Lebanese Mafia Brothers Arrested over Berlin Kidnapping Plot

Police patrol in Berlin, Germany, May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
Police patrol in Berlin, Germany, May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
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Lebanese Mafia Brothers Arrested over Berlin Kidnapping Plot

Police patrol in Berlin, Germany, May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
Police patrol in Berlin, Germany, May 24, 2017. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

The younger brother of one of Berlin's most notorious Arab mafia bosses has been arrested in Denmark on suspicion of plotting to kidnap the children of a famous rapper.

German authorities are now seeking the extradition of 37-year-old Yasser Abou-Chaker, who is of Lebanese descent.

His elder brother and clan boss Arafat Abou-Chaker, 42, was arrested in Berlin last week.

Both suspects have been accused of plotting to abduct the children of German-Tunisian rapper and former business partner Bushido.

According to investigators, the brothers had been actively looking for people ready to carry out the kidnapping. This was apparently to be an act of revenge after Bushido cut ties with the Abou-Chakers in March last year.

Bushido is currently under police protection. Another rapper, Capital Bra who was signed to Bushido's label, this week angrily accused his boss of working "intensively" with the police and left the label.

The Abou-Chaker clan is among 10 Lebanese families involved in organized crime in Berlin and put under police surveillance.



Baby Mammoth Preserved for 50,000 Years Is Unveiled in Russia’s Siberia

 In this photo released by the Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, University's Scientists show the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost in Russia's Siberia. (Michil Yakovlev, Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University telegram channel via AP)
In this photo released by the Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, University's Scientists show the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost in Russia's Siberia. (Michil Yakovlev, Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University telegram channel via AP)
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Baby Mammoth Preserved for 50,000 Years Is Unveiled in Russia’s Siberia

 In this photo released by the Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, University's Scientists show the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost in Russia's Siberia. (Michil Yakovlev, Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University telegram channel via AP)
In this photo released by the Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, University's Scientists show the remains of a 50,000-year-old baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost in Russia's Siberia. (Michil Yakovlev, Mammoth Museum at the Russian North-Eastern Federal University telegram channel via AP)

The 50,000-year-old remains of a baby mammoth uncovered by melting permafrost have been unveiled to the public by researchers in Russia's Siberia region who call it the best-preserved mammoth body ever found.

Nicknamed Yana, the female mammoth weighs more than 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and is 120 centimeters (47 inches) tall.

Scientists believe that Yana was 1 year old when she died. Her remains are one of seven mammoth carcasses recovered worldwide.

Yana was found among the melting permafrost at the Batagaika crater in the far-eastern Russian area of Yakutia. Known as the “gateway to the underworld,” the crater is 1 kilometer deep and has previously revealed the remains of other ancient animals including bison, horses and dogs.

As permafrost melts, affected by climate change, more and more parts of prehistoric animals are being discovered.

Yana will be studied by scientists at Russia's North-Eastern Federal University, which has a dedicated mammoth research center and museum.

The university described the find as “exceptional” and said it would give researchers new information about how mammoths lived and adapted to their surroundings.