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      Premier League star’s shock after gang take over home he owns & turn it into cannabis factory with hundreds of plants

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      A CRIMINAL gang took over a Premier League star’s home and forced his tenant to let them grow cannabis.The cuckoo-plot crooks left the female occupant surrounded by hundreds of plants.
      A criminal gang took over a Premier League star’s home and forced his tenant to let them grow cannabisCredit: Getty
      The cuckoo-plot crooks left the female occupant surrounded by hundreds of plantsCredit: Getty
      But when police raided the home, the player had to prove his innocence to avoid charges.
      Police also released the tenant without charge after deciding she was set up by the gang.
      A source told The Sun: “This player owns the house in the North West as part of a buy-to-let empire.
      “Another family member manages the properties but they couldn’t believe it when cops found a large-scale cannabis farm.
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      “The plants were taken away and destroyed and the player had to show paperwork to prove that while he was the owner of the property, he had someone else living in it.”
      Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, production and possession of cannabis with the intent to supply is a criminal offence that can result in up to 14 years in jail.
      Landlords who fail to report suspicions of illegal activity can be liable and face the same penalty.
      Rental income could also be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
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      The number of cannabis farms operating in homes is growing.
      In June, more than 1,000 were raided, with plants worth £130million seized and 1,000 suspects arrested.
      Sham estate agents was a front for brazen drug lord who raked in £11m a YEAR
      Single plants are often attributed a value of £840 in criminal trials.
      The National Police Chiefs’ Council has said: “Organised networks involved in cannabis production are also directly linked to other serious criminality such as Class A drug importation, slavery, violence and exploitation.” More

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      Ex-footballer Michael Boateng appears in court over £1m haul of crystal meth

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      A FORMER professional footballer has appeared in court over the massive seizure of £1 million worth of crystal meth.Around 20 kilos of the Breaking Bad drug was found during a Valentine’s Day raid on a flat in Croydon, South London.
      Boateng, 32, previously played for Bristol RoversCredit: Wikipedia/@Oneova
      Former Crystal Palace academy player Michael Boateng, 32, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to supply a Class A drug – Methylamphetamine.”
      It was one of the biggest ever seizures of crystal meth in the UK and raises fears that the highly addictive drug is taking root here.
      Boateng appeared in custody at Croydon magistrates’ court around 11am today and spoke only to confirm his name, age, and address in southeast London.
      Mr Harris, defending, made no bail application or indication of plea ahead of Boateng’s next hearing at Croydon Crown Court on March 15.
      Crystal meth
      District Judge Dean said: “I am remanding you in custody until then.”
      Right back Boateng was on the books at Palace as a teenager between 2005 and 2007 when they were competing in the second tier Championship.
      The defender went on to play for Bristol Rovers before having spells at Bromley, Sutton United, Newport County and Whitehawk.
      After hanging up his boots in 2013, Boateng qualified as a personal trainer, with Prem stars like Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho and Spurs’s Ryan Sessegnon among his clients.
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      Police said the operation which led to his arrest “was part of ongoing work to disrupt and prevent serious violence in Croydon.”
      A Met spokesperson said: “An estimated £1 million worth of crystal meth has been seized by police after a drugs warrant was carried out at a flat in Croydon on February 14.
      “A 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene and later charged with possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.”
      The explosion of crystal meth in the US was highlighted by the drama series Breaking Bad, in which a science teacher, Walter White, begins cooking the drug to make money after learning he has terminal cancer.
      Until now, its use has not been widespread in the UK mainstream drug culture. More

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      Shock for Ryan Reynolds after cops find traces of cocaine in Wrexham’s toilets on 3 occasions

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      COPS found traces of cocaine in Wrexham FC’s toilets on three occasions during their record-breaking 2022-23 season.Officers tested for the Class A drug on three matchdays, a Freedom of Information request revealed.
      COPS found traces of cocaine in the public toilets at the club which is owned by Hollywood star Ryan ReynoldsCredit: AFP
      Police launched operations to test for the Class-A drug at the Welsh club’s Racecourse Ground last yearCredit: EPA
      Cops mounted a hat-trick of operations to test for remnants of the Class-A drug at the Welsh club’s 10,700-capacity Racecourse Ground last year.
      Traces of cocaine — linked to footie violence — were found at the ground last February at games against Wealdstone Athletic and Dorking Wanderers, and two months later for the clash with Oldham Athletic.
      It comes after the 2022 Boxing Day match when a fan was caught snorting powder in the toilets.
      He admitted possessing cocaine and was fined and banned from matches for three years.
      READ MORE ON WREXHAM
      Lee Fernandes, of the UK Addiction Treatment Group, said: “Unfortunately it has become commonplace for men to associate a football game with taking cocaine and drinking alcohol.
      “Mixing cocaine use with alcohol, plus the added adrenaline from the excitement brought about by the football match can lead to bouts of aggression from fans.
      “Cocaine is a highly addictive substance that we see ruining lives every day.
      “It can go from being a social drug to something much more sinister very quickly.”
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      North Wales Police were the only force to respond to the FOI request. Wrexham were approached for comment.
      A Sun investigation in December 2021 – after cocaine-fuelled violence marred England’s Euro final with Italy – found traces at the grounds of clubs including Arsenal, Man City, Spurs, and Chelsea.
      Some police forces are known to have started to use sniffer dogs outside grounds in a bid to deter fans from taking illegal drugs into the stadiums.
      Ryan Reynolds reveals ‘all kinds of weird and unexpected horrors’ after ‘incredibly stressful’ Wrexham takeover More

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      England ace Jack Grealish due in court this week after he’s caught speeding – the latest in string of driving woes

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      ENGLAND footie ace Jack Grealish is due in court on a speeding charge this week — the latest in a string of driving woes.The Manchester City star’s £100,000 motor was caught on camera breaking a 30mph limit last July.
      Jack Grealish is due in court on a speeding charge this weekCredit: Cavendish
      The Manchester City star has had a string of driving offencesCredit: Getty
      The next month, he was charged with failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver in Wythall, near Birmingham.
      If convicted of speeding, the 28-year-old faces a fine based on his £300,000 weekly wage and up to six ­penalty points.
      The second offence also carries a fine and six points.
      Grealish has a chequered driving history.
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      He got a nine-month ban and an £82,000 fine after crashing his Range Rover into two parked vehicles in 2020.
      He was also charged with speeding after clocking almost 100mph on the M42 when he was with Aston Villa.
      He pleaded guilty to careless driving and was only allowed back in a car in September 2022.
      At the time of those offences, Grealish had six points on his licence from 2018 when caught speeding on the M42.
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      His case is due to be heard by Worcestershire JPs on Thursday.
      His agent said the hearing was a “mix up” and that his partner Sasha Attwood paid the fine at the time of the speeding offence.
      How does Gareth Southgate solve Phil Foden dilemma, with Jack Grealish possibly missing out on Euro 2024 More

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      Ex-Man Utd wonderkid John Cofie who was youngest-ever million-pound footballer ‘raped woman with pal after night out’

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      A FORMER Man Utd wonderkid raped a woman with his pal after a night out, a court heard today.John Cofie, 30, and friend Nathan Stuart allegedly attacked the woman when she was too drunk to consent.
      John Cofie is accused of raping a woman with a palCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Sean McGinty, Paul Pogba, Sam Johnstone, Cofie and Jesse Lingard celebrate winning the FA Youth Cup for Man Utd in 2011Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how she had met the pair while on a night in Altrincham in April 2019.
      She and a friend visited a few bars with Cofie and Stuart before her pal decided to go home, it was said.
      Jurors were told the alleged victim was then seen “hanging off” Cofie’s arm and “slurring her words”.
      She ended up back at Stuart’s home where she was allegedly raped by the pair.
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      The woman was picked up by her parents at around 3am after they reported her missing when she failed to return home.
      She was “incoherent” and “not mentally alert” at the time, it was said.
      The court heard she had no recollection of the events and was later told by Stuart she’d had sex with him and Cofie.
      She claims she may have been spiked as it felt “similar” to a previous experience as a teenager.
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      The “distressed” woman was taken to hospital after she began “shaking and hyperventilating”, and was told the amount she drank couldn’t explain her memory loss, nausea, vomiting and headache.
      Man Utd star Rasmus Hojlund taunts Aston Villa crowd after Scott McTominay winner
      When she told Stuart how unwell she felt, he allegedly told her: “Well, you don’t think we spiked you?”
      But when she questioned him further, he said they’d had sex and Cofie “was there as well”.
      The woman then told Stuart she wanted to carry out checks with the police, causing him to warn her: “Forget it and move on”.
      After Cofie and Stuart were arrested, they maintained she had consented to the sexual activity.
      Jurors heard officers went through the pair’s phones and discovered Stuart had messaged his footballer pal advising him to “say nada”.
      Stuart, of Northwich, Cheshire, denies two counts of rape while Cofie, of Sale, Greater Manchester, denies three counts of rape.
      Cofie became the youngest million pound footballer when he signed for Man Utd from Burnley in 2007 aged just 14.
      He played alongside Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard but left the club in 2013 when he failed to make the senior team.
      Ghanaian-born Cofie then had spells at Barnsley, Crawley Town and Wrexham.
      He also played on loan at clubs including Sheffield United and Belgian side Antwerp.
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      After hanging up his boots aged 27, he worked at a school mentoring children for a football programme.
      The trial continues.
      Cofie, pictured at a previous court hearing, denies rapeCredit: CHRIS NEILL
      Cofie had spells at 13 different clubs in his career More

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      Harry Maguire’s Greek retrial for assault and bribery shelved for over a year – and may never go ahead

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      HARRY Maguire’s retrial for assault and bribery has been shelved for more than a year — and may never go ahead. The England and Manchester United centre-back was due to plead his innocence this week at a long-awaited hearing on the Greek island of Mykonos. 
      Harry Maguire’s Greek retrial for assault and bribery may never go aheadCredit: Getty
      Maguire spent two nights in a cell after an altercation on a night outCredit: The Mega Agency
      But a legal strike saw it postponed and lawyers say it will now not take place until March next year at the earliest.
      Officials are now said to be reluctant to pursue the case amid fears it has damaged the island’s reputation and harmed tourism. 
      The move to postpone the case prolongs the ordeal for the ace who has vowed to clear his name after his shock arrest in summer 2020. 
      A source said: “Harry has — and always will — contest the charges.
      READ MORE ON HARRY MAGUIRE
      “He was on holiday with friends and family and was understandably distraught. He doesn’t want this hanging over him another day but respects the Greek legal system.” 
      Maguire, 30, was held by police and spent two nights in a cell after an altercation on a night out. 
      He was hauled into court days later and his lawyers were given just two hours to prepare a case. 
      Crucial evidence was withheld from the trial and Maguire was found guilty of bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence.
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      The footie hero, who has won 62 caps for the Three Lions, got a suspended jail term of 21 months. 
      Maguire’s lawyers immediately lodged an appeal — quashing the original verdict — and vowed to return to court to clear his name. 
      Luke Littler takes on Harry Maguire in incredible darts challenge as fans say Man Utd star should ‘switch careers’
      The player later told how the ordeal unfolded as he, his wife Fern, sister Daisy and six others waited for a taxi.
      He said two Albanian men approached Daisy and tried to talk to her. 
      Fern said she then saw Daisy’s eyes had rolled back as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
      Maguire said the group shouted at the men but there was no fight.
      Harry Maguire spoke to the BBC’s sports editor Dan Roan in 2020Credit: BBC
      Harry Maguire during his infamous 2020 interview about the Mykonos brawl
      Harry (right) with sister Daisy Maguire in MykonosCredit: Refer to CaptionHARRY MAGUIRE MYKONOS BATTLE TIMELINE More

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      Fifa president Gianni Infantino sets deadline to rid football of racism after shocking rise in vile incidents

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      FIFA president Gianni Infantino has given football THREE MONTHS to find a way of booting racism out of the game.The world football boss used an address to the Uefa Congress in Paris to call for a defining moment in the battle over racial discrimination.
      Fifa chief Gianni Infantino has set a deadline for football to give racism the bootCredit: AP
      Birmingham City star Juninho Bacuna claimed he had been racially abused by a West Brom fanCredit: Rex
      And Infantino has set May 17 at the Fifa Congress in Bangkok as his D-Day for football associations across the globe to get their act together.
      He has demanded point deductions for teams whose games are abandoned due to racist incidents, as well as criminal charges for those who commit racism.
      It follows abuse suffered by Coventry’s Kasey Palmer at Sheffield Wednesday while Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr has regularly been racially taunted.
      AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan walked off the pitch after being targeted by Udinese fans in January and Brentford striker Ivan Toney was the subject of “vile harassment” online this week.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL
      A man has also been arrested on suspicion of racially abusing Birmingham midfielder Juninho Bacuna in their 1-0 defeat at West Brom last weekend.
      Infantino said: “In the last few months we have witnessed a lot of racist incidents. This is not acceptable any more.
      “We have to stop this and do whatever we can to stop it. Racism is a crime. It is something terrible and we have to eradicate it.”
      Fifa has a three-stage protocol, so a referee can stop a match when racist behaviour is heard from the stands.
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      A second incident sees a game suspended and a third means abandonment.
      Infantino says combating racism is his “top priority” and wants “joined up, global action” insisting “concrete” measures were now necessary, with the FA ready to step up and take more action.
      Watch Brazilian sides SIT for first 30 seconds of match in support of Vinicius Jr following racism storm
      He added: “The consequences have to be a forfeit against the team responsible for the abandonment.
      “We have to start criminal charges against those who act in a racist way and ban them from stadiums. But that is not enough.
      “In the next three months we must work together, before the Fifa Congress in Bangkok on May 17, to come together with a strong, united resolution for the fight against racism.
      “Let’s stop racism. Let’s stop it now.”
      Meanwhile, a fan who racially abused Forest Green’s Jordan Garrick has been jailed for nine months.
      Ryan Ferguson, 24, of Liverpool pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment, failing to  comply with a football banning order and resisting a police constable at Rovers’ League One clash with Fleetwood in April last year.
      Brentford’s Ivan Toney was the subject of ‘vile harassment’ online this weekCredit: PA
      Coventry’s Kasey Palmer suffered racist abuse at Sheffield WednesdayCredit: Rex More

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      Jack Grealish poses with £25,000 protection dog after terrifying gang raid at Man City star’s home

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      ENGLAND ace Jack Grealish poses with his £25,000 Belgian Malinois protection dog in a “show of strength” after his burglary ordeal.The star, also seen with cockapoo Skye, wrote “My two babies” next to the online pic, adding a heart emoji.
      Jack Grealish poses with his £25,000 Belgian Malinois protection dog in a ‘show of strength’ after his burglary ordeal.Credit: Instagram
      Jack and fiancée Sasha Attwood were targeted when a gang struck on Boxing Day as he played away for Manchester CityCredit: Instagram
      We told how Jack and fiancée Sasha Attwood lost £1m of gems when a gang struck on Boxing Day as he played away for Manchester City.
      He bought two Belgian Malinois last year from security firm Chaperone K9.
      Cops have yet to catch the gang who raided the Cheshire home while ten family members were watching Jack’s match on TV.
      A source said: “Jack and his family were left traumatised following the raid, but they won’t let it defeat them.
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      “Jack and Sasha had only just moved in and are looking forward to building a life there.
      “It’s difficult for them knowing that the culprits haven’t been caught yet and may never face justice, but they’re keeping their head up.
      A source said: “His post is a display of strength — both for himself and his fans.”
      Jack and childhood sweetheart Sasha had moved in just five days before the burglary after tradesmen finished renovations.
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      The property, which includes a helipad, tennis court, full-sized football and cricket pitches and a lake, is located within Cheshire’s affluent “Golden Triangle”, where a string of footballers have been targeted.
      Paul Pogba’s mansion was raided by thieves in March 2022, who broke in while his kids slept upstairs as he played at Old Trafford.
      Is this the moment Jack Grealish is told of his family’s terror at £1m jewellery break-in raid at his mansion?
      The same year the wife of Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof was forced to lock herself in a room with their two children after intruders burst in while he played away.
      Riyad Mahrez, Tahith Chong and Jesse Lingard have also been targeted. More