Airport staff tonight told of their fears of an Ebola outbreak after a passenger from Sierra Leone collapsed and died as she got off a plane at Gatwick. Workers said they were terrified the virus could spread globally through the busy international hub from the West African country which is in the grip of the deadly epidemic. The woman, said to be 72, became ill on the gangway after she left a Gambia Bird jet with 128 passengers on board. She died in hospital on Saturday. Ebola has killed 256 people in Sierra Leone. A total of 826 have died in West Africa since the outbreak began in February. Tests were carried out to see if the woman had the disease. The plane was quarantined as officials desperately tried to trace everyone who had been in contact with the woman. Airport workers faced an anxious wait to see if the woman had Ebola. One said: “Everyone’s just petrified. “We’ve all seen how many people have died from Ebola, especially in Sierra Leone, and it’s terrifying.”
Thousands of passengers departing from Majorca's busy Son Sant Joan airport failed to notice the dead body of a German beggar for at least six hours on Thursday morning. The body of 61-year-old René Becker lay unnoticed on a bench outside the departure lounge of the airport for several hours, local daily Diario de Mallorca reported on Friday. The man known locally as 'El Barbas' ('Mr Beard') had been living outside the airport for seven years, surrounded by his few possessions. Early on Thursday morning, however, airport staff noticed that he seemed to be sleeping more deeply than usual. When they approached, they found he didn't have a pulse and that his body was already cold. A coroner later determined he had been dead for at least six hours. In that time, thousands of passengers bound for destinations as diverse as Italy's Palermo and the northern English city of Doncaster has traipsed past his body. Becker, a former engineer who left Germany after divorcing his wife, was a minor celebrity on Majorca. Described as "friendly" and "affable", he had even made several appearances in Germany's tabloid press, according to local German-language daily Mallorca Zeitung. One article shone the spotlight on his brief reunion with his daughter Patricia.
100 people plus who evacuated their homes as a fire swept across Mijas Costa on the Costa del Sol started to return in the early hours as the blaze was finally brought under control.
The bush fire that started in the El Chaparral district of Mijas Costa was fought by 12 aircraft and firefighters from towns all along the Costa del Sol. The blaze, first spotted around 7.30pm yesterday (Friday) rapidly spread, fanned by strong winds. Mijas council opened the La Cala sports centre as an emergency shelter for those fleeing the flames. By 8pm the fire around the original hotspot at El Chaparral was under control, but it was spreading quickly from a new hotspot towards the Cerrado de Aguila golf course and urbanisation. It had spread past the lush fairways of El Chaparral golf which may have helped protect the homes on the nearby urbanisation. A firebreak was bulldozed near a secondary school – the flames had come to within 100m of it and were perilously close to a Eucalyptus wood just over the road from the CEIP El Chaparral. INFOCA (forest fire control service) said there were three hotspots, the main one being at El Chaparral, another at nearby La Roza and the third near the hipodromo horse racing track.
The integrated fire plan was put into action to fight the fire, with police and civil protection volunteers blocking off roads while Mijas council water tankers accompanied fireengines from Mijas, Benalmadena, Torremolinos, Fuengirola Manilva and Marbella as they followed narrow urbanisation roads to tackle hotspots and protect property. Firefighters worked through the night to put the fire out. Twenty five INFOCA firefighters were remaining on the scene today to dampen down and control any fresh outbreaks.
French drugs squad officer has been arrested in the southern city of Perpignan on suspicion of stealing more than 50kg (110lb) of cocaine from Paris police headquarters. The unnamed officer, 34, was picked up while on holiday in the city on the Spanish border, officials say. The theft of the drugs, which have a street value of some 3m euros (£2.4m; $4m), was a major embarrassment.
The Guardia Civil and National Police dismantled 497 criminal organisations in 2013 and detained 6,292 people for drug and human trafficking, said Security Secretary Francisco Martinez last Thursday talking to the media. Police operations to crackdown on organised crime in Spain had a 97 per cent success rate, he added. As much as 83 per cent of all groups dismantled had been operating for less than three years, while seven out of every 10 criminal organisations were made up of nationals from more than two different countries. Most criminal organisations were based in Barcelona and Madrid, followed by Cadiz, Malaga, Alicante, Valencia, Sevilla and Murcia. The large majority of them traffic in cocaine (31 per cent) and 21 per cent traffics in hashish, said Martinez. Following the nationwide operations launched last year to crackdown on organised crime, Spanish police seized almost 20 tons of cocaine, 146,708 kilograms of hashish, 103 kilograms of heroin, more than 10,000 ecstasy pills, 2,102 cars, 119 boats, six aircraft, 558 guns, 630 knives, 909 computers, 4,498 mobile phones and €30 million. Data show arrests for human trafficking also increased last year, with as many as 753 people detained or 33 per cent more than in 2012, said Martinez. A total of 1,180 victims - most of them Romanian, Chinese and Spanish nationals - were freed from the clutches of these criminal organisations, he added.
holiday jet passenger has been charged with endangering a flight after allegedly cracking a window with a single punch. The pilot of Thomson Airways flight Tom145 radioed a message to police at Manchester Airport after the window cracked as the jet travelled 35,000ft over Ireland. Officers went to the gate and arrested Nicholas Whittaker, 43, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, before he disembarked.
The drama happened at about 5.30am as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was coming to the end of its flight from Sanford Airport in Florida on May 25. It is understood it was approaching the coast of Ireland when the incident happened. Nobody was injured. The aircraft was packed with families returning to Manchester from holidays in Florida, with many having enjoyed trips to Disney World in Orlando. Whittaker, of Bentinck Street in Ashton, was charged with recklessly or negligently acting in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft or anyone on board, in accordance with Regulation 137 of the Air Navigation Order 2009.
He is due to appear before Trafford Magistrates’ Court on August 11. Aviation experts say passengers are only in jeopardy if both the inner and outer pane of an aircraft window are breached. It is understood only the inner pane was cracked. One said: “To break the inner pane is difficult and to break the outer pane is almost impossible. “If it did happen, the cabin will decompress and essentially everything will be sucked out of the aircraft.” A spokeswoman for Thomson Airways declined to comment on the matter in detail because of the criminal charges, but added: “We do have a zero-tolerance approach on all our aircraft. “Passenger safety is our paramount priority.” A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: “At about 5.30am on May 25, 2014, police at the airport were informed by a member of the crew that a passenger on an inbound flight from Florida had struck an aircraft window, causing it to crack. “On arrival, a 43-year-old man was arrested on the aircraft.”
Christy Kinahan was celebrating today after being told he will not face trial in Spain on drugs and arms trafficking charges.
The underworld boss feared he would be prosecuted for the crimes after a high-profile police raid on his Costa del Sol home in May 2010,
But a judge investigating the Irishman and a gang of alleged accomplices including his two sons has decided to drop the allegations.
Kinahan, who was hauled back to a court in Estepona yesterday for further questioning, is now being probed only on suspicion of money laundering and membership of a criminal gang.
The dramatic decision, which a state prosecutor decided not to appeal against, will be seen as a major blow for the Spanish police and politicians.
Former Home Secretary Alfredo Rubalcaba branded the Kinahans a “mafia family” when Christy and sons Christopher and Daniel were arrested during a series of dawn raids on the Costa del Sol.
Nearly a dozen suspects were arrested in the UK and Ireland as part of the same Europol-coordinated police operation.
Rubalcaba, who has just been replaced as leader of Spain’s main opposition party, even linked the alleged gang ringleaders to a string of murders when he reacted to news of the arrests during a visit to Poland.
He said at the time: “This was an operation against an important, well-known mafia of organised crime, which has operated in different countries and which is being linked to various murders and with a number of crimes from drug trafficking to people trafficking.
“It is a mafia family relatively well-known in the United Kingdom, a little less known in Spain, but they are established on the Costa del Sol.”
Investigating judge Maria Carmen Gutierrez Henares is understood to have binned her drugs and weapons trafficking probe after finding no evidence linking Kinahan and his alleged accomplices to the crimes.
Christy and his sons and alleged right-hand man John Cunningham will remain on bail along with the other suspects while the secret court probe continues into the money laundering and criminal gang membership allegations.
Daniel Kinahan, front wearing shades, carries his mother's coffin
Sources close to the long-running case predicted last night it could take at least two more years to reach trial - and the number of defendants in the dock would be a fraction of those originally arrested.
One insider said: “All the suspects including Christy Kinahan have been called back to court over the last three weeks to give evidence behind closed doors.
“Most said they had nothing to add to earlier statements.
“Christy KInahan attended court yesterday/on Wednesday but managed to get in and out of the building without anyone cottoning on to the fact it was him.
“He’s not surprised the drugs and weapons allegations against him have been dropped but he’s obviously very relieved.
“The judge took her decision around the same time she called the first of the suspects in for further questioning.
“Their defence lawyers are confident the money laundering charges are not going to prosper either.”
Another well-placed source added: “The suspects weren’t asked a single question about drugs or weapons.
“Most declined to add anything to their original statements.”
More than 20 people including the Kinahans were arrested on the Costa del Sol more than four years ago as part of Operation Shovel.
Christy, arrested at his luxury apartment in a private development near Estepona, spent six months on remand in jail before being bailed.
Armed officers sealed off a residential street after his detention before marching him into court.
Police said at the time the gang he is said to have led owned property worth 500 million euros in Brazil and 160 million euros in Spain.
The suspects had a fleet of expensive cars seized and bank accounts frozen
Christy Kinahan feared he would be prosecuted for the crimes after a high-profile police raid on his Costa del Sol home in May 2010. But a judge investigating the Irishman and a gang of alleged accomplices, including his two sons, has decided to drop the allegations. Kinahan, who was hauled back to a court in Estepona on Wednesday for further questioning, is now being probed only on suspicion of money laundering and membership of a criminal gang.
The dramatic decision, which a state prosecutor decided not to appeal against, will be seen as a major blow for the Spanish police and politicians. Kinahan and sons Christopher and Daniel were arrested during a series of dawn raids on the Costa del Sol, while nearly a dozen suspects were arrested in Ireland and the UK as part of the same Europol operation. Investigating judge Maria Carmen Gutierrez Henares is understood to have binned her drugs and weapons trafficking probe after finding no evidence linking Kinahan and his alleged accomplices to the crimes. Christy, his sons, and alleged right-hand man John Cunningham, will remain on bail along with the other suspects while the court probe continues into money laundering and criminal gang membership allegations. Sources close to the long-running case predicted last night it could take at least two more years to reach trial – and the number of defendants in the dock would be a fraction of those originally arrested.
One insider said: "All the suspects, including Christy, have been called back to court over the last three weeks to give evidence behind closed doors. "Most said they had nothing to add to earlier statements. "Christy attended court on Wednesday but managed to get in and out of the building without anyone cottoning on to the fact it was him. "He's not surprised the drugs and weapons allegations against him have been dropped, but he's very relieved. "The judge took her decision around the same time she called the first of the suspects in for further questioning. "Their defence lawyers are confident the money laundering charges are not going to prosper either." Another well-placed source added: "
The suspects weren't asked a single question about drugs or weapons." More than 20 people including the Kinahans were arrested on the Costa del Sol more than four years ago as part of Operation Shovel. Christy Kinahan, arrested at his luxury apartment in a private development near Estepona, spent six months on remand in jail before being bailed. At the time police said Kinahan had property worth €500m in Brazil and €160m in Spain.
THE Spanish National Police have arrested 27 used car dealers for the oldest trick in the book: dialing back cars’ distance gauges to sell them at a higher price. The investigation was launched after a man bought a car in Toledo thinking it had 87,000 kilometres on it, only to find out it actually had traveled 207,000. Now, some 48 falsified cars have turned up in five provinces, hailing from 24 separate dealerships. But those are only the ones that got caught. Authorities have reported that only a small percentage of falsified cars ever get discovered by their owners.
Christy Kinahan was celebrating today after being told he will not face trial in Spain on drugs and arms trafficking charges.
The underworld boss feared he would be prosecuted for the crimes after a high-profile police raid on his Costa del Sol home in May 2010,
But a judge investigating the Irishman and a gang of alleged accomplices including his two sons has decided to drop the allegations.
Kinahan, who was hauled back to a court in Estepona yesterday for further questioning, is now being probed only on suspicion of money laundering and membership of a criminal gang.
The dramatic decision, which a state prosecutor decided not to appeal against, will be seen as a major blow for the Spanish police and politicians.
Former Home Secretary Alfredo Rubalcaba branded the Kinahans a “mafia family” when Christy and sons Christopher and Daniel were arrested during a series of dawn raids on the Costa del Sol.
Nearly a dozen suspects were arrested in the UK and Ireland as part of the same Europol-coordinated police operation.
Rubalcaba, who has just been replaced as leader of Spain’s main opposition party, even linked the alleged gang ringleaders to a string of murders when he reacted to news of the arrests during a visit to Poland.
He said at the time: “This was an operation against an important, well-known mafia of organised crime, which has operated in different countries and which is being linked to various murders and with a number of crimes from drug trafficking to people trafficking.
“It is a mafia family relatively well-known in the United Kingdom, a little less known in Spain, but they are established on the Costa del Sol.”
Investigating judge Maria Carmen Gutierrez Henares is understood to have binned her drugs and weapons trafficking probe after finding no evidence linking Kinahan and his alleged accomplices to the crimes.
Christy and his sons and alleged right-hand man John Cunningham will remain on bail along with the other suspects while the secret court probe continues into the money laundering and criminal gang membership allegations.
Daniel Kinahan, front wearing shades, carries his mother's coffin
Sources close to the long-running case predicted last night it could take at least two more years to reach trial - and the number of defendants in the dock would be a fraction of those originally arrested.
One insider said: “All the suspects including Christy Kinahan have been called back to court over the last three weeks to give evidence behind closed doors.
“Most said they had nothing to add to earlier statements.
“Christy KInahan attended court yesterday/on Wednesday but managed to get in and out of the building without anyone cottoning on to the fact it was him.
“He’s not surprised the drugs and weapons allegations against him have been dropped but he’s obviously very relieved.
“The judge took her decision around the same time she called the first of the suspects in for further questioning.
“Their defence lawyers are confident the money laundering charges are not going to prosper either.”
Another well-placed source added: “The suspects weren’t asked a single question about drugs or weapons.
“Most declined to add anything to their original statements.”
More than 20 people including the Kinahans were arrested on the Costa del Sol more than four years ago as part of Operation Shovel.
Christy, arrested at his luxury apartment in a private development near Estepona, spent six months on remand in jail before being bailed.
Armed officers sealed off a residential street after his detention before marching him into court.
Police said at the time the gang he is said to have led owned property worth 500 million euros in Brazil and 160 million euros in Spain.
The suspects had a fleet of expensive cars seized and bank accounts frozen
A new law imposing restrictions on users of social media has come into effect in Russia. It means bloggers with more than 3,000 daily readers must register with the mass media regulator, Roskomnadzor, and conform to the regulations that govern the country's larger media outlets. Internet companies will also be required to allow Russian authorities access to users' information. One human rights group called the move "draconian". Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote The internet is the last island of free expression in Russia” Hugh Williamson, Human Rights Watch The law was approved by Russia's upper house of parliament in April. It includes measures to ensure that bloggers cannot remain anonymous, and states that social networks must maintain six months of data on its users. The information must be stored on servers based in Russian territory, so that government authorities can gain access.
In the early hours of last Sunday morning, Superstar Spanish dance sensation Joaquín Cortés - the man whose stunning contemporary flamenco dancing and choreography has earned him the accolade of one of the top 10 dancers of all time - headed to La Sala, Puerto Banús to relax and enjoy a little down time with his dancers, musicians and entourage following a performance of his latest stage show, Gitano at the Tennis Club of the 5-star hotel Puente Romano on Marbella’s Golden Mile.
One of the entertainment highlights of the summer, the charismatic Cortés delighted crowds with his innovative flamenco choreography, modern stage sets and a smouldering performance that left women swooning and shouting out his name as his forceful, exhilarating dancing led him to remove his Armani jacket and tie and strip down to his soaked black shirt. Immediately after the event, Joaquín Cortés and his retinue were found enjoying drinks at La Sala Restaurant and Bar in Puerto Banús, the most happening venue in Marbella. The party started straight after the concert and Cortés and friends were royally entertained with live sax, bongos, violin and trumpet, and a spread of delectable La Sala signature dishes and drinks. Despite the rigours of the night’s performance, many of the professionals couldn’t resist dancing sevillanas almost ‘til dawn. Cortés appeared to be in his element throughout, and commented, “La Sala is awesome!” Many of Cortés’s fans clamoured to the venue to catch a glimpse of the star, following him from his show to La Sala. Other celebrities to be spotted recently at La Sala include footballer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and girl band Little Mix. For further details and reservations contact La Sala on Tel: 95 281 4145 info@LaSalaBanus.com
MARBELLA is preparing to turn itself into the capital of haute cuisine by hosting the presentation of the Michelin Guide 2015. Campaign promoters have been working towards Marbella hosting the event, which will take place on November 19, for four years. The presentation of the Michelin Guide at the Hotel Los Monteros could have an economic repercussion on the area of as much as €10 million according to Maria Asenjo, director of OAK Power (the organisation which has been lobbying for the presentation to come to Marbella). Asenjo explained that the dream began four years ago when there was a meeting of chefs who have Michelin stars at El Lago. "From that day we knew that we had to get it" explained Asenjo. She then went on to comment that the competition had been stiff and that she and her team had spent more than 600 hours dedicated to bringing the presentation to Marbella. Dani Garcia, local Michelin starred chef and head of gastronomy for the event, said that Marbella should be proud of itself for having achieved this honour.
The demand for housing over half a million euros, from which granted Spanish citizenship if foreign buyers increased by 21% in the last three months , according fotocasa.es . The search for these homes are especially located in Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country and Valencia. These areas coincide with the preferred regions of foreigners to settle. Given the realized purchases, foreigners purchased a flat in 2013 spent on average 381,860 euros . The more money spent on the purchase of property were Russians (678,424 euros), followed by Germans (338,716 euros), Belgians (346,728 euros), English (190,633 euros) and French (171,644 euros). On the other hand, the area claimed by foreigners investing in Spain is the coast of Alicante, which arouses interest especially the British and the Russians.
A woman who works as a professional sex toy tester rakes in £15,000 a year having 15 orgasms a week - all in the name of work.
Cara Houiellebecq has an office crammed with more than 2,000 toys that she test drives for adult companies - before being paid to review each one on her blog.
The mother-of-two from Lincoln, who became an erotic blogger five years ago, spends seven hours every week testing the toys.
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Now that's a niche job! Cara Houiellebecq is a professional sex toy tester - and rakes in £15,000 a year from brands who send her their products to review
The 33-year-old has sex toys delivered to her door four or five times a week and the toys have now become part of her everyday life.
Speaking about her job, Cara said: 'Toys have always been a part of my private sex life - it gave me the idea to start writing about my sex life and I had the idea to start testing sex toys.
'It’s a great job, I’ve worked in a bank before but I’d never go back to that now - it’s never boring.'
Cara started her own blog with her toy reviews and began to get more and more hits. 'Gradually my reviews became more and more prolific and I was noticed by a sex toy company who wanted me to work for them,' she said.
Top Recording Artist & Dancer to Play 1 of 3 European Sets in Marbella this Summer
Aqwa Mist, the ultimate Puerto Banús super club is proud to announce their latest coup, cementing its reputation as the hippest dance venue in Southern Spain.
Chris Brown, one of the world’s hottest and most-talked about R&B and hip-hop stars will be performing a one-night-only set at Aqwa Mist on Sunday 3rd August.
The Award-winning American musician, whose video for his recent track Loyal has had 100 million views, will be rousing the club’s party crowd with a unique, one-off performance in Europe this summer. The talented 25 year-old, will be playing some of his best tracks live to the thrilled public of Chris Brown fans in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The self-taught musician was discovered at 13 and by age 14 had developed a prolific recording career. His first album, entitled simply Chris Brown, debuted at number two in the Billboard charts. With six studio albums under his belt before the age of 25, among the accolades awarded to Chris Brown to date are the American Music Awards, BET Awards and two NAACP Image Awards.
"The risk to UK travellers and people working in [affected countries] of contracting Ebola is very low but we have alerted UK medical practitioners about the situation in West Africa and requested they remain vigilant for unexplained illness in those who have visited the affected area. "It is important to stress that no cases of imported Ebola have ever been reported in the UK and the risk of a traveller going to West Africa and contracting Ebola remains very low since Ebola is transmitted by direct contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person." BBC global health correspondent Tulip Mazumdar said the West African outbreak had been going on for four months. In that time local people had been looking after the sick and carrying out burials, which could actually help to spread the virus, she added. Ebola kills up to 90% of those infected, but patients have a better chance of survival if they receive early treatment. The outbreak - the world's deadliest to date - was first reported in Guinea in February. It then spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ebola virus disease (EVD) Symptoms include high fever, bleeding and central nervous system damage Fatality rate can reach 90% Incubation period is two to 21 days There is no vaccine or cure Supportive care such as rehydrating patients who have diarrhoea and vomiting can help recovery Fruit bats are considered to be virus' natural host
DRUG arrests of Britons in Spain have soared, with an incredible 68% increase on the previous year. In total, 708 Brits have been arrested overseas on drug charges already this year – a shocking 173 of which were in Spain, according to the UK’s Foreign Office. A worrying trend is the reported rise in the use of a party drug named ‘Cannibal’ – due to its tendency to dramatically increase aggressiveness. It is apparently being distributed widely in parts of Spain, including the Balearics. A British man was arrested in Magaluf, after biting beachgoers while high on the drug. The rapid rise in drug-related arrests is due to a serious crackdown on dealers launched by police this year. The second-largest number of drug arrests involving Britons last year was in America, with 102 cases.
FOREST fire raged today near Casares. The fire was very near the site of Manilva’s Roman baths, inland from Sabinillas. Three helicopters and an aircraft were sent by Infoca in response, and emergency services rushed to the scene. A second fire station was reported to have sent emergency response teams as support.
EU member states should carry out a thorough investigation into CIA-run prisons in Europe, where the inmates were subjected to torture, Russian diplomat Konstantin Dolgov said Monday. "Human rights activists are reasonably demanding the government of Poland to finally conduct an effective investigation into secret CIA prisons on its territory. Similar steps should be taken by other EU member states on which territories CIA torture camps operated," the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Special Representative for Human Rights wrote on his Twitter page. Last week, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Poland violated an international treaty to protect human rights by hosting secret CIA prisons on its territory. The case was filed by two men who charge they were taken to a secret CIA black site in a Polish forest and subjected to torture before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay. An investigation into the detainees' treatment was opened in Poland in 2008 but is still not concluded – a situation that has been condemned by the UN's anti-torture body. Poland is one of a number of European countries accused of hosting secret CIA prisons. Meanwhile, Romania, Bulgaria, and Lithuania also have had allegations made against them for being part of the CIA black site network.
The Cyprus Foreign Ministry has confirmed that five Cypriots have been arrested in Morocco on suspicion of attempting to smuggle drugs out of the North African country. The Cypriots – whose ages are still unknown but are said to be over “18 years of age” – were arrested last week as they attempted to leave the country and are said to be looking at criminal charges relating to drug trafficking. Although the exact amount was unconfirmed, sources yesterday suggested that the group attempted to smuggle 15 kilos of hashish out of one of the country’s airports. “We can confirm that five Cypriots have been detained in Morocco and we are liaising with our Embassy in Paris, which is also responsible for Morocco, in an attempt to stay in contact with the individuals,” Ministry official Petros Kestoras told The Cyprus Daily on Tuesday. “We are as yet still unaware as to the exact amount of illegal substances they are said to have reportedly attempted to smuggle. We are also unaware of the exact substances. We do know that criminal procedures are ongoing and that the five individuals are obviously in police custody.” Morocco is one of 32 countries that impose capital punishment for offences involving the illegal importing, exporting, sale, or possession of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. But there has only been only one execution since 1983, and it happened in 1993. A total of 198 people were sentenced to death between 1956 and 1993, although there was an 11 year lull in executions between January 1982 and August 1993. The issue over capital punishment is a hot topic in Morocco. Officially, the stance of the current government is for "de facto" abolition but the Ministry of Justice has declared that terrorism is still an obstacle to "de jure" abolition. Figures from the US State Department claim that – until 2010 - a total of 104 inmates were on death row. According to a United Nations report, Morocco is a major source for cannabis, of which several hundreds tons reach mainly European markets every year.
Cannabis cultivation is concentrated in the underdeveloped region of the Rif in the North, for which the Government has adopted a national five-year development programme. In addition to the significant illicit trafficking of cannabis resin, the country is affected by growing international trafficking of heroin and cocaine and by related organised crime, including money laundering. As the main supplier country, “Morocco has long been a popular route by which drugs enter Europe”. It is a transit point for the ‘hashish’ consumed in Europe, but also of other illegal drugs principally coming from Latin America and East Asia.
The coast of Spain is the most common landing point of the drug, and to a less extent France, United Kingdom and other European countries Back in December 2012, Spanish police seized eleven metric tons of hashish smuggled from Morocco on trucks with tanks rigged to hide the drugs. Thirty five people were arrested in what was described as the breakup of a major smuggling ring that fed the European market.
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01:24
The bush fire that started in the El Chaparral district of Mijas Costa was fought by 12 aircraft and firefighters from towns all along the Costa del Sol. The blaze, first spotted around 7.30pm yesterday (Friday) rapidly spread, fanned by strong winds. Mijas council opened the La Cala sports centre as an emergency shelter for those fleeing the flames. By 8pm the fire around the original hotspot at El Chaparral was under control, but it was spreading quickly from a new hotspot towards the Cerrado de Aguila golf course and urbanisation. It had spread past the lush fairways of El Chaparral golf which may have helped protect the homes on the nearby urbanisation. A firebreak was bulldozed near a secondary school – the flames had come to within 100m of it and were perilously close to a Eucalyptus wood just over the road from the CEIP El Chaparral. INFOCA (forest fire control service) said there were three hotspots, the main one being at El Chaparral, another at nearby La Roza and the third near the hipodromo horse racing track.
