European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 14, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 b the stars and stripes thursday november 14,1991soviet criminals preying on foreigners Moscow up a foreigners Are increasingly becoming the victims of crime in the soviet Union officials say. There were More than 7,700 reported crimes against foreigners last year a 18 percent More than in 1989 and five times the average level a decade ago said maj. Gen. Alexander Kotlyarova Deputy head of criminal investigations at the Interior ministry. And in the first 10 months of 1991, the number of reported incidents jumped by More than a fifth despite a Small decline in the number of foreign visitors. Particularly vulnerable Are foreign tourists who visit the soviet Union on their own As opposed to visitors who come As part of a group tour or at the invitation of a soviet organization. A when a foreigner comes Here alone of course he or she attracts a lot More attention a Kotlyarova said. The vast majority of reported incidents involved thefts of Money clothing electronic goods or other property. One fourth of the thefts were from cars. Almost half of All crimes against foreigners were committed in hotels dormitories and campgrounds. Kotlyarova said that the jump in crime cannot be attributed entirely Quot to the economic situation in the country or falling living standards a he blamed local authorities and other republics which he did not identify for failing to pay attention to Law enforcement. He also said some specialized police units created by Central authorities had been disbanded in some republics hampering investigations of crimes such As credit card fraud. This Type of fraud is a a new and Complex problem for us a Kotlyarova said noting that the illegal use of credit cards accounted for $3.4 million Worth of purchases last year. Many foreign crime victims were not entirely blameless he said. Quot if you use a prostitute you done to think that As a consequence you will be robbed afterwards he said. Quot but this happens quite  Many foreigners Are also robbed or mugged while illegally changing Money on the Black Market he said. Foreigners also account for an increasing number of offences in the first nine months of this year they committed 345 crimes 25 percent More than in same period of 1990. Foreign nationals have been particularly Active in smuggling valuables out of the country particularly Antiques and icons. Quot before it was mainly diplomats who used their own closed channels a said Oleg Burov the head of the Interior ministry a organized crime department. A now increasingly its  Burov said other criminal activities involving foreigners include running an Auto theft ring smuggling arms to nationalists in the troubled chechen Inrush Region of South Russia and Selling fraudulent forms promising soviets jobs in the United states. World health drink being recalled after tampering in Britain from wire reports London a Smith Kline Beecham pc a pharmaceuticals and health products group said wednesday that it has ordered the withdrawal of All bottles of its health drink Luco zade on Sale in Britain because they May have been tampered with. The move followed a police Alert. Scotland Yard said in a statement that several people were arrested Early wednesday but that there might still be an attempt to place contaminated bottles in stores and supermarkets around the country. A it is extremely unlikely that contaminated bottles have already been placed on shelves but other people not yet arrested May still try to Plant contaminated bottles a a Scotland Yard spokesman  association Britain a National news Agency. A any members of the Public purchasing a bottle of Luco zade which they suspect might have been tampered with should Contact their local police a the spokesman added. He said an animal rights group was thought to be behind the scare in a bid to get publicity. He did not identify the group and no organization claimed responsibility. Moscow bread Price rising failing to Stop panic buying with plans for rationing mayor Gavriil Popov has a Moscow. Announced Price increases for High Quality breads. A at least one kind of bread should be on the shelf even though at a High Price a Popov said on Moscow television tuesday in announcing the higher prices. Popov said last week that he would Issue rationing coupons for bread meat sausage butter and eggs beginning dec. 1. Apparent heart attack kills Schweinfurt Soldier Schweinfurt Germany a amps a 31-year-old 3rd inf div Soldier has died of an apparent heart attack a division spokesman said wednesday. Staff sgt. George Hughes a tank commander assigned to co a 3rd in 64th Armor regt collapsed shortly after noon tuesday while Reading a newspaper in his units Day room on Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt maj. Steve Shively said. Unit medics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Hughes but were unable to revive him Shively said. An autopsy had not been performed As of wednesday afternoon but Shively said initial reports indicated that Hughes died of a heart attack. Hughes from Salisbury mo., is survived by his wife Diane and three children Shaun 14 april 9 and Stacey 9 months. A memorial service for Hughes will be held on Friday at 4 . In the Conn Barracks Chapel. Mercy bullets end suffering of 51 beached Pilot whales Quot Quot 10 5. W Quot Quot a 5. A v a scores of struggling whales lie stranded on Tasmania a coast. A Hobart Australia a wildlife officials were forced to shoot 51 beached Pilot whales because they were suffering and could not be saved the authorities said. The whales were among a group of 168 that became stranded on Tasmania a Remote Sandy Beach. Fishermen spotted the beached whales Early tuesday and the majority already had died by the time officials decided late in the Day to kill the rest. A their lungs were filled with Sand and water they were dying and suffering immensely a said Hans Wapstra a whales specialist with the tasmanian Parks department. The whales were spread Over Rocky stretches of Beach on the West coast of Tasmania an Island state off the Southeast coast of australians Mainland. They had rolled onto their sides and worked their bodies deeper into the Sand As they tried to right themselves he said. Wapstra said the Rescue of such a Large number of whales was a huge task. Stranded whales cannot be pushed into the sea individually because animals separated from the Herd turn around and head Back to the others he said. A you have to push groups of the whales into the water at the same time and hold them together Between boats to form a Core group a he said. Quot then the others can be pushed out in lesser numbers and they will join the group. A to do All that we needed hundreds of people who were not  Navy investigating harrier crash that killed Marine Pilot in Spain from staff and wire reports Rota Spain a . Navy officials were continuing an investigation wednesday into the crash of a harrier Jet in Southern Spain that killed a Marine Pilot a Navy spokesman said. It. Cmdr. John Hopkins said he was not Able to confirm Spanish news reports that the aircraft piloted by capt. Thomas p. Driscoll 26, of Brighton n.y., struck the Chimney of a building in the Southern town of Villa Garcia de la Torre before crashing in a nearby Field monday. Other Navy officials indicated that Driscoll a plane did not hit anything during the crash. Quot initial reports Are that Driscoll appeared not to have struck anything other than the Field where he crashed a said Navy it. Greg Smith of the 6th Fleet Public affairs office in Gaeta Italy. The Spanish news reports quoted a Villagarcia official Sandalio Pizarro As saying Driscoll a aircraft was engulfed in smoke As it flew Over the town of 1,200, hitting a Chimney. Pizarro also said the aircraft appeared to Man Euver to avoid crashing in the town itself before the Pilot ejected. Smith said however that Driscoll did not eject. Spanish news reports said eight . Military aircraft have crashed in Spain since 1984, killing five of their occupants. Driscoll was in the Mediterranean aboard the amphibious assault ship Wasp As part of the 26th Marine expeditionary unit. He was based at Cherry Point Marine corps air station in Havelock . Located on the Atlantic Ocean naval station Rota is one of four joint .-Spanish bases in Spain. Under an agreement with the Spanish government the United states has agreed to withdraw its 72 f-16a Jet fighter bombers of the . Air forces 401st tac fighter Wing from its principal base at Torrejon a Spain by next May