Falkirk.

Is this the UKs dumbest criminal?

A 39-year-old man arrested after he reported a lost bag to police – which contained £2,000 of heroin.

The criminal mastermind was picked up by a taxi on Friday morning outside a chemist in Bonnybridge, near Falkirk.

But when he was dropped off in nearby Denny he left his bag behind. And the driver was shocked to discover it contained the Class A drug.

Police launched an investigation after the bag was handed over to officers in Bonnybridge, the Daily Record reports.

Meanwhile, the bungling crook decided to conduct his own inquiry and on Saturday he returned to the chemist where he was picked up.

It is understood police officers were already there making inquiries about the drugs when the criminal mastermind told them about his lost bag.

He was swiftly arrested and is expected to appear before Falkirk Sheriff Court today.

Police Scotland are certainly making the most of the case.

The force's Falkirk office tweeted: “We found a lost bag containing over £2,000 in heroin on Friday. Luckily the loser popped in to report it lost and we were able to arrest him.”


http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/druggie-arrested-after-reporting-lost-4073430
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NEW YORK (AP) -- Uber is stepping up its political game with a high-powered new hire.

The taxi-alternative service is hiring a former White House adviser to lead its campaign for acceptance in the 170 cities around the world where it operates.

David Plouffe is best known for running President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign. He is joining Uber as senior vice president of policy and strategy in September, bringing a campaign mindset to a company that has faced resistance in some U.S. cities from the taxi industry and regulators.

Uber's app lets smartphone users locate nearby part-time drivers for the service, who use their own cars to ferry around passengers, as well as locate yellow cabs in cities like New York.

The service has run into opposition from taxi services and local governments in some cities, due to safety fears and complaints that it can dodge rules taxicabs must follow.

In a blog post, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick compared privately held Uber to a political candidate competing against "the Big Taxi cartel," which has used "decades of political contributions and influence to restrict competition, reduce choice for consumers, and put a stranglehold on economic opportunity for its drivers."

He said Plouffe's "expertise, wisdom, and strategic mindset" is a good choice for the San Francisco-based startup. Kalanick said Uber services have reduced drunken-driving incidents, generated jobs and improved local economies.


Plouffe was the architect of Obama's 2008 presidential campaign and a top White House adviser as Obama won re-election.
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'Dangerous' east London taxi tout jailed for a year

A taxi tout, who drove along the pavement and at dangerous speeds to escape police, has sentenced to a year in prison.

Mohammed Bilal Hadji, 43, of Newham Way, Newham, was caught illegally trying to pick up customers by an undercover officer in Shaftesbury Avenue.

When asked to exit his car, he locked the doors, mounted the curb and drove 40 metres along the pavement, nearly hitting members of the public and the police.

He then drove over 60 miles per hour in a 20mph zone, through four red lights and in the wrong direction down a one-way street.

He managed to escape from police but officers traced the vehicle from its registration to Hadji's east London address.

When officers arrived Hadji tried to escape but was restrained.

He was arrested for taxi touting, having no insurance and dangerous driving. He pleaded not guilty to the touting and insurance charges but was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court and sent to prison last week.

Acting Chief Superintendent Robert Revill, roads and transport policing command said: "This was an excellent result which has seen an extremely dangerous man who posed a serious risk to the public taken off the streets for a long time.

"He has received a robust judicial outcome, time in jail and a hefty fine for his offences. When he is released he will also have lost his vehicle."


Hadji was also disqualified from driving for 33 months driving disqualification and told he would need to retake his test before he gets behind the wheel again.
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A DERBY taxi firm has teamed up with students in the city to offer lifts home to those who run out of cash on nights out.

Albatross Cars will launch the safety scheme when the new influx of university students arrives in September and October.

The scheme will enable students who need a taxi to book a cab either by telephone or by using an app on their mobile phone.

They will then receive a text message on their smartphone, telling them what the make, model and registration of the taxi will be so they know they are getting into the right cab.

The student will then hand their student identification to the driver as a deposit and collect it back the following day from the University of Derby Students’ Union while paying the taxi fare.

The scheme is the first of its kind in Derby, with Albatross teaming up to work with the union.

http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Phone-app-launched-taxi-firm-students-stranded/story-22761456-detail/story.html