Local police patrols in Estepona have been working without radio contact with the central 092 emergency switchboard

Local police patrols in Estepona have been working without radio contact with the central 092 emergency switchboard, and unions say, have had to use their mobile phones to keep in contact. The local police union told Málaga Hoy newspaper it’s due to a fault in the system detected two weeks ago.The CSI-F union is concerned at the effect the fault is having on the service the local police provides to the public, saying they cannot respond to emergency situations as quickly as usual and claiming also a lack of coordination between the different patrols.Estepona’s public safety councillor, Francisca Bernal, said none of the police have to use their personal phones, as in-house mobiles are available to officers when they go on shift. The delay in repairing the repeater station used by the 092 switchboard is due, she said, to the closure of many companies during the month of August.

Stephen Kane and Nicholas Bell, both 29, passed on the drugs, which were posted from Chile, for sale to wealthy users on the Costa del Sol

Stephen Kane and Nicholas Bell, both 29, passed on the drugs, which were posted from Chile, for sale to wealthy users on the Costa del Sol, Spanish police claim.
They were among 21 people, five of them French, held in police swoops as an international gang was smashed after an 18-month operation.Nearly two tons of cannabis worth £4.8million was also seized. It was smuggled in from Morocco hidden in baby buggies.Toddlers were wheeled through customs at Ceuta, Spain's enclave on the north African coast, with the drugs in special compartments underneath.Photo - Civil Guard.They hid the drugs beneath pushchair mattresses to get through Customs
A gang which used babies to smuggle cannabis into Spain, hiding the drugs beneath the mattresses of their pushchairs as the smugglers went through Customs, has been broken up by the Civil Guard.The gang was part of a wider organisation which had a separate operation for posting cocaine from Chile hidden in bars of chocolate, while a third group was responsible for transporting stolen vehicles to Ceuta and, from there, to Morocco. The vehicles were sometimes completely dismantled into spare parts to allow them to be passed through Customs.21 arrests have been made in Ceuta, Málaga and Cádiz, and it’s understood that two of those in custody are British, although the Interior Ministry has released no details of their identities to the press. The others are five French nationals, 8 Spaniards, five from Morocco and a suspect from Chile. Another 13 people were not taken into custody but are suspects in the case.More than one and a half tons of cannabis and 300 grams of cocaine were seized during the Civil Guard operation, along with 11 vehicles and close to 60,000 € in cash.

Donato Palermo? wanted Italian Mafia chief has been arrested in Marbella

wanted Italian Mafia chief has been arrested in Marbella on an international arrest warrant issued by Italy where he fled a 12 and a half years prison sentence for drug trafficking. Named by La Opinión de Málaga as B.C.M., he is said by police to have been going under the name of Donato Palermo while in Marbella, and is understood to have been arrested in a flat on the town’s paseo marítimo last week.National Police in Málaga said in a statement that the suspect is believed to have held a key position in coordinating the drug gangs which bring cocaine into Europe from Colombia and Brazil for distribution in the Lombardy area of Italy.Evidence described as of interest to the police investigation into the drugs organisation was found in a search of the suspect’s Marbella home.

Addiction International makes contact with the Costas

Revolutionary new methods of dealing with addictions hit the Costas.Addictions International offers a range of services to clients with addiction problems. Because of the unique delivery of the programme they are able to support people wherever they may be. The programme is exceptional in that we can reach people with problems even when they cannot access help in the usual ways.Are you an addict?Do you want to recover?24/7 home-based programmes help you and your family and your carers ...
•whatever your addiction drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, the Internet, shopping or anything else
•wherever you are in the world
they help English speakers world-wide
•by any way they can contact you
home-based treatment via telephone, messaging, DVDs, books etc.
If your habits are dominating your daily life and you feel powerless to control the chaos, then it's very likely that you are suffering from an active addiction.
The abstinence-based programmes use detox, the "12 steps", cognitive behavioural therapy, counselling, peer support, coping strategies, drug rehabilitation, coaching and teaching and more to help you and your carers and your family.
Because their help is home-based they can remain in their job, in their family and their community while restoring health, relationships and lifestyle. Contact copsandbloggers@gmail.com
http://www.addictions-international.com

Jorge Real,convicted for the murder of Tony and Linda O’Malley, the British couple who died while house hunting on the Costa Blanca in 2002

Jorge Real,convicted for the murder of Tony and Linda O’Malley, the British couple who died while house hunting on the Costa Blanca in 2002, has written a book based on his life and experiences in the turbulent years of South American history in the last century. Written from prison in Córdoba by Jorge Real Sierra, ‘Los Vuelos del Silencio’ is an autobiographical novel which tells the tale of David, a boy who left life on the streets of Venezuela to become a pilot for the drug cartels and the Contras of Central America.The author says he will leave it up to the reader to decide which is fact and which is fiction.On sale from Plaza y Janés next month, his publishers told El País they decided to go ahead in publishing the book as the quality of the content stands alone regardless of the author’s current situation. They also said the text has no connection with the crime for which he was sentenced.
Jorge Real was interviewed in prison by a journalist from El País, who he told writing the book during his time behind bars has helped him to face his internal demons, adding that any profit he gains from it will be for the family of the couple who died on the Costa Blanca. While still maintaining his innocence, he said he can’t find the way to ask for their forgiveness, nor for the hurt he has caused to others in his life.Jorge Real and his brother-in-law, José Antonio Velázquez González, were found guilty in 2006 of the murder of Tony and Linda O’Malley, a couple from Llangollen, North Wales, whose bodies were discovered buried in a cellar in Alcoy in March 2003. Real has another 28 years to serve of his sentence.

Body bound at the hands and had a wound to the head, possibly caused by a bullet.

Police in Benidorm are trying to identify a badly burnt body found in the Serra Gelada this Sunday after firemen and police were called out to a blaze near the border with Alfaz del Pi. Diario Información said the man’s body was still burning when it was found beneath a pine tree at the side of a dirt road.The paper said the body was bound at the hands and had a wound to the head, possibly caused by a bullet. It’s believed he may have been killed where he was found.No arrests have yet been made in the case.

Second hand car showroom, two restaurants on the promenades in Fuengirola and Marbella raided in Drug Yacht probe

A 9.3 metre yacht which was heading for Britain has been intercepted by the Spanish authorities and found to be carrying 250 kilos of cocaine.Businesses on the Costa del Sol have been raided as part of the operationThe boat had set sail from the Dutch Antilles, and was escorted by the Spanish police into the port of Vigo after its interception.Eight arrests have been made in total, some of them on the Costa del Sol, and the nationalities of those detained are Spanish, Colombian, British, Dutch and Italian. 18 top of the range cars have also been impounded in the operation along with 300,000 € in cash, a jet ski, semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, 60 mobile phones, 20 computers and diverse documents.Investigations were carried out in a joint operation, codenamed ‘Candlelight’, between the Spanish Agencia Tributaria and the British Serious Organised Crime Agency after an organisation which introduced cocaine, heroin and hashish from South America to Britain and Spain was discovered.The bosses of the operation are thought to have been based on the Costa del Sol. Businesses on the coast are thought to have laundered money from the gang, in a second hand car showroom, and in two restaurants on the promenades in Fuengirola and Marbella.

British man, who allegedly stabbed his father-in-law with a 25 cm knife.

Diario Información reports on an incident in recent days in the Castillo de San Juan area of Orihuela Costa, involving another British man, who allegedly stabbed his father-in-law with a 25 cm knife. The suspect’s wife and son are reported to have witnessed the assault.

British man was arrested after a police chase

British man was arrested after a police chase in the Dream Hills area of Orihuela last Saturday, for allegedly ripping off part of the ear of another man, a 44 year old also from Britain.The injured man was taken to hospital in Torrevieja by police, while other officers tried to capture his assailant. Las Provincias newspaper said he was finally captured in a wooded area next to the AP-7 toll motorway after narrowly escaping being hit by cars when falling down onto the carriageway from a height of 20 metres when jumping over the motorway barrier.The 23 year old is understood to have resisted arrest.

Gang boss ‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson spotted in Puerto Banus after moving his operation to Spain after a gun attack on his home

Gang boss ‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson spotted in Puerto Banus after moving his operation to Spain after a gun attack on his home .The Irish Gangster has set up home on the Costa del Sol with a nephew of the Monk, it’s revealed. Both men survived a gun attack in Spain last year which left their pal, Paddy Doyle, dead. Thompson (28) relocated to an apartment in Marbella four weeks ago, days after a shotgun blast was fired at the front window of his family home in the Coombe in Dublin. The gang boss is believed to have told his associates that he intends to remain in southern Spain for the summer with fellow criminal Gary Hutch. Freddie is currently staying in Marbella with Gary Hutch (27), a nephew of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. A former courier and robber from Summerhill, Gary Hutch is a longtime associate of Thompson and a number of his pals on the Costa del Sol. Thompson and Hutch were both in a car with their pal Paddy Doyle in Estepona, near Marbella, last year when he was assassinate by underworld rivals. A source told the Herald: "Thompson has kept his head very low of late. He departed the country after the shooting at his family home, which followed a bomb alert close to his girlfriend's home in Crumlin. Thompson has previously established a base in the Marbella area, living in Puerto Banus, a smaller town close to Marbella itself. The criminal narrowly avoided injury in February 2008 in Estepona, ten miles from Puerto Banus, when a gunman opened fire on a SUV in which he was travelling, killing his close friend Paddy Doyle. Gary Hutch was also in the BMW X5 when the shooting took place and also narrowly escaped injury.

Keith Abrahams, 40, of Hereford, has been arrested in Spain on suspicion of smuggling £5million of heroin into the UK.

Keith Abrahams, 40, of Hereford, has been arrested in Spain on suspicion of smuggling £5million of heroin into the UK.Spanish Police have broken up a group of Foreign Exchange Agencies who are said to have laundered funds worth around 180 million euros during the last four years.The group appeared to be offering their services to tourists but were in fact dealing with British customers linked to drug trafficking between 2005 and 2009.The Operation began five months ago when officials detected a group of exchange agencies, primarily in Fuengirola, accounting for a disproportionate amount of transfers from pounds to euros despite a lack of British tourists in the area at that time.Investigators have claimed that the agencies played an important role for networks who needed to convert currencies in order to fulfill drug payments.

Gary Well, 45, of London, was one of 10 people arrested in a series of swoops on a string of money-changing agencies in Fuengirola.

Gary Well, 45, of London, was one of 10 people arrested in a series of swoops on a string of money-changing agencies in Fuengirola.Costa gang alleged to have laundered £155million for British drug dealers operating on the Costa del Sol has been smashed by Spanish police.The agencies were a cover for British drug gangs smuggling cannabis from Spain to the UK, police said.

Armoured Mercedes S-Class limousine was found not far from where it was stolen

German Health Minister’s official car, stolen by thieves last week while Minister Ulla Schmidt was holidaying in Dénia, has been found by the Civil Guard.The German newspaper ‘Rheinische Post’ reported on Wednesday that the armoured Mercedes S-Class limousine was found not far from where it was stolen, and is believed to have been dumped there by the thieves after all the media attention over the vehicle’s theft.
The car was driven the 2,400 kms from Germany by her chauffeur, while Mrs Schmidt made the journey by air. It was taken when thieves broke into her chauffeur’s accommodation while he was sleeping and made off with the vehicle.Just two months ahead of a general election in Germany, the Social Democrat Minister has come under harsh criticism for deciding to bring the vehicle to Spain, which she said was due to official engagements planned during her holiday in Dénia. A spokesperson for the German Health Ministry said Mrs Schmidt acted within the law, and has always reimbursed the government for any private journeys made in her official vehicle.
It was also claimed to be cheaper to drive the car to Spain rather than renting a similar vehicle on the Costa Blanca.

50,000 in high-quality fake Euro notes imported into the country every month

Police in Spain have broken up a network which is said to have brought an average of 50,000 in high-quality fake Euro notes into the country every month. The money came into Cataluña from Italy in 20 and 50 Euro notes, and from there, was distributed throughout the country, only being detected as fake once it reached the banks.The 21 arrests over the two-phase operation include the three network leaders and a courier who was detained at the Figueres bus station with more than 66,000 € in fake notes, of a total of 113,000 € seized over the entire operation. Some of the forged money was used to buy more than 16,000 € worth of jamones in Guijelo, Salamanca province, and five people resident in Sabadell, Barcelona province, were arrested in connection with the purchase.30 kilos of cannabis resin were found in one of the property searches carried out by police.Police say that, since the European currency was first adopted in Spain, they have seized more than 6 million € in fake notes.

International organisation which sold Portuguese driving licences obtained with fake documents18 people are in custody

joint operation by police in Spain and Portugal has broken up an international organisation which sold Portuguese driving licences obtained with fake documents, selling each for an average of 1,500 €. Their main clients were eastern Europeans who, the Interior Ministry said, often bought HGV licences in this way and then went on to obtain their licence to transport goods.It’s understood the network made weekly trips from their Torrevieja base to Portugal to apply for the driving licences, and is believed to have earned income of of up to 300,000 €.The network also obtained Portuguese residence permits for their clients through marriages of convenience, charging up to 5,000 € for this service. The marriage certificates were used, along with false employment contracts, in order to obtain legal residency in Portugal.

David Walter Cook sentenced to 13 years in prison

British driver on trial in Alicante for the death of a teenage moped rider has been sentenced to 13 years in prison in a ruling which, EFE reports, notes that David Walter Cook continued driving knowing that the youngster was trapped beneath his car.
17 year old José Antonio Caro Buendía from Alfaz del Pi died in March 2008 after he was thrown from his moped by a first vehicle, and was then hit by another which dragged him along the road for 2kms before fleeing the scene. The second car was traced to Mr Cook and his partner, Angela Green, a British couple resident in Polop.
The Alicante provincial court said in the ruling released this Wednesday that Mr Cook, originally from Stourbridge, continued driving with the teenager beneath the vehicle before stopping at an urbanisation to manoeuvre the car back and forth and managing to free the body.Mr Cook was also ordered to pay 300,000 € compensation to the victim’s family, while his partner, Angela Green, was given an 18-month sentence for failing to help the teenager.

International drugs warrant arrest for 47 year old Italian

man wanted by the authorities in Italy has been arrested at a routine traffic control in Murcia, EFE reports. He is accused of belonging to an international drugs organisation, and was wanted on an international warrant for his arrest and extradition back to Italy.The suspect, named as A.I., aged 47, was driving a moped when he was pulled over by officers and was found not to have a driving licence. It was after his arrest for that offence that further checks revealed he was wanted in Italy.

Arrest was made on a European Arrest Order of 41 year old British man

41 year old British man who is wanted on charges of falsification and fraud has been arrested by National Police in Rójales, Alicante.The arrest was made on a European Arrest Order and the man will now be appear in the National Court before being extradited back to France where he faces upto ten years in prison.Named with the initials R.A.B., the order for his arrest was issued by the judicial authorities in France only two days ago.

Italian man resident in Elche was undergoing emergency surgery on Sunday after being shot

Italian man resident in Elche was undergoing emergency surgery on Sunday after being shot while sitting in a parked car near a beach between Elche and Santa Pola early that morning. The only information on the 38 year old’s condition was a ‘reserved prognosis’, EFE said.EFE said the victim was with his partner in an isolated area of Arenales del Sol, when it appears they were approached by a suspected peeping tom, believed to be the person who fired the shots. The suspect then fled the scene and is now being sought by National Police.A similar case is reported in the same area two years ago.

Five people arrested by the National Police in Benidorm

Two of five people arrested by the National Police in Benidorm in an operation against drug trafficking, managed to make their escape dressed as airline pilots, according to the police Commissioner in the town, Alfonso Cid.
All five arrested were Spanish and had several previous records for drug trafficking, and one of them for murder.They had been watched by the police since March, originally for the illegal sale and traffic of top of the range vehicles, and the police were waiting for the gang at Barajas airport in Madrid on Monday when they returned from Caracas, allegedly carrying drugs. However two escaped by leaving through the pilots entrance.A search in Benidorm meanwhile found 15 kilos of highly pure cocaine, 77 grams of heroin, and two kilos of hashish. 17,000 € and other items were found in a second search.

Por una Costa del Sol segura

Spanish police are looking for informers among the foreign community on the Costa del Sol in a new policy which they hope will increase safety in the zone.
Police has offered an email address where people are invited to send any pertinent information and which they will be able to understand in eight different languages. The Police also promise complete confidentiality. The campaign is based around the slogan ‘Por una Costa del Sol segura – For a safe Costa del Sol’.

Electro Baza fraud

Police are looking for the owners of an electrical appliance shop in Baza, Granada, who are thought to have defrauded more than 600,000 € from more than 50 clients by asking for loans in the clients’ names from a bank using the clients DNI identity cards. They had told the clients that they had to carry out a solvency check before granting credit.Police say they have not ruled out the fraud being even bigger.
The owners of the Electro Baza shop, a man and a woman closed the shop several days ago and have not been seen since

Requested a 15 year sentence for the British man who was driving the vehicle, 57 year old David Walter Cook, and 10 years for his wife,

Autopsy carried out on the body of José Antonio Caro Buendía, the 17 year old from Alfaz del Pi who died last year after being dragged beneath a car for 2 kms, shows that he died from the injuries received while being dragged along the road.
The doctors who examined the teenager’s body told the Alicante provincial court on Thursday that the youngster suffered damage to his femoral artery and went into shock from the extreme loss of blood. The experts ruled out that his injuries were sustained when he collided with a first vehicle, before being hit by the car occupied by the British couple who are on trial for his death.They noted injuries to his legs typical, they said, of being dragged.Further evidence was heard from an emergency doctor who attended the scene where the teenager was found dying, who said he was found face up, while the injuries found on his body were evidence that he had been dragged along face down. It would have been impossible, the doctor said, for José Antonio, to have been capable of moving, leading him to believe the teenager was turned over by another person. He added that medical services found a trail of the youngster’s blood along the length of the 2 kms, and pieces of soft tissue some 30 cms from where he was found. The victim would not, he said, have been able to reach the site where he was found by himself.The private prosecution from the victim’s family is requesting a 15 year sentence for the British man who was driving the vehicle, 57 year old David Walter Cook, and 10 years for his wife, 47 year old Angela Maureen Green. The public prosecutor is maintaining its original application for 13 years for Mr Cook, but has now, EFE reports, reduced the sentence requested for Angela Green down to 18 months in prison.The defence argued police failed to present independent evidence, in addition to testimony from their own officers, to prove the accuseds’ part in the youngster’s death.It’s understood that both defence and prosecution have presented their cases, and it’s now up to the court to give its decision on the verdict and sentencing.

Cómpeta arrested seven people in connection with the death of Stephen Mallon

Arrested seven people in connection with the death of Stephen Mallon, the 49 year old Briton who died last week after a street fight in Cómpeta in the early hours of Friday 5th June. Mr Mallon suffered severe head injuries after falling from a five metre-high wall during the fight, and spent 12 days in a coma before he died.The brawl between opposing groups of British and Spanish youths is believed to have involved up to 30 people, and Diario Sur reports that the Civil Guard identified 10 of them last week. The seven suspects were taken into custody on Wednesday morning and are, according to Europa Press, between 20 and 25 years old. No nationalities have been given in reports.The fight took place outside the Pub La Estrella, and it’s believed that Mr Mallon was injured after going to help his 16 year old son and nephew when they became involved in the punch-up. It’s understood, according to the local Mayor, José Luis Torres, that the Mallon family owns a house in Cómpeta, which the Mayor described as a peaceful village currently shared by 36 different nationalities.

Four Russians have been arrested during a police operation on the Costa del Sol Spain, after injecting their victim claiming he would die in 24 hours

Four Russians have been arrested during a police operation on the Costa del Sol Spain, after injecting their victim with what they maintained to be an experimental KGB virus, claiming he would die in 24 hours.The kidnappers seized a Russian businessman in a street last week in Estepona; a Spanish resort lying 20 kilometres (13 miles) to the west of Marbella. Marbella and it's glitzy neighbour, Puerto Banus plays host to the rich and famous and is the hedonistic playground for the rich and famous. The Russian crime gang threatened their hostage with the so called ‘deadly’ virus to scare him into paying a ransom amount of 12000 Euros ($16500) in return for the antidote, otherwise he would face death within 24hours according to a local report. The victim did endure some adverse symptoms including fainting, fever and vomiting. Their methods have been branded as bearing the typical hallmarks of a KGB style 'kidnap.' Armed Police officers from the organized crime squad in Málaga were on standby when the gang went to collect the ransom payment in San Pedro, just a few miles west of the notorious crime den of Marbella. The four Russians, three men and one woman, aged between 24 and 57, were arrested; three in San Pedro and one in Mijas. The gang now face charges of kidnap, torture and the illegal possession of firearms. This is the second kidnapping carried out by Russians in Estepona this year. A businessman’s wife and daughter were taken for a two million € ransom at the end of March. Police managed to release the captives in that case and made two arrests. The Russian mafia has been gaining pace in Spain, particularly in the Costa del Sol region due to the expanding property market, which has provided an opportunity for illicit gangs to launder money.

Stephen Mallon remains in a critical condition in the Carlos Haya Hospital in Málaga

Stephen Mallon remains in a critical condition in the Carlos Haya Hospital in Málaga
It is now a week since the mass fight in the Axarquía village of Cómpeta last Friday night resulted in the British resident, 49 year old Stephen Mallon, being admitted to the Carlos Haya hospital in Málaga in a coma. Reports indicate that he was called to the aid of his 16 year son and nephew, who also suffered a broken nose and arm in the fight outside a local disco pub, which was allegedly between a group of foreign and Spanish youths.We have received reports that the police took some two hours to arrive at the scene, as the local police station is closed at night, and also that when the ambulance arrived at the scene the medics were not allowed out of the vehicle to attend to the victim. There are conflicting witness reports claiming either that he was hit with a bottle which left him unconscious, or that he fell, or was thrown over a wall to a five metre drop.Cómpeta is a small village where everyone knows everyone else, but for now nobody is speaking publically about what has happened. There were obviously dozens of witnesses to the fight but nobody wants to talk on the record. Even the Mayor, José Luis Torres, has declined to make a statement, although some local residents have said that fights have been a regular weekend event for some time, and that the venue where the fight took place should not be open in the small hours. The fight was at 4am outside the La Estrella pub, close to the Hotel Balcón de Cómpeta. One witness told Diario Sur that the fight started inside the bar, but that the owner threw the people outside. Reports indicate as many as 30 people were involved.The Guardia Civil are still to make any arrests in the case and the local press reports that the investigation is progressing only slowly.

Avril Flanagan,stabbed to death in a hotel apartment in Orihuela Costa

Autopsy carried out on the body of 20 year old Avril Flanagan, the Irish girl who was stabbed to death in a hotel apartment in Orihuela Costa last Friday, has revealed that she was stabbed a total of 40 times, Diario Información reports.
The man in custody for the murder is her 24 year old ex boyfriend, named by the Irish Times as Alan Daulby from Liverpool. He’s reported by Información to have told the Guardia Civil that he remembers nothing and also refused to make any statement to the investigating judge.The paper says witnesses and friends questioned by detectives claim the victim was due to fly back to Ireland on the day she died to escape the unwanted attentions of the man now in custody. He is said to have refused to accept their relationship was over, which Ms Flanagan is believed to have ended the week before she was murdered.

Civil Guard officer was arrested with 100 kilos of cannabis hidden in his car

Civil Guard officer was arrested by colleagues in Melilla this week as he tried to board the Almería ferry with more than 100 kilos of cannabis hidden in his car. Officers found 128 kilos of cannabis pollen hidden in the rear door panels of the vehicle and he now faces a public health charge.The officer is based in Melilla and although still officially on active duty is reported by Europa Press not to have worked for some time.

Headless body of a man found floating in the Regajo reservoir UPDATED

Following the discovery of a decpitated body by youths in a swamp on Sunday, the partner of the victims girlfriend has come forward and admitted the crime. The man presented himself to the Guardia Civil, accompanied by his lawyer, after seeing reports that the body had been found, and feared for his future. He decided that giving himself up was the best option, as he claims to have commited the crime to protect the daughter of the victim. He claims to have killed his his victim with a blow to the head. he then decapitated him and cut of his hands to hinder identification. The body was then tipped into a swamp, bound with ropes, chains and weighted down, which is where the body was later found. The head and hands were buried in a different location. The suspect claims that the victim had been a lot term abbuser of his daughter (the suspects partner), and this was his way of stopping the torture. The female has given a statement confirming the history of abuse. The crime occurred in the victim’s house in Torrent. Apparently, following a violent argument
Guardia Civil recovered the headless body of a man floating in the Regajo reservoir, in Jérica, Castellón on Sunday. The body was found by some youngsters who were canoeing on the water, and have been tied down to a block of bricks. First indications were the body had been in the water for several days and the investigation remains open.

gang ferried large consignments of hashish from Morocco.

Spain’s Guardia Civil and Agencia Tributaria claimed that four Gibraltar-registered companies were allegedly used to provide logistical support to a gang of drug smugglers based in the Campo de Gibraltar and the Costa del Sol.as they revealed details of a major investigation that led to 12 arrests and 16 tonnes of hashish being seized.Operation Leasing began over a year ago when the two agencies suspected that the gang was relying on legitimate companies to provide backup for their clandestine business.They used a series of legitimate companies in the marine business as fronts to provide vessels for their smuggling operations.
Several boats seized during drug operations were later claimed back by these companies on the false pretence that they had been stolen, or had been leased out.
In this way the smugglers recovered the vessels and further blurred the paper trail.
The companies operated a legal front too and were involved in money laundering, according to a joint statement by the Guardia Civil and the Agencia Tributaria.

The person believed to be the head of the gang – identified only as H.H.G.V - relied on five companies.

One was a law firm in Algeciras, while the other four were allegedly registered in Gibraltar.The Gibraltar companies were not named and were described only businesses involved as in the sale, purchase and leasing of pleasure vessels.“This corporate web provided the appearance of legality to his illicit activities in the Campo de Gibraltar,” the statement said.
The gang ferried large consignments of hashish from Morocco.Over the past year, Spanish law enforcement agencies have seized 16 tonnes of drugs linked to the group.They have also confiscated 10 vessels linked to the companies, as well as numerous mobile and satellite phones and six computers. Properties have been searched in Algeciras and La Linea and several bank accounts have been frozen.
The operation remains ongoing.