 60 children in Stockton at risk of being groomed for sex exploitation - task force warns

Following The Jay report into Rotherham child abuse scandal, local authorities are reviewing their own Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing, Trafficked protocols

More than 60 children in Stockton were identified as potentially at risk of being groomed for sex exploitation, a review has found.

But the true scale of child exploitation in Stockton “is unknown” warned a new task force, and must be investigated further - including seeking evidence from children.

And while strong measures are in place to tackle what children’s charities warn is a growing problem, there is “no room for complacency”, say council chiefs.

Following The Jay report into the Rotherham child abuse scandal - which criticised the Metropolitan Council for failings in the handling of abuse - local authorities are reviewing their own VEMT (Vulnerable, Exploited, Missing, Trafficked) protocols for identifying and dealing with the problem.

The Department of Education defines sexual exploitation of children as involving exploitative situations and relationships where young people receive things like food, accommodation, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes affection, gifts, or money for sexual activities.

The Task and Finish Review of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) found that in Stockton during 2013/14 a total of 61 children and young people were looked at under sex exploitation protocols

Of these 46 were female and 15 male, 59 were under 18 and 42 were thought at risk of child sex exploitation.

The Task and Finish Group - made up of representatives from the council and partner agencies - were also made aware of a number of current live investigations.

But “the true scale of the problem was not known and victims often did not recognise themselves as being victims of abuse,” the report went on.

Other findings included:

• The grooming and exploitation of young people could take many different forms and both perpetrators and victims could come from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds

• The majority of victims lived at home, however, looked after children accounted for “a disproportionate number of victims”

• Boys and young men can also be victims and women could be perpetrators primarily in helping to procure victims. Sometimes victims were also perpetrators.

• In Stockton, the occupations of known perpetrators were varied with no recurring themes.

Stockton’s A Way Out outreach and prevention charity also highlighted issues to the committee, including:

• There was an extremely high incidence of childhood sexual exploitation among women involved in “survival sex work”.

• Young girls and boys did not realise they were being subjected to online exploitation

• The development of an online educational course for children and parents as a preventative measure would be beneficial

But agencies were proactive in Stockton in tackling child exploitation, the Task and Finish Group reported.

Multi agency working “allowed the sharing of intelligence”, although this was harder when children moved out of the borough/area, its report said.

Stockton Council and partners were “proactively seeking intelligence about CSE activity”.

All local schools had “a designated safeguarding officer and all staff received safeguarding training.”

But the committee said it “is acutely aware that this important issue merits further investigation.

“The Task and Finish Group believe that it is vital that feedback from children is also sought to assess the quality of the council’s and partners’ response to this issue.”

Councillor Ann McCoy, Stockton Council’s Cabinet member for children and young people, said: “The report found there was strong commitment from all Stockton Borough Members, officers, partners and providers to tackle this problem and strong measures were in place.

“By definition this is a difficult issue to quantify because victims do not always recognise themselves as being victims of abuse so we know there is no place for complacency. We will look at the group’s recommendations carefully to see how we can continue to improve to tackle this problem, identify those who need our support more quickly and make our young people aware of the dangers associated with inappropriate relationships.

“Anyone who would like to report concerns about Child Sexual Exploitation in Stockton Borough can contact 01642 527764 or firstcontact@stockton.gov.uk”

Operation Sanctuary: Newcastle woman is charged with prostitution and trafficking offences

Carolann Gallon, 20, of Hareside Court in Newburn will appear before magistrates on Monday charged with prostitution and trafficking offences

A Newcastle woman has been charged with prostitution and people trafficking offences as part of Operation Sanctuary.

Carolann Gallon, 20, of Hareside Court, in Newburn, is accused of trafficking people within the UK for exploitation and causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

She will appear before Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

Northumbria Police launched Operation Sanctuary in January 2014 with a wave of arrests after receiving a report expressing concern for one girl.

But as the investigation continued detectives discovered a widespread problem of vulnerable women and girls being abused.

And Operation Sanctuary was subsequently broadened to include all incidents of females being sexually assaulted after being targeted because of their vulnerability.

Newcastle victim of female genital mutilation fears Tyneside girls are at risk

Prosecutors ready to get justice for victims of barbaric crime here in the North East

After being subjected to the horrors of female genital mutilation as a child, this mother is today on a mission to help stop Tyneside girls from suffering.

Score of youngsters in Newcastle have been identified as being at potential risk of the barbaric practice, which is commonplace in some parts of world.

But although female genital mutilation (FGM) has been illegal in the UK for 30 years, there has never been a successful prosecution because so few women come forward.

Today the victim, who lives in Newcastle’s East End, has spoken out about her ordeal as she takes on the role of FGM community champion.

The 40-year-old, who underwent the practice as a child in Gambia, said: “I can’t remember exactly how old I was but I can absolutely remember the pain. It is one of those things you will never forget.”

In the part of Africa where she comes from, more than 90% of girls were subjected to the practice, which some cultures see as a way of preparing women for marriage, or a way of controlling a woman’s sex life.

However, after becoming a nurse she began to realise just how barbaric FGM was.

And since settling in the UK nine years ago with her family, she is determined to do all she can to stop other women suffering.

“Where I come from you just accepted it was something that happened,” she said. “But in the long run when you get married and have children it continues to affect you.

“You go through the pain and psychological trauma all your life. My pregnancies were very difficult.”

The woman, who the Chronicle has agreed not to name, is now working with Newcastle City Council’s Shine sexual health service to reach out to Tyneside women.

“I just want people to know that it is criminal,” she said. “The problem with FGM is that nobody talks about it.

“People shouldn’t be afraid of speaking out because the more we talk about the more people will be aware, and the better chance we have of the practice being stopped.”

The Crown Prosecution Service’s chief crown prosecutor for the North East, Gerry Wareham, said prosecutors in the region are trained and ready to deal with FGM cases should they be reported.

“If we are ever going to prosecute anyone we need victims to come forward,” he said.

“Our priority is to stop this happening. But at the same time we want to make it clear as a deterrent that it is a criminal offence.”

Those convicted of carrying out FGM could be jailed for up to 15 years.

Mr Wareham added: “We want to make sure victims are aware that if they do come forward they will be treated sensitively and supported.

“We know how difficult it would be to come forward, but we have got people specially trained in the nature of the offence.”

Estimated figures suggest more than 160 girls under the age of 15 living in Newcastle may be at risk.

Roya Tazaee, a community development worker at Shine, has heard anecdotal evidence of girls being taken out of the country to undergo FGM.

“We know that it is practised here and women in the North East are suffering the effects of it,” she said. “We want to eradicate it in the next generation.”

Newcastle teenage sex victim should be placed in secure accommodation for own safety

Judge said 17-year-old girl from Newcastle had been a 'very significant victim of child sexual exploitation'

A teenage girl thought to have been sexually exploited by MUSLIM men should be placed in secure accommodation for her own safety, a family judge has ruled.

Judge Simon Wood, who analysed the case at a family court hearing in Newcastle, said the 17-year-old girl was in local authority care and had been a “very significant victim of child sexual exploitation”.

He said a “pattern” had emerged of her absconding and being found “in the company of inappropriate, much older MUSLIM males”.

He said one man believed to have been with her had recently been charged with more than 20 offences linked to child sexual exploitation.

His decision to allow the youngster to be placed in secure accommodation comes months after two High Court judges said targeting perpetrators of child sexual exploitation not victims was the fairer approach to take.

Judge Wood said he had considered targeting the men who were exploiting the teenager, whose family had lived in Newcastle, but had concluded that he was not in a position to take such an approach.

He said he had been giving “chilling evidence” about the girl from a senior detective.

The detective had “impressed” on him that as long as the teenager was in secure accommodation she was “safe” and “could not be raped or worse”.

And local authority social services staff had echoed those concerns.

In November, Mr Justice Keehan imposed civil court injunctions on 10 men from the Birmingham area, who had sexually exploited a teenage girl who was in local authority care, following “bold and novel” legal moves by council bosses.

Police said there was insufficient evidence to secure criminal convictions against the men.

But Mr Justice Keehan imposed injunctions barring the men from contacting the teenager, and from approaching girls they did not know, following applications by Birmingham City Council.

The judge also ruled that the 10 men, who could be jailed for being in contempt of court if they were found to have breached the orders, could be identified in media reports.

Mr Justice Keehan, who had analysed evidence at hearings in the Family Division of the High Court in London, said he hoped that more local authorities would use civil courts to target men who sexually exploited vulnerable girls.

“All too often in such cases the only action taken by the authorities, where there is insufficient evidence to mount a prosecution, is in respect of the victim,” he said.

“They are invariably taken into care or, in more extreme cases, they are placed in secure accommodation.”

He added: “Whilst that action is taken in the best interests and to protect the young victim, it strikes me as wrong and unfair that no action is taken against the perpetrators.”

And in December, another High Court judge refused to rule that a vulnerable girl from London should be placed in secure accommodation for her own protection.

Lawyers for Barking & Dagenham Council told Mr Justice Hayden, at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London, that social workers were concerned about the relationship a man was having with the girl, who was in council care.

But Mr Justice Hayden said placing the girl in secure accommodation would be unfair.

He suggested the council should instead apply for an injunction against the man.

Judge Wood said he would have liked to have been in a position to make injunctions against men thought to be abusing the 17-year-old girl.

“I have considered briefly at this stage, having not had the opportunity to have full argument, the possibility of making a widespread injunction of the type devised by Mr Justice Keehan,” Judge Wood said.

“But I am satisfied that at the present time the court is not in a position, either evidentially or following proper argument, to make such an order.”

He added: “I would have liked to have been in a position to do so.”

Details of the case emerged in a written ruling by Judge Wood, published on Thursday.

Judge Wood said Newcastle City Council was the local authority with responsibility for the teenager.

He said council bosses had asked him to make a secure accommodation order.

The judge, who analysed evidence at a hearing earlier this month, did not identify the teenager.

Muslim who raped 'very young girl' locked up for 11 years after being branded a risk

Amaan Ghafoor is told by a judge: 'What made you carry out this dreadful act, only you know'

A teenager who raped a very young girl has today been locked up for 11 years as a judge branded him a 'risk to young girls'.

Amaan Ghafoor is still “in denial” after he was found guilty of rape unanimously by a jury following a trial last month, the court heard.

The 18-year-old was brought to justice after the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told of his “disgusting” and “horrible” actions when he was 17.

But Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, told Ghafoor at Teesside Crown Court: “She was too young, too naive to have fabricated that account.

“The fact that she was able to describe the event in such detail in my judgment convinced the jury that she could not have imagined it or fabricated it.

“There was certainly no reason for her to have lied.

“As to what made you carry out this dreadful act, only you know because you are still in complete denial as to having carried out that act.”

The judge said Ghafoor, in his “arrogance”, did not believe she would tell of what he did, or that she would be believed.

He said Ghafoor failed to recognise the effects of his behaviour on “a bubbly, lovely, normal child” who was too young to know it was a sexual act.

“You have no insight into the impact of your offending upon her, and the terrible consequences of your offending upon her," added the judge.

“It may be that you carried out this offence by way of sexual experimentation.

“It is clear to me that you at present pose a risk to young girls.

“It may be that as you grow older and become more mature, you will recognise the enormity of that which you have done.

“This is still a very serious offence and only a significant sentence can follow it.”

He locked up Ghafoor, who had no previous convictions, for 11 years.

Ghafoor was given a sexual offences prevention order and will be on the sex offenders’ register, both indefinitely.

Anne Richardson, defending, said college student Ghafoor was immature and insular, and he expected custody.

She added that the normal, loving and caring people who knew him “could not believe that he committed such an offence”.

Ms Richardson added the victim did not have to endure cross-examination in the trial and those around her made efforts to minimise the long-term effects on her.

“They have acted in a way that means that she is not constantly reminded of this,” she added.

“It is hoped in the passage of time that wounds will be healed.”

The judge said: “It may be, because of her extreme youth and her naivety, she will actually forget about this. I don’t know.”

In the trial, Ghafoor denied that he did anything improper.

He could not think why she would make up the allegation and said nothing could have been misconstrued by her.

Named and shamed

Whilst local councillors and Vera Baird the police commissioner remain silent over this we wont...

Eisa Mousavi, 39, of Todds Nook, Newcastle has been charged with sexual assault by touching on a female 13 or over; intimidating a witness/juror/person assisting the investigation; rape of a female aged 16 or over; supplying or offering to supply a class B controlled drug; causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Monjur Choudhury, 30, of Philip Place, Newcastle has been charged with permit use of premises for supply of drugs; supply or offer to supply class B controlled drugs; causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Redwan Siddquee, 30, of West Road, Newcastle has been charged with causing or inciting prostitution for gain; supply or offering to supply a class B controlled drug.

- Mohammed Hassan Ali, 32, of Bentinck Street, Newcastle has been charged with a sexual act on a female and possession of mephadrone with intent to supply.

- Abdulhamid Minoyee, 31, of Gainsbrough Grove, Newcastle has been charged with rape of a female aged 16 or over; supply or offer to supply cannabis; sexual assault by touching a female 13 or over.

- Ebrahim Ali, 38, of Wetherby Grove, Gateshead has been charged with supply or offer to supply a class B controlled drug; supply or offer to supply a class A controlled drug; trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation; arrange child prostitution; rape of a female aged 16 or over.

- Habibur Rahim, 32, of Kenilworth Road, Newcastle has been charged with sexual assault by touching a female 13 or over; administering a substance with intent; sexual assault by touching a female 13 or over; supply or offering to supply a class B controlled drug; supply or offer to supply cannabis; trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation; causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Ibrahim Rousel, 34, of Manor Gardens, Wardley has been charged with rape of a female aged 16 or over and administering a substance with intent.

- Mohammed Khalique, 22, of Beaconsfield Street, Newcastle has been charged with rape of a female aged 16 or over; supply or offer to supply a class B controlled drug.

- Mohammed Azram, 33, of Croydon Road, Newcastle has been charged with rape of a female aged 16 or over; supply of mephadrone; supply or offer to supply a class B controlled drug; sexual assault by touching a female aged 13 or over; trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation; causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Nadeem Aslam, 41, of Belle Grove West, Newcastle has been charged with possession of cannabis; possession of mephadrone; supply of mephadrone; permit the use of premises for supply of drugs; causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Prabhat Nelli, 31, Corporation Road, Newcastle has been charged with supply or offer to supply a class B drug and causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Taherul Alam, 29, of Normanton Terrace, Newcastle has been charged with supply or offer to supply a class B controlled drug; permit the use of premises to supply drugs; sexual assault by touching on a female 13 or over; causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Yassar Hussain, 25, of Canning Street, Newcastle has been charged with rape of a female aged 16 or over; permit the use of premises to supply drugs; assault occasioning actual bodily harm; possession of mephadrone; possession of amphetamine; causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Jahangir Zaman, 41, of Hadrian Road, Newcastle has been charged with supply or offer to supply a class B controlled drug and causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Badrul Hussain, 34, of Drybeck Court, has been charged with rape of a female aged under 16; supply of mephadrone; permit the use of a premises to supply drugs and causing or inciting prostitution for gain.

- Abdul Sabe, 37, of Dean House, Newcastle has been charged with possession of cannabis; trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation; non-penatrative sexual activity with a girl 13 to 15; supply or offer to supply cannabis; sexual assault by touching a female 13 or over and administering a substance with intent.

- Karzan Mohammed, 23, of Graingerville South, Newcastle has been charged with rape of a female under 16; falsely imprison/detain another; supply or offer to supply cannabis; assault occasioning actual bodily harm; administering a substance with intent; rape of a female aged 16 or over and trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.

- Saiful Islam, 32, of Strathmore Crescent, Newcastle has been charged with rape of a female aged under 16 and supply or offer to supply cannabis.

- Nashir Uddin, 33, of Joan Street, Newcastle has been charged with supply or offer to supply a class A controlled drug; supply of mephadrone; permit the use of premises for supply of drugs; rape of a female under 16; causing or inciting prostitution for gain; failing to surrender to custody/respond to bail.