Displaying items by tag: Police
Police investigate Cimento Nassau ownership
07 May 2021Brazil: Federal police in Pernambuco have launched an investigation into the alleged involvement of organised crime in João Santos Group, the owner of Cimento Nassau. 53 search warrants have been issued in four Brazilian states with the involvement of over 240 police officers, according to the Valor Econômico newspaper. The police are looking into allegations of asset diversions and tax evasion up to a value of around US$1.6bn.
Switzerland: Police have cleared 150 squatters from the site of a planned expansions to LafargeHolcim subsidiary Holcim Schweiz’s Mormont quarry in Vaud. Reuters News has reported that officers made 34 arrests. The squatters claimed to be protesting in the interests of biodiversity protection and CO2 emissions reduction.
Police raid Jagatpur fake cement operation
24 February 2021India: Odisha police have successfully shut down a fake cement operation in Jagatpur. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that the unit was producing fake cement using various raw materials including marble dust and artificial colours. The unit had reportedly been in operation since as early as 2015.
Assistant police commissioner Amarendra Panda said, “The factory and the go-down have been sealed. The investigation is on to ascertain since when the factory was operational, the source of raw materials and the destinations or shops where the products were supplied. It is also being ascertained whether the owner of the unit is part of a racket engaged in manufacturing adulterated cement.” This is the third fake cement unit uncovered in the city since late 2020.
Indian police raid fake cement bagging operation
30 December 2020India: Jagatpur police have raided a counterfeit cement bagging facility in Jagatpur Industrial Estate, Cuttack. Odisha TV News has reported that the operation is suspected of using marble dust, small amounts of white cement and artificial colouring in the fake product. Large amounts of empty packaging from several different cement brands were recovered in the raid. The police made one arrest and seized a vehicle.
Judge issues arrest warrants for criminal network that stole cement from Cooperativa La Cruz Azul
22 December 2020Mexico: Police have received arrest warrants for three leaders of an alleged criminal network which stole 10,000t of cement from Cooperativa La Cruz Azul. The El Universal newspaper has reported that the accused stole the cement by running a parallel accounting system from within the company. They sold the stolen cement via the company Azul Concretos y Premezclados.
Indian police confiscate 1000 bags of counterfeit cement
04 December 2020India: Police have made arrests in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh where cement was being bagged in falsely branded UltraTech Cement bags. The Free Press Journal has reported that the authorities confiscated over 1000 bags in the raid. They believe that the plant has been operative since 2018. Investigations continue, including a manhunt for suspected ringleader Jitendra Singh.
Stones thrown and shots fired in ACC Sindri cement plant protest
01 December 2020India: Police have fired warning shots after protesters outside LafargeHolcim subsidiary ACC’s Sindri cement plant in Jharkhand threw stones at them, according to the Pioneer newspaper. Sub-divisional manager Satyendar Kumar’s officers made three arrests. Residents of Dhanbad district are reportedly protesting a lack of local jobs. ACC had been in talks with local people when the disturbance broke out.
Police investigate death at Lafarge Canada Richmond cement plant
23 November 2020Canada: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s serious crime unit has launched an investigation into the death of one person at Lafarge Canada’s Richmond, British Columbia integrated cement plant on 19 November 2020. The Vancouver Sun newspaper has reported that the incident caused the plant to be evacuated.
Spokesperson Jill Truscott said, "We are in shock and are extremely concerned about the impact to this individual's family and friends. Steps have been taken to protect all employees on site and the surrounding community."
WorkSafe British Columbia is conducting a separate investigation.
18 injured in clash at Cemento Cruz Azul’s Oaxaca plant
16 October 2020Mexico: 18 people have been injured after representatives of Cemento Cruz Azul and police took control of the integrated 2.2Mt/yr Oaxaca plant in Lagunas. The La Jornada newspaper has reported that Cruz Azul’s directors José Antonio Marín and Víctor Manuel Velázquez entered the plant accompanied by security personnel in fulfilment of a court order before fighting broke out with cooperativist members of the organisation. Police arrested five members of the group, allegedly linked to a criminal organisation, while the Cruz Azul representatives successfully retook control of the plant.
Cooperativists restricted access to the plant in August 2020. The board of directors of Cruz Azul also asserted legal control of its Cementos y Concretos Nacionales (CYCNA) subsidiary cement plants in Puebla and Aguascalientes in September 2020.
Cemento Cruz Azul asserts control of CYCNA cement plants in Puebla and Aguascalientes
30 September 2020Mexico: The board of directors of Cemento Cruz Azul has asserted legal control of its Cementos y Concretos Nacionales (CYCNA) subsidiary cement plants in Puebla and Aguascalientes following accusations of ‘looting’ by partners in the company. In a video statement José Antonio Marín, president of the board of directors, said that the move would give the producer greater control over its operations since all cement would be registered in an internal audit programme, according to the Milenio newspaper. He alleged that some partners of the company had sold cement manufactured at the units independently.
José Antonio Cárdenas has been appointed manager of the CYCNA plants to replace Benito Rodríguez Fayad. Fayad allegedly had links to Cruz Azul’s former director Guillermo ‘Billy’ Álvarez, a former director of the company who is currently being investigated by law enforcement for links to organised crime and money laundering.