syndicate

His son, Michael, says his 82-year-old father was "groomed" by scammers, who he believes were working as part of a syndicate.

The AidData report suggests Beijing increasingly prefers the relative economic safety and political cover of syndicated lending in order to generate returns with less risk or controversy.

Mia Thornton, 40, separated from husband Gordon Thornton in 2023, then dated nationally syndicated DJ Incognito for a year before breaking up with him and reuniting with her estranged hubby this past New Year’s Eve.

Some syndicates use a "sea bump" method to transport narcotics, he said, which involves dropping bundles of drugs equipped with trackers into the ocean for retrieval later.

But sea crossings, facilitated by human trafficking syndicates, are hazardous and often lead to overloaded boats capsizing.