Madeleine McCann: German Prisoner Identified as Suspect, #33

[Davieson]

That answers how GCHQ intercepted these calls, but not why.
The system was obviously primed with certain key words, but seems an odd action for a national security service to do.
Orders from on high no doubt.

 

[Pixie Child]

The comments from MT are certainly interesting. In addition to saying he is convinced CB is responsible for MM's disappearance, he thinks CB most likely tried to sell MM to a paedo ring and claims CB often talked about selling kids to Morocco. It seems logical MT and CB would have had Moroccan connections given their involvement in the hashish trade. CB told MWT that throughout early 2007, he was going back and forth to Spain to buy marijuana and then selling it in back in Portugal. All of which evokes memories of this report published in the early days of MM's disappearance -


Media 'may have scared Madeleine kidnapper'

Police in Portugal believe that Madeleine McCann may be in the hands of a kidnapper who has not issued a ransom demand because of the intense media coverage of her disappearance.

...

Meanwhile it was reported yesterday that the police investigation was refocusing on Morocco after a series of "significant" mobile phone conversations were picked up by the British Government's Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham.

The calls - all in Arabic and made on a Spanish pay-as-you-go phone - were said to have referred to "the little blonde girl" and were made last week. They talked about Mr and Mrs McCann meeting the Pope.

Intelligence officers also picked up repeated references to a German man, and discussions about Morocco, Holland and Germany.

The Arab-speakers talked about ferry crossings from the Spanish port of Tarifa, three hours from Praia da Luz. There are regular crossings from Tarifa to Tangiers in Morocco.

Media 'may have scared Madeleine kidnapper' | Uk News | News | Telegraph

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Also of possible note is that the article is dated 5th June 2007 and it says the intercepted phone calls were said to have taken place "last week". This coincides with MT's claim that CB turned up at Orgiva in Spain at the end of May/early June to ask MT to hook him up with his "marijuana world" connections.

The comments from MT are certainly interesting. In addition to saying he is convinced CB is responsible for MM's disappearance, he thinks CB most likely tried to sell MM to a paedo ring and claims CB often talked about selling kids to Morocco. It seems logical MT and CB would have had Moroccan connections given their involvement in the hashish trade. CB told MWT that throughout early 2007, he was going back and forth to Spain to buy marijuana and then selling it in back in Portugal. All of which evokes memories of this report published in the early days of MM's disappearance -


Media 'may have scared Madeleine kidnapper'

Police in Portugal believe that Madeleine McCann may be in the hands of a kidnapper who has not issued a ransom demand because of the intense media coverage of her disappearance.

...

Meanwhile it was reported yesterday that the police investigation was refocusing on Morocco after a series of "significant" mobile phone conversations were picked up by the British Government's Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham.

The calls - all in Arabic and made on a Spanish pay-as-you-go phone - were said to have referred to "the little blonde girl" and were made last week. They talked about Mr and Mrs McCann meeting the Pope.

Intelligence officers also picked up repeated references to a German man, and discussions about Morocco, Holland and Germany.

The Arab-speakers talked about ferry crossings from the Spanish port of Tarifa, three hours from Praia da Luz. There are regular crossings from Tarifa to Tangiers in Morocco.

Media 'may have scared Madeleine kidnapper' | Uk News | News | Telegraph

Get the latest UK news and World news from the Telegraph. Your source for sport news, business news, travel news, motoring news and property news

web.archive.org

Also of possible note is that the article is dated 5th June 2007 and it says the intercepted phone calls were said to have taken place "last week". This coincides with MT's claim that CB turned up at Orgiva in Spain at the end of May/early June to ask MT to hook him up with his "marijuana world" connections.

CB would have to have held her for 3 weeks, then went to Orgiva in search of Mocro Mafia to sell her to. By this time, she had become almost too hot to handle.

But why would GCHQ put that out there and risk her life? Frustration because no-one would put a team together for a rescue?

It fits with the Alcosebbre sighting on 28.5.07, although that’s in the wrong direction for Tarifa.

It fits with the sighting of Naoual Mahdi in Fnideq on 21.7.07.

 

[Pixie Child]

One question might be why were GCHQ involved, unless it was normal practice to listen in to all conversations in arabic

I’m sure they listen to all Mocro Mafia conversations.

That answers how GCHQ intercepted these calls, but not why.
The system was obviously primed with certain key words, but seems an odd action for a national security service to do.
Orders from on high no doubt.

They will have been monitoring all Mocro Mafia/drug trafficking calls.

 

[Davieson]

I’m sure they listen to all Mocro Mafia conversations.

They will have been monitoring all Mocro Mafia/drug trafficking calls.

It listens out for key words and phrases used in phone conversations, then monitors them.
referred to "the little blonde girl".

 

[Malleux]

CB would have to have held her for 3 weeks, then went to Orgiva in search of Mocro Mafia to sell her to. By this time, she had become almost too hot to handle.

But why would GCHQ put that out there and risk her life? Frustration because no-one would put a team together for a rescue?

It fits with the Alcosebbre sighting on 28.5.07, although that’s in the wrong direction for Tarifa.

It fits with the sighting of Naoual Mahdi in Fnideq on 21.7.07.

The length of time holding her does put me off that idea a little, although not impossible.

But we don't really know the full context of the conversation. They could have been referring to something that had already happened prior, or angry at a plan that fell through/was abandoned due to the media heat I suppose. Maybe CB just needed a new dealer from MT because his contacts could not be used any more. I don't know.

I don't think GCHQ intentionally put the information out there and the story wasn't released by anyone official AFAIK, seems more like a leak that the Press got wind of.

 

[Davieson]

The length of time holding her does put me off that idea a little, although not impossible.

But we don't really know the full context of the conversation. They could have been referring to something that had already happened prior, or a plan that fell through/was abandoned due to the media heat I suppose.

I don't think GCHQ intentionally put the information out there and the story wasn't released by anyone official AFAIK, seems more like a leak that the Press got wind of.

If in fact its a leak to media, how much reliance can we put on what was reported ?

 

[Pixie Child]

The length of time holding her does put me off that idea a little, although not impossible.

But we don't really know the full context of the conversation. They could have been referring to something that had already happened prior, or angry at a plan that fell through/was abandoned due to the media heat I suppose. Maybe CB just needed a new dealer from MT because his contacts could not be used any more. I don't know.

I don't think GCHQ intentionally put the information out there and the story wasn't released by anyone official AFAIK, seems more like a leak that the Press got wind of.

Maybe CB handed her over, was paid in cannabis, then headed to Sylt.

MT may know more than he has disclosed. He knew CB was in Luz, that CB had discussed selling children to Morocco yet didn’t contact the cops.

 

[Davieson]

Maybe CB handed her over, was paid in cannabis, then headed to Sylt.

MT may know more than he has disclosed. He knew CB was in Luz, that CB had discussed selling children to Morocco yet didn’t contact the cops.

In which case a charge of murder would be invalid

 

[Sillybilly]

Please move over to Thread #34.

This thread is now closed.