The weekly newsletter for Fed2 by ibgames

EARTHDATE: August 14, 2011

Official News page 10


REAL LIFE NEWS: ROMAN GLADIATORS ARRESTED

by Hazed

Italian police have arrested a bunch of gladiators. Actually, they are not real gladiators - we don't have them any more - but pretend gladiators who hang around outside Rome's most famous tourist sites, charging tourists money to pose with them for photos - up to 10 euros ($14) per time.

But the gladiators were not playing nice, and were operating a violent racket, attacking and intimidating competitors for this lucrative business. Criminal gangs had divided up the tourist sites such as the Colosseum, Piazza Venezia and St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and were defending their turf with violence, said the police.

In response, the cops set up an elaborate sting operation. Some of the officers disguised themselves as dustbin men or members of the public, while others put on their own gladiator outfits - bright red capes, helmets with plumes of red feathers, sandals, swords and round shields - and showed up to take some of the gang's business. The police gladiators were attacked and beaten up before the other undercover officers swooped in to arrest the gangster gladiators.

The criminal gladiators consisted of seven families working with five tourist agencies. Five competitors who had been chased away had alerted police to the gang's activities, which lead to the successful sting operation.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rome-police-arrest-colosseum-gladiator-gang-000250682.html


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