Spain's Civil Guard uses superheroes to educate kids on Internet risks

Using the popular and enigmatic characters from the movie world of superheroes, along with quite a few Disney characters, the Civil Guard in Spain has begun a new set of workshops in Madrid aimed at informing third and fourth grade children about the dangers of the Internet.

Using a giant TV screen, the first class was held on November 5 at the Nuestra Señora del Carmen school in Madrid.  It began with the words, “You should never give your personal details online without the permission of your parents, or create a profile on the social networks until you reach 14.”

Children tend to be trusting and it is far too easy for the wrong people to take advantage of them online.  All the pupils in the class were familiar with the various apps, like WhatsApp, Skype and YouTube, but most were completely unaware of the basic rules and etiquette of using the Internet and the various social networks.  This was the first of around 6,000 more classes to be held all over Spain during the coming months. 

Arsenio Fernández de Mesa, director general of the Civil Guard told the assembled children, “I bet the majority of you have better smartphones and tablets than your parents, but you still need to be careful,” adding, “There are bad people out there who will try to get to know you through the internet. What we’re about to tell you is so that from now on you will use it properly and nobody will be able to hurt you.”

On the TV screen, the Hulk warns the children,  “It is forbidden to pretend to be somebody else, or record somebody on your phone without their permission and then upload it to the Internet.”

In the classroom, Captain Carlos Igual of the division that investigates crimes against minors is on hand to advise the children.  He told El País, “A teenager is old enough to understand a serious message about online safety, but younger children aren’t.”

“Cartoons are a way to get that message over in a friendly manner, and to help them interiorize what we are trying to say,” he added, explaining that some parents are unaware of how the Internet functions and exactly what their children do online.

Igual said that most parents, and even many teachers, don't really know what Twitter is, for example. While some teachers have already contacted the Civil Guard requesting talks on online safety, the Civil Guard will also be organizing workshops for parents and teachers on the subject, but without the help of the Hulk this time.


Spanish sources:

El País
20 Minutos

Photo credits:
Hulk: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Eneas De Troya
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The Spanish Civil Guard has warned Europol to be on alert about a new method of cargo theft which is occurring on roads across the European continent. It seems that as austerity spreads in Europe, ingenuity increases twofold.

The new criminal scheme has been dubbed the "Caballo de Troya" or “Trojan Horse” method, as thieves manage to gain entry to delivery trucks by hiding inside large wooden boxes, labeled “fragile.”

These wooden boxes (complete with thieves) are then collected by parcel delivery services. Once the delivery vehicle is underway, the thieves free themselves from their box and help themselves to the contents of the various other boxes contained in the truck. Contents may include phones, jewelry and electronics, among other products.

Once they have taken their fill, they contact their accomplices via cellphone. Their accomplices then track down the truck using a GPS device, or they may already be following the vehicle at a distance. The accomplices then simulate an accident, forcing the vehicle to stop. Once stopped, the thieves then escape via a hole they have already cut in the truck’s roof.

The last major arrest was made by the Spanish Civil Guard in December 2013, when seven criminals were arrested for crashing cars into shop windows in an effort to steal goods. In the process, these criminals were also busted for two “Trojan Horse” thefts, which were carried out on the motorways near Madrid.

The Spanish-language video included below shows the arrests back in December 2013, together with an animated explanation of how the “Trojan Horse” method actually works.

Now Europol has alerted police forces Europe-wide to the “Trojan Horse” threat, which is becoming an increasingly popular method of theft.

Illegal, unlicenced Chinese medicine seized by Spanish police

A spokesman for the Spanish police announced on Saturday that they had seized hundreds of thousands of packs of illegal medicines from China and India, including slimming products, erection aids and anabolic steroids.

The statement read that the Guardia Civil had "seized more than 250,000 units of illegal medicine, mostly related to erectile dysfunction, slimming and abortion practices."

Reportedly around a quarter of the seized unlicensed and illegal drugs were from India and more than half were sourced from China, which the Guardia Civil state were mainly destined for the large Chinese community living in Spain.

The medicines were seized during three weeks of raids at airports and shops in Spain, following an operation in 30 countries which was coordinated by the international and European agencies Interpol and Europol.

26 websites selling the unauthorised medicines, which the police say are "potentially harmful to health" were shut down during the exercise.

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To the source: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/353423