Frankie Weber ‘very dangerous’ person who is an expert in martial arts extradited to Spain

Frankie Weber, 25, from London, is alleged to have fled to Gibraltar after stabbing three Spaniards in a street fight in Marbella.He was returned to Spain where he now faces trial. Spanish police said the wounded were only saved by swift action by medics.accused of homicide in Marbella was extradited to Spain from Gibraltar. The 25 year old man is accused of stabbing three people in a street fight in Marbella. The extradition was made as the result of a request made by the Instruction Court two of the Marbella town. The court ordered the accused to be held in prison on remand.The case goes back to January 24 this year, when a fight started at Plaza de los Olivos in Marbella and the National Police was called. The fight resulted in three stabbing wounds, of which one was very serious. The accused is believed to have left a 30cm long machete in a nearby dustbin during his escape from the brawl.Earlier, the police had found many knives at the accused person’s home and had said that he had fled to Gibraltar. Officers from the specialist violent crime unit UDEV described the accused as a ‘very dangerous’ person who is an expert in martial arts.

800 Irish people have already taken advantage of the Spanish government’s subsidised winter holidays on the Costa del Sol.

800 Irish people have already taken advantage of the Spanish government’s subsidised winter holidays on the Costa del Sol. The deal, which runs until the end of April, allows over-55s to have a week at a four-star hotel, full board, for €365 per person. Two weeks costs €524, three costs €700and a month is €855. Accompanying adults can be a little younger. The package includes flights to Malaga from Dublin, Cork or Shannon (including a checked-in bag), transfers, wine with meals, excursions and entertainment. travelsenior.eu.

£300,000 to reveal the exact location of Sean Lovelock-Woodhall

Property developer and father- of-five Sean Lovelock-Woodhall, 43, a friend of Prince Albert II of Monaco, died in May last year.But his father Ron Lovelock, 65, of Parkmill, Gower, has been denied the chance to find his remains after fishermen who picked up the wreckage demanded £300,000 to reveal exactly where they found it.Mr Lovelock-Woodhall was with three other businessmen in a Cessna light aircraft taking a flight over possible development sites when they crashed.Gower MP Martin Caton said he would work through the Foreign Office to pressure the Brazilian authorities to ensure the location of the wreckage is revealed.Mr Lovelock-Woodhall lived in the same Marbella complex as Mark Thatcher and sold properties to football stars including Manchester City’s Gareth Barry and former Leicester City captain Matt Elliot.Mr Lovelock, who used to run the Carlton Hotel in Mumbles, has been hoping for news of his remains ever since so his family can at last hold a funeral. He was given hope last Friday when a group of Brazilian fishermen told police they had found wreckage in the sea from a Cessna 310 of the type Mr Lovelock-Woodhall and his colleagues were in.But they have informed the Brazilian authorities they want around £300,000 to reveal the exact location where flight PT-JGX’s wreckage was discovered.
Mr Lovelock said: “The Brazilian authorities arrested the guys with bits of plane, credit cards and bones but cannot force them to say where they were found.“I’m hoping publicity over this will embarrass the Brazilian government into taking action.“Sean was a father of five and he has many family members and friends who loved him and want to stage a funeral for him.“But we cannot do anything until we at least get a clue as to where to start looking for remains.”A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “The Brazilian Federal Police have questioned the fishermen who claim to have found the wreckage and we await further information from the authorities there.”Cambridgeshire-born Mr Lovelock-Woodhall got involved in the booming Costa del Sol property market in the 1980s.His company sold luxury Spanish apartments to British investors, including former England cricketer Paul Nixon.He planned a £3bn golf and eco-resort, Barra Nova Pearl, near the Brazilian city of Ilheus.He hired a twin-engined plane with three other British businessmen, Nigel Hodges, 52, Rick Every,41, and Alan Kempson, 46, described as a close friend of former Prime Minister John Major, to look at the site.But it lost contact with air traffic controllers eight miles out to sea, nine minutes before its scheduled landing.Rescue teams searched 400km of sea and rainforest for five days but the search was called off.Mr Lovelock-Woodhall’s family have been upset by allegations on websites that he may have faked his death because of business deals that went wrong.His brother Mark Lovelock, who lives in Peterborough, said the stories were untrue.He said: “It’s been hell on earth quite frankly. There’s been allegations made against my brother and he is not here to defend himself.“No one has shown me any evidence to suggest this. He was a good businessman and a good father and doesn’t deserve what has been thrown against him.”Mr Caton said: “It’s appalling that wreckage including personal belongings can apparently be put on sale for a large amount of money.“I know the fishermen involved were arrested and I will be doing everything I can to ensure the grid reference of where the wreckage is found is handed over.”

Bob Trotta was branded a fraudster in a Spanish court yesterday.

Trotta, of Resort Properties infamy, is suing a couple for libel, claiming they were behind a website called Crimeshare, which posted numerous complaints about his operation.But consumer champion Sandy Grey told the Costa del Sol court that he's the one who should be sued, because he ran the site.He said: "The website was dedicated to exposing fraudsters and cheats in the timeshare industry including Mr Trotta."
Sandy admitted hiding behind fake online identities because "the timeshare industry can be very unpleasant for those who criticise it."Trotta called Crimeshare "the main source of false and scaremongering allegations".

Buyers paid over €103,000 as a deposit on the property developed by Marbella Vista Golf S.L on the urbanisation Santa María Green Hills, in Elviria Sur.

Four British buyers of a property regarded as illegal by the Junta de Andalucía have been told they will not be given a refund on their deposits and must complete the purchase now that the home has been granted planning permission.The buyers paid over €103,000 as a deposit on the property developed by Marbella Vista Golf S.L on the urbanisation Santa María Green Hills, in Elviria Sur. The buyers should have been given the keys to their new holiday apartment in January 2006, however as the development was granted planning permission by the then corrupt Marbella council, the full transaction was not completed.The would-be buyers tired to claim back the money that they had already placed as a deposit and the case was taken to court. This week the court ruled in favour of the developer ruling that the fact that the property was not completed on time is not the company’s fault. The court also stated that any irregularities in the planning permission granted by the Town Hall cannot be attributed to the developer.The British buyers must now pay all the court costs as part of the ruling, but do have the right of appeal to the provincial court.

Ashley Ward, a former Premiership footballer with Sheffield United, is struggling to sell his partly developed ‘dream’ villa in Marbella

Ashley Ward, a former Premiership footballer with Sheffield United, is struggling to sell his partly developed ‘dream’ villa in Marbella. Ward is keen to sell the six bedroom property located at one the highest points of the Marbella Club Resort in order to aid the finances of his struggling UK based property business.

Ward runs Chesire based Bilton Ward Development with his wife Dawn, specialising in building luxury homes for the rich and famous. Amongst the Bilton Ward portfolio are mansions built for Manchester United stars Wayne Rooney and Wes Brown. However the company currently faces a list of creditors with debts of £1.3 million pounds. The couple hope to sell their home in Marbella to help ease their cash flow crisis, however the property has so far failed to sell having been on the market for the past year priced at £5.4 million. Their initial plan was to build the villa and move to Spain, however with four children the project became unrealistic and they are now eager to find a buyer.

British expats are amongst 26 investors who fear the worst after a Spanish lawyer has disappeared along with an estimated €5 million of client’s money.

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

reopening of the Don Miguel Hotel in May 2011 by the Spanish based hotel chain Roc-Hotels.

One of Marbella’s most luxurious large hotels is set to reopen after being closed for over five years. Plans have been laid to reopen the Don Miguel Hotel in May 2011 by the Spanish based hotel chain Roc-Hotels.
The hotel chain has reached an agreement with the owners of the Don Miguel Hotel in Marbella to rent the hotel, which has been closed since October 2004.Roc-Hotels plan to carry out some basic refurbishment work and reopen the 4-star, 502 bedroom, hotel for the 2011 summer season.The lease agreement will have a maximum duration of 15 years and offers the new tenants a preferential purchase option.It is believed the hotel will operate as an all inclusive resort aimed at families holidaying in Marbella.

Estepona Town Hall says it wants to put a further 60 municipal workers on fixed contracts.

The Town Hall is already in conversation with the unions, and La Opinión de Málaga reports that a first list of workers has already been drawn up although the places have to be officially released to tender. That requirement has apparently upset some of the current workers.Councillor for personnel at the council which currently employs 1,300, Cristina Rodríguez, said that they wanted to bring stability to the workforce, and said the number of civil servants in the Town Hall ‘is very low’ as it is only 208 of the current 1,300 employees.

‘Marbella Ambassador’Dolph Lundgren

Swedish actor, Dolph Lundgren has been named ‘Marbella Ambassador’. The actor who is best known for his role as a Russian boxer, Ivan Drago, in ‘Rocky IV’ has been chosen by the Town Hall to promote the image of the resort.Mayor of Marbella, Angeles Muñoz, made a statement saying that it was ‘an authentic privilege to have neighbours as distinguished as Dolph, who could chose any place to live and has decided to be with us’. ‘He will promote the town and its image worldwide’, said Muñoz.
The actor has said that he and his wife and two children have made their home in Marbella and are not thinking of ever moving away, describing the town as ‘a very special place for my family’. He also noted the ‘warmth and hospitality of the locals, who know how to enjoy life in a way that is unique in the world’.
Lundgren is the second ‘Marbella Ambassador’, after the naming of Alejandro Blanco, the President of the Spanish Olympic Committee.

Recession brings a welcome gift to some in Spain this December, with this year’s lower prices making it more likely that companies will include a jamón in the traditional Christmas hampers given to their staff.

Recession could bring a welcome gift to some in Spain this December, with this year’s lower prices making it more likely that companies will include a jamón in the traditional Christmas hampers given to their staff. The sector has seen lower than expected sales both in Spain and abroad, and more than 1 million jamones ibéricos remain unsold, despite prices having dropped by half.Some of the jamón shops are even giving away the cheaper paletillas – a shoulder of ham – with a purchase and there’s the possibility that the sector could face losses in 2010.And as Christmas approaches, many more people are planning ahead and buying the ingredients for their traditional Noche Buena meal now to freeze them ready for the big night. Prices for fish and shellfish, particularly, always shoot through the roof nearer the date, and it can mean a big saving for the family outlay to cross certain products off their shopping list as early as possible

Cadiz seven bulls being used on the set of a film starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have broken free

Seven bulls being used on the set of a film starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have broken free in Spain and slightly injured two people. Seven bulls on a Tom Cruise film set in Spain went on the rampage.Seven bulls being used on the set of a film starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have broken free in Spain and slightly injured two people.Tom and Cameron were not at the rehearsal, as the actors are scheduled to arrive in the city of Cadiz, in south-west Spain, for the filming of the Knight And Day movie next weekend.
Two unidentified women were slightly injured by the bulls as they broke free from the downtown location and ran through streets to a nearby beach.It was not immediately clear if the women had anything to do with the film.Film director Jose Luis Escolar told reporters he didn't know how the bulls had escaped.Filming in Cadiz was due to begin on Monday, but local government spokesman Ignacio Romani said it has now been suspended until further notice.

Marbella Hotel, Los Monteros, has announced bankruptcy protection

Marbella Hotel, Los Monteros, has announced bankruptcy protection, known as the suspension of payments after being closed for the past six months. El País reports that the owner, the Russian magnate Ernest Malyshev, has failed to comply with the plan to refloat the establishment made last September. Under the plan workers accepted the temporary redundancy of 60 workers, while 72 remained to re-open the hotel. Payment of back wages was promised along with a series of new investments, but none of that has actually happened.Malyshev closed the hotel in May, but has not paid any wages since the start of the year, and was denounced by the workers in August.Union CCOO said the suspension of payments affects the three companies owned by the Russian, Las Dunas Land, Inversiones Dajoal and Inversiones Aljoda.Union secretary for the hostelry industry in Málaga, Lola Villalba, warned that if the suspension of payments goes ahead the hotel will have to be re-opened and the establishment will go under judicial administration until a new formula for a viability plan can be found.The suspension of payments at Los Monteros follows other 5 star hotels in problems on the Costa del Sol, most of them owned by real estate groups, such as the two Guadalpín establishments in Marbella, Incosol, Byblos and Torrequebrada.

Establishment of a new Technology Park Marbella

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The head of Innovation, Science and Business for the Junta has said that the new site will cover 197 hectares on land that is currently made up of 300 privately owned estates and is designated as an "area of opportunity" for the Costa del Sol in the POT plan. The idea would be to reach a public-private agreement with the participation of Marbella Town Hall and the landowners along with the regional authority for the development of the project.Technology or industrial parks are, for those not familiar with the terms, a means of promoting small and medium sized businesses with the overall aim of generating economic growth, investment in an area and job creation.The technology park in Malaga has since its inauguration in 1992, has continuously grown and now is currently home to 375 businesses covering telecommunications, electronics, software and advanced services, and is generating over 800 million Euros annually. More than 70% of this sum is made by businesses related to information technology and communications.But the Tech Park in Malaga has not only brought financial benefits but also, in partnership with University of Malaga, developed many cutting-edge technologies with the participation of students, which has created a position of respect among all other Spanish universities.Such parks ultimately help increase the human capital (skills and knowledge gained by a worker through education and experience) in the region which tends to further increase outside investment.
Thus the reason for the expansion into Marbella. Not only will it help deliver economic and social benefit to the community. There will be a creation and promotion of a range of new career opportunities.And of course let us not forget that the project should help act as a catalyst to the Marbella property market. It should not be forgotten that Marbella has been the destination of many searching for a second home on the Costa del Sol. The high demand lead to a substantial increase in prices that, although having taken a beating over the last few years, are still above the average for Spain in 2009. This should further help alleviate the property market by attracting skilled labourers and families to the area.If such projections continue, not only will the Costa del Sol slowly start to diversify further away from tourism, but might make Malaga into the equivalent of the USA’s ‘Sunshine State’. Companies will be drawn to Marbella to set up headquarters as the quality of life is superior to London, Frankfurt etcMalaga is already well connected internationally via the Malaga airport and the high speed train means all major cities in Spain are only a few hours away.There is of course still room for improvement in the Costa del Sol’s infrastructure. The main projects being the continuation of the Train line linking Marbella to Malaga and the expansion and improvement of the communications networks.If this project is handled correctly and, unlike the Malaga Park, made to attract foreign/international companies, then the long term benefits could be very high indeed.

Mijas police jailed for Narco trafficking

The officers are accused of seizing 170 kilos of cannabis and using patrol vehicles to move the drugs to a safe house. Charges will also be laid concerning other drugs found at the scene, conspiracy and possession of an illegal firearm.The investigating judge in Court Number Two, Fuengirola, has ordered the detention in custody of four officers of the Local Police from the Costa del Sol town of Mijas. A fifth man has also been held. All five are accused of serious offences related to the trafficking of illegal drugs and possession of an unauthorised firearm. Two of the police officers have made statements to the judge. It is believed that these declarations are, in fact, confessions.In Spain, the first step in any major investigation is to hand power to a judge “of instruction”, who acts as a neutral evidence-gatherer. It is rare for defendants to be remanded in custody at this early stage, but yesterday (Monday 9 November), late in the evening, the judge in this investigation took the immediate decision to send all five accused men to the Alhaurin de la Torre prison.
What is alleged is that the officers used their police powers in order to seize the drugs from other dealers. All five were arrested by the Guardia Civil on Saturday. It is believed that the fifth man, who is not a police officer, acted as the “minder” of the drugs, which were unloaded from police cars and stashed in his home.
A member of the public who witnessed the transfer of the contraband called the emergency number 112, and the Guardia Civil intercepted the Local Police vehicles, finding packs of cannabis equivalent to 25 standard bags of sugar in weight. A search of the accomplice’s house revealed the rest of the stash. When the officers’ lockers were opened at the local police station, other drugs were found, along with an illegal firearm.
Mijas councillor with responsibility for public safety, Jose Francisco Roca, released a statement within hours, stating that Mijas Town Hall (which employs the four arrested officers) “will get to the bottom of this”.
Senor Roca added that the criminal authorities were now gathering evidence and it would be necessary to await the outcome of the investigation. “However, the people of Mijas can rest assured that any police officer found guilty of serious wrongdoing will be punished to the maximum, according to the applicable Disciplinary Code.”In an unusual development, the four detained officers have opted not to be defended by the Police Association’s lawyers. They have asked barrister Miguel Criado to represent them.

Ronald William Priestley, 69, was arrested last month in Malaga on the Spanish coast once dubbed "Costa del Crime" because of its criminal expat community.

Ronald William Priestley, 69, was arrested last month in Malaga on the Spanish coast once dubbed "Costa del Crime" because of its criminal expat community.He had been sentenced after he failed to appear before Leeds Crown Court in 2005 where he had been convicted of conspiring to counterfeit £20 banknotes with a face value of £4.25m.Priestley had been detained by an international arrest warrant issued as part of the crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers' Operation Captura, which has identified criminals living in Spain wanted in the UK. Crimestoppers and the Serious Organised Crime Agency work closely with British Embassy and Spanish law enforcement agencies.Officers from West Yorkshire Police's money laundering team brought Priestley back to England on October 22.When Priestley was put before Leeds Court Court yesterdayhe was also sentenced to a further 32 weeks in prison for failing to appear at court. He is to appear in due course at Leeds Magistrates Court in connection with an alleged default on an earlier Confiscation Order.
When Priestley, 69, from Colton, Leeds, but orginally from Bramley, failed to appear at court in 2005 he disappeared from his luxury home which was protected by electric fences and guard dogs.In the hunt for Priestley police urged Spain's expatriate British community on the Costa del Sol to help bring him to justice. Priestley had a criminal counterfeiting past long before 2005 and in December 2002 had been stripped of more than £2.2m at Bradford Crown Court.
Police raids on his home in Park Road, Colton, and factories near Huddersfield, had netted 138,000 bottles of fake fragrances and 1,500 bottles of Spanish sparkling wine re-labelled as Moet et Chandon champagne.
Officers also found £104,000 cash hidden in secret compartments at his home.In April 2002 that year he had been jailed for 18 months after admitting three counts of conspiracy to sell or distribute counterfeit goods – but was released early from jail.Priestley was featured in the Operation Captura's first 10 appeals in October 2006 and was the 25th out of 50 wanted fugitives arrested over a 10 day period.

Bently Financial LTD, and Kellington Investments INC. laundered ‘a minimum of 12.6 million €’ in financial havens.

Hacienda tax authority has estimated that the man at the centre of the Malaya corruption case in Marbella, the ex Municipal Real Estate Assessor, Juan Antonio Roca, laundered ‘a minimum of 12.6 million €’ in financial havens. The number is published in one of the hacienda reports which has discovered accounts in Switzerland, Andorra and the British Virgin Islands, and makes up part of the case summary. Europa Press reports that that Hacienda considers that these accounts were used not only to hide Roca’s assets, but also to launder the amounts so they could be re-introduced into circulation. Much of the operation was carried out via two companies on the Virgin Islands, Bently Financial LTD, and Kellington Investments INC.

Marbella Sexual exploitation of the women employed as prostitutes on the premises

National Police investigation in Marbella has arrested three people at a local alternative nightclub for alleged sexual exploitation of the women employed as prostitutes on the premises. The suspects are the two owners of the club and the receptionist.It comes under Operation Diosa – ‘Goddess’, launched in August after information received by police which indicated that the women employed in the club were working there under threats from the owners. Europa Press reports that detectives discovered in the course of the investigation that the three now in custody kept for themselves half of the money the women earned for the services they rendered to the club’s customers.Officers seized unspecified amounts of cocaine and other recreational drugs in a search of the premises.

Marks & Spencer has announced its return with the forecasted opening of a new store in the Andalusian city of Marbella

Eight years after departing Spanish mainland shores, retail giant Marks & Spencer has announced its return with the forecasted opening of a new store in the Andalusian city of Marbella.In 2001 M&S closed all of its Spanish stores save for the ever popular Gibraltar location due to the large British presence. The heavy expat population in the Costa del Sol has lead to the relaunch with the Marbella store set to open its doors next month.In 2001 the nine mainland outlets were bought by rival El Corte Ingles for around £150 million. At the time it was part of the company’s well publicised worldwide reduction in the wake of falling profits. The move sparked outrage in France and Belgium where the local workforce was sacked. The new 14,000 square foot £2.7m Marbella store is expected to lead to around 70 new jobs.M&S currently has over 300 overseas stores in addition to the near 700 in the UK.The usual range of homewares, baked treats, clothing and manchester will be sold at the La Canada mall location but unlike most UK branches the store will not feature fresh food due to the abundance of local produce markets.M&S also has branches in four locations across the Canary Islands, with one Tenerife and three in Gran Canaria.The opening represents an about turn on the company’s philosophy from a decade ago, where stiff competition from El Corte Ingles and a luke-warm reaction from Spaniards forcing the closure of operations. However, a successful rebranding in recent years and signs of an economic upturn has led M&S to decide the time is right to try again.

Talk of establishing a member of parliament for the Spanish costas

About a million Britons live for most or all of the year in Spain. Of these, 352,000 have registered at Spanish town halls as being fully resident. Hundreds of thousands of Britons live elsewhere across the European Union.Those who left the country in the past 15 years (the vast majority) can vote in UK elections. Most, however, do not bother. This is hardly surprising. They must send their postal vote to the place where they last lived in Britain. People now living in Torrevieja, Marbella or Barcelona thus end up voting for candidates who are only interested in, say, the problems of Luton, Lambeth or Dumfries. That is not fair to them. What do they care, or know, about hospitals, post offices and planned ring roads a thousand miles away? It is also not fair to the people living in those constituencies.British communities abroad have their own problems. In Spain, they worry about pensions, health rights, the bureaucratic problems they can face if they try to move home and the (exorbitant) price of consular services. Even the winter fuel allowance (yes, payable in some circumstances) matters to them. Many of those suffering the catastrophic effects of a weak pound would like Britain to be in the euro. Many more have problems with local housing laws that they insist break EU rules. These people would like MPs and the British government to take their problems seriously. Without an MP to turn to, however, the chances of anyone paying attention to them are decidedly limited.
Some say that Sarkozy is wooing French voters in London because they are rich and likely to vote for him. Conservatives may be tempted to think they can win votes the same way. But the political leanings of emigrant Brits cannot be taken for granted. To start with, most of those in Spain are not rich. Tory MPs with long memories recall the last time they wooed the Mediterranean fringe. It turned out that most voted Labour – because they thought the Tories would take their winter fuel allowances away.
Britain frets about immigration but cannot be bothered to think about emigration. It should do. Of the hundreds of thousands of diaspora Britons with the right to vote, only 12,800 are registered to do so. Some 200,000 Britons move abroad every year, according to a study by the Institute for Public Policy Research. About 10% of all Britons, or 5.5 million people, live outside the country. "The UK government's lack of attention to its large diaspora stands in contrast to the measures being taken in other countries," the study noted. "In the UK, talk of establishing a member of parliament for the Spanish costas, a new ministry for Britons living abroad or even a special parliamentary inquiry would most likely be laughed down."
Foreign governments care far more about these emigrants than any British government has ever done. We have happily created a Europe without borders, encouraging people to travel, live and work in other countries, but we have not changed our electoral system to reflect that. A whole generation of young professionals has also moved abroad to follow the natural career paths of a globalised economy. No one represents them, either, at Westminster.I have been sounding people out on the idea of "diaspora MPs" for the past year. MPs and diplomats I have spoken to worry about the impact on, in this case, relations with Spain. Imagine, they say, an MP who spends half of his life complaining to Spanish authorities about problems faced by expat Britons.That, of course, brings us to another possible solution. Why not allow Britons living in Europe to vote in the national elections of their host country? Unfortunately neither the UK nor any other country in Europe seems to want that. As a result, I live in Madrid and pay taxes to the Spanish exchequer but have no say in how my tax money is spent.And therein lies another problem. For not only am I prevented from voting in a Spanish general election, but, as I have lived abroad for more than 15 years, I have no right to vote in the UK either. I pay tax but cannot vote. Whatever happened to "no taxation without representation"? Other countries (such as Germany, I believe) allow their citizens to keep on voting until they die, wherever they live.We complain constantly of voter apathy and low election turnouts. There is one easy way to boost participation in elections. Just give a few hundred thousand voters in Spain an MP of their own.The truth is that rather than just one MP representing Britons living in Spain and elsewhere, there should be dozens (the average UK constituency has 74,000 voters). I would be happy, however, if we could just start with one (and perhaps the honourable member for southern Europe has a better ring). That would leave me with just one request. I pay my taxes – so can I vote too, please?

Angela Kennett, from Aylesbury, Bucks, returned to her home in Spain to find she had forgotten her keys

Angela Kennett, from Aylesbury, Bucks, returned to her home in Spain to find she had forgotten her keys. She scaled a porch to try to reach the first-floor window of her £400,000 flat, but it gave way and crashed to the ground as she climbed across it. It is thought she died after being hit on the head by a wooden beam. Angela turned 27 on Sunday. The latest tragedy happened in an upmarket residential neighbourhood near Marbella, along the coast from Nerja. A neighbour alerted cops after finding the victim shortly after 10am on Monday. She was lying among the debris of the pergola with blood streaming from a head wound.
Angela was already dead by the time police and paramedics arrived. It is believed she had just returned from her birthday party with friends when she fell. A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said today: "We heard the boyfriend screaming and ran outside to see him standing over the girl. "We called emergency services immediately. He was in a terrible state crying and shouting. "He was in too bad a way to tell us what happened. It is an awful tragedy. She was a very nice person, she always used to say hello whenever she saw us. "I haven't been able to get the image of her lying there out of my head since it happened." A police source said it was not the first time Angela had climbed across the pergola after going out and forgetting her keys. The couple's house is set in a gated community with a swimming pool, and has a small garden with a sun terrace. A post mortem due today was expected to confirm she had died of a blow to the head after a wooden beam fell on top of her as the structure collapsed. Friends of Angela, thought to have worked at American Express, have paid tribute to her on her Facebook page. Jessica Wilson said: "You bought such fun times at AMEX. You will be sadly missed. "

BRITISH DRUNK DRIVER ARRESTED IN SPAIN

The man is wanted in connection with causing the death of another driver when he was drunk and driving against the traffic last June. Named only as P.L. the arrested man was born in Glasgow in 1981 and had been driving a van against the traffic on the motorway at Larkhall in Scotland when the accident happened, despite him being banned from driving at the time

Costa del Sol, timeshare touts and the Unfair Commercial Practises Directive

Costa del Sol, timeshare touts are always on the lookout in trying to sell to any holiday maker. However, with the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, these intense marketing tactics will have to be cleaned up.

Usually, the timeshare touts hang around the sea front and bus station in Fuengirola waiting for vacationers to stop and accept one of their scratch cards. But as police are starting to enforce the strict marketing laws laid out in the directive, these touts are slowly disappearing. The Unfair Commercial Practises Directive was brought out around the end of last year. It was being enforced throughout Spain and the Canary Islands last March of this year as an attempt to clean up the entire timeshare industry in Europe and give it a much more professional image. With the said directive, the visitors of Costa del Sol will be able to walk along the sea front without being stopped by touts to get them to go on another five hours of hard sell timeshare presentation.Many owners are trying to get rid of their timeshares nowadays.With this, and with the decrease in sales for timeshares, most timeshare companies go on unreasonable selling techniques that might give a bad impression for any tourist spot. With the said directive, the genuine and legal timeshare companies will have to find different methods of getting someone to look at their resorts and products while the illegal timeshare companies will be forced out of business.

Andrew Henderson, 21, plunged five floors to his death after trying to leap across hotel balconies during a "lads' weekend" in Spain,

Andrew Henderson, 21, plunged five floors to his death after trying to leap across hotel balconies during a "lads' weekend" in Spain, an inquest has heard.Andrew Henderson, 21, had been on an all-day drinking session before he was found with multiple fractures by hotel workers at the resort of Torremolinos, Costa del Sol.Fellow holidaymakers recalled how he had repeatedly been jumping from his balcony to get into his friends' room.Speaking at the inquest, his father, Norman Henderson, said his son, from Hanover Way, had "probably been messing around" before the tragic plunge in April this year.Peter Bedford, coroner for Berkshire, delivered a verdict of death by misadventure at Windsor Guildhall.

Hard Rock Cafe Marbella will launch on the 29th October and open its doors to the public a day later.

Hard Rock International will be launching a new location in Spain’s Costa del Sol this month. The Marbella cafe will be Spain’s fifth Hard Rock Cafe. The new Hard Rock Cafe will be situated in Marbella’s Puerto Banus area, just opposite the main entrance of the El Corte Ingles department store.The new establishment of around 1000sqm is receiving a 2.5 million euro installation and decoration investment injection. The new venue will seat around 300 and include a bar as well as an open-air terrace and Rock Shop, and also feature Hard Rock’s limited-edition merchandise.“Marbella is one of Europe’s premiere and most exclusive Mediterranean destinations situated on the scenic Costa del Sol,” said Hamish Dodds, president and CEO of Hard Rock International. “With its rich Andalusian history and diverse cultural offerings, we are proud to call Marbella home to Spain’s newest Hard Rock Cafe.”The director of Hard Rock Spain, Carlos Naranjo told a group of journalists recently that his company usually only launches a venue in cities with several million inhabitants. Naranjo confirmed: “Nevertheless, the case of Marbella is special and its attractiveness and potential have made it possible for us to bet on this new location.”The new venue is expected to create between 70 permanent jobs (up to 100 in summer) as well as an international “promotion boost” to the city of Marbella.







Hard Rock International has a total of 157 venues in 52 countries, including 127 cafes and 12 Hotels/Casinos.

Marks & Spencer is set to return to the Costa del Sol to target the ex-pat community.

The 14,000-sq ft store will open next month and franchised to long-term franchise partner York. While fresh food will not be sold at the Marbella store, the outlet will target the ex-pat community with clothing, homewear, biscuits and cakes, according to The Times.“We’re delighted to be opening a new store in Marbella this autumn,” said M&S international director Clem Constantine. “We’ve had a successful franchise partnership with York for over 40 years in Gibraltar and feel this is an excellent opportunity for us to offer our high-quality, good-value products to both the local and expat population in Marbella.”M&S sold off its Spanish stores in 2001 for a reported €150 m to El Corte Inglés, the country’s biggest department store chain.

Banana Beach, would not be retrospectively licensed and would have to be demolished, probably next year.

Banana Beach is one of three holiday home schemes excluded from an initiative to stop a decade-long dispute over the legality of many developments in Marbella. This spring the town's new mayor, Angeles Muñoz - who has vowed to end years of actual or alleged corruption involving former Marbella council chiefs and developers – announced that 18,000 "illegal" homes in the area would be given retrospective building licences, making them legal. But she said three schemes, including Banana Beach, would not be retrospectively licensed and would have to be demolished, probably next year.Yet spanishpropertyworld.com, the website quoted above, still advertises flats at Banana Beach from €259,888 (£243,300). The website – which does not publish its telephone number – makes no reference to the demolition threat and has not answered Cash's repeated emails on the subject.A property portal, esmoz.com, is advertising all sizes of apartments at Banana Beach for sale, but has also failed to answer enquiries about the scheme. It describes Banana Beach as "a beautiful, luxury development of apartments right on the beach-front in Marbella. There are extensive leisure facilities and, of course, spectacular sea views".The agency Interealty, which is selling Banana Beach flats through esmoz.com, has also declined to respond to telephone and email enquiries about the ads.A spokesman for the Marbella authorities says the mayor wanted to license retrospectively all illegal homes but this has been prevented by regional and national governments. One reason may be that, unlike most other schemes, Banana Beach, built in 1998, is only 100 metres from the sea and breaks an earlier development law that prevents homes being constructed so close to the coast.Hundreds of existing owners at Banana Beach, many of them Britons, face their homes being demolished, with no compensation offered

estimated 1.05m new homes are completed or nearly built across Spain, but without buyers. About 50% are holiday homes on the Costas

estimated 1.05m new homes are completed or nearly built across Spain, but without buyers. About 50% are holiday homes on the Costas

banks have refused to honour bank guarantees placed in escrow-type deposits by foreign buyers, even after developers have gone bust

■ Some banks have refused to honour bank guarantees placed in escrow-type deposits by foreign buyers, even after developers have gone bust

■ At Chiclana in Andalucia, 2,292 homes are scheduled for demolition because they were built illegally on land designated as open space
■ In Valencia region, occasional "land grab" compulsory purchases of holiday homes still take place. British MEP Roger Helmer has called this "the Robert Mugabe school of land redistribution"
■ Property values in some coastal areas have halved since the Spanish property crash started in late 2006;

Thousands of Europeans take advantage of the Spanish Health Service for their operations

Socialist ex President of Extremadura, Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra, has attacked medical tourism in a radio interview, and written an article published in El País on gatecrash health tourism, where thousands of Europeans take advantage of the Spanish Health Service for their operations.He is not attacking medical tourism where people pay to go to Spain for treatment in a private clinic, but “cross border healthcare” where some holidaymakers, and foreign part or full-time expatriates are accessing free treatment in Spain.Ibarra’s argument is that health tourism is increasingly common with thousands of Europeans taking advantage of the free Spanish system for procedures which are free there but charged for in the countries of origin, describing replacement hips and knees, and heart and cataract operations the most in demand. He claims the practice has reached such dimensions that some travel agents have added the health service to the list of attractions. Ironically, the nation most blamed is the British, the irony being that only weeks ago British politicians were blaming foreigners going to Britain just for free treatment as a reason the NHS is not delivering as well as they would like.It would be easy to dismiss Ibarra as yet another politician ranting at foreigners, but he gives some data to back up his argument. He may be using old data, but anyone who has ever tried to get Spanish figures on anything will know that they are usually several years old before they reach daylight. He quotes the Malaga division of the Andalucian Health Service as saying in June 2004 that some 400,000 EU residents live in the province and get health cover and the ensuing financial black hole is enough to pay for the Malaga Metro or build 25 hospitals. He says that every EU citizen not on the census but receiving health care is costing Spain 686 euros a year.

San Pedro, near Estapona on the Costa del Sol sighting of suspected killer

Suspected killer of drug dealer Michael 'Roly' Cronin and an associate has not been traced by Spanish police -- and has now been missing for more than nine months.The man (36), from Dublin's north inner city, was last sighted in San Pedro, near Estapona on the Costa del Sol last February. The suspect has not been seen since and it is believed he may have been targeted by the gang behind Cronin's murder amid fears he was to be arrested by Spanish police. Gardai in Dublin are actively seeking the man and intend to press charges against him if found.At the inquest into Cronin's death this week, Detective Inspector Fran Sweeney told Dublin City Coroner's Court that the DPP had recommended that charges be brought against the suspect for the murders of Cronin (35) and his associate, James Moloney (26). Both men were shot dead as they sat in a car in Summerhill.The suspected gunman fled the country immediately afterwards. Gardai notified their Spanish counterparts about reports that the suspect was in the Estapona area, but the last confirmed sighting of him there was on February 4 last. There has been no trace of the man since then and gardai suspect he may have come to serious harm.The suspected hitman is known to gardai for involvement in petty and serious crime, over two decades. At this week's inquest, Det Inspector Sweeney said there would be a criminal trial in the case of both men's deaths and they were actively seeking a suspect. Dr Farrell adjourned the inquest, under Section 25.1 of the Coroner's Act 1962 until a date in April 2010. A joint inquest into the men's deaths was opened in February.'Roly' Cronin was a major drug trafficker in the inner city and on the north and west sides of the capital and had served a 13-year jail sentence after being caught in possession of heroin at his Buckingham Street house.Maloney, who also had an address in Poppintree, had no criminal convictions. Maloney was an associate of Cronin and had acted as his driver in the weeks prior to the murders,Cronin had made enemies in the years before he was shot, and a north Dublin gang is suspected of ordering his murder, in a dispute over drug dealing turf on the city's northside.

Stephen Gately Dies at 33

Popular Irish boy band member Stephen Gately has died at the age of 33. He had been a huge part of Boyzone, which topped charts and broke sales records in Britain and Ireland during the 1990s, and which recently made a comeback.Stephen passed away on a holiday in Majorca, Spain. The cause of death is not yet known, but has been reported that he choked on his own vomit after drinking.Aside from huge success with Boyzone, Stephen was also notable for being the first member of a major boy group to come out as gay, which he did in 1999.He married long-term partner Andrew Cowles in a civi ceremony in 2006.Writing that they are “completely devastated” on his website, the other members of the band say, “Stephen was a beautiful person in both body and spirit. He lit up our lives and those of the many friends he had all over the world.”

Ronald Priestley, 69, was detained in Malaga on Wednesday afternoon in connection with £4.25m of currency counterfeiting offences.

Leeds-born Priestley is the 25th person to be arrested under Operation Captura, an initiative to catch criminals wanted in the UK who are on the run in Spain. He was detained under a European Arrest Warrant and could face charges in Britain within 10 days. Priestley, who is wanted by West Yorkshire Police, was featured in the first appeals made under Operation Captura in October 2006, a Crimestoppers spokeswoman said. The pressure on criminals on the run in Spain is stronger than ever Robbie Bulloch, British Embassy attache in Madrid Robbie Bulloch, justice and home affairs attache at the British Embassy in Madrid, said: "This arrest is an important reminder that large-scale fraud is a serious offence which does harm ordinary people."Thanks to the great public response to the Captura campaign, the pressure on criminals on the run in Spain is stronger than ever." Priestley fled Britain in 2005 after failing to answer bail at Leeds Crown Court on charges of manufacturing false banknotes with a face value of £4.25m. In February 2006, he was convicted in his absence of the offences and sentenced to eight years in jail. He is believed to have connections in Leeds, Manchester, Blackpool, Liverpool, Glasgow, London and Ireland. Crimestoppers' founder and chairman, Lord Ashcroft said: "The fact is that half the criminals who have been featured under Operation Captura have already been caught. "Therefore my message to the rest of them, still on the run, is that they should put their affairs in order and find a tenant for their villas, because there's a good chance they will be soon on their way home."

British woman has been killed in Alicante province in one of two murder-suicides

British woman has been killed in Alicante province in one of two murder-suicides which took place in Spain on Sunday. Both women were shot by their husbands, who then used the murder weapon to take their own lives.The Alicante couple lived in San Fulgencio, where the 55 year old victim was shot as she lay sleeping in her home early on Sunday afternoon. Her murder and her 72 year old husband’s suicide were discovered shortly after 10pm when the couple failed to keep an appointment with a neighbour who was due to drive them to El Altet Airport to collect the husband’s sister who was arriving from the UK that day. The man had suffered some strokes, but was thought to be recovering well. The bodies of the two have been taken to Alicante for autopsies to be carried out.In neighbouring Cataluña, a woman in her forties died at the family home in Vila-Seca, Tarragona province, when she was also shot by her husband. He then committed suicide, and it’s understood from EFE that the couple’s young son was in the house at the time and was a witness to his parents’ deaths on Sunday night.Yet another woman died in Madrid on Sunday, a Cuban woman who was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife at her home in Talamanca del Jarama. The murderer was her 20 year old son, who fled the scene after the fatal stabbing early on Sunday and was later arrested 4 kms away from the village after stabbing another woman as he made his escape through the village.She survived the attack.

Los Monteros Hotel in Marbella, EFE reports this Monday, signs that its Russian owner, Ernest Malyshev, is preparing to reopen the establishment.

Los Monteros Hotel in Marbella, EFE reports this Monday,  signs that its Russian owner, Ernest Malyshev, is preparing to reopen the establishment. Electricity is back on and water supply has been restored, and it’s thought the gas bill has also been paid.The news is not so good for the staff of the luxury hotel however, as, despite the owner’s payment last Friday of 99,000 € towards the money owed to the workers, it’s only a little more than half of the amount which was, in fact, agreed with the workforce as a first payment.José García Osorio, president of the workers’ committee, said the staff may now apply again for the temporary layoff for part of the workforce which was refused by the authorities because the hotel, at the time, lacked the minimum services of water and electricity.EFE notes that the owner has so far failed to comply with the terms of the agreement signed with the workforce at the end of August to put an end to the conflict, which included a four-month temporary layoff for all but 72 of the staff, and a first payment of 180,000 € towards their unpaid salaries.

Search is underway for a lioness, which it is thought may have escaped from a circus

Search is underway for a lioness, which it is thought may have escaped from a circus which has been sighted across the provinces of Tarragona, Teruel and Castellón.Some youngsters out jogging close to La Sénia saw the animal on Saturday and alerted the authorities, who believe the animal is running wild in the Ports de Besseit area, between the three provinces. Other groups of people also saw the lioness on Sunday and again on Monday.The environmental section of the Civil Guard, Seprona, is recommending trippers to stay away from the area as the search continues. The regional police, Los Mossos d’Esquadra, local police and rural agents are all taking part in the search.

Bull which escaped from the bullring in Marbella was shot dead on

Bull which escaped from the bullring in Marbella was shot dead on Tuesday morning after rampaging through the town for at least 40 minutes, Diario Sur reports. The animal was finally brought down by local police after running some 700 metres along Avenida Arias de Velasco, injuring a 72 year old woman as it tried to make its escape.It’s understood from El Mundo that the pensioner was not gored, but was transferred to the Costa del Sol Hospital for treatment. Diario Sur said another woman was injured in the bullring itself and a third in the street.

England soccer star was targeted by a East European kidnap gang on Spain's Costa del Sol.

England soccer star was targeted by a ruthless East European kidnap gang on Spain's Costa del Sol.

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

Increase VAT on hotel rooms up to 8%.

Hoteliers in Spain are having increasingly difficult months, as the European recession continues to blight their business. Many would-be visitors to the Costa’s are staying away, leaving a large percentage of hotel rooms empty, even during the peak July, August period this year.If that were not enough, the government has just announced that it will increase VAT on hotel rooms up to 8%. This increase will almost certainly have to be passed on to hotel guests this presumably, could lead to a further decline in room occupancy.
José Carlos Escribano who is the current president of the Costa del Sol Association of Hoteliers says, that this is a huge blow to the already slim profit line experienced by the region’s hotel industry.He also stated that the government had blatantly taken the opposite stance to what the hotel industry had requested, which was a decrease in hotel VAT, rather than an increase, in order to assist with bringing in more, much-needed, tourists.

Bank notes amounting to more than 4.3 million € and 8,000 dollars found

Police have discovered, buried beneath cement flooring in a group of shanty dwellings in the Son Banya area of Palma de Mallorca, bank notes amounting to more than 4.3 million € and 8,000 dollars. They also found seven and a half kilos of jewellery amongst the boxes found buried there.It’s the same area where a 45 year old woman was killed in a shootout three weeks ago.
Europa Press reports this Tuesday that the swoop, after months of investigation, came on 18th September, when 100 officers, supported by a helicopter, raided the area where two drug-dealing family clans were known to be based. They seized unspecified amounts of cocaine, heroin and marijuana, and arrested one suspect.The treasure trove was discovered in a nearby building which the drug dealers used as a garage.

Britain’s most wanted criminals, 27 year old Michael Eddleston, has been arrested after handing himself into the offices of the British Consulate

Britain’s most wanted criminals, 27 year old Michael Eddleston, has been arrested after handing himself into the offices of the British Consulate in Palma de Mallorca.He was one of the group of ten criminals who were highlighted in a new ‘Crimestoppers Captura 3’ campaign aimed at Spain and the Costa del Sol.A statement from the British Embassy in Spain said that he is wanted in connection with the possession and trafficking of drugs.British Ambassador in Spain, Dame Denise Holt, commented that ‘The arrest of one of the most wanted British criminals in Spain is great news, and another demonstration that the close collaboration between the U.K. and Spain is working.

Supreme Court has confirmed the sentence for six suspects who were found guilty of kidnapping a British couple in Torrevieja four years ago.

The un-named couple were snatched on the day they arrived for their Costa Blanca holiday in July 2005 after being followed by two vehicles as they drove their hire car away from El Altet Airport. The kidnappers decided to make their move as the unlucky tourists were driving through Torrevieja, crashing into their hire car and threatening them with a gun. Diario Información reports that they were then taken to a flat in San Vicente del Raspeig, where they were held blindfolded while the kidnappers demanded contact telephone numbers for the couple’s family.The paper said no phone call was made, however, as the gang were unable to decide amongst themselves on the amount to demand.The British hostages fortunately managed to escape their captors when their driver stopped to make a phone call at a petrol station as they were being taken to a second hideout.The Supreme Court ruling confirms the earlier sentence from a lower court, sending their six kidnappers to a total of 89 years behind bars.

National Police in Málaga have arrested eight suspects in a drugs operation which has broken up the core leadership of a gang which smuggled cocaine into Spain from South America.

National Police in Málaga have arrested eight suspects in a drugs operation which has broken up the core leadership of a gang which smuggled cocaine into Spain from South America. Police said in a statement that 19 kilos of cocaine were seized in the course of their investigations.The organisation, led by a Nigerian man from Yame, was based in Málaga City and used Spanish couriers to bring the drugs into Spain hidden in books, picture frames and souvenirs from their trips abroad. Four of the suspects, aged 30 to 43, worked as couriers for the gang, while three others in custody were in charge of finding new recruits for the smuggling operation.Europa Press reports that the police operation remains open and further arrests have not been ruled out.

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

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

The suspect is married with two twin daughters, and it’s understood the original complaint to police came from his wife’s sister.

Marbella planning office, counted a total of 38,194 buildings which do not comply with the current PGOU Urban Plan guidelines

The list of illegal properties includes homes, hotels, schools, gas stations, golf courses, shopping malls, industrial warehouses and a heliport.The Marbella planning office, counted a total of 38,194 buildings which do not comply with the current PGOU Urban Plan guidelines, which was approved in 1986.
90 per cent of the buildings are homes.La Opinión de Málaga published the figures

The Molding Clinic on the Costa del Sol were, in the words of the judges presiding over the case, “neglectful and downright careless in there treatment of the patient”.

Stella Obasanjo was the first-lady of Nigeria who died under the surgeon’s knife in October 2005 at an exclusive clinic in Marbella while undergoing cosmetic surgery. She was having simple and straightforward liposuction but during the procedure she received injuries that proved fatal.

The Molding Clinic on the Costa del Sol were, in the words of the judges presiding over the case, “neglectful and downright careless in there treatment of the patient”. Their lack of care led to Stella Obasanjo’s liver being badly slashed, 24 hours later she became ill but the surgeon ignored his cell phone when called for help, and then took a further 4 hours to attend to his patient.He then placed her in the back of his own vehicle to rush her to hospital in Marbella where she died within an hour of arrival. The un-named doctor received a £110,000 fine, was bared from medical practice for three years and sent to prison for 12 months

Cemex headquarters in Spain was raided yesterday by Spanish anti-trust authorities

Cemex headquarters in Spain was raided yesterday by Spanish anti-trust authorities who were searching for information that might indicate the company is guilty of price fixing.The third largest cement maker in the world stated in a report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission that the investigation is an ongoing attempt to find building materials companies in Spain that are fixing the prices of their services and products.According to the report, if guilty companies are discovered they will face fines that could total up to 10% of the year’s sales volumes.Cemex was also under investigation last year by the European Commission when it was indicated that the cement sector may be involved in cartel activity. It is not known if the new Spanish investigation is linked to this prior probe by the EU.

National Police have made three arrests in relation to the theft of drugs from a Seville police station

National Police have made three arrests in relation to the theft of drugs from a Seville police station 15 months ago. One of the three is now charged with the actual theft and the other two have been charged with sale and distribution of the drugs that were being held as evidence by the city’s drug squad.The theft was very large and embarrassing for the Seville police amounting to around 100kg’s of heroin and cocaine. Police have so far declined to name the three men identifying them only by their initials.At the time of the theft the police said that the drugs were worth approximately €5 million on the Spanish black market, it is believed that the drugs were taken in small amounts over a period of time rather than in one large theft.

British man extradited to Spain over death of New Zealander

31-year-old New Zealander, Benjamin John Coulson known to his friends as Benny died in a Spanish hospital two days before Christmas last year after receiving head injuries on 19 December 2008. According to reports British police in Cambridge arrested a man said to be in his 20s a month ago in the city of Cambridge he was subsequently charged with manslaughter.he has now been extradited to Spanish custody to await trial with regard to the death of Mr Coulson who lived in La Linea the mainland town adjacent to Gibraltar wife Eva who is Spanish and their six-year-old son.According to police reports he was struck on the head with some kind of object whilst drinking in a bar with friends that night he died. This injury however was not serious and later in the evening he took a taxi to the home of the man who struck him on the head to ask for an explanation.On arrival he was again struck on the head this time by a head-butt which left him unconscious and resulted in the injuries from which he did not recover.

Ten men have been placed on a 'most wanted' website by Crimestoppers which targets the area around Malaga, notorious for harbouring criminals on the run.

Ten men have been placed on a 'most wanted' website by Crimestoppers which targets the area around Malaga, notorious for harbouring criminals on the run.Dave Cording, Crimestoppers' director of operations, said: 'These appeals include some very nasty individuals and crimes, and we need you, the public, to help us put them behind bars where they belong.'
Members of the public who spot the fugitives are warned not to approach them, as they are known to be dangerous.
Benjamin Murphy, 29, of Manchester is wanted over a £1.6million robbery of a jeweller's. He is also suspected of fraudulently obtaining a passport after he was seized and selling a hire car to raise cash. Murphy is described as 5ft 11in, of stocky build with green eyes and closely shaved dark brown hair. He has a Chinese dragon tattooed on his right arm.
Stephen Burnell, 56, of Scunthorpe is wanted after failing to surrender to custody after being convicted of a series of sex crimes, including offences on children. He was facing a six-year jail sentence. Burnell has a tattoo on his left arm of a dog, cat and a tiger. There is a skull on his other arm.
Martin Smith, 44, of North Shields is wanted in connection with the rape of a child aged under 16 and gross indecency with a girl under the age of 16. The attacks took place over 10 years between April 1995 and April 2005. Smith did not answer bail in January last year and may be on the run with his wife and five-year-old daughter.
Paul Walmsley, 40, of Liverpool has been on the run for three years and is suspected of being a member of a drug smuggling gang specialising in heroin and cocaine. The wealthy gang had links to Holland and Spain and were also involved in the importation of ecstasy and cannabis.
Michael Eddleston, 27, of Doncaster is accused of drug trafficking. He is described as white, 165cm tall (5ft 5ins), of medium build with light brown eyes and hair.
Mark Brown, 44, of Liverpool is accused of being the head of a drug smuggling gang that conspired to bring hundreds of kilos of heroin into Britain. The drug was concealed in the feet of wooden pallets used to transport legitimate loads of quad bikes and motorised toys. He is described as 6ft, of proportionate build with short black hair.
Fatah Benlaredj, 32, originally from Algeria, is wanted over the rape of a seven-year-old girl. He is accused of befriending her mother via a social networking site in 2007. The alleged offence took place in Stockport.
Stephen Pitman, 53, of Chislehurst, London, is accused of seven offences of conspiracy to supply a Class A drug and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.
Jody Flynn, 28, of Birkenhead, is accused of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He is described as white, 5ft 11in, of slim build with blue eyes.
Joseph Morley, 46, of Liverpool disappeared from prison in May 2000 while serving a 15-year sentence for conspiracy to import cocaine and heroin. He was on licensed day release and failed to return to prison with 1,664 days of his sentence remaining. He has tattoos on several fingers.

Wanted: (Top row, from left) Paul Walmsley, Martin Smith, Henry Pitman, Benjamin Murphy, Joseph Morley (Bottom row, from left) Jody Flynn, Michael Eddleston, Stephen Burnell, Mark Brown and Fatah Benlaredj

On the run in the Costa del Sol region of southern Spain

British expatriates and holidaymakers in Spain are being called on to help catch 10 of Britain's most wanted criminals in a campaign launched in Malaga on Wednesday.The men, whose crimes range from drug trafficking and robbery to serious child sex offences, are thought to be on the run in the Costa del Sol region of southern Spain, which has a large ex-pat community."These appeals include some very nasty individuals and crimes, and we need the public to help us put them behind bars where they belong," said Dave Cording, director of operations at UK crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers, which is running the campaign with the Serious Organised Crime Agency.Operation Captura, which aims to identify and locate those wanted by law enforcement agencies for serious crimes committed in Britain, was first launched in 2006 and has so far helped catch 23 fugitives.Crimestoppers have posted pictures of the men -- who include 29-year-old Benjamin Murphy, wanted for a robbery in which 1.6 million pounds of diamond jewellery and watches were stolen -- on their website.They have also circulated posters and beermats to bars and restaurants on the Costa del Sol.

Michael Eddleston, 27, is being targeted in an appeal on the Costa Del Sol

Michael Eddleston, 27, is being targeted in an appeal on the Costa Del Sol, known as Operation Captura. He has been identified as a member of a crime group which carried out a drug trafficking operation from Doncaster and Morley in West Yorkshire. Mr Eddleston is believed to be living in Spain in a bid to evade arrest. He is accused of three counts of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs. He was identified after a joint investigation between South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Police in 2006.
Officers recovered large quantities of heroin and amphetamine sulphate valued at £65,000 as part of the operation. Eight men arrested and charged with offences of conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs were jailed at Sheffield Crown Court in November 2006, after entering guilty pleas.

It is thought that Mr Eddleston, who was born and raised in Doncaster, may be working in the building trade in Spain.

He is described as 5ft 5in, of medium build with light brown eyes and brown hair.

He is left handed and has a scar on his right upper leg.

Operation Captura involves Crimstoppers the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Spanish police.

Molding Clinic on the Costa del Sol were, in the words of the judges presiding over the case, “neglectful and downright careless in there treatment of the patient”.

Stella Obasanjo was the first-lady of Nigeria who died under the surgeon’s knife in October 2005 at an exclusive clinic in Marbella while undergoing cosmetic surgery. She was having simple and straightforward liposuction but during the procedure she received injuries that proved fatal.
The Molding Clinic on the Costa del Sol were, in the words of the judges presiding over the case, “neglectful and downright careless in there treatment of the patient”. Their lack of care led to Stella Obasanjo’s liver being badly slashed, 24 hours later she became ill but the surgeon ignored his cell phone when called for help, and then took a further 4 hours to attend to his patient.He then placed her in the back of his own vehicle to rush her to hospital in Marbella where she died within an hour of arrival. The un-named doctor received a £110,000 fine, was bared from medical practice for three years and sent to prison for 12 months.

killing of Briton, 26 year old Daniel Hastelow Trial starts today

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

English girl has been found murdered in the apartment

English girl has been found murdered in the apartment she rented in Cabo Roig with her boyfriend.The victim, aged 20, was discovered lying on a plastic sheet with multiple stab-wounds, mostly to her neck.
Officers believed the killer had intended to hide the body, but was unable to lift it.Her boyfriend, 24, also British, was arrested on the same day after a spectacular police chase that ended in Oliva.After fleeing the urbanisation on the Orihuela Costa, the accused was traced to Oliva where police managed to locate his white British-registered Opel.
They were forced to intercept him, leading him to crash the car into the orange groves.Friends and acquaintances of the girl say she worked in Smiling Jack’s Bar, which is owned by her parents, on the Cabo Roig estate.
They claim she and her boyfriend were always rowing because of his jealous nature.“She was very pretty and very nice to everyone, which caused him to be jealous,” one of her friends said. He had been seen to push her during arguments in the street. A local barman said he had overheard her telling friends last week that she ‘couldn’t take any more’ of her boyfriend’s behaviour.He has been arrested on suspicion of her murder.Police say he has a previous record for petty theft, but no earlier charges for domestic violence.

MALAGA judge has sent a 30-year-old man to prison without the option of bail for setting seven police cars on fire

MALAGA judge has sent a 30-year-old man to prison without the option of bail for setting seven police cars on fire on Tuesday September 15. After 12 hours hiding in his flat in the Carlinda neighbourhood in Malaga, he handed himself in.Although the man admitted he was sorry for what he had done, he told police that he had set fire the vehicles in retribution for allegedly being robbed the night before by two people that identified themselves to him as being as police officers.He says that when he reported the robbery the following morning at the police station, officers didn’t pay attention to him thinking he was drunk. He apparently left the police station threatening “You’re going to get it.”He now faces charges for criminal damage estimated at 300,000 euros and endangering life.

20-man fight broke out at the San Andrew beach between Romanian, Polish and Moroccan immigrants

20-man fight broke out at the San Andrew beach between Romanian, Polish and Moroccan immigrantsFive of the seven people arrested following a fight between two groups of immigrants that broke out in the early hours of September 18 at the San Andres beach in Malaga have been freed pending a hearing while the other two remain in hospital.It is thought that about 20 people were involved in the brawl from various nationalities including Romanians, Poles and Moroccans (three of which were seriously injured).Although the reason for the fight is not known, police suspect that it is territorial in nature. Knifes, sticks and stones were used as weapons during the incident.

Total Post, is believed to have received over 300,000 euros in deposits for non-existent holiday lets around Europe.

Javea, Valencia, PO box, which is thought to be the key to a European-wide holiday letting scam.The box, one of many at the offices of Total Post, is believed to have received over 300,000 euros in deposits for non-existent holiday lets around Europe.It is owned by the company Paul Quinn Properties SL, which has allegedly conned at least 100 British families into parting with an average of 3000 euros for holidays across the continent.The Guardia Civil is now investigating the scam, which could total up to one million euros.Paul Quinn Properties found its clients through the website www.morairaway.com, which has now been shut down.Clients found the website through popular sites such as www.holidaylettings.co.uk and www.holiday-rentals.co.uk.The Guardia Civil is continuing to investigate

Isabel Pantoja has been given her passport back

Isabel Pantoja has been given her passport back by a Marbella judge to enable her to go on tour, despite being on bail over a massive property fraud and money-laundering racket.Pantoja, whose music career began nearly 40 years ago, was arrested in May 2007 at her Marbella home during investigations into the infamous ‘Malaya’ case of property corruption and tax evasion affecting housing developments on the Costa del Sol and in Los Alcázares (Murcia).She bought her freedom by paying 90,000 euros in bail, which was later refunded to her, although her passport was confiscated and she is under the vigilance of the court.On Sunday, however, it was announced that she would be given her documents back in order to travel to Mexico and Colombia for her work.Pantoja will be expected to report to the judge the day after she arrives back in Spain, and hand her passport over again.Also implicated in the Malaya case is the former mayor of Marbella, Julián Muñoz, and his former wife Maite Zaldívar.

Latin Kings gang have been arrested by National Police

15 alleged members of the Latin Kings gang have been arrested by National Police in Orihuela, Alicante, and five of those are under age. The 15, one Colombian and the rest from Ecuador, are accused of beating up another Bolivian youngster who they thought was a member of a rival gang, Los Ñetas. The Bolivian made a formal complaint to the police.A statement from the Alicante provincial police station says that one of those arrested is considered to be the head of the Orihuela gang.Several of those arrested now had been detained before in January, but since then police think the gang has been recruiting locally, especially among young Ecuadorians.

Estepona News,37-YEAR-OLD Spanish man was arrested by Local Police after he was caught red-handed robbing a bar at the Estepona marina

37-YEAR-OLD Spanish man was arrested by Local Police after he was caught red-handed robbing a bar at the Estepona marina. Another man, aged 26, was also remanded into custody in Estepona for alleged robbery after he asked police to protect him as he was being chased by a group of youths that wanted to hurt him.Officers discovered that the youths were chasing him because he had mugged them moments earlier. In a third incident, Estepona Local Police arrested a German citizen for whom there was an outstanding arrest warrant.

“boiler room” scams have been operating in Spain for years

Kenyan businessman who ran a share-selling scam from offices in London and Barcelona has been forced by a court ruling obtained by The Financial Services Authority (FSA) to return a quarter of the 4 million pounds that his company managed to scam out of British investors.The Kenyan businessman – Mr. Manji was the owner of Bayshore Nominees Ltd a company that cold called investors and encouraged them to buy worthless shares.
Similar “boiler room” scams have been operating in Spain for years. Analysts estimate hundreds of them to be in operation in Spain. In most cases “boiler room” scam victims are unable to recover any money lost given that most of these companies are not registered, so victims cannot claim compensation from the Financial Compensation Scheme or complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.Investors who have dealt with Bayshore should contact the FSA consumer contact centre on 0845 606 1234 (referring to “Bayshore”) with their details so they can be contacted in connection with any possible compensation

Dentist is practising illegally Rajkumar Rao, 45, is working from a practice in the town of Alhaurin el Grande

Dentist is practising illegally in Spain after being twice struck off the dentists' register.Rajkumar Rao, 45, is working from a practice in the town of Alhaurin el Grande, situated in Malaga on the south coast of Spain.
The General Dental Council (GDC) has confirmed that Rajkumar Sureshchandra Rao was removed from the UK dentists' register in May 1998.He was previously found guilty of serious professional misconduct by the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) for offences which included failure to employ a proper degree of skill and attention in providing treatment to patients. He was restored to the UK dentists' register in April 2001, but was erased with immediate suspension again in November 2004 after the PCC found him guilty of seriously deficient clinical work.The GDC said: ‘The Committee took extremely seriously the fact he practised dentistry in the intervening period when he was not a registered dentist. This is illegal.'
However, Rajkumar Rao is offering a ‘world-class smile' and ‘drop dead gorgeous dentures' in local adverts for his clinic, The Alhaurin Dental Centre.A spokesman from the GDC said: ‘The GDC is committed to strengthening patient protection and closely regulates the dental team to ensure they meet our standards which include putting patients' interests first and acting to protect them. When they fail to meet our standards, as Mr Rao did repeatedly, we take proportionate action to protect the public. ‘We alerted the equivalent of the General Dental Council in Spain of this information as a matter of routine.'

Man was shot twice in the legs in a private poker game in a villa in Marbella

A man was shot twice in the legs in a private poker game in a villa in Marbella; he’s recovering well in the Costa del Sol Hospital, and in the early hours of Tuesday a shotgun was fired in a caravan close to an ‘alternative’ night club in Torrox where two Spanish men aged 42 and 56 were the victims who were only slightly hurt.

Shooting incident outside the British Consulate in Málaga.

A 64 year old man, who the British authorities would not authorise to travel to the U.K. to see his children, fired against the façade of the building, situated near Málaga’s bus station, on Tuesday lunchtime.
El País reports that the man fired at the coat of arms and Union Flag which can be seen from the street, as many as five shots. He then tried to make his escape in a grey coloured car with British number plates, but police caught him nearby.Named with the initials S.Y. he was born in Beirut, and had been arrested for counterfeiting by the British police in 2008. There were no injuries in the shooting. The man is expected to appear in court shortly.

Extradition from Marbella of Julian Tzolov, one of America’s most wanted fraudster

'If you pick him up before Monday, drag him here. I want him here on trial'. Well, picked up he was - in Marbella in sunny Spain Wednesday. A new trial date has been set, however, for 21st July (enough time for the US and Spanish authorities to get him shipped over), and Tzolov faces up to 15 years in clink just for jumping bail. His lawyer said: 'Julian made a terrible mistake when he fled the jurisdiction. All he has succeeded in doing is further compromising his already fragile legal position'. No kiddin'.National Police, in close collaboration with the FBI, have arrested Julian Tzolov, one of America’s most wanted fraudster. “Dimitre Ivanov, a director at UBS Securities LLC, aided the government in the effort to locate former Credit Suisse Group AG broker Julian Tzolov while he was a fugitive”, Ivanov’s lawyer told Bloomberg.Julian Tzolov allegedly scammed investors out of $400 million during his time at Credit Suisse in New York.
Mr. Tzolov was arrested by Spanish National Police as he and a bodyguard stopped the Citroen Saxo they were travelling in at a petrol station. Mr. Tzolov was using forget identification bearing the name Ivan Stefanov Ivanov.He was staying with friends from the Bulgarian community in the region although he was seeking rental accommodation priced as high as 5,000 euros a month, a police spokesman said. Mr Tzolov was also exploring ways to buy property according to the spokesman.Mr Tzolov and Eric Butler, 37, a former Credit Suisse broker, allegedly defrauded clients out of millions of dollars by falsely telling clients their financial products were backed by federally guaranteed student loans while they were actually linked to auction-rate securities.The funds were then invested in high-risk assets including sub-prime mortgages.When the alleged fraud was discovered last September, investors were left with losses totalling $400 million.The alleged fraud “foisted more than $1 billion in sub prime-related securities” on customers, the US Securities and Exchange Commission said when the two men were first accused last September.
Mr Tzolov had been based in Marbella for just over two months when he was arrested.Tzolov became one of the most wanted fugitives by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after he disappeared from house arrest in May, just weeks before his trial.

Marbella discovered a large plantation of marijuana

The two brothers, originally from Málaga City, had their bedrooms in a small annexe to the main house and police discovered there a small workshop in the loft where the marijuana was divided up into small bags for sale and distribution. It was also equipped with powerful lamps and a ventilation system.officers discovered a large plantation of marijuana growing on land owned by their parents in San Pedro de Alcántara. The parents are understood to have had no idea it was there.El Mundo said there were 94 plants, some of them as high as three and a half metres.Other equipment, including precision weighing scales, was found in their bedrooms

Juan Antonio Roca sacked

Juan Antonio Roca, the former municipal real estate assessor in Marbella who is at the centre of the Malaya corruption case and in prison for other crimes, will not have a job to go to when he is finally released from jail.
He was suspended from his job when he was placed on remand following his arrest in the Malaya case, but it emerged in January this year that, legally, the Town Hall was unable to sack him.They’ve now found a way to do so however: as a disciplinary measure for repeatedly failing to turn up for work since 31st March 2006. That was when Roca was arrested in the Malaya investigation, and he’s been behind bars ever since.The news was confirmed to EFE by the PSOE party this Thursday, who said he was sacked by the Town Hall on 24th August.

Wanted British man has been arrested in Marbella

Wanted British man has been arrested in Marbella, the Interior Ministry has revealed this Thursday, on an international warrant issued by the UK for a crime committed in Hersden in May 2005.He is named by the Ministry as R.E.C., aged 51, and was originally arrested in the UK after 80 kilos of cannabis were discovered in the hired van he was driving, in boxes which had been loaded up at the second hand car company he owned at the time.
The suspect was arrested near a rent a car in Marbella and is understood to have attempted to escape arrest by driving at the police vehicles which surrounded him.

Aifos Arquitectura y Promociones Inmobiliarias SA has gone into administration leaving 4,000 unfinished homes.

Aifos was one of the first Spanish developers to open an office in the North West of England although the premises in John Dalton Street, Manchester closed around two years ago. The company also had offices in Trafalgar Square, London.British home buyers who fear they may lose out due to the insolvency of one of Spain’s best known developers have been given until the end of September to register their claim with the Spanish authorities, says law firm DWF. Aifos Arquitectura y Promociones Inmobiliarias SA has gone into administration leaving 4,000 unfinished homes.Aifos, which promoted itself as a ‘young and dynamic’ developer, was known for its ambitious schemes, luxury services and aggressive marketing campaigns. It was behind many projects in Andalucía and owned hotels such as the Guadalpín Marbella and the Hotel Byblos in Mjias, which is now in the process of being purchased by Sir Alan Sugar.The company reflected the glamorous side of Marbella’s construction industry but it also became synonymous with the darker side too when several of its directors were implicated by an anti-corruption campaign, Operation Malaya, the results of which shocked the country.Antonio Guillen, a Spanish lawyer with DWF in Manchester who is advising British purchasers on the insolvency of several Spanish developers, says it is estimated that Aifos has debts of over 1,000 million Euros and more than 2,000 creditors. The company filed for voluntary administration which has now been accepted, and administrators are being appointed to supervise its affairs.He says: “Anyone who has purchased a property off-plan from Aifos or owns a property that has not been fully finished needs to inform the administrators and the court before 30 September to ensure they are included in the final list of creditors. They will need to supply any documents that can help to prove the payments made, such as purchase contracts, payment orders and bank statements.“They should also check whether they have been supplied with a bank guarantee. A guarantee is compulsory under Spanish law, although not all developers comply, and will ensure that if the property is not finished, a guarantor, usually a bank, will refund the money they have paid plus interest. It could mean the difference between them losing all their money and getting a refund. “Ideally purchasers should contact a lawyer versed in Spanish insolvency law who can ensure they have all the right paperwork and are properly represented in the administration procedure, as well as contemplating alternative solutions such as enforcing the bank guarantee where this has been provided.”

Arrested six suspected drugs traffickers and dismantled two cocaine ‘cutting’ labs

National Police organised crime unit UDYCO have arrested six suspected drugs traffickers and dismantled two cocaine ‘cutting’ labs . More than 21 kilograms of cutting substance and 2.5 kilograms of cocaine have been seized by officers.The investigation was launched six months ago when police received information about a gang that was trafficking drugs in Malaga Province. Initials enquiries revealed that the gang had installed and was using two laboratories in two homes which they use to cut cocaine they collected from Madrid on a weekly basis. They would then sell the drugs across the Costa del Sol.Despite extreme counter-surveillance measures taken the traffickers, the police were able to follow the person in charge of bringing the drugs from Madrid. He took a bus to the capital and returned in a car which officers managed to follow to the Malaga fairground where he was intercepted. In the trunk of the car, police found two sacks containing 18 kilograms of a white substance and three one litre containers filled with cocaine.In a coordinated swoop, police were able to arrest another four members of the gang as they arrived at a Mijas home and raid three other properties. A sixth person was arrested trying to escape from a Benalmadena home, with 3,200 euros in cash hidden in his clothes.IN addition to the drugs and arrests, officers confiscated two hand guns fitted with silencers, 14,245 euros in cash, two cars, a motorbike, a laptop and ten mobile phones

British arrests involved in the drugs traffic and stolen vehicle trade in the Costa del Sol.

Guardia Civil’s Organised Crime Unit in Malaga have arrested 21 people allegedly involved in the drugs traffic and stolen vehicle trade in Marbella. Among their alleged activities was the smuggling of hash into Spain hidden in prams under sleeping babies as they passed customs.During the operation 13 others have also been charged. They 21 arrested are of Chilean (1), Moroccan (5), Spanish (8), French (5) and British (2) nationalities. More than 1.5 tons of hash, 11 vehicles, 56,500 euros in cash and a number of electrical items such as mobile phones and laptops were also seized.The investigation was launched in February 2008 following intelligence received by the Spanish authorities that suggested the existence of a hash trafficking network working out of the Costa del Sol.The network was made up of three separate cells that were structured and organised to be able to work independently of each other, something that made the investigators task more taxing.Once the drugs were smuggled into Spain they were hidden in secret compartments build in transport vehicles and smuggled into France.One of the cells smuggled cocaine hidden in chocolate bars that were brought into Spain via the postal service.Another one of the cells specialised in the buying and selling of stolen cars. These were modified and transported to Ceuta. From there they were driven to Morocco.In some cases the stolen vehicles were complete disassembled to appear to be second hand parts or scrap metal.

Ernest Malyshev Russian owner of the troubled Los Monteros Hotel in Marbella

Russian owner of the troubled Los Monteros Hotel in Marbella has presented a new viability plan, Europa Press reveals, which unions say gives way on some of the conditions included in the first plan presented last month. That plan was rejected by the 180 staff at the hotel as non-viable and insufficient.The latest plan recently presented by the owner’s legal representative proposes bringing forward the deadline for staff to be paid their outstanding wages. Originally set at 12 months, it’s now been brought down to the end of this year. Lola Villalba, from the CCOO union in Málaga, said Los Monteros workers would be prepared to accept the original 180,000 € offered by Ernest Malyshev for a first payment to cover back pay, but would need firm guarantees that the remainder of the money will be paid.She added that both sides want to negotiate a temporary lay-off, which would allow the staff to apply for unemployment benefit.The next step now will be when the owner’s representative responds to the union’s proposed modifications presented for the second viability plan.Los Monteros has been closed since early June and now has no running water or electricity.

La Cabane owes between 5 and 6 million € in unpaid taxes and Social Security payments

Lola Villalba from the CCOO union told Europa Press this weekend that La Cabane owes between 5 and 6 million € in unpaid taxes and Social Security payments, out of the estimated 70 million € owed by the hotel as a whole to both bodies and to the Banco de Santander.The union which is acting on behalf of the 180 workers at the luxury Los Monteros Hotel in Marbella, where staff are owed more than seven months in back wages, say they have managed to obtain a preventive embargo on the hotel’s beach club, La Cabane.CCOO’s Málaga representative for the hostelry sector said the union decided to make the move after interest shown in the beach club by a number of buyers, with concerns that if La Cabane were to be sold off the hotel’s sale value would drop considerably

Investment club WinCapita (former WinClub) investigation may hit expats living on the Costas

initial stage of the pre-trial investigation concerning the investment club WinCapita (former WinClub), the police focus on the money transactions and members of the club as well as the real nature of the activity. On the one hand, the police suspect that the club organised a money collection in the form of a pyramid scheme, which is illegal in Finland. For this reason, one of the suspected offences is a money collection offence. On the other hand, the police aim to establish whether some of the persons involved in the activity committed frauds against those who invested money in the club. Thus far, around twenty persons have reported the matter to the police. According to currently available information, close to 10,000 Finnish citizens participated in the club’s activities. The operating principle of the club was similar to network marketing in general. The club was created and run by a small group of persons, under whom there were “promoters” at different levels, who recruited investors to the club. The investors were often recruited among the promoter’s friends and acquaintances. Based on the available information, the persons running the club are mainly Finnish. The police have taken measures to catch the suspects. The pre-trial investigation has established so far that a company registered in Panama is behind the activities of WinCapita/WinClub. The club’s money transactions stopped on 7 March 2008, when the club shut down their website meant for investors.Interviews and questionings of several club members have revealed that the club has not paid the promised “profits” to the investors since the website was shut down. There are many rumours among the club members about why the club stopped its operation. Therefore, the police would like to bring the facts to the notice of the members. One rumour has it that the money transactions of the club were stopped because the police started to investigate the case. This rumour is not true. The police did not take any investigative measures concerning WinCapita before 25 March 2008, when the pre-trial investigation was launched. The other rumour is that the club management themselves requested the police to investigate the case because the club had been used for money laundering. The National Bureau of Investigation is not aware of any such request.

Marbella launch of Katie Price's new equestrian clothing range

Katie Price's advisers have told her to stop drinking when she flies to Spain tomorrow to launch her new equestrian clothing range.The British glamour model has been warned to keep a low profile and avoid binging on alcohol when she goes to Marbella to launch her new equestrian clothing range.A source said: "Her people want nothing to detract from the range - and if she's not drinking, then they're on much safer ground."When it comes to her business Katie is a true professional, so she wouldn't be partying hard anyway. But in any case, she's very aware that image is very important - especially in the business world."

Cilla Black and Sir Cliff Richard have been seen on holiday together in Marbella.

Cilla Black and Sir Cliff Richard have been seen on holiday together in Marbella.
The 66-year-old Blind Date presenter and the 68-year-old Summer Holiday singer were seen dining at Polo House, a club owned by James Hewitt, The Daily Telegraph reports. A source said: "Cilla and Cliff looked like a couple on a Saga holiday, Cilla has a place here and Cliff was staying with her."