Galician drug runners, who sparked a diplomatic incident when they were chased into Gibraltar Port by a Spanish Guardia Civil launch

Courts in Gibraltar have found the two alleged Galician drug runners, who sparked a diplomatic incident when they were chased into Gibraltar Port by a Spanish Guardia Civil launch, guilty of entering Gibraltar illegally and illegally importing a launch with two 2,500 cc outboard motors, prohibited on the Rock. They were also charged with entering a military zone.Francisco Javier Otero and José Antonio Falcón, both from Pontevedra, were each fined 5,000 pounds Sterling, and given 90 days arrest. They have now however been handed over to the Spanish authorities. They face charges in Spain of obstructing justice.Meanwhile the Gibraltar police commissioner, Louis Wink, has been giving more details of the incident, and says that the chasing Guardia were in a state of shock when they questioned them. He denied reports that they had been advised by the Civil Guard of their presence with a set of signals, saying it was a resident in Harbour Views who had alerted them to the chase.Wink said he hoped the incident would not be repeated as relations between the two police forces were excellent. He also revealed that the Gibraltar police checked the guns of the Civil Guards, and saw that they had not been fired.Back in Spain the four Civil Guards have given their version of the events to the enquiry opened after the event and El País reports that no disciplinary action is to be taken against them.

Body of a tramp, with an axe buried in his head, has been found in a Fuengirola car park.

The victim was well known in the area, and reported to be a user of the Las Lagunas health centre, and was found by the National Police on Friday morning after the health service received a phone call just after 5am, saying that a doctor was needed in the street, Calle Antonio Rubio Torres, to certify the death of a person.
The National Police have opened a full investigation.

Four people have been arrested in Alicante in connection with the illegal recording of new feature films in local cinemas

Four people have been arrested in Alicante in connection with the illegal recording of new feature films in local cinemas. Police say the recordings were made at off-peak times and have described the operation as the largest of its type in Europe against the making of pirate recording in cinemas.The case broke when one of the group was caught recording a film with high definition equipment in an Alicante cinema, and police say the group then uploaded the recordings made to the internet, using servers in France and Germany.Police carried out searches in two homes in Alicante and Callosa de Segura, and impounded computing and copying equipment, as well as documents which showed the income obtained from advertising on the internet web pages.It is estimated that the losses to the film makers involved could be more than 70 million € given that the four are believed to have recorded hundreds of films many of which were downloaded as many as 10,000 times.

100 kilo lioness escaped from the vehicle which was transferring her to Italy.

A-92 motorway was closed to traffic near Loja, Granada province, on Saturday morning, after a 100 kilo lioness escaped from the vehicle which was transferring her to Italy. The alarm was raised by passing motorists shortly after 9am on Saturday, and the Sevilla-bound carriageway was closed off after the animal was found calmly wandering along the road at kilometre 191 of the A-92.
Experts from the Junta de Andalucía’s environmental department brought the lioness down with tranquiliser darts when she came to a halt beneath an almond tree, and she was taken to an animal shelter in Pinos Genil to await collection by her owners.
The lioness is reported by Ideal newspaper to have been born on a private finca in Cádiz province.

clients affected by the collapse of the Trampolin Hills golf resort in Campos del Río gathered at the site on Saturday in a protest

100 or so of the hundreds of clients affected by the collapse of the Trampolin Hills golf resort in Campos del Río gathered at the site on Saturday in a protest to demand their money back and for those responsible to be sent to prison. The first of the more than 2,500 units planned at the resort were sold four years ago, but none were ever completed.It’s affected clients in Spain, the UK and Ireland, amongst other countries, and it’s understood from La Opinión de Murcia that a group of those affected have made a formal request in writing to a court in Mula to ask that the two owners – Antonio Martínez and Rafael Aguilera – be imprisoned for fraud amounting to 60 million €. Joaquín Guzmán, a lawyer who represents many of the investors concerned, said he believes the two owners could attempt to flee Spain or to destroy evidence.The company is now in administration, but sources at the Grupo Trampolín told the newspaper that they believe the project will still go ahead. They said a way will be sought to pay those who want their money back, but have proposed to some of the purchasers the idea of forming a cooperative to allow the urbanisation to be built. There was no indication of the response to their proposal.
Trampolín Hills was recently fined the amount of 350,000 € for failing to put in place a bank guarantee for their investors. Such a guarantee is required under Spanish law to cover refunds for unfinished properties.

Frankie Weber in prison on the Costa del Sol last night accused of three attempted murders.

Frankie Weber was in prison on the Costa del Sol last night accused of three attempted murders.Frankie Weber, 25, from London, is alleged to have fled to Gibraltar after stabbing three Spaniards in a street fight in Marbella.
He was returned to Spain where he now faces trial. Spanish police said the wounded were only saved by swift action by medics.25 year old Martial Arts expert is wanted in connection with the stabbing of three people in a street fight in Marbella
A British man has been extradited from Gibraltar to Spain to face charges of three attempted homicides.The 25 year old is accused of trying to carry out the homicides in Marbella, and the extradition comes as a result of a request made by Instruction Court Two in the town. The court has now ordered the suspect to be held in prison on remand.The case dates back to the early hours of January 24 this year when Spanish National Police were called to a fight in the Plaza de los Olivos in Marbella, which resulted in one very serious stabbing and two more suffering serious stab wounds. The most seriously hurt has had to undergo several surgeries. Police found many large knives at the suspect’s home and established that he had fled to Gibraltar. The agents from the UDEV Specialist Violent Crime Unit describe the suspect, who is an expert in martial arts, as ‘very dangerous’. They say a 30cm long machete was found in a nearby rubbish bin shortly after the aggression, which they believe he dumped during his escape.

Gibraltarians treated them ‘almost like criminals ’Four Maritime Guardia Civil intercepted

Four Maritime Guardia Civil were intercepted and held for two hours by the British authorities on Gibraltar on Monday while they were in pursuit of a boat thought to be involved in drug trafficking.Reports indicate that the Spanish Minister for the Interior, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, then had a conversation with the Gibraltar First Minister, Peter Caruana, and this resulted in the four agents being allowed to return to Spain. El Mundo reports that Rubalcaba apologised to Caruana for the ‘incorrect action’ of the Guardia Civil. It seems that they had followed the zodiac launch they were chasing into Gibraltar Port ‘in the heat of the chase’.
Two men in the zodiac were also questioned on the rock.The four men held say that they had to give statements to the authorities on the Rock, and that their firearms and the launch were impounded for a time. These items have now been returned to Spain. El Mundo reports the four say have been very affected by the experience, claiming that the Gibraltarians treated them ‘almost like criminals’. They will now be called to give an explanation to their Spanish superiors.

Police are investigating how two men attempted to force Grace Preston, 15, into their car in broad daylight.

Police are investigating how two men attempted to force Grace Preston, 15, into their car in broad daylight.The English girl, from Woking, was walking home from school at 2.30pm when two men confronted her outside her local supermarket.The ‘Spanish-looking’ men in their late 20s, ran around in front of her as she walked along the pavement, but she managed to run into crowded shopping centre Las Jarales and hide in a bar. one of the men had chased after her, but didn’t spot her cowering in Harley’s Bar.

“You never think it’s going to be your son or daughter until it happens to you.”
“It was terrifying, and I just fled,” she explained. “I ran into a local bar and noticed that the man followed me and looked inside to see if he could find me.”

Grace, who attends the European Sixth Form College in Calahonda, then called her parents who were in the supermarket next door.They straight away called the police, who are now investigating the case.Grace’s father Quentin Preston, an architect, was shocked by the attack. He said: “You never think it’s going to be your son or daughter until it happens to you.“But they are teenagers. We can’t watch them all the time,” he added.The architect, who has lived in La Cornisa with his wife Helen for the last six years, insists that young people should not go out alone.
He is pleased that Grace’s school is taking new measures to protect its pupils. Barbara Dyson, deputy director, confirmed: “We have told the students not to go home alone and to note down the number plates of suspicious cars.”
She added that the school had also appealed to the town hall for more security at home time.Teenager Amy Fitzpatrick, 15, went missing nearly two years ago from the very same area. She has still not been found. More alarmingly, it is the second attempted abduction to have taken place in Mijas Costa on the same day.
“Arabic-looking” man attempted to force a 19-year-old English girl into his car later that night.The incident happened on the Avenida Espana, a major thoroughfare, at 10pm.Local barmaid, Rachel Jones, 19, revealed that her English friend, 19, had been walking up to see her boyfriend in Calahonda. “This guy grabbed her and tried to pull her into the car, but she smacked him in the face and managed to prize herself free and run off, while the guy fled in his car.”Two weeks ago two teenage boys were also targeted in nearby Riviera del Sol in broad daylight.

Four attempted teenage kidnappings over the past month in Calahonda.

Fortunately, in each case the victims have managed to escape the clutches of their assailants in the nick of time.However, the mental damage will long linger in the minds of the young victims and their distraught families. Most frightening of all is the attempted abduction of 15-year-old Grace Preston. On a routine walk home from school, two men attempted to snatch her off the street. It is a tribute to Grace’s quick-thinking and sheer bravery that she managed to flee and hide from these sick people. For it doesn’t bear thinking about what may have happened. It is almost, exactly two years since the disappearance of Irish teen Amy Fitzpatrick, and fears still persist regarding the safety of the Costa del Sol’s young, vulnerable youths.

man allowed himself to be stripped off by the dancers in the full view of a number of young girls who were watching the show close to the stage.

Alicante prosecution service is investigating an event organised by a motorbike club in Pilar de la Horadada earlier this month which included exotic dancers and a striptease held in front of children. El Mundo reports that it was subsidised by the local Town Hall, who provided the marquee for the event.It was held by the Moto Club 12+1 on 15th November and brought together more than 3,000 people, including one man who allowed himself to be stripped off by the dancers in the full view of a number of young girls who were watching the show close to the stage.Another person who was there told El Mundo that all the children who attended the event were accompanied by their parents, and a warning was given to the parents over the microphone when the striptease was about to start.The Town Hall has come under harsh criticism from the opposition over the issue, and is now considering withdrawing its subsidy for future events. The Moto Club 12+1 said they have received no complaints from any of those who attended.

Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella child eating cake which had been made with vodka and marijuana

three year old girl was admitted to the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella last Sunday night after eating cake which had been made with vodka and marijuana.
There are contradictory versions about exactly what happened, but it is clear that the Local Police received an emergency call on Sunday from Nueva Andalucía. Once in the property they called an ambulance, and the child is now back home after undergoing detoxification treatment. Local police have arrested two women in relation with the case, one is a family member to the child, and the other is said to be a friend. They are expected to appear in court shortly.

Police in Málaga have shot dead a 54 year old

Police in Málaga have shot dead a 54 year old unemployed labourer, Antonio S.F., after he had fired at them with a hunting rifle, injuring one agent seriously, and another less so.The National Police were called to the scene in the Santa Rosalia district of Málaga city on Wednesday evening on reports of a possible case of domestic violence and found that the man had already injured two people. He had stabbed his daughter and her boyfriend.Neighbours told the La Opinión de Málaga newspaper that the aggressor, known locally as ‘El Manzanillas’, was a very good person, but who had fallen into depression some months ago, and had not accepted that his daughter had left her previous boyfriend some four or five months ago

72 year old man was found hanging by the neck at his home in the Almería village of Cóbdar

72 year old man was found hanging by the neck at his home in the Almería village of Cóbdar on Thursday morning, who it appears committed suicide after killing his wife and brother. It’s understood from EFE that the 80 year old brother had a disability and lived with the couple at their home.There’s little information on what happened, but it’s believed that Antonio N.C. first killed his wife, Herminia, aged 67, and then his brother, before committing suicide. The Civil Guard found the three bodies after a phone call was made to emergency services at around 8am.Cóbdar is a small village of some 200 inhabitants 76 kms from the provincial capital.

Santiago Mainar, the forestry worker accused and found guilty of killing Miguel Grima, the Mayor of the town of Fago

Santiago Mainar, the forestry worker accused and found guilty of killing Miguel Grima, the Mayor of the town of Fago, has been sentenced to twenty years and nine months in prison. The prosecutor had asked for just three months more for the killing and the illegal possession of firearms.The accused was told the verdict in hospital in Zaragoza where he was admitted last Tuesday after a suspected overdose of pills, although his family who have visited say he has denied trying to commit suicide.
He will also have to pay 105,000 € in compensation to the victim’s family.
The court case was heard in the Huesca provincial court last month, and the murder has achieved widespread coverage in the Spanish media since it took place in January 2007. Mainar at first admitted the crime, but two days later denied it in court, and in his last statement, made on November 25, he continued to defend his innocence.

Torrevieja shotgun fired in the street

young man brought panic to Torrevieja on Friday by firing a shotgun in the street. It happened at 1020am in the centre of the town in Calle San Pascual and Calle Villa de Madrid.The local man fired several shots into the air causing no injuries but sending pedestrians in the area running for cover.More than twenty police and civil guards, some of them with pistols in hand took part in the operation to capture the man who is said to suffer mental problems. He was first taken to the Civil Guard barracks and then later transferred to a health centre.

76 kilos of hashish hidden in the airbag of their car.

Police in Madrid have arrested two people who were found to have 76 kilos of hashish hidden in the airbag of their car.There were ‘acorns’ of hashish were also hidden in the side back panels of the car.Police had been following the car since Granada, and were aware that the traffickers were using a second advanced vehicle to advise the presence of any controls.Police followed the cars before intercepting when they headed to a district in the north of the capital. Those arrested had used a sophisticated electronic system which was activated by remote control to gain access to the drugs.

eight Spaniards, six men and two women, all aged between 20 and 45, have been arrested in Santa Pola, Alicante for growing and then selling marihuana

eight Spaniards, six men and two women, all aged between 20 and 45, have been arrested in Santa Pola, Alicante for growing and then selling marihuana. Five kilos of the drug was recovered by the Guardia Civil in the operation and they note that one of those detained kept the drug in shoe boxes, classified by its quality. Three homes in Elche were also searched as part of the operation and precision scales and a sum of cash seized.

British man and woman, both in their 50’s have been arrested at the El Altet airport

British man and woman, both in their 50’s have been arrested at the El Altet airport in Alicante after they were found to be carrying 1,540 grams of cocaine.
The two are named only with initials in reports, but the man is known to be 53 year old A.M., and the woman 57 year old A.G.The arrest, on charges of a crime against public health, took place at about 1pm last Friday December 4th in the arrivals terminal of the airport. The drugs were found hidden in the rucksack that the woman was carrying while the man also had two packets of the drug packed with his belongings.
The couple will appear in court shortly.

Alleged Mafia Busts Across Southern Italy possible Costa connection

In three separate and unrelated sweeps across Italy police have arrested more than 100 suspected mobsters and seized $360 million in assets allegedly implicating the Parisi clan from the Sacra Corona Unita or Puglian Mafia, the Cosa Nostra or Sicilian Mafia, and the Somma-La Marca clan from the Camorra or Neapolitan Mafia as reported by Adnkronos. The largest bust involved the arrest of 74 alleged members and associates of the Parisi clan, including politicians and businessmen, in the city of Bari as reported by Nicole Winfield for The Associated Press:The 48-year-old head of the clan, Savino Parisi, was arrested overnight along with his closest associates. They are accused of attempted murder, drug trafficking, loan-sharking, interfering with the bidding process for public contracts and money laundering.

Spanish lawyer has disappeared along with an estimated €5 million of client’s money

British expats are amongst 26 investors who fear the worst after a Spanish lawyer has disappeared along with an estimated €5 million of client’s money. The lawyer in question Jose Luis Maseda was handling transactions for the purchase of new holiday homes in the Costa del Sol.Maseda, who speaks fluent English, is believed to have handled the money, whilst advising his clients to invest in a number of suspect apartment developers across the south of Spain.One development that Maseda is thought to have dealt with is the controversial golf resort in Antequera, which is currently under investigation.The lawyer’s Benalmadena based company Eurobrokers has now closed and Spanish police have confirmed that they are looking into a series of allegations, which date back more than five years.Detective Juan Martin, who is leading the investigation, said “As the investigation goes on, more people are coming forward saying they have lost money, and Maseda´s name is mentioned.”

Simone Castello was arrested in Archena, some 24 kms from Murcia City

9 people were arrested in Palmermo for links to the Sicilian mafia's former boss of bosses.A suspect has been arrested in Murcia in connection with an operation by police in Italy against the Sicilian mafia which saw nine people taken into custody in the island’s capital, Palermo. An eleventh arrest warrant was issued for another suspect who is already serving time in prison.All 11 are believed to have provided help to the Sicilian mafia’s former ‘boss of bosses’, Bernardo Provenzano, during the 43 years he was on the run. He was arrested in 2006.The Murcia suspect is named by EFE as Simone Castello, a 60 year old who had moved to the Region and set up an import and export company of fruit and vegetables with links to Sicily. It’s valued at 2.5 million € and it’s understood the company’s headquarters were sealed by National Police as part of the operation.He was arrested in Archena, some 24 kms from Murcia City, early on Tuesday.

kidnap in Mijas

Two men, reported as German, have been arrested by the Civil Guard on suspicion of plotting a kidnap in Mijas, allegedly planning to target a family in the jewellery industry. Diario Sur reports that the husband trades in jewels and diamonds.
Officers were called out to the family home earlier this week after the wife, noted by Sur as a foreigner, reported that she had noticed someone following her that day and had then seen a suspicious car parked outside her house. The Civil Guard located the vehicle nearby shortly after arriving at the property and found suspicious items in a search of the two suspects’ car, including an electric defence weapon and surveillance equipment.The wife recognised one of the suspects as the man who had been following her, and both she and her husband identified him as the person they had reported to police in the summer over suspicions that he had been keeping the family under watch. They are understood to have told officers on that occasion that they were being extorted.

50 violent robberies across Alicante’s Marina Baixa and Marina Alta

Civil Guard have solved a string of 50 violent robberies across Alicante’s Marina Baixa and Marina Alta with the arrest of 9 people across the border with Valencia, in Gandia and Beniarjó. All the gang members, apart from a woman from Honduras, are Kosovar Albanians.The arrests took place this Tuesday when the six properties used by the gang were searched by officers from the Civil Guard, who seized a sawn-off shotgun, two pistols and 17,000 € in cash. A large amount of stolen items were recovered, including laptop computers, jewellery and watches, cameras and video cameras.EFE notes that cocaine and cannabis were also found on the premises.

Prostitutes in Sevilla are set to jump to the top of the council housing lists under new legislation from the City Hall

Prostitutes in Sevilla are set to jump to the top of the council housing lists under new legislation from the City Hall. The new legislation considers the prostitutes as victims and considers the best way to get them off the streets is by encouraging them to chose alternatives. The City Hall is carrying out a study into problem, and drawing up a map to show the districts of risk in the city, which will be updated every six months.New information advertising campaigns are being started but the main change in the legislation is that the prostitutes, be they female, male or transsexual will not be fined, but their clients will be. Fining the client is a departure to the methods chosen in other Spanish cities such as Barcelona, Lleida and Granada, and any premises in Sevilla found to be making money from prostitution will lose their licence.It’s hoped that this will eventually lead to an end to street prostitution and for those forced into the activity finding other ways of generating an income, and hence the decision to make them priority cases for council housing.Mayor of Sevilla, Alfredo Sánchez Monteseirín, presented the details of the new legislation, and said to those who described prostitution as the oldest profession in the world, that in fact it was the oldest form of slavery.

Spanish men captive in a house on an urbanisation in La Cala del Moral

Civil Guard are seeking a gang of kidnappers who held two Spanish men captive in a house on an urbanisation in La Cala del Moral last week, before leaving them there bound hand and foot when they realised they had made a mistake.The kidnappers, reported by Diario Sur as foreign, were armed with guns fitted with silencers when they arrived at the property on the afternoon of Monday 23rd November, demanding the payment of 1 million € to release their captives. Their victims insisted that they had no money and their assailants finally realised they had mistaken their target, making their escape in a getaway car driven by a third man who was waiting outside.
The two captives were left tied up when the kidnappers fled, but managed to escape their bonds with the help of a knife and contact emergency services for help.

Arrest in Málaga, Sevilla and Madrid of 9 members of a drugs network which smuggled cocaine into the country from South America

investigation launched by the Organised Crime and Drugs Squad on the Costa del Sol has resulted in the arrest in Málaga, Sevilla and Madrid of 9 members of a drugs network which smuggled cocaine into the country from South America. National Police said 20 kilos of cocaine were seized in the police operation.Led by two people from Nigeria, the network used couriers to bring the drugs in through Spanish airports hidden inside pictures and other items in their luggage. It’s understood the couriers were recruited by Spanish members of the network and were paid between 4,000 and 6,000 €.Officers also recovered 3,400 € in cash.

730 cases of corruption currently open in the Spanish judiciary

total of 730 cases of corruption currently open in the Spanish judiciary, 594 judicial proceedings and 136 investigations opened by the prosecutors’ office.
The Socialist party is the one most affected. The PSOE has 264 cases, the PP 200, 43 against the Canary Islands Coalition, 30 against the Catalan group, Convergencia i Unió, 24 against the Partido Andalucista, 20 against left wingers IU, and 17 against the now defunct GIL party which was based in Marbella. The remaining cases come from Unión Mallorquina, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, the Bloque Nactionalista Galego and the PNV Basque Nationalists.The number represents about 1% of the total number of 66,000 councillors and mayors across the country.The numbers were given in Congress on Wednesday by the Attorney General, Cándido Conde-Pumpido, who in answer to a Partido Popular question, said the data showed that the judiciary was working against all political parties, He ended his statement with a call for calm from the public.

Arrested the two alleged Czech hit men who are accused of killing the Mayor of Polop

Arrested the two alleged Czech hit men who are accused of killing the Mayor of Polop, Alejandro Ponsoda, outside his home on the night of October 19 2007.It takes the number of people arrested in the case to five, three of whom have already been sent to prison on remand by the judge.The two alleged hitmen were arrested in Benidorm and La Cala de Finestrat, and had been linked to one of those detained, Raúl Montero Trevejo who already has drug trafficking charges against him. It’s thought the group planned the crime in a meeting held in an alternative nightclub, and that the murder was carried out following the Mayor’s failure to support a real estate project.

140 kilos of cocaine brought into port in Tarragona on containers of bananas imported from Ecuador

Three suspects have been arrested in Valencia after the discovery by the Civil Guard of more than 140 kilos of cocaine brought into port in Tarragona on containers of bananas imported from Ecuador. It’s understood the cargo was brought in on a ship flying under the flag of Malta and was bound for a company in Valencia, leading detectives to the arrest in Valencia of a Spanish woman and two men from Colombia.The Civil Guard began their investigation in mid-October, saying in a statement released this weekend that documentation linking the suspects to the imported containers was found in searches of their homes. Officers also found more than 4,000 € in cash, precision weighing scales and small quantities of cocaine prepared ready for sale.All three have been remanded to prison after bail was refused by the judge.

Spanish Civil Guard incursions a violation of British sovereignty

British Embassy in September described Civil Guard incursions as a violation of British sovereigntyIt’s been revealed by EFE this Sunday, that, following two incidents this September, the UK asked Spain to stop Civil Guard ‘incursions’ into waters considered to belong to Gibraltar, considering them as a violation of British sovereignty. The incidents concerned were on 4th and 7th September, when Civil Guard patrol boats seen within the Rock’s 3 mile perimeter were asked to depart after the Spanish officers reportedly failed to justify their presence with a valid explanation.The British Embassy in Madrid said in a note sent to Spain’s Foreign Ministry on the 18th of that month that such incursions are a cause for deep concern and, as a violation of British sovereignty over the waters, are unacceptable. As EFE quotes, the Embassy referred to the incidents as going against the ‘positive spirit of cooperation’ shown by the historic visit to the Rock of Spain’s Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, on 21st July as part of the three-way talks on Gibraltar.

HMS Scimitar was using Flag No.1 during gunnery practice _ not the Spanish national flag.

"HMS Scimitar was using Flag No.1 during gunnery practice _ not the Spanish national flag. Flag No.1 is traditionally used on gunnery targets due to its high visibility. However, we recognize its similarity to the Spanish national flag and will use an alternative marker during gunnery practice in this area in the future," a ministry spokesman in London said on condition of anonymity in line with government policy.
When a Spanish Civil Guard patrol boat approached the British vessel, the sailors in it quickly pulled the buoy out of the water, covered up the machine guns it had been using to fire at the marker, and warned through a bullhorn that the Spanish boat was in its way and head to leave, the newspaper El Mundo reported.Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said the British ambassador has promised "a thorough investigation and to demand the corresponding accountability, taking the necessary measures so that an incident like this does not happen again."

Murder of Alejandro Ponsoda

Several members of the Unidad Central Operativa (UCO), a sub-unit of the Guardia Civil, have confirmed that they arrested three individuals last Thursday in connection with the murder of Alejandro Ponsoda, the former Mayor of Polop. At least two of the suspects arrested in Albatera in the south of Alicante Province this week are known to be of Czech origin. Those arrested are thought to be ‘proxy’ killers, hired by a third party to get rid of the Mayor who allegedly would not participate in city-planning irregularities. It is known that Ponsoda, the Mayor for 12 years, was against certain proposed urban developments and, despite the arrests, the authorities are still investigating the possibility that members of the Polop Council and their advisors are implicated. After more than two years, the seemingly stalled investigation was given renewed impetus after members of the UCO carried out surveillance on suspect premises in the town of Albatera. The specialised undercover unit acted independently of any other police authority, including the Police Local, when they raided the house anticipating a weapons cache. Instead, and after collecting evidence, they unexpectedly found a connection with the Ponsoda crime. Ponsoda was gunned down as he sat in his car shortly after arriving at his home. A British neighbour and acquaintance of the Mayor related how he had heard what he thought to be fireworks going off outside his window. On further investigation, he saw Ponsoda in the driver’s seat of his vehicle, having sustained three bullet wounds to the head and neck from two separate small calibre weapons. The 55-year-old Mayor was rushed to hospital in a comatose state; he succumbed to his injuries eight days later in the Alicante General Hospital.
At the time the village of Chirles and the home of Alejandro Ponsoda, was sealed off and an extensive search was mounted for the assassins. It was stated at the time that they had escaped on foot through the fields and myriad of tracks and paths in this area. The sophisticated ‘hit’ was believed to be the work of professional killers. In a town of just under 2,400 registered inhabitants (a third of the population is foreign); rumours immediately began to spread as to the motive for this classic ‘Mafia style’ execution. The OCU continued to focus their investigation on issues surrounding city-planning programs such as the Plan of Actuación Integral (PAI) and the General Plan of Ordenación Urbana (PGOU) but nothing could be proved one way or the other. The murder of Ponsoda has caused a huge rift in the community, the residents are ‘closed lipped’ about the whole issue. The present mayor of Polop and former Councillor for Urbanism under Ponsoda, Juan Cano, expressed his personal satisfaction after hearing someone had been arrested in relation to the crime. “They (the police) told us to us expect an arrest in the near future. I feel the pages to this story can be closed after the book has been open too long.”

British Navy patrol firing at the Spanish flag.

tensions between Gibraltar and Spain are rising after the Guardia Civil came across a British Navy patrol which, the paper says, was carrying out firing practice last Tuesday on a buoy on which the Spanish flag was printed.El Mundo reports that the British cleared away their exercise when they noted the presence of the Guardia Civil, but the paper highlights that they had been firing at the Spanish flag.
The paper says that incidents between the Guardia Civil and the British Navy patrols around The Rock are ever more common. Spain believes such incidents only benefit the smugglers in the area and the Spanish Government indicated over the summer that they want to reach a new agreement with Britain on the joint control of the waters around Gibraltar.The new British Ambassador in Madrid, Giles Paxman, has been called in to give an explanation, and is reported by El Mundo to have presented his ‘excuses’ for the ‘error of judgement and lack of sensitivity’ by members of the Royal Navy.
The Partido Popular has asked the Spanish Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, to explain the incident to Congress.

Italian gang of armed bank robbers are in custody after the initial 3 arrests after the Málaga robbery

An Italian gang of armed bank robbers responsible for a string of assaults on branches in Málaga, Alicante, Valencia and Murcia have been arrested by National Police following the earlier arrest in Málaga of three of the group.Investigations then led National Police detectives to Granada province where the remaining two gang members were taken into custody at a service station in Loja. One of the two arrested there was the mother of another gang member and had a lengthy record in Italy for previous bank robberies.The Interior Ministry gives the gang’s haul during the time they operated in Spain as more than 150,000 €.

Michael Dermot McArdle was found guilty of negligent homicide at his trial

Supreme Court has confirmed the Málaga provincial court’s verdict in the death in Marbella in February 2000 of a woman who fell to her death from a hotel balcony. The victim’s Irish husband was found guilty of negligent homicide at his trial and Spain’s highest court has now confirmed that ruling after refusing to admit for consideration the appeal placed by his lawyers.The sentence was previously confirmed by the Andalucía High Court some months ago.It happened on 11th February 2000, the day, Diario Sur notes, that the couple, 39 year old Michael Dermot McArdle, from Dundalk, and his wife Kelly-Anne, had arrived in Marbella with their 3 year old son. The jury in the case agreed that the victim fell from the balcony during a row with her husband, and considered that he had no intention of killing her and had, in fact, tried to stop her from falling.The Andalucía High Court however said when it confirmed the lower court’s ruling that the accused had failed to observe the most fundamental duty of care which any person should observe in such a dangerous situation.

Juan Antonio Yagüe, a former GIL councillor in Marbella and brother to the town’s ex Mayor, Marisol Yagüe, has accepted serving nine sentences

Juan Antonio Yagüe, a former GIL councillor in Marbella and brother to the town’s ex Mayor, Marisol Yagüe, has accepted serving nine sentences of 15 months in prison for planning charges against him which were due to come to court in Málaga. The news of the deal was revealed by Diario Sur this Monday and it’s understood that Yagüe has accepted serving the terms which had been requested by the prosecution service.Yagüe fled the country in 2006 and was arrested earlier this year on returning to Spain from Venezuela, after giving himself up to the Spanish Consulate there and flying home under a safe conduct order. He was wanted under an international arrest warrant after failing to turn up for a one-year sentence for planning crimes.The nine other cases against him also relate to planning crimes for which other Marbella ex councillors, including another former Mayor, Julián Muñoz, have already been found guilty. Yagüe was out of the country when their trials took place. They relate to licences issued to build new homes on land which was classified as unsuitable for development

British man is in Intensive Care after a stabbing incident in Fuengirola

British man is in Intensive Care after a stabbing incident in Fuengirola on Friday night. The 23 year old, named by Diario Sur as D.S., is reported to have suffered two stab wounds in the back and another in his chest.It happened on a street near the town’s Rey de España paseo marítimo, and all that is known about the assailant is the brief description the victim was able to give to the bouncer of a nearby nightclub, the Mai Tai, which he managed to reach as he sought help for his injuries. He described his attacker as short and thin, possibly Moroccan, wearing a white hooded jacket.The British man was rushed to the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella, where he remains in a serious condition.

British womans body found floating in off Bolnuveo Beach in Mazarrón

body found floating in off Bolnuveo Beach in Mazarrón, near the Isla Cueva de los Lobos, on Sunday morning has been identified as a British woman reported missing by her family. Her name has not been released to the press, but she is understood from EFE to have lived locally, in the Bolnuevo area.There has been no indication as yet of exactly when the 49 year old was reported missing to the Civil Guard.

Seven youths, some of them mere children, were held by police over the weekend after a riot broke out in the Camino de los Almendrales district

Seven youths, some of them mere children, were held by police over the weekend after a riot broke out in the Camino de los Almendrales district of Malaga City on Saturday 31 October. In the course of the gang fight, one 17-year-old was gravely injured and remains in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit of the Carlos Haya Hospital.
Another youth was also stabbed in the same incident. 20-year-old “AJD”, as police have identified him, is said to be in a stable condition.
Local police were called to the vicinity of the brawl, but once the seriousness of the injuries was known, the crime scene was handed over to the Homicide Unit of the National Police Corps. The investigation has thus far centred on reconstruc-ting the events of Saturday afternoon. The seven youths who spent the weekend in custody were identified by local officers as having been involved in the fighting, and having tried to flee the scene at the sound of police sirens.
The gang-based “rumble” was said by witnesses to have erupted at about one o’clock in the afternoon in a neighbourhood known locally as “El Puebecito”, a favourite haunt of Malaga city’s teenage gangs.First reports, taken exclusively from gang members loyal to the stabbed 20-year-old, suggest that the youngster who is now in a coma attacked the older man with a knife, allegedly in connection with an outstanding grievance. According to this (admittedly unreliable) version, the 17-year-old then wounded himself with his own weapon.Police are stressing that this account is unlikely to be true, given the seriousness of the injuries suffered by the teenager, which point to a severe beating in addition to the life-threatening stab wound.A local resident alerted the police after seeing a youngster soaked in blood. The teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was rushed to hospital by ambulance after lapsing into a coma at the scene.

Allegations by a man arrested for robbery that he and his girlfriend were beaten by local police officers

Allegations by a man arrested for robbery that he and his girlfriend were beaten by local police officers after they were taken into custody in June 2006 have been heard by a court and it looks as if a trial will now almost certainly take place after the Alicante provincial court recently turned down appeals placed by each of the nine defendants against their charges in the Torrevieja torture case.Twelve police officers, two Partido Popular councillors, and a nursing assistant at the Vega Baja district hospital are implicated, with possible charges ranging from torture, document forgery and failure to pursue a crime.A number of officers are charged in the case, as is the councillor who had responsibility for the local police force at the time, Pedro Valero, who is charged with others of attempting to cover up what allegedly happened. Sources report that he could face between one and four years in prison and the police inspector, Carlos María I.F., whose home was the target of the attempted burglary, faces up to eight years behind bars. The couple were arrested while trying to break into the home of the member of the local police force.The Guatemalan man who made the allegations of torture is due to appear in court to answer charges of attempted robbery having been arrested on 23rd June last year when he was caught allegedly trying to break into the house, his girlfriend was arrested at the time with him.The human rights organisation ‘Pro Derechos Humanos de España’ is placing a public interest suit in the case and is understood to be claiming civil responsibility from Torrevieja Town Hall should any compensation be granted in the sentence.

67 year old British man died in Torrevieja hospital yesterday just hours after being hit by a vehicle

67 year old British man died in Torrevieja hospital yesterday just hours after being hit by a vehicle while walking along a pavement along Avenida Francisco Casanovas.
The impact was so violent that the man was embedded between the car and the brick wall of a house.

Five hundred people gathered in Constitution Square on Friday evening to protest at the murder of Juan Jose Martinez Roman

Five hundred people gathered in Constitution Square on Friday evening to protest at the murder of Juan Jose Martinez Roman on Monday afternoon.The city’s popular Notary was shot dead as he attempted to calm down two armed robbers during a bungled raid on his office. The robbers had earlier broken into the office cashbox from which they stole the contents, believed to be in the region of 400 euros.
Although the sizeable crowd was largely calm there were calls for the maximum sentence for what was described as a despicable crime. A spokesman representing the large business community in attendance, read a statement asking the "Society Torrevejense not stand by thinking that these tragedies only happen to others.
He said that the whole population should act as one in condemning the murder "because we must put a price on each of our lives” He asked if it was worth dying for just 3 or 400 euros, or even a million. “Life is priceless for us all” he stressed. “Today we pray for the memory of Juan José, tomorrow we could be in his position”. The statement was followed by applause and five minutes of silence.
Gabriel Marcos, a friend of Snr Martinez, who also works as an officer in the Notary then read a eulogy written by local poet Miguel Hernandez “la elegía a Ramón Sijé” He too called for the maximum penalty for the murder. Although there was a banner bearing words of protest the organizers decided that it would not be shown at the gathering. The evening finished once again with loud applause in the memory of the popular notary.

British man has been charged with starting a fire

British man has been charged with starting a fire which affected 1.4 hectares of scrub in the Las Fuentes area of the city on October 6 this year. Named with the initials W.T.G.L., Diario Sur reports he faces charges of negligence after carrying out an unauthorised fire in his finca in the area, which led to the blaze.

Juan José Martínez Román, was shot dead in his office on Monday.

Torrevieja notary, 54 year old Juan José Martínez Román, was shot dead in his office on Monday. Police sources have said that the two thieves entered his office and demanded money at 1230 at the office in Calle Ramón Gallud. When he refused they shot him twice. Reports indicate that the made off with a quantity of money, yet to be established. Health professionals tried to revive the victim for some 45 minutes.It all happened while clients were waiting outside and other workers were busy in other offices.The attack is strange as generally business at the notary is carried out with cheques and not cash. The Guardia Civil have set up a special task force to try and find those responsible

Spain’s largest ever hauls of heroin: 50 kilos of the drug

trial starts this week of eight people accused in one of Spain’s largest ever hauls of heroin: 50 kilos of the drug which were brought into the country hidden in the tyres of a lorry seized on an industrial estate in Torrevieja.Officers swooped on the gang’s vehicle repair shop in June 2006 as they were cutting through the tyres with a saw to remove the heroin.The eight accused in the case are reported by Diario Información as ex soldiers from Eastern Europe and face a possible 96 years in prison between them. The state prosecutor has also asked for a fine of almost 2 million € - the amount the heroin would have brought the gang if it had been sold on the black market.

‘jamonero de Trevélez’, sentenced this May for defrauding 200 of his neighbours

‘jamonero de Trevélez’, sentenced this May for defrauding 200 of his neighbours, has written to Ideal newspaper apologising for what he did. Antonio Herrera is behind bars in Albolote after the provincial court in Granada sentenced him to 11 years and five months in prison.He was finally arrested in the Dominican Republic in 2007 after fleeing Trevélez three years before with the money his neighbours had invested in his jamón serrano companies. He still maintains that the fled the country because he was being pursued by the ‘Russian mafia’.Herrera said in the letter to Ideal that the plea bargain reached ahead of the trial left him unable to publically apologise for his actions in court. . The jamonero says in his letter of apology that he is the only person guilty and regrets the situation his neighbours are now suffering, whose accounts for the past five years, he said, are now undergoing inspection by the Hacienda Tax Authority.Ideal notes that Herrera plans to spend his time in prison on writing and to studying law.

Woman studying pharmacy at Granada University who was found brutally stabbed to death in her flat

52 year old man, Manuel R.S., faces a trial by jury this Tuesday for the murder of Lamyae D., a 23 year old woman studying pharmacy at Granada University who was found brutally stabbed to death in her flat in March last year. She suffered more than 20 stab wounds and, according to evidence from the prosecutor, was dragged back into the flat to be stabbed again as she tried to make her escape after the initial assault.Her killer confessed to the crime, saying in his statement that he was drunk at the time and had ‘lost his head’. He faces a possible 12 years in prison and compensation of 300,000 €.The victim and her assailant were known to each other and, for that reason, the private accusation presented by the young woman’s family believes he should spend 20 years behind bars with the additional charge of ‘abuse of confidence’.

Three people were killed in a shooting outside El Dueso prison in Santoña, Cantabria,

Tres muertos en un tiroteo junto al penal cántabro de El Dueso

Three people were killed in a shooting outside El Dueso prison in Santoña, Cantabria, when an as yet to be identified gunman pulled up in a car driven by another man and opened fire on their van parked outside the prison. They then sped away from the scene.It has been revealed that one of the victims, known as Tomasín, was serving a sentence for four killings, and the police believe the shooting was the result of a settling of scores. Tomasín, full name Tomás Ruiz Fernández, was returning to prison after a pass according to reports.There are a number of ETA inmates in El Dueso prison, but central government offices in Cantabria have ruled out any connection between Monday’s shooting and a terrorist attack.

Granada fatal shooting in Granada province, where two brothers from Portugal lost their lives.

Triple murder in a shooting outside a prison in Cantabria on Monday morning was followed just a few hours later by a fatal shooting in Granada province, where two brothers from Portugal lost their lives. It happened at lunchtime on the industrial estate in Ogíjares, near the provincial capital, when another man arrived at the restaurant where the brothers were eating.They began a violent argument and both brothers, A.R. and M.R., were killed in the shootout which followed. The other man, a Spaniard named as F.R.F. from Granada province, was also hurt but survived his wounds. He was arrested nearby still with the murder weapon in his possession.
The argument is believed to have started over a previous argument the men’s wives had had earlier that day.

Two Chinese prostitutes have been arrested for dumping a client’s body in a doorway

Two Chinese prostitutes have been arrested for dumping a client’s body in a doorway in Alicante City after he suddenly died during a party at the underground brothel where they worked in the San Blas area of the city. El Mundo said the autopsy shows he died of a heart attack after taking Viagra and other substances at the party.
The man’s body was found in the street in the early hours of Sunday near the brothel on Calle Doctor Santaolalla run by a woman from Romania. The prostitutes and a man who helped them to dump the body there were arrested the following day.

13 Albano Kosovo men, and six Romanian women, have been arrested in connection with a series of thefts from villas while their owners were asleep

Operation controlled by the Instruction Court Two in Torrevieja, a group of 19 people, 13 Albano Kosovo men, and six Romanian women, have been arrested in connection with a series of thefts from villas while their owners were asleep inside.
The arrests were carried out by more than 20 people from the specialist ECO unit of the Guardia Civil who say the group are implicated in non violent burglaries carried out mostly in Valencia province, but also in Castellón, Alicante and Tarragona. Often a luxury car would be taken.Investigations started more than a year ago, and the swoops which started at 6,30am on Tuesday morning saw several homes being searched in the Valencia region, one of them just 50 metres from the Guardia Civil barracks in Valencia.

Paedo on the run in Huelva

suspected paedophile is on the run in Huelva after escaping from cells at the city’s provincial court. He is a 28 year old Belgian named as S.P.T.S. who was arrested on Sunday for alleged sexual abuse of his girlfriend’s young daughter.
It’s understood that both he and the girlfriend live locally.The man managed to escape custody on Monday by faking severe stomach pains, assaulting the National Police officer who accompanied him to the bathroom and eluding capture by the Civil Guard officers who were on guard duty at the doors to the court building.Europa Press said he had no money or documentation with him when he made his escape. As of Wednesday, police had as yet failed to find the fugitive.

British man faces charges in Alicante after trying to smuggle a large amount of cannabis on board a plane bound for Dublin

British man faces charges in Alicante after trying to smuggle a large amount of cannabis on board a plane bound for Dublin. He was arrested at El Altet Airport last weekend after Civil Guard officers discovered in a routine control of the luggage which was to be loaded onto the plane that he had 27 kilos of cannabis resin hidden inside his two suitcases.He is named as a 27 year old with the initials V.B. and was arrested after the officers identified him as the owner of the suitcases in question. He now faces a drug trafficking charge from the courts.

Olga Pleguezuelos Puzueu stabbed several times

Scotland Yard has opened an investigation into the death of Olga Pleguezuelos Puzueu. The 35 year old Spanish woman was married to the Briton, Mark Campbell, the information director of the ILD company which wants to build the largest casino complex in Europe, Gran Scala, in the Los Monegros desert in Aragón.A statement from the British police says they received an emergency call from a resident of a home in Harrow and found the body of the woman on their arrival at the scene. It had been stabbed several times.A 53 year old man was arrested at the scene, but his name has not yet been revealed, although it is known that he had injuries to his neck and one of his wrists, and has been admitted to hospital.The victim worked in marketing and had recently been promoted in the Aristocrat Europe company.

Eight of the 20 suspects arrested in the ‘Operación Poniente’ corruption case in El Ejido have now been remanded to custody by the investigating judge

Eight of the 20 suspects arrested in the ‘Operación Poniente’ corruption case in El Ejido have now been remanded to custody by the investigating judge, including the Mayor, Juan Enciso, who Judge Montserrat Peña decided should be refused bail after five hours of questioning on Friday. The head of Instruction Court No. 2 in Almería City took the same decision for the municipal auditor, José Alemán.

The businessman, Juan Antonio Galán, considered the head of the Madrid branch of the corruption network, was the last to be questioned by the judge and was sent to prison on Saturday. The three joined José Amate, a former manager of the municipal services company, El Sur, which is believed to be at the centre of the corruption. Amate is the administrator of Arborimar and Maviroad, two companies which works inspectors discovered on an inspection last month were employing staff illegally.

His sons and two sons in law are also on remand, while Amate’s two daughters were granted 50,000 € bail by the judge. The Mayor’s wife and daughter were released with charges.The eighth suspect sent to prison in the case is the businessman Ambrosio Cuevas.
The corruption network is believed to have misappropriated through El Sur and a network of companies linked to the municipal services company more than 150 million € over a period of at least six years. The charges against the group following the raid on El Ejido Town Hall last Tuesday range from money laundering, misappropriation of public funds and document falsification, to bribery and influence peddling.

Elderly couple found in the ashes of a house fire in Villarubia on the outskirts of Córdoba on Friday, had been shot

Elderly couple found in the ashes of a house fire in Villarubia on the outskirts of Córdoba on Friday, had been shot before the blaze broke out. Police say all the options, including domestic violence, remain open as more scientific tests are carried out.One of the family said that the couple had been together for ten years. The woman had three children from an earlier marriage, and the man is thought to have a similar number. A nephew lived with the couple, but was not at home at the time of the tragedy. He is said to be devastated.

Alicante leads the field for the number of vehicle thefts which take place in the province every day

Alicante leads the field for the number of vehicle thefts which take place in the province every day, surpassing even the capital, Madrid, in official figures from the Attorney General’s office for cases of this type which came to court last year.
Of the almost 80,000 cases in Spain last year, close to 13,900 of them were in Alicante. It’s an average of 38 vehicles every day and equates to one in every six vehicles stolen across the country.
Diario Información notes that, while vehicle theft in Spain as a whole rose by 5.4% last year, the result for Alicante was a massive increase of 39.2%. Manuel Martínez, from the AUGC Civil Guard association, told the newspaper that the province has become an important base for all types of criminal organisations over recent years, many of which are involved in the organised theft of vehicles.Many of the stolen cars are then usually stripped down to be sold on as spare parts. One noted case was in Almoradí, where a gang was broken up which had stolen an estimated 500 cars over the previous 5 years.

José Luis Blanca Lorca has been awarded a posthumous decoration, after he died while attending the scene of an accident

A Civil Guard officer called out to an accident at Las Pedrizas this April, then killed by another vehicle which skidded in the heavy rain, was remembered by his colleagues this Sunday, when his father was awarded a posthumous decoration on his behalf of his son.José Luis Blanca Lorca, who was based in Casabermeja, was 37 years old when he died and received a standing ovation in his memory at celebrations held at Civil Guard command in Málaga ahead of the Día del Pilar, the patron saint of the armed forces and of the Civil Guard.Diario Sur reports there were also some words at the ceremony for Juan Jesús Bueno Ortigoso, another Civil Guard officer who was injured while attending an accident on the roads of Málaga. He went into a coma after he was hit by a drunk driver on the road to Campillos last month, also while attending the scene of a previous accident.

Civil Guards are in hospital after their barracks in Los Montecillos, Dos Hermanas in Sevilla, was attacked by a crowd

Civil Guards are in hospital after their barracks in Los Montecillos, Dos Hermanas in Sevilla, was attacked by a crowd of local residents on Saturday night. The incident began when a group of youngsters started throwing stones onto the garage roof at the barracks and they and their colleagues came out into the street to try and put a stop to their actions.They were, however, forced to retreat back inside and call for reinforcements, as stones and other objects rained down from nearby balconies and windows. El País reports some 40 people were involved in the incident.
One of the Civil Guard suffered head injuries after being hit with a stick during the confrontation and the other was stabbed in the hand. It’s understood this last is due to undergo surgery for the stab wound on Tuesday.Los Montecillos is a conflictive area which is known to be used by drug dealers and where a similar assault on officers took place this April when they were attempting to arrest a local woman on a drugs charge.

30 weapons included 24 shotguns and six pistols, and were hidden in suitcases wrapped up in clothes behind cars

Tax Authority has impounded a container at the port in Algeciras found to hold contraband weapons bound for Nigeria. The 30 weapons included 24 shotguns and six pistols, and were hidden in suitcases wrapped up in clothes behind cars which had been loaded onto the container.El Mundo said a large part of the ammunition which also found in the suitcases is of a type which is banned as illegal in Spain.
No arrests have as yet been reported in the case.

Attacked with the axe the father kicked him and beat him as he lay injured on the ground

man charged with an axe attack in Órgiva two years ago pleaded guilty at his trial at the Granada provincial court this Tuesday, and has accepted a prison term of 3 years and 9 months for attempted murder. The victim, Francisco G.E., was attacked from behind with the weapon after an argument with his assailant’s father in a local bar, suffering a fracture in his skull.It happened in May 2007 after Francisco G.E. came to blows with his attacker’s father, José L.B., now deceased, during their argument in the bar. The father later told his son what had happened, and the two lured the other man into an alleyway, where the son, José Manuel M.S., attacked him with the axe and the father kicked him and beat him as he lay injured on the ground. Father and son then fled the scene.Europa Press notes that the court imposed a fine of 120 € on the victim for the injuries he himself caused during the fight.

Teconsa, gave donations worth 318,000 € to Alhaurín el Grande

El País printed details of links from the Gürtel corruption case to the Costa del Sol. One of the companies implicated in the affair, Teconsa, gave donations worth 318,000 € to Alhaurín el Grande, where the Mayor Juan Martín Serón spent the money on a library and the sponsorship of a basketball team. The paper says the money was paid via the Proinsa company, which planned to build 2,500 homes with swimming pools and golf course in the area known as Finca la Mota. Juan Martín Serón is currently released on 100,000 € bail and facing charges of perversion of the course of justice, bribery and money laundering. He said on Wednesday that Teconsa received nothing in exchange for their donations.The man at the centre of the Gürtel case, businessman Francisco Correa, is now also known to have purchased 16 plots of land and five apartments in Marbella between 2003 and 2008, despite, according to the case summary, not filling in any income tax return since 1999. He is the son in law of the late real estate promoter, Emilio Rodríguez Bugallo, who was indicted in the Malaya case. Correa paid his 500,000 € bail money, and the case summary says that to clear that debt Rodríguez Bugallo sold several properties in El Embrujo Playa to Correa as a way also of clearing himself of assets.

Britain's most wanted man has been arrested in Spain – after four years on the run.

Britain's most wanted man has been arrested in Spain – after four years on the run.
Ronald Priestley, 69, from Colton, Leeds, masterminded a £4.25m banknote counterfeit fraud.He was sentenced to eight years in his absence four years ago.Priestley was arrested in Malaga. A world-wide hunt for him was launched when he failed to attend a Leeds Crown Court hearing in August 2005 to face charges of conspiracy to counterfeit £20 banknotes with a face value of £4.25m.He had disappeared from his luxury home in Colton. The house was protected by electric fences and guard dogs.
In their hunt for Priestley police urged Spain's expatriate British community on the Costa del Sol to help bring the pensioner, orginally from Bramley, to justice.
Priestley had a criminal past in counterfeiting long before 2005. In December 2002 he was stripped of more than £2.2m at Bradford Crown Court.Police raids on his home in Park Road, Colton, and factories near Huddersfield, had netted 138,000 bottles of fake fragrances and 1,500 bottles of Spanish sparkling wine relabelled as Moet et Chandon champagne.Officers also found £104,000 cash hidden in secret compartments at his home.In April that year he had been jailed for 18 months after admitting three counts of conspiracy to sell or distribute counterfeit goods – but was released early from jail.Priestley was arrested as part of crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers' Operation Captura, which has identified criminals living in Spain wanted in the UK. Crimestoppers and the Serious Organised Crime Agency work closely with British Embassy and Spanish law enforcement agencies.Priestley was featured in the campaign's first 10 appeals in October 2006. He is the 25th out of 50 wanted individuals arrested in the past 10 days.

Richard Henry Roberts sentenced in Daniel Hastelow murder case

36 year old Briton, Richard Henry Roberts, has been sent to prison for 18 years for killing his compatriot, Daniel Hastelow in January 2008. The court in Palma de Mallorca heard how the accused had stabbed the sleeping victim eight times.
A second Briton arrested at the time, Paul A. Griffiths, was found not guilty and released without charge.The court and jury considered it proved that after an argument in a bar earlier the aggressor, Richard H Roberts, went to the apartment where the victim was sleeping under the effects of alcohol and drugs, broke in and stabbed the victim with a 20 cm long and 4cm wide knife eight times. The other Briton Paul Griffiths looked on.The two were arrested at the airport the following day.Richard Robert has also been ordered to pay 90,000 € compensation to the victim’s family. He has a previous record for violent theft, causing injury and robbery.jury on the holiday island of Majorca found Richard Henry Roberts, 36, guilty of the murder of nightclub bouncer Daniel Hastelow after a trial.But another Merseyside man, jointly accused of the killing in the popular resort of Palmanova in January last year, was acquitted by the jury of nine because of “lack of proof”.Roberts admitted stabbing the 26-year-old victim, from Walsall, seven times.
But he claimed it was self defence when the four-day trial began on Monday.
Yesterday, the jury rejected his claim he grabbed a knife from a table to defend himself when Mr Hastelow attacked him, delivering heavy blows.They convicted Roberts of murder, rejecting a defence plea for a manslaughter verdict.But the jury accepted the defence argument that evidence was not produced to support prosecution claims that Paul Anthony Griffiths, 23, also from Liverpool, took part in the deliberate killing of Mr Hastelow.It was alleged Griffiths beat the victim with a baseball bat as he lay sleeping in an apartment in the resort on the island’s south coast.Griffiths admitted being present when Mr Hastelow was killed, but denied taking any part in his death.The jury also dismissed a charge against both accused of breaking into the apartment where Mr Hastelow died.After the verdicts, Judge Eduardo Calderon formally acquitted Griffiths and dismissed him from the court.The state prosecutor then asked for an 18 year prison sentence for Roberts.He also asked Judge Calderon to order Roberts to pay compensation of 90,000 Euros – around £81,000 – to the victim’s family.The judge’s written sentence will be known later.

Brutal Marbella crime syndicate plotted to snatch and ransom the family of a top UK TV presenter.

Brutal Marbella crime syndicate plotted to snatch and ransom the family of a top UK TV presenter. brutal crime syndicate plotted to snatch and ransom the family of a top TV presenter.Law agencies across Europe fear any celeb is at risk in the Spanish resorts where Britons flock for sunshine holidays.The player, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was targeted while visiting the area at the end of last year's football season. But the plan was aborted at the last minute.Ex-British intelligence agent Paul Grimshaw, now a security consultant in Marbella, said: "Crime gangs from Eastern Europe and Russian are moving in. The area is teeming with wealth."They don't care who they target as long as there is money to be earned. The footballer was picked out for that reason"They got cold feet. But reliable sources are adamant that a highprofile celebrity kidnapping is only a matter of time. Footballers, especially wealthy ones, should be vigilant at all times."Grimshaw revealed the threat of kidnap is scaring the wealthy away from Spain. He said: "Former England manager Steve McClaren sold his villa last year over fears about the rising crime rate. The Qatar royal family has not visited its 14-bedroom home in Marbella for nearly five years and will probably never return."A personal security officer for Spanish-based CCS24Gibraltar said: "I've worked on the Costa del Sol for ten years and crime has never been worse. It's dangerous and frightening. Kidnappings, drug-trafficking and robberies happen all the time."High walls and cameras don't deter these criminals. If they want to get you - they will."Leeds-born Grimshaw, 46, alerted the Football Association and the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) to the soccer star plot. He wrote in August: "An England player was the target of a kidnap plot after the Champions League Final in Moscow in 2008. It is believed the player was pinpointed at either a training camp or during a vacation in southern Spain."Anybody travelling abroad should review their security arrangements. This threat was not limited to one player."Pfa chief executive Gordon Taylor said: "We can't afford not to take information like this seriously in this day and age.
"Liverpool's Steven Gerrard and Everton's Phil Jagielka were targeted by burglars. Spurs player Wilson Palacios' brother Edwin was kidnapped in Honduras in May. Wilson paid a £125,000 ransom but Edwin was murdered."There is precedent for snatching soccer stars. Manchester United ace Dimitar Berbatov was kidnapped in his native Bulgaria while an 18-year-old with CSKA Sofia. He was freed unharmed but recalled yesterday: "It was a horrific ordeal."Grimshaw, who has lived in Spain for 20 years, warned: "Abduction worries have rocketed, particularly in Marbella."The Russian Mafia has been gaining ground in Spain since the last property boom made it an attractive place to launder money. They prey on the rich - and will stop at nothing.In June, four Russians grabbed a man in the street in Estepona and told him he would die within 24 hours unless he paid them £12,000. He escaped after being tortured for two days. Some gangs are Kosovan Albanians, often ex-soldiers. Others are Romanian and Lithuanian.The family of property developer Frank Capa - a pal of Rod Stewart - paid a £1 million for his release after he was kidnapped in Marbella in 2004.
Ian Watmore of the FA confirmed they were reviewing player security after Grimshaw's tip. A security officer added: "Famous footballers and celebrities are sitting ducks. I advise them to choose their friends carefully."

Two gang members who are thought to have fled to Spain after raiding HSBC

Two gang members who are thought to have fled to Spain after raiding HSBC .As reported yesterday Patrick McDonagh and Carl Hargin were jailed for stealing more than £300,000 from the Westbourne Road branch in an armed, daylight robbery in June.
Hargin, 24, got eight years and eight months and McDonagh, 28, got seven years and four months after admitting the offence.Det Chf Insp McDermott, of West Yorkshire Police’s crime division, said: “They were obviously dangerous and very professional in the way they planned and prepared the offence, using stolen vehicles, one of which was later burned out and abandoned.“The level of violence used at the scene was horrific and it was lucky the bank staff were not seriously injured.“It’s a good result to have got the sentences they received.”Hargin, of Salford, and McDonagh, of Cheetham Hill in Manchester, were part of a four-strong gang who armed themselves with a sledgehammer, a machete and a crowbar when they targeted the bank on the afternoon of June 26.After forcing staff to open the safe, they fled in a Vauxhall Vectra with hold-alls full of cash.The car was later burned out and the gang got in a van, which was spotted by police.It sparked a dramatic chase from Huddersfield to Manchester city centre, where Greater Manchester Police caught up with them in the Arndale Shopping Centre car park.Det Chf Insp McDermott said one of the gang attempted to strip off his clothes and hide behind cars before he was caught.Hargin and McDonagh were arrested, but the others escaped.Det Chf Insp McDermott added: “It was a great team effort between West Yorkshire Police and Greater Manchester Police. They reacted quickly to information we gave to them and in difficult circumstances managed to safely arrest two violent offenders.”He confirmed the other two gang members were thought to have fled to Spain and added: “We have identified who the other two suspects are, and they have been circulated as wanted.“The case is still a live inquiry and we are still actively pursuing them.”

Arrested Michael Eddleston, 27, from Doncaster, is accused of three counts of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs.

Michael Eddleston, 27, from Doncaster, is accused of three counts of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs. He was one of 10 men featured earlier this month in an appeal on the Costa Del Sol, known as Operation Captura. The Crimestoppers charity said Mr Eddleston surrendered himself at the British Consulate in Majorca. It said his arrest was a "fantastic result". Mr Eddleston is alleged to be a member of a crime group which carried out a drug trafficking operation from Doncaster and Morley in West Yorkshire. He was identified after a joint investigation between South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Police in 2006. Officers recovered large quantities of heroin and amphetamine sulphate valued at £65,000 as part of the operation. Eight men arrested and charged with offences of conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs were jailed at Sheffield Crown Court in November 2006, after entering guilty pleas.

35 year old man wanted in the United States in connection with child pornography has been arrested in Spain

35 year old man wanted in the United States in connection with child pornography has been arrested in Spain while trying to leave the country. The arrest was made in Málaga by officers from the international crime unit of the Costa del Sol Organised Crime and Drugs Squad and the National Court in Madrid will now handle the suspect’s extradition back to the United States.Named by Europa Press as M.R.W., he was wanted on a warrant from the Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona on 10 counts of possession, transport and distribution of child pornography. He was charged in February last year after police found a large amount of pornographic material on the computers he used at a number of residences in Arizona.The suspect is married with two twin daughters, and it’s understood the original complaint to police came from his wife’s sister.

Body of a woman has been found inside a suitcase left on a street in Barcelona

Body of a woman has been found inside a suitcase left on a street in Barcelona. A local resident alerted the regional police force, Los Mossos d’Escuadra, who said that the body showed clear signs of violence.The suitcase as found in the La Bordeta, Zona Franca, of the city, close to the Gran Vía, at 11pm on Monday night.
There are some unconfirmed reports that the victim could be Latin American, and reporting restrictions have been placed on the case.

Andalucía High Court has reduced sentencing 17 year old José Pedro Fernández died at 6am on 18th November 2007 when he was stabbed in the heart

Andalucía High Court has reduced sentencing for the 22 year old man, Francisco M.P.P., found guilty earlier this year of the murder of a teenager who was stabbed while trying to break up a fight in Benalmadena’s Plaza Solymar two years ago.The accused was found guilty at a trial by jury this May and sentenced to 17 years in prison.The High Court has however ruled, in a decision published by La Opinión de Málaga this Tuesday, that there was no premeditation in the fatal stabbing, reducing Francisco M.P.P.’s sentence to 13 years behind bars and finding him guilty of the lesser charge of homicide.17 year old José Pedro Fernández died at 6am on 18th November 2007 when he was stabbed in the heart outside a Benalmádena disco. Another suspect in his death, who was just hours away from his 18th birthday when the crime was committed, was found not guilty by a juvenile court.

84 year old man from Belgium died in the Santa Ana district hospital in Motril this Monday after what his wife said was a brutal attack at his home

84 year old man from Belgium died in the Santa Ana district hospital in Motril this Monday after what his wife said was a brutal attack at his home in Almuñécar two weeks ago. Named by Granada Hoy newspaper as R.L.N., he was rescued from his flat on the morning of 8th September, where he was found lying naked and badly injured by the officers and firemen who broke down the door after neighbours heard shouting from his home.The paper notes information from sources at the hospital that his injuries were consistent with a fall.The pensioner’s 77 year old wife said in a statement to the Civil Guard the following day that her husband was assaulted by two women who had forced their way into the couple’s flat to rob them.The Civil Guard are investigating and an autopsy will determine the exact cause of death.

British man who had an European Arrest Warrant in place against him for rape has been detained in Girona

British man who had an European Arrest Warrant in place against him for rape has been detained in Girona.Named by police as 42 year old Bird C, he was arrested last Saturday afternoon on his arrival at Girona airport on a flight from Doncaster in the U.K.. He is wanted in connection with the rape of a young woman in Germany in 1997.Because Britain is not a member of the Schengen agreement, the arrivals at Girona are considered as being from outside the European Union and therefore passports are subjected to greater scrutiny, and that is how his arrival was flagged.
It’s understood that the court in Neustadt in Germany where the rape took place only entered the details into the Schengen computers last September 9, resulting in the suspect’s arrest just ten days later.He will appear before Instruction Court 5 in the National Court in Madrid which will deal with his extradition.

Europe’s biggest haul of heroin Seseña, Toledo

National Police in Spain have recovered one of Europe’s biggest hauls of heroin so far this year: 35 kilos of the drug found hidden in the hydraulic brake system of a lorry parked at a service station in Seseña, Toledo.It’s a method of smuggling which has not been seen in Spain before, and it appears the heroin was brought into the country from Bulgaria with the aim of distributing it in Madrid and Aragón.Six people were taken into custody, including the organisation’s leader, named by the Interior Ministry as G.T., who had flown over from Bulgaria to personally oversee delivery of the drugs.An additional 11 suspects were arrested in the first phase of the operation.

34 year old man who killed his mother in the bar she owned in Santomera last year and then carried her decapitated head around the town under his arm.

Trial was due to start at the Murcia provincial court this Thursday of a 34 year old man who killed his mother in the bar she owned in Santomera last year and then carried her decapitated head around the town under his arm.It happened on 15th April 2008 when Ángelo C. stabbed his 56 year old mother, T.M., four times in the abdomen, cut off her head and carried it around town wrapped in a bloody rag until he was arrested by police.It was revealed after the killing that the mother had been on Spanish television before she died saying she was terrified of her son because of his precarious mental state and that her life was in danger. It later emerged that he had been arrested on four occasions for domestic violence and twice spent time in prison for beating his mother.The prosecutor is applying for a 20-year sentence in a psychiatric centre at the accused’s trial by jury.

UK charity Crimestoppers has launched a new appeal for British fugitives believed to be on the run on in Spain

UK charity Crimestoppers has launched a new appeal for British fugitives believed to be on the run on in Spain, with a list of the ten most wanted thought to be hiding out on the Costa del Sol. The charges include drug offences, robbery and rape.Crimestoppers said some of them are the UK’s most dangerous child sex offenders.
The appeal launched this Wednesday comes under Operación Captura, run jointly with the SOCA Serious Organised Crime Agency and the Spanish authorities, which has seen 23 out of 40 criminals taken into custody since it was first launched in October 2006.Dave Cording, Crimestoppers’ Director of Operations, said, ‘These appeals include some very nasty individuals and crimes, and we need you, the public, to help us put them behind bars where they belong.’ He stressed that no-one should attempt to approach any of the suspects, but should contact the charity immediately with any information.The freephone telephone number in Spain is 900 555 111, and details of the ten most wanted can be found on the Crimestoppers website www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Manhunt for wanted Stephen Burnell, as part of a wider investigation into ten known criminals thought to have fled to Costa Del Sol region of Spain

Paedophile on the run for abusing a nine-year-old girl could be hiding in a Spanish resort. Now investigators will be launching a manhunt for wanted Stephen Burnell, as part of a wider investigation into ten known criminals thought to have fled to Costa Del Sol region of Spain. Burnell, 55, went on the run in 2007 after sacking his defence team days before his trial was due to start. He was sentenced to six years imprisonment for carrying out a number of sickening sex crimes against the nine-year-old – including attempted rape, making pornographic images, and eight sex attacks – and put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life in his absence.
Despite a nationwide search for Burnell, who once lived in the South Bank area of York as well as other parts of the city, he still has not been found. Under the banner of Operation Captura, investigators behind UK crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers, and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), want the help of the public to trace fugitives thought to be on the run in Spanish resorts. Several waves of the appeal, first launched in October 2006, have led to the arrest of 23 out of 40 criminals arrested.

Burnell is described as being 5ft 9ins tall, of medium build, with blue eyes and has a ruddy complexion with cropped receding ginger hair with a full ginger beard and moustache.

He has a number of distinctive tattoos, including a black panther on his left arm; a skull with a dagger behind; and the words Do Or Die printed over the top of his right arm. He is described as having a nomadic lifestyle. Details of the ten men, which also include a suspected child rapist, Martin Smith from Tyneside, and suspected Manchester jewellery robber Benjamin Murphy, are posted by Crimestoppers on a “most wanted” website targeting the region.

National Court judge has indicted three former SS guards at Nazi concentration camps for genocide and crimes against humanity

National Court judge has indicted three former SS guards at Nazi concentration camps for genocide and crimes against humanity and has issued international warrants for their arrest.The National Court judge Ismael Moreno said in a ruling this Thursday that Johann Leprich and Anton Tittjung are believed to be living in the United States, while the third suspect, Josias Kumpf, is believed to be in Austria.
His ruling comes after a complaint presented by two Spanish survivors of the Nazi death camps against four SS guards at the Mauthausen, Sachsenhausen and Flossenbürg concentration camps. The fourth guard is John Demjanjuk, and Judge Moreno understands, El Mundo reports, that he is already charged by the authorities in Germany.EFE reports that 4,300 Spanish prisoners died in Mauthausen alone of the 7,000 Spaniards who were incarcerated there.

Homeless man found dead in Motril on Sunday

Homeless man found dead in Motril on Sunday afternoon has been identified by Europa Press as a man in his forties from Holland. No name has been released to the press as yet.His body was found beneath a cherimoya tree near the Rambla del Piojo, near a local industrial estate, by another homeless man who had been with him only that morning, but returned to the area where they both lived to find his friend had died.It’s understood there were no signs of violence and his death is believed to have been from natural causes.

Civil Guard officer is in a coma in a Málaga hospital after being hit by a drunk driver on the A-357 road

Civil Guard officer is in a coma in a Málaga hospital after being hit by a drunk driver on the A-357 road to Campillos early on Sunday. The officer was hit as he was directing traffic away from the scene of another accident minutes before, suffering serious head injuries, with additional injuries to his legs and a lung, in the impact. The 27 year old from Málaga, J.J.B.O., is now in Intensive Care in Carlos Haya Hospital.The driver in the first accident was freed from his vehicle by firemen and is reported by Málaga Hoy newspaper to also have been drunk at the wheel, suffering minor injuries in the crash.There was yet another smash at the same spot as firemen were still working to free the man trapped in his car, when yet another drunk driver ploughed into a local police officer’s motorcycle placed on the road to block traffic. It’s understood the motorbike was a total write-off.And on Saturday, a 39 year old man was killed in Almayate Costa after he was hit by a car while cycling along the N-340 coast road.

Civil Guard have revealed drug hauls amounting to more than six tons of cannabis resin in Málaga province since

Civil Guard have revealed drug hauls amounting to more than six tons of cannabis resin in Málaga province since the beginning of this month, with an additional 919 kilos of marijuana seized during that time. 23 people have been arrested in connection with public health crimes.The latest find was 1.7 tons of cannabis in a van dumped after an accident on the A-7 motorway in Estepona some days ago, which followed a Civil Guard chase when the driver sped off after ignoring an order to halt.In two separate operations, two boats were intercepted off the coasts of Nerja and Benalmádena, carrying a total of 3.3 tons of cannabis.

Richard Henry Roberts, 35, and Anthony Griffths, 22 trial starts Daniel Hastelow murder trial

Trial starts of two British men, named as Richard Henry Roberts, 35, and Anthony Griffths, 22 ., who are accused of killing another Briton, 26 year old Daniel Hastelow, and breaking into his home in Magaluf on Mallorca in January this year.The attack came at 4am on the morning after the victim’s birthday in an apartment in Calle Contra almirante Riviera in Magaluf, but an argument had started before that in a local pup. This allegedly led the attackers to go to the home of the victim, armed with a baseball bat and knife. The victim was stabbed several times and the two suspects were arrested at Palma airport afterwards when trying to flee Mallorca. They have been held in prison on remand since January 15 this year.A statement from the Supreme Court said that the case will get underway at 9,30am this morning with the selection of the jury, and is expected to continue in both morning and afternoon sessions until Wednesday.

British person who seriously injured another in a fight in Calvià in Mallorca has been arrested.

British person who seriously injured another in a fight in Calvià in Mallorca has been arrested.49 year old Mark James W. was detained on Saturday after handing himself into the authorities when he realised they were after him. His arrest is in connection with the injuries suffered by 51 year old Christopher M, who had to be admitted to the intensive care unit of the Son Dureta Hospital after the attack in the early hours of September 5. The victim remains in a serious condition.
ABC reports that the Guardia Civil now have two witnesses to the attack.

British couple body of the woman had three bullet wounds, while the man had been shot once. A pistol was found nearby.

Their identities have yet to be confirmed, but it's understood a British couple disappeared at the time they are believed to have died.The British Consulate is reported to have been in contact with the Civil Guard in Alicante province in connection with the two bodies found in an isolated area of the Sierra de Bèrnia, in Llíber, on Sunday. There are concerns that they could be a British couple who have been missing since July and it’s understood that the badly-decomposed bodies discovered by a hunter in the paraje de Marnes could have been there for around two months.There is no information as yet on the couple’s identity, however, and there was no documentation which could help in the identification in a rucksack found nearby.La Verdad newspaper reports this Tuesday that the body of the woman had three bullet wounds, while the man had been shot once. A pistol was found nearby.The paper said DNA testing will give investigators information on the couple’s ages, which will then be matched with details of persons reported missing in Spain. The results could take a number of weeks.

20 people were involved in the fight early on Wednesday

Two men are in hospital after a massive street fight on the Antonio Machado paseo marítimo in Málaga early on Wednesday involving an estimated 20 people, many of them from Eastern European countries.Both men were seriously hurt in the brawl and it’s understood that one suffered head injuries, while the other was stabbed.
EFE reports that six people are in custody.

Woman has been arrested for the Level 2 wildfire in Estepona

woman has been arrested for the Level 2 wildfire in Estepona last week which destroyed more than 500 hectares of land and spread over the border with Casares. The flames blazed for almost 30 hours before they were finally brought under control last Thursday evening.The investigation ruled out an accident or negligence as the cause of the fire, and in fact a municipal employee had seen someone fleeing the area when the fire started in the area of Los Pedregales on Wednesday afternoon last week.The woman arrested on suspicion of having set the blaze is named by Diario Sur as J.T.P., a middle-aged woman who is from Estepona itself, and it’s understood she was taken into custody this Wednesday morning. She’s now been released with charges and will be called in for questioning by a judge.

Civil Guard have transported almost three and a half tons of marijuana plants to the barracks in Salobreña

Civil Guard have transported almost three and a half tons of marijuana plants to the barracks in Salobreña, which they found growing in a greenhouse in Molvízar. The owner is reported to have claimed he was growing cherry tomatoes.
Officers found 455 marijuana plants growing there, some of them reaching a height of 3 metres. Their total weight was found to be 3,380 kilos.Europa Press said the man who was growing them admitted to a judge in Motril that he planned to dry and sell his crop, and he’s now on remand for a public health crime. He also faces a charge of illegal possession of weapons for a hunting shotgun found in his home for which he did not have a licence.

Wanted drugs smuggler has been arrested in San Pedro de Alcántara

Wanted drugs smuggler has been arrested in San Pedro de Alcántara on an international arrest warrant issued by the authorities in Italy in March last year. Named by EFE as G.D.M. from Angri in Italy, he is accused of being part of a gang which smuggled 30 kilos of cocaine into the country, together with another 30 kilos of cannabis resin.He was arrested last week after National Police identified an Italian guest at a San Pedro hotel as the man wanted by Italy. The suspect was transferred to Madrid following his arrest, where the National Court will handle the extradition procedure

Well-known local businessman has been found shot dead

Well-known local businessman has been found shot dead in Ronda, a 55 year old named by Diario Sur as J.M.S. whose body was discovered near the Legion headquarters in La Indiana at around 2.30 on Tuesday afternoon. The businessman is understood to have owned land in La Indiana.A man is already in custody for his murder, an 18 year old named as D.R.F. from Almería who was arrested in Algodonales, Cádiz province, on Tuesday afternoon. He was seen with the victim in his car shortly before the shooting, and then running off to catch a taxi to escape the scene.Sur said the two men appear to have argued over a business matter while driving to a livestock fair being held in the area.The paper notes 18 murders in Málaga province so far this year, compared to the 14 which took place throughout the 12 months of 2008.

Police in Ireland have seized 1 million € worth of cocaine

Police in Ireland have seized 1 million € worth of cocaine, sent by messenger service on an aircraft from Spain.The 13 kilos of cocaine were sent as an urgent package from Madrid and intercepted by Spain’s Agencia Tributaria Tax Agency. The decision was taken, after contacting the Garda in Ireland, to allow the package to continue on its route to Dublin, which the Irish Independent said was sent under the description of spare parts.The man who collected the package at Dublin Airport was followed to a rendezvous with another man last Friday, where both suspects were taken into custody.

EFE notes a Marbella connection, but gives no further details of that information.

In Cataluña, a German couple have been arrested after the discovery by the Mossos d’Esquadra regional police of almost one ton of cannabis resin in a van found abandoned in Tortosa, Tarragona. The husband and wife are named by EFE as Isabel B.M., resident in Cambrils, and Erich B., both aged 53.750 kilos of marijuana were also found in the vehicle which, as with the cannabis, was in packets labelled as powdered tomato soup. They are believed to have smuggled the drugs into Spain by sea from Iran.