Police examine a van packed with gas canisters found close to where US band the Allah-Las were due to perform. EPA/ARIE KIEVIT
Police examine a van packed with gas canisters found close to where US band the Allah-Las were due to perform. EPA/ARIE KIEVIT

Spanish driver arrested after van filled with gas cannisters found near Dutch concert venue



Dutch police have arrested the driver of a van carrying gas bottles during a major security operation following the cancellation of a concert by US rock band Allah-Las in the port city of Rotterdam, the city’s mayor said.

The concert was cancelled after police set up a security ring around the venue following a tip from the Spanish authorities.

"The ring that the police set up around the (concert hall) led to the detention of a bus with gas bottles,” said Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb. "It still has to be established that there was a link between the van and the threat. We can't say that yet."

The driver, a Spaniard, was being questioned by police as military explosives experts examined the van found close to the venue.

Police in Spain have been investigating the deadly vehicle attacks last week that killed 15 people in and near Barcelona. They later found bomb-making equipment that included more than 100 tanks of butane gas and nails.

A judicial source in Spain told Reuters there was no link to the attacks in Spain, and the tip came from an investigation that had no direct relation to the two vehicle attacks in Barcelona and the resort of Cambrils that killed 15 people.

The show was cancelled just before the doors opened to fans. Dutch television showed what appeared to be members of the four-piece band from Los Angeles leaving the venue in a white van with a police escort.

In an interview with British newspaper The Guardian last year, band members said they chose the word Allah, Arabic for God, because they were seeking a "holy sounding" name and did not realise it might cause offence.

"We get emails from Muslims, here in the U.S. and around the world, saying they're offended, but that absolutely wasn't our intention," lead singer Miles Michaud told the newspaper. "We email back and explain why we chose the name, and mainly they understand."

Tips for job-seekers
  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.