Five Moroccan men were arrested at the weekend and are said by the Guardia Civil to have been members of a violent group that has been using pistols in holdups at petrol stations. The arrests took place in Águilas but the crimes cover a wide area. The gang is also said to have created a climate of intimidation amongst other Moroccans. More arrests are expected as investigations continue. Finally, Murcia priests became suspicious at the number of English women in their 50s who were being married to Nigerian men who didn't speak any Spanish. They took their suspicions to the Guardia Civil and a huge increase has been identified in the number of marriages between Nigerian males and women of Gypsy origin. Study of documentation provided for the marriages showed many common addresses and other suspicious aspects. Some of the women had only been in Murcia for a day. About 40 cases of alleged marriages of convenience, which aim to get residency for non-EU immigrants, are now being investigated and there are suspicions that an organised crime gang may be involved. recent string of successes by police and security forces has seen several gangs accused of committing major crimes arrested while a strong crack-down continues. The investigations and arrests have been carried out by National Police, Local Police and the Guardia Civil. Many specialist units have been involved, from those who target organised crime, to groups that investigate money laundering and officers who are anti-drug experts. Crime has become a major concern for both Spanish and foreign residents on the Costas and police and security forces resources are being significantly increased. In Murcia it has been announced that additional National Police officers are about to enter service, with 40 being assigned to Murcia City, 30 to Cartagena and 20 to Lorca. The Guardia Civil presence in the province will now stand at about 250 agents, 200 of whom will be on regular duties and another 50 on specialist tasks. These include units specializing in fighting violent crime and in special operations. The Guardia is adding 40 new vehicles to its fleet.
Every week there are reports of additional vehicles being bought for Local Police and of more officers being added in towns and cities. More police dogs are aiding the fight against crime. Recently agents of the National Police and officers from La Unión, Cartagena and Alcantarilla, participated in an intensive course in work with police dogs. Many Local Police forces are now adding dog units to their resources, including one at Pilar de la Horadada. The dogs are trained to track, chase and detain suspects and to detect drugs at places which include schools and public institutions. Drugs are the reason behind a great many crimes, from large operations involving international criminals to dealing at street level. Drug users are responsible for many of the crimes, such as robberies that cause so much suffering to law-abiding people. Out in the Mediterranean the big war against drugs continues day and night. Sophisticated electronic surveillance systems around the narrowest crossing point, the Gibraltar Straits, mean that smugglers have moved their operations northwards with the coastlines of Murcia and Alicante now being targeted.
