Five Moroccan men were arrested at the weekend

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.

Plane carrying 600 kg of hashish crash-landed in rice fields not far from Sevilla

A light-engine aircraft carrying 600 kg of hashish crashed in southern Spain on Thursday, Spanish police said in a report.
"A plane carrying 600 kg of hashish packaged in 20 bags crash-landed in rice fields not far from Sevilla," the report read, adding that the plane's pilot and its sole passenger had fled the scene of the crash. Police eventually located and arrested the plane's occupants several kilometers away from the crash site. They have been accused of drug trafficking. Neither the identities of the suspected drug smugglers, nor the origin of the hashish have been disclosed. However, drugs are mostly trafficked into Spain from Morocco

Guardia Civil officers have arrested a 21-year-old man

Guardia Civil officers have arrested a 21-year-old man in Pego on suspicion of drug-peddling. He was reportedly caught red-handed in a street on Sunday with 22 bags of white powder. Police say that his odd behaviour attracted their attention. The powder was tested by forensics and was found to be cocaine.

Tangier,Customs services at the port of Tangiers arrested, on Tuesday, two Spaniards

Tangier,Customs services at the port of Tangiers arrested, on Tuesday, two Spaniards and a Moroccan with 72kg of hashish concealed onboard a car registered in Spain.
Moroccan with 72kg of hashish concealed onboard a car registered in Spain.In a separate catch, Moroccan authorities also seized some 24Kg of cannabis resin found in the dashboard of a vehicle registered in Spain. On Monday, Moroccan customs apprehended an Iranian-born Spanish national with 19kg of cannabis resin, locally known as chira, that he attempted to bring from Spain on board a luxury vehicle Since the beginning of January, drug seizures at the port of Tangier
are almost daily. The arrested traffickers of different nationalities are brought before court where they face sentences ranging from 5 to 10 years in prison and very heavy fines set according to the
quantity of drugs seized.

bound for southern Spain over 2MT of cannabis resin seized northeast

Nador, Moroccan Royal Navy on Wednesday seized 2,004 kg of cannabis resin, locally known as chira, in the region of Nador (northeast), local authorities said.
resin, locally known as chira, in the region of Nador (northeast), local authorities said.The drug was found on board a powerful dinghy that was bound for southern Spain. The dealers managed to flee aboard another dinghy.
This brings to 5,724kilos the amount of this drug seized over the past 24 hours in the city.
Another 60 kilos of hashish were seized, Wednesday, in Casablanca. Three drug dealers were arrested during this operation, according to police sources. At the port of Tangier (north), customs and police services seized a total of 160 kg of hashish in three catches and arrested eight individuals. The new catches came less than 24 hours after the seizure of no less than 5.6 metric tons (MT) of cannabis products in the cities of Tangier (north)and Nador (northeast).
Since the turn of the year, the rate of drug seizures has accelerated on almost a daily basis. The traffickers face sentences ranging from 5 to 10 years in prison and hefty fines set according to the quantity seized.

Nigerian lady with 46 capsules of cocaine in her stomach

38-year Nigerian lady living in Germany was arrested at the Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca on Monday, with 46 capsules of cocaine in her stomach, a police source told PANA here Tuesday. The lady flew into Casablanca from the Malian capital, Bamako, on her way to Madrid, Spain. On 8 February, two Nigerians and a Ghanaian were arrested at the same airport with capsules of cocaine in the stomach

Street fight that ended in the death of a 16-year-old Venezuelan girl.

Catalan regional police have arrested six Latin American youths in connection with a street fight that ended in the death of a 16-year-old Venezuelan girl. The Catalan police could not say if the 25 youths that took part in the fight early on Sunday morning were members of organised youth gangs. The main suspect of the crime is Alexis Emmanuel C.M, 20, a native of the Dominican Republic. The young man is believed to have stabbed his victim to death. The police said that they had recovered the knife that probably caused the death of the Venezuelan adolescent. The fight took place in a suburb of Barcelona, where the youths had met at a party. Police could not say what was the cause of the fight.

‘Expats Under Attack,’denounced

ITV programme broadcast on Monday night, ‘Expats Under Attack,’denounced the east european gangs that were targeting Northern Europeans, with a piece to camera of a reformed gang member. The chalk signs left by the gangs outside properties and the brutal violent robberies suffered by British expats. It spoke of foreigners, especially Brits, being targeted by criminal gangs in Spain, and one person interviewed said police in Spain are poorly paid and tend not to want to spend too much time on a specific case. In Málaga province, it noted a stabbing in Fuengirola, and highlighted the case of Gary Dunne, who was stabbed to death near Torremolinos, Málaga province, in March 2006, and whose family have been fighting for permission to bring his body home for burial.

Two drug dealers in custody and a large amount of cocaine confiscated by the officers in pursuit

National Police said in a press release on Monday that the two men, Francisco Javier V.T. and Rubén V.V., were intercepted near Vera last Wednesday night as they were returning from a drug-buying trip to Alicante. They were chased along the motorway, hitting one of the vehicles in pursuit, and throwing part of the drugs out of the car window as they tried to make their escape.125 kilometre police chase along the A-7 motorway last week ended with two drug dealers in custody and a large amount of cocaine confiscated by the officers in pursuit. They were finally caught at the exit for Balanegra, more than 120 kilometres from where the car chase began. EFE said officers found 300 grams of cocaine in the car, and a further 100 grams in a later search of Francisco Javier’s home.

(updated) Brit in shooting incident in Ibiza in which three people were injured has been arrested by police in Amsterdam

English man wanted in connection with a shooting incident in Ibiza in which three people were injured has been arrested by police in Amsterdam.
Kevin R is wanted in connection with what is believed to have been a shoot-out between two rival gangs - one British, one Moroccan - over the sale of drugs in certain areas of Sant Antoni.A warrant for his arrest was issued by a judge in Ibiza after he skipped bail.
Kevin R. was in the front passenger seat of a 4x4 BMW that was shot nine times during the incident. The driver of the car, Sean W. received a gunshot wound and is currently in Palma Prison awaiting trial.Another Briton, Keith D., is wanted in connection with the same incident.Though British, he is alleged to have rented the car from which the Moroccans fired at their British rivals in the BMW.BRITON suspected of being involved in a dramatic shoot-out between rival drug gangs in Ibiza has been arrested in Holland.The gun battle happened in the resort of San Antonio, on the island’s west coast, in August, two years ago.Shots were fired during a car chase through the centre of the town.The driver of one of the cars was shot and seriously injured.Two young Belfast tourists, caught in the cross fire as they left a disco, were also hit and wounded.The man, detained in Holland, allegedly skipped bail after being arrested by Spanish police.Most of those arrested were from Merseyside.Spain is expected to seek the man’s extradition from Holland.An international arrest warrant was issued for a 26-year-old Newcastle man allegedly involved in the shoot-out.

15-year-old Guinean girl working as a prostitute in a single’s club

National police squad has detained a 15-year-old Guinean girl in Palma who was found operating as a prostitute in a single’s club in Palma during the early hours of the morning.
The police communiqué said that the girl’s mother had reported her having left home on the 29th of last month. The officers who located the 15-year-old were members of a special unit which investigates illegal immigration and the use of false documentation. During an inspection of the club in calle S’Aigua Dolca, the girl was asked to provide identification but she was only able to produce a DNI card belonging to a cousin. The police were able to see the person and the card failed to tally. They then arrested the club’s owner - a 60-year-old Spaniard, Ramón L.G. along with a second Guinean - 22-year-old Arminda O.A. who had played a key part in allowing the 15-year-old to operate as a prostitute in the club.The police have taken the case to the Balearic Under-age court who have set up special protectin measures, but the anti-illegal immigration unit have not ruled out making further arrests.

Man electrocuted on trying to rob copper from wiring

Man electrocuted on trying to rob copper from wiring
A person walking out in the countryside, gathering wild asparagus near Establiments had a gruesome surprise when he came across the body of a 33-year-old man who police believe had been electrocuted whilst he was trying to prize the copper interior layers out of cables at a transformer belonging to the power supply company Gesa. A 15'000 volt charge put an end to his life. Investigators believe that Antonio Carrillo Redondo died on Thursday afternoon, but his body was not found until yesterday. He had parked his car near Puigpunyent and made directly for the transformer station, forcing the lock on the structure which housed the cables. In a careless moment he touched a loose, exposed wire.

Bottle of fruit juice containing a "high concentration of cocaine"

Health officials in Andalusia on Thursday confirmed that a bottle of fruit juice containing a "high concentration of cocaine" was responsible for the death of a 40-year-old man in his home in Ogíjares, Granada, on 28 January.
Juan Carlos Cuadros began vomiting, passed out and died in his sister's arms half an hour after drinking a tropical blend of fruit juices of the Jugo de Noni Tahitian brand that he had apparently bought on the internet. His wife, who only took a sip, complained of a burning sensation affecting her throat and tongue. Regional health chief María Jesús Montero said that tests had shown the Mexican-made drink was contaminated with a large amount of cocaine. She said Spanish health authorities have ordered stores to withdraw it, and that anyone who has bought bottles should hand them in to health authorities.

Home jackers arrested in Malaga province

Guardia Civil has broken up a large crime gang on the Costa del Sol today. 19 people have been arrested and another six are implicated in the crimes which where generally violent thefts from homes on the Costa del Sol, together with credit card fraud. Jewellery worth 800,000 € has been recovered together with 100,000 € in cash and computer material.Those detained are 14 Algerians, 6 Spaniards, 4 Moroccans and a Frenchman. Most of the arrests were in Málaga province although two did take place in Alicante.A shop which bought and sold gold has been searched and closed as part of the police investigations, in connection with the fencing of the stolen items.The group was headed by an Algerian who is reported to have crashed his car into an unmarked civil guard car at the time of his arrest.The Civil Guard are expected to release more information later.

Civil Guard officers suspected of involvement in the theft of almost half a ton of cocaine

Three of the Civil Guard officers suspected of involvement in the theft of almost half a ton of cocaine from Barcelona Port in January 2005 have now been remanded to custody, and it’s understood, according to information from El País newspaper, that another two were released with charges. Also remanded was an ex chief inspector with the National Police. A former Civil Guard who is now a local police officer was granted bail of 3,000 €, the paper said.The charges against them are drug trafficking, corruption, unlawful association, bribery and revealing secret information, and they are believed to have helped a gang to steal the cocaine which was under guard at the port. More than a ton of the drug had come in on a container of frozen prawns, and was seized thanks to information from the US Drug Enforcement Agency.El País said the investigation into the theft reopened recently thanks to information from a reformed criminal. They also note telephone tapping which took place after the theft, and said the gang who stole the drugs knew security would be lax when they arrived at the port to break into the container.

Drugs runs from Cueta to Estepona

National Police operation against a drug smuggling gang which operated between Ceuta and the Costa del Sol, and which brought large amounts of cannabis into Spain illegally. Central government offices in Ceuta said eleven arrests have taken place in Marbella, Estepona and Ceuta, and that six of them were from the Autonomous City, two from Málaga province, and the remaining three were Moroccan.It has been a joint investigation on both sides of the Strait, which brought information that the gang planned to make a drugs run to Estepona on the 5th of this month. The haul amounted to more one and a half tons of cannabis, and would, according to information from EFE, have brought the smugglers almost 2.5 million €.Also confiscated in the operation were the Zodiac boat the smugglers used for the trip across the Strait of Gibraltar, a stolen van and two other vehicles, satellite telephones, and GPS navigation equipment.

Mattress and bedding shop murder

A 25-year-old woman died has died after being stabbed during a robbery last Thursday evening at the mattress and bedding shop where she worked in the centre of Chiclana, Cádiz province. Police said Dolores Amaya Ramírez died almost instantly but not before she rang her family on her mobile to tell them she had been stabbed. The attacker, who had his face covered, managed to escape. The local council cancelled the carnival parade which was to take place last weekend and a demonstration against violent crime was planned for Monday lunchtime.

Coin family clan Two-and-a-half kilos of high-purity cocaine, two pistols and ammunition

The Guardia Civil have arrested a gang of drug traffickers involved in two shooting incidents in Coín. They said the gang was a “family clan” in which the women did the planning and looked after the investments, while the men transported the drugs and settled scores. Operacion Fuensanta, named after the area in Coín where the two shootings took place last November, came to a head on February 13th, when searches carried out in Malaga, Mijas and Fuengirola provided vital information for cracking the case. Two-and-a-half kilos of high-purity cocaine, two pistols and ammunition, together with several vehicles and cash in both euros and dollars were also recovered. Three people have been sent to jail without bail, and another three have been released on bail with charges against them.

black cocaine is being smuggled to Spain

Increasing amounts of black cocaine are being smuggled to Spain, with police discovering couriers of the drug which is undetectable to sniffer dogs and regular tests, the daily El Mundo reported on Tuesday.Police detained two Romanian women whose bags had inner linings made with the rubber-like substance, press reports said.Flying in from Brazil, the women made a stopover in Portugal, deliberately left their bags at Lisbon airport, and then requested them to be brought to a Madrid hotel, in an attempt to mislead police.
Police seized 16 kilos of the drug. The haul, which was destined for the Dutch market, was estimated to be worth a million euros.Black cocaine is a combination of regular cocaine and various chemicals, making it very difficult to detect.

Three armed men waved pistols as they attacked a Jewelery Store 'Boutique Tourbillón'in upmarket Puerto Banus

Three armed men waved pistols as they attacked a Jewelery Store 'Boutique Tourbillón'in upmarket Puerto Banus close to Marbella. the home of the superrich. The armed robbers overpowered the security gaurd in a well planned Hiest.They stripped the fitting of jewellery and no one has yet managed to put a figure on the theft1.5 million € worth of top name watches have been stolen from a jewellers in Puerto Banús, Marbella, according to police sources. Three or four people, thought to be from Eastern Europe, took part in the attack after smashing the windows of the establishment with large hammers. The National Police in Marbella are now investigating the robbery and are waiting to see the recordings from security cameras in operation in the area.It happened around noon yesterday and the thieves were armed with pistols which may have been fake. They wore hats and large sunglasses and managed to overpower the security guard at the Boutique Tourbillon in Muelle Ribera before he could react. He was unhurt in the attack.
It all took a few minutes and the men escaped in a large car on the A7 motorway direction Málaga.

Mari Luz’s family are considering legal measures because of the posters showing their daughter and Madeleine

"Mari Luz’s family are considering legal measures because of the posters showing their daughter and MadeleineHUELVA, 17 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Mari Luz Cortés’s family today requested the immediate halting of the distribution of posters in Portugal that show their daughter next to Madeleine McCann, they will also study possible legal measures with regard to this.
In statements made to journalists after a meeting with Manuel Chaves, Mari’s father, Juan José Cortés, confirmed that the family “had not given their permission” because “it is not the appropriate strategy to mix both cases nor that Mari Luz should have to be related to the case of Madeleine”.“They are two totally different cases with two lines of inquiry that are completely different” according to Juan José Cortés, who announced his intention of making a complaint before the British Embassy “so that a reprimand is made to the person responsible for this”.The family is planning to travel to Rumania, Portugal, France and Morocco to distribute posters of Mari Luz."

‘Totana is not for sale,’ and ‘Totana is not Marbella,’ La Verdad newspaper said.

Crowds demonstrated in Totana this Saturday, in a protest against planning corruption and its effects on the town. Totana’s Partido Popular Mayor, José Martínez Andreo, was only released on bail at the beginning of February after two months in prison following his arrest in the case, and the ex Mayor, Juan Morales, is waiting to be called for questioning by the Murcia High Court of Justice. Another 12 suspects have been interviewed as part of the investigation.Saturday’s demonstration was called by two platforms: ‘The Murcia Region is not for sale,’ and ‘No to this development plan for Totana,’ in reference to the proposed new local development plan for the town. The protestors could be heard shouting out ‘Totana is not for sale,’ and ‘Totana is not Marbella,’ La Verdad newspaper said.The local Partido Popular said 300 people attended, while the organisers put numbers at more than 1,500.

Amy Fitzpatrick family offer a substantial reward

Amy Fitzpatrick family has announced what is quoted by EFE as a substantial reward for reliable information which could lead to finding the missing teenager. The news came in a statement from Dave Mahon, the partner of Amy’s mother, Audrey, who said all information would be treated in the strictest confidence, and calling on anyone who may have a possible lead to contact either the family or the Civil Guard

ex Mayor of Marbella, Pedro Román imprisoned

ex Mayor of Marbella, Pedro Román, has been granted what is known as tempory time in prison, where he is being held on remand in the Malaya and other town planning irregularity cases centred on Marbella. It means that he will only have to sleep in the Alhaurin de la Torre jail from Sunday to Thursday nights.His lawyers say he will therefore leave the prison on Friday for the first time. He has been held on remand so far for more than nine months, and has seen his bail amount reduced to 200,000 €, which he has since paid. However he was not released because of a year’s firm sentence against him in the Moansa case.

Marbella Credit Card theft capital

Most credit cards are stolen in Marbella on the streets, where 62 per cent of them take place, followed by shopping centres, discotheques and bars, which account for 18 per cent of the total. Fewer cards are stolen on public transport, accounting for 12 per cent of the total. Credit cards are stolen in Marbella more often than in Malaga City, which accounts for 29 per cent of the regional total. By autonomous regions, Andalucía is only beaten by Madrid in this ranking. Men between the ages of 35 and 44 are most likely to become victims of credit card theft in Marbella, accounting for 61 per cent of the total, according to the study, while women represent 39 per cent of the total number of victims.It goes without saying that in any area which has a large population of wealthy people throughout the year, credid card theft will flourish, we are reminded by the CPP group, which carried out the survey among 9,500 card-holding clients. Apart from telling us which regions suffer most from credit card theft, the CPP report also analyses the profile of victims, places, seasons and times that credit card theft generally takes place.Marbella is the municipality in Andalucía with the highest rate of credit card theft, according to a recent study carried out by the CPP group, the leading international company in credit card protection and services.
The easiest way to steal a credit card is not, as we might believe, to plan a visit to one’s home in the dead of night, but to snatch a bag or briefcase during the bright light of day. And nobody is free of the scourge. According to to the report, the thieves do not distinguish between local residents, foreign residents, national tourists or visiting foreign tourists.The weekend is the most popular time for robberies (46 per cent), especially on Saturday nights between the hours of nine and eleven, when 31 per cent of them take place. This is clearly the time when most people are out and about on the streets with money in their pockets – in a manner of speaking, of course – on their way to eat out or have a few drinks with friends.
Victims are 61 per cent men, 68 per cent at Christmas and during sales, and women 39 per cent. Age: Men between 35 and 44 and women between 45 and 54.Places: Streets: 62 per cent. Shops discos and bars: 18 per cent, and public transport: 12 per cent.In fact, there is nothing special about the men of Marbella that makes them more prone than anywhere else in the country to credit card theft. Throughout the country, we are told, 61 per cent of victims are men, against 39 per cent of women. Most credit cards are stolen from most men (68 per cent of the total) around the Christmas period and during sales. The percentage figure drops to 32 per cent in the case of women, whose ages tend to vary between 45 and 54, against an age range of between 35 and 44 for men.The high season for theft of this kind in Marbella is July and August, which is hardly surprising in view of the tourism figures for the same period. Curiously, apart from the immediate Christmas period, December is not a great month for credit card thieves, although most people use credit cards to pay for Christmas gifts these days. The figure for theft during the month of December as a whole is eight per cent of the annual total.

Graham Hall was arrested on the Costa del Sol, accused of handling nearly £6m worth of cocaine,

Graham Hall was arrested on the Costa del Sol, accused of handling nearly £6m worth of cocaine.Graham Hall, 41, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, was apprehended on Tuesday, just hours after notorious Dublin drugs dealer Paddy Doyle was gunned down on the edge of the resort town of Estepona, west of Marbella.It was not clear last night whether Mr Hall had been released or if he was still being held by police.Spanish murder squad detectives are working with Irish officers and are trying to establish a link between the drugs haul and the death of Mr Doyle last Monday.Clues found at the scene of the brutal shooting led the Costa del Sol Drugs and Organised Crime Unit (Udyco) to set up a number of control points in the Estepona area.On Tuesday, officers approached a group of people loading furniture on to a van in the town, a popular tourist destination. On inspecting the pieces, ranging from wardrobes to sofas, they discovered the 140 kilos of cocaine hidden in secret compartments inside.Seven people, six British and one Irish, were arrested, one a youth. It is believed the drugs were to be transported back to Britain to sell on the streets, where they could be worth up to £5.8m. Mr Hall was one of those arrested along with Edward Thompson, 49, from Liverpool.Spanish police have been working in collaboration with the Irish Garda following Monday’s shooting of Mr Doyle, a known Dublin gang member and drug dealer on the Bel-Air estate in Estepona.An enforcer for a major Dublin drugs gang, Mr Doyle had to flee to Spain after being involved in a gangland feud which has claimed 10 lives since 2002.He has been personally linked with at least three shootings.
It is thought that the 28-year-old was caught in an ambush set up by a rival drugs gang, thought to be either Turkish or Russian. The shooting took place at around 2pm on Monday. The victim was travelling in the front passenger seat of the vehicle accompanied by driver Gary Hutch, also a convicted Dublin criminal, when a gunman opened fire from another vehicle.After the first shots hit the car in the windscreen, the victim threw himself from the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot. The gunman continued to fire, hitting the victim in the head and the face, apparently at point-blank range. Meanwhile, Mr Hutch lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a lamppost some 30 metres away from Mr Doyle’s body.The post mortem examination, which took two days due to its complexity, revealed that Doyle had been riddled with 15 bullets.

Columbian sentenced to 9 years imprisonment

Columbian appeared in court last week accused of receiving cocaine cocaine smuggled from abroad. On 7th August 2006, a package addressed to the accused was intercepted at Barajas airport and found to contain a bicycle which had over a kilo of cocaine concealed inside the frame.The package was allowed to be delivered to the man who was arrested when he received it at his home. When removed from the bicycle, the cocaine was found to be 86% pure with a street value of 105,000€. The accused was sentenced to 9 years imprisonment.

Kevin J.T, has been sentenced to 9 years imprisonment for smuggling cocaine into Spain

A 37 year-old American national, Kevin J.T, has been sentenced to 9 years imprisonment for smuggling cocaine into Spain. He was arrested at El Altet airport in February 2007 when he arrived on a flight from Bogota, Colombia and a search by customs officers revealed that over 4 kilos of cocaine were concealed in a false compartment of his suitcase. The drug was found to be 86% pure, with a street value of more than 400,000€.The accused is originally from Peurto Rico in Central America. He has already been in jail for a year while awaiting trial at the court in Elche.

Nicolas Yeboah, a Ghanaian resident in Spain for attempting to export eighty pellets of cocaine to Spain.

The Greater Accra Regional Tribunal yesterday remanded into prison custody Nicolas Yeboah, a Ghanaian resident in Spain for attempting to export eighty pellets of cocaine to Spain. Yeboah, charged with attempted exportation of narcotic drugs pleaded not guilty. He is to reappear on February 20. The facts as narrated by Mr Asiamah Sampong, a State Attorney were that, on 23 June 2005, Yeboah arrived at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to board a KLM flight to Spain. Mr. Sampong said due to his demeanour, personnel of the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB) on duty at the airport suspected him of carrying drugs. The NACOB officials arrested Yeboah and escorted him to the 37 Military Hospital where an ex-ray examination revealed he had some foreign materials in his stomach. Prosecution said Yeboah under the supervision of medical officers and security personnel expelled 80 pellets of oval shaped whitish substances suspected to be narcotic drugs. When Yeboah was interrogated, he admitted the offence and stated that he was to deliver the substance to one Yakubu for a fee of 2000 Euros. The substance is in the custody of the Ghana Standard Board where analytical examination was being conducted. In a related development, the court has remanded into police custody Issa Ibrahim for possessing a quantity of Indian hemp. Ibrahim allegedly told security personnel he had been in the drug business for five months and had his source of supply from Nkonya. He has pleaded not guilty to possessing cannabis sativa, a narcotic drug. Prosecution said on June 6, last year, security personnel had information that the accused was dealing in drugs at a house at Abofu, near Achimota. Officials from NACOB proceeded to the house and arrested Ibrahim who was in the process of wrapping dried leaves believed to be cannabis sativa. When his house was searched three big and 10 small wrappers were found. Prosecution said Ibrahim claimed ownership and stated that he had been in drug business for five months and had his supply from a man at Nkonya, but refused to mention his accomplice. When the leaves were sent to the Ghana Standards Board for examination it proved to be cannabis sativa.

Graham Hall, was held with six others following the discovery of the drugs destined for the UK

Guardia Civil have arrested a Tyneside man in a £9.2m cocaine bust on the Costa del Sol.Graham Hall, 41, of Wallsend, was held with six others following the discovery of the drugs destined for the UK.Hall was detained hours after Dublin drugs baron Paddy Doyle was shot dead in Estepona near Marbella.Northumbria Police said they haven’t had any communications with the Spanish authorities over Hall’s arrest but are making further inquiries.Murder squad detectives are working with Irish officers and are trying to establish links between the drugs haul and Doyle’s death last Monday.Officers from Spain’s Drugs and Organised Crime Unit approached a group of men loading furniture on to a van in the town on Tuesday.And discovered the 140 kilos of cocaine in secret compartments inside the furniture.Seven men, six British and one Irish, were arrested. Hall was one of those arrested along with Edward Thompson, 49, from Liverpool.Spanish police have been working in collaboration with the Irish Garda following the assassination of Dublin gang member Doyle.A man wanted for a gangland killing on Tyneside two years ago was named last month among 10 suspected criminals hiding in the “Costa del Crime”.Police believe Allan Foster flew from his Spanish hideaway to assassinate David ‘Noddy’ Rice in South Shields in May 2006 with a silenced semi-automatic gun.It is thought he flew out of the country the day after the killing, at a seaside car park near Marsden Grotto, and has remained a fugitive since.Foster, 31, was named among 10 suspects by Crimestoppers on a most-wanted website targeting the Costa del Sol.Mr Rice, 42, was shot nine times by two masked men on the seafront at South Tyneside after being lured to the meeting by Steven Bevens, 39.Bevens worked for Foster, who police believe fired the fatal shots. Last year Bevens was sentenced to life with a minimum of 26 years behind bars for murder, while getaway driver Derek Blackburn, 51, of Humberside, who turned informer on the duo, was given four years for assisting an offender, later cut to two and a half years.A Foreign Office spokeswoman said this afternoon: "A British National was detained on February 5, however he was later released without charge."