49-year-old, Brit who has not been named, is thought to be behind 15 hold-ups in the provinces of Malaga and Alicante, accompanied by a 31-year-old Russian woman.

The 49-year-old, who has not been named, is thought to be behind 15 hold-ups in the provinces of Malaga and Alicante, accompanied by a 31-year-old Russian woman.

Spanish police believe the pair could have stolen about 115,000 euros (£98,345) in the raids.

They are suspected of working together to carry out the crimes, a police spokesman said.

Detectives believe their modus operandi involved the woman first ringing the bell of the bank and when a member of staff opened the door she would be flanked by the man, who was armed with a pistol.

He would then enter and rob the bank.

In some cases the man threatened staff by holding the pistol to their heads, detectives said.

When the pair were arrested, officers seized a car, a pistol, a laptop case, two wigs, a fake beard and moustache and a purse containing stolen money.

Officers from Spain's Civil Guard swooped following a five-month investigation beginning in mid-April and codenamed Operation Flanders.

The probe was launched after a bank robbery in the Malaga town of Mijas on April 16.

This was followed by another one in the Alfaz del Pi area of Alicante.

The man and woman arrested are believed to have been responsible for both.

In the following months they are suspected of committing another five robberies in the areas of Calpe, Alicante, and the Malaga resorts of Sabinillas, Cala de Moral and Torrox.

A police spokesman said: "During the investigation the Civil Guard became aware that previously, from 2008, the suspects had committed three other robberies in (the Costa del Sol resort of) Fuengirola and five more in Marbella."

The last robbery was committed last Friday at 9am local time in the Torrox area.

After being alerted to the incident, the Civil Guard and Judicial Police set up vehicle control points in order to intercept the suspects.

Officers were deployed to different locations around the Mijas and Marbella areas of Malaga.

At about 10am, a group of Civil Guard officers stationed near a toll barrier on the A7 motorway saw a car that matched the description of that used in the robbery.

When they recognised the people inside it, they stopped the car and arrested them, a spokesman said.

Southern Highlands woman has fallen to her death after her parachute tangled during a base jump from one of Malaysia's tallest buildings

Southern Highlands woman has fallen to her death after her parachute tangled during a base jump from one of Malaysia's tallest buildings

Forget Real Madrid, Spain's largest corruption trial underway | dscriber

Forget Real Madrid, Spain's largest corruption trial underway dscriber: "Malaya corruption case centred on Marbella town hall came before the Málaga provincial court, four years after the first arrests made headlines. In the dock sit 95 people in what has become Spain’s largest corruption case ever. A special annex has been built on to the Palacio de Justicia much like the one used in Madrid for the “March 11 2004” terrorism trial.
The man said to be the mastermind behind this latest national obsession -- a town planning scam -- is Juan Antonio Roca, the director of planning at Marbella town hall. Prosecutors will attempt to prove that mayors, councillors, officials and businessmen were all swept in his massive web of corruption."

Biggest ever corruption trial has opened, with nearly 100 people accused of involvement in a scandal that led to the dissolution of the town council in Marbella.

 Biggest ever corruption trial has opened, with nearly 100 people accused of involvement in a scandal that led to the dissolution of the town council in the popular tourist resort of Marbella. 

The case, which broke in March 2006, centres on the alleged payment of millions of dollars in bribes to city officials by property developers in return for planning permission in the mid-1990s. 

Among the 95 defendants are Julian Munoz and Marisol Yague, two former mayors of the town on the Costa del Sol, and Juan Antonio Roca, the ex-chief of urban planning, suspected to have been the mastermind behind the operations.

They face sentences of 10, 20 and 30 years respectively for corruption, money-laundering and misuse of public funds.

Roca is the only defendant who has been jailed while awaiting the trial.

Others on trial in the provincial court of the nearby city of Malaga include town councillors, lawyers and building contractors.

The government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Socialist prime minister, dissolved the Marbella town council in April 2006 in the wake of the scandal.

Zapatero's administration appointed an auditors' commission to take over the running of the town until local elections in 2007.

It was the first time since Spain returned to democracy following the death of dictator General Francisco Franco in 1975 that a government had taken such a step.

The trial is expected to last a year.

'Caso Malaya', which hit the headlines in 2007, could see various members of Marbella municipality council going down for anything but as numerous as 30 years over charges relating to money-laundering, misuse of public funds, bribery and corruption.

 'Caso Malaya', which hit the headlines in 2007, could see various members of Marbella municipality council going down for anything but as numerous as 30 years over charges relating to money-laundering, misuse of public funds, bribery and corruption.
Those embroiled in the case – which embroiled illicit property dealings affecting urbanisations as far afield as Los Alcázares in Murcia – include lawyer and current president of Sevilla FC, José María del Nido, and singer Isabel Pantoja.
The leading accused parties are former mayoress and mayoress of Marbella, Julián Muñoz and Marisol Yagüe – who are facing 10 and 20 years in prison, respectively – and the latter's assessor and council-worker, Juan Antonio Roca, who could be imprisoned for but as numerous as 30 years and prevented from carrying out his profession for the next 44 years.
The case will involve reviewing 196 files comprising 30,000 documents of a complete of 200,000 pages.
Oral testimonies could take greater than a year to complete, and in the region 300 reporters from in the region the world have been given press passes to the trial, either allowing them to attend in person or to follow the trial daily via mobile units that have been establish for the purpose.
The Caso Malaya trial is set to be one of the largest the country has ever seen.

Glitzy Marbella on trial as corruption case opens Spanish coastal resort of Marbella was long believed to be a hotbed of corruption

Spanish coastal resort of Marbella was long believed to be a hotbed of corruption, but when police uncovered a new alleged bribery ring there in 2006, the apparent extent of the kickbacks left the country aghast.

In his decade as urban planning advisor to the Marbella city council, Juan Antonio Roca accumulated a fortune worth about 245 million euros (330 million dollars) including country estates and luxury villas, prosecutors will argue at a trial that began Monday in Malaga on the southern Costa del Sol.

Roca's fortune is alleged to have included art treasures in his bathroom, a tiger in the garden, a chapel with medieval sculptures and a helicopter pad.

Spain's biggest ever corruption trial features 95 defendants, including two former mayors, an ex-deputy mayor, former city officials, entrepreneurs, lawyers and art dealers.

The trial - which is expected to last about a year - is seen as a judicial watershed in Spain, where Marbella is regarded as being only the most flagrant example of wide-spread corrupt practices in the property sector.

Big-time corruption in Marbella - a jet-set tourist resort frequented by Hollywood stars and Arab royalty - is believed to have taken off under the late populist mayor Jesus Gil y Gil between 1991 and 2001.

It gradually increased to the point that it reportedly became practically impossible to get a building permit without paying a kickback.

The man to pull the strings for years is thought to have been Roca, the only one among the defendants to be currently in prison.

Roca appeared to be just a modest employee or collaborator of the city council, but in fact he ran Marbella, picking and dethroning mayors as he pleased, according to witnesses. 'I am the city council,' Roca reportedly said.

Corrupt officials working with Roca allegedly allowed entrepreneurs to build on protected land, to erect buildings which did not meet the required standards, to buy municipal land for throwaway prices and to obtain contracts without appropriate bidding proceedings - all of that, for a price.

'I do not move a single document, I do not move anything, I do not even start reading anything if I don't get money,' one of the defendants, former deputy mayor Isabel Garcia Marcos, said in a conversation taped by police.

Lower-level suspects who are being investigated separately include Isabel Pantoja, one of Spain's most popular singers, with a career spanning several decades.

She is suspected of laundering money on behalf of Julian Munoz, one of the main accused, with whom she started an affair while he was Marbella mayor.

Police uncovered the suspected corruption ring in what is known as the Operation Malaya in March and April 2006. That prompted the Spanish government to dissolve the Marbella city council and to temporarily replace it with a caretaker authority, in an unprecedented move.

The current city authorities are in the process of legalising more than 16,000 illegally built homes, as part of their attempts to improve Marbella's reputation.

Corruption is seen as having done important damage to Marbella's urban planning, and similar cases are not unusual in Spain.

They contributed to cramming the Mediterranean coast with an excess of apartment blocks and to overheating the country's construction sector, which earned more than 10 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) prior to th

The collapse of the construction sector worsened the effects of the crisis in Spain, plunging the country into its deepest recession in 60 years, from which it is now gradually recovering.

Spanish police detained nearly 1,000 people in different types of corruption cases, seizing goods worth more than 3 billion euros between 2004 and 2009, according to figures given by police.

Corruption generally, and especially on the local level, was an 'obvious problem' in Spain, the Council of Europe warned in a recent report.

The main defendants in the Marbella corruption case face prison sentences of up to 30 years if found guilty. All of the accused face possible jail terms amounting to a total of up to 500 years and fines totaling about 4 billion euros. 

man wanted by French authorities in relation to a crime in Nice was surprised in a villa in Rincon de la Victoria.

 man wanted by French authorities in relation to a crime in Nice was surprised in a villa in Rincon de la Victoria. In May of this year, the victim, a man aged 40, arrived by moped to a cottage in Nice at night whereby he was approached by two individuals who fired seven shots at him.

French Authorities coordinated with Spain’s National Police Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit (Udyco), who believed that the man could be in Rincon de la Victoria. Local Police sourced the villa were he was staying.

A dozen agents of the Special Operations Group, Udyco-Costa del Sol and half a dozen local police officers undertook the arrest of the suspect, who offered no resistance whatsoever.

Maurice Boland has been having a secret affair with a 16-year-old teenager in Marbella.

Celebrity Irish DJ Maurice Boland has been having a secret affair with a 16-year-old teenager in Marbella.

Known as "Mr Marbella", the former Irish nightclub boss, who has been married for 40 years, had his long-standing contract with Talk Radio Europe on the Costa del Sol suddenly terminated last week when the affair with the teenager came to light.

Mr Boland was helping the young entertainer prepare to sing in his Marbella talent competition, The Wow Factor, which he set up in aid of a cancer charity, when the affair took place.

Speaking for the first time about his relationship with the 16 year old, Mr. Boland told the Sunday Independent he made a "terrible" mistake.

"I made an error of judgement," he said. "I got involved with someone. I have been married for 40 years next year. I have been in the media and nightclub business for many, many years and I've never had an affair.

"This is the first time it's happened. I made a very bad misjudgment, which is terrible and hurt a lot of people, including my own wife and her family and my children. And all I can say to those people who are hurt -- I am sincerely sorry."

The news will come as a shock to those who know Maurice Boland from his days as a high-profile nightclub owner when he launched the late-night club culture on Dublin's Leeson Street. Later he joined forces with La Stampa owner Louis Murray to launch Barbarella's nightclub.

Mr Boland and his wife Wendy were a glamour couple of Dublin's social set and moved to Marbella, Spain, in the Eighties, where they became part of the ex-pat Irish social scene. Wendy is very well known among the ladies who lunch and has her own business as a party organiser, mainly for Irish people.

Mr Boland himself is well connected with the ex-pat Irish community and frequently has guests over from Ireland as well as interviewing a string of famous people, including British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Mandy Smith, who claimed her relationship with Rolling Stone Bill Wyman began at the age of 13 and who went on to marry the ageing rocker, later worked for Mr Boland in his club Cuba. He eventually became her agent, promising to make her a star. Under his tutelage, Mandy landed a few modelling jobs and began to take herself seriously as a singer, cutting a record in 1987 called I Just Can't Wait.

Mr Boland confirmed this weekend that his wife is standing by him and that his family are struggling to get through it together.

"It's been a very rocky time for us. My family have rallied around me and obviously they are not happy with the situation, but we love each other very much. We're a very close family. I shouldn't have got involved with anyone," he said.

"My wife is coping. We have a lot of years behind us and I pray we'll have many years ahead of us. I'm very upset -- not for me as much as I am upset for my wife and our children and her family as well. I don't give two craps about me, who cares? But I do care about my wife, I do care about my children, I do care about her and her family."

Speaking about the liaison with the young girl, he explained how he had set out to help her build on her musical talents but their relationship eventually turned into something more.

He said their relationship started off as a working relationship while he helped her with her music career, saying, "It was a very short involvement and it was never planned. Some of these things just happen.

"It came about through circumstance. The wrong time at the wrong place. There's nothing planned about it."

Asked how his working relationship crossed the line, he replied: "I can't answer it. I can't answer because there was no plan. How do these things happen? I don't know.

"It came to light, people found out and that was it," he said.

"There is no rape involved, no illegality involved, so there's nowhere else to go with that."

Drawing on the young girl's age, he said, "The reason that anyone is showing any interest is because of the girl's age, but I've done nothing illegal. She is of legal age. I have done nothing illegal."

"She's 100 per cent over 16. Not that I feel any better. I'm feeling awful about everything. I didn't set out to have a relationship with anyone, or to have it with someone so young. It was just a misjudgment on my behalf.

"These things happen in life. Why do they happen? I have no answer at all. It certainly wasn't planned or anything," he said.

Mr Boland said he will be "withdrawing from public life" for the foreseeable future, including taking a step back from all radio and charity work. His Wow Factor competition, the final of which was due to run in November, has also been cancelled.

Drawing on the termination of his contract at Talk Radio Europe, he said: "Radio was my whole life. It's just awful. I don't know if it's the end. It's too early to make any decisions yet."

He added: "I think it's very important that people understand that there's been a lot of hurt involved in this whole thing and they should make up their mind to leave the families alone. All I can say is that I'm very upset that this happened, very upset and very sorry. It's been the lowest moment in my life ever."

Maurice is a great family man, tireless charity worker and well loved member of the community, if you ask Maurice what his hobbies are, he'll laugh

sudden departure of ‘Mr Marbella’ Maurice Boland from his post at Talk Radio Europe (TRE).


Novelist Lord Jeffrey Archer described Maurice as, "the professional's professional. He is very hard working, very demanding in his research and above all - which is not the case with all journalists - he is very fair. He sees both sides."...Born in Dublin into a medical family Maurice caught the showbiz bug at a very early age, after running a successful club in Ireland where the rich and famous flocked to, he decided to come to Marbella in the early 80´s and took over James Hunt´s (Formula one racing champion) club, “Oscars”. In 1986 he opened the Cuba Club on the Golden Mile.Maurice´s career continued to evolve and he went on to present the first radio show in English on one of Spain’s largest independent Radio stations, the show quickly became a hit amongst ex pats. Maurice´s Midas touch continued and he initiated H! Society which became the, 'must to be seen in and to be seen with' magazine. In 2004 Maurice launched his own radio station REMfm (now rebranded as Talk Radio Europe). TRE is now Spain's largest English speaking radio network broadcasting to listeners along the Costa Del Sol, Costa Blanca, Costa Almeria, Costa Cálida, and Madrid.
Maurice is a great family man, tireless charity worker and well loved member of the community, if you ask Maurice what his hobbies are, he'll laugh at you saying “ when do you think I would have time for a hobby , after all , my work is my hobby”...

MIJAS BEACH BARS TO STAY OPEN | Costa del Sol | Leader - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain

MIJAS BEACH BARS TO STAY OPEN Costa del Sol Leader - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain: "Mijas Town Council and private enterprise have agreed new proposals to promote Mijas as a tourist destination during the next autumn-winter season and not just during the hot summer months.
In this regard, a proposal from the Bureau for the Promotion of Tourism in Mijas have now agred that the 15 beach establishments spread along the 14 kilometers of Mijas coastline can remain open throughout the year.
'Our intention is that residents and visitors alike can enjoy our beaches not only in summer but during the remaining months of the year enjoying the lovely weather that we have on the south coast all year round,' said Councillor for Tourism, Fuensanta Lima.
The Councillor said that the bars have set a fixed timetable for opening so that throughout the year a number of them will be open. “Although some have already decided to close at the end of the summer season they may wish to rescind their decisions and remain open.” She said.
'Despite the crisis, there have been a high number of people on our beaches,' she added. “In July, the bars increased their sales 10 percent over the same period last year. Maybe the tourists have not been able to spend as much as other years, but they have remained faithful to our city,' added the politician.

The tourism promotion 'Live on your beaches in Mijas' has also served to strengthen and diversify tourism. The 15 kiosks have offered customers various promotions. 'The goal of live on your beaches in Mijas has been particularly beneficial and we wanted to reward our visitors with different promotions every year that they visit our beaches.'"

CORRUPTION CASE BEGINS | Costa del Sol | Leader - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain

CORRUPTION CASE BEGINS Costa del Sol Leader - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain: "man at the centre of the Malaya corruption case based in Marbella Town Hal is Juan Antonio Roca. The ex-municipal real estate assessor has once again dismissed all allegations and charges against him and has demanded that the court accept more evidence.

In a 68 page document, Roca calls for ‘dozens’ more items of evidence to be looked at and both he, and his daughter who is also among the accused, have already been given extra time to work on their on their defence after their lawyer left the case due to lack of payment by Roca in 2006. If the prosecutor gets his way Roca could face a 30 year prison sentence with a 810.78 million-euro fine if found guilty on charges of money laundering, administrative perversion, misuse of public funds, fraud, passive bribery and other charges."

FAMILY CONCERNED FOR DAUGHTERS SAFETY | Costa Calida | Leader - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain

FAMILY CONCERNED FOR DAUGHTERS SAFETY Costa Calida Leader - News, Sport, Advertising, Property, Classifieds - Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Costa Calida, Costa de Almeria, Spain: "Guardia Civil de Almería are investigating the disappearance of Sheila Chahbouni, a 16- year-old girl whose family has lost contact with her since early last Saturday after she left her home in Aguadulce (Roquetas de Mar) with some friends on Friday evening. Her mother, Maria de los Angeles Uclés, decided to file a complaint in the barracks of the Guardia Civil de Roquetas on Sunday after her daughter had stopped answering calls on her mobile phone"

food watchdog has warned people not to use a chemical marketed as a health supplement after tests showed it was similar to industrial-strength bleach.

A food watchdog has warned people not to use a chemical marketed as a health supplement after tests showed it was similar to industrial-strength bleach.

 

The Miracle Mineral Solution could cause severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, potentially leading to dehydration and reduced blood pressure, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said.

If diluted less than instructed, it could damage the gut and red blood cells, potentially resulting in respiratory failure.
The product, available over the internet, should not be sold, the FSA said.
Tests showed it has a 28% sodium chlorite solution - the equivalent of industrial-strength bleach, the FSA said.

Poker fever that is, at Casino Marbella. This was where the charismatic Gary Collins from The Marbella Mob Poker Team, bobbed, weaved, dodged and danced

Poker fever that is, at Casino Marbella. This was where the charismatic Gary Collins from The Marbella Mob Poker Team, bobbed, weaved, dodged and danced his way through the field of dedicated Texas Hold em pro’s and enthusiasts, eager to win their share of the 10,000 euro prize pool.

After a nine hour struggle, Gary finally took down the booty, a well deserved win indeed, after some severe cases of bad luck over the last few weeks whilst playing in the prestigious tournaments around the country.

Notably loosing with pocket Aces to Pocket Kings, when the dreaded King hit for his opponent during the Full Tilt series España in Madrid and denying him his chance of sharing in the quarter of a million prize pool, being knocked out just outside the money.

This weekend Gary, and fellow mobsters Donna Fransz and David Dancey, will be making their way down to the Gala Casino in Gibraltar for the Poker Masters.

This is the start of a pretty busy schedule for the guys over the next month as the Marbella Classic Poker 770 series takes place from October 1 to 3, and then the team will be playing in their own tournament, the inaugural Marbella Mob Poker Open 2010, a new two day poker event, on October 16 to 17, sponsored in association with the UK’s leading independent bookmaker and online poker room Betfred.

There are plenty of chances to win a seat into this event, both online and live satellites are available, just visitwww.marbellamobpoker.com for all the details on how you can take part in this affordable event for the true poker player. Buena Suerte!!

Costa del Sol Malaya corruption case in court | Olive Press Newspaper

Costa del Sol Malaya corruption case in court : "IT will be the biggest corruption super trial that Spain has ever seen.
The Malaya case – which dates back to March 2006 – is finally coming to court next week.
Expected to take up to two years to complete, some 95 people stand accused in the dock.
As well as Marbella’s real estate assessor, Juan Antonio Roca, there will also be two ex-Mayors of Marbella, Julián Muñoz and Marisol Yagüe.
Roca and his cohorts are accused of accepting more than 33 million euros in bribes between 2002 and 2006 in return for planning permission."

Italian explosives find ‘too big for Mafia’ - Weapons : news, world | euronews

Italian explosives find ‘too big for Mafia’ - Weapons : news, world euronews: "Italian investigators are trying to find out details of a shipment of powerful explosives that they say is too large even for the mafia.
Police seized seven tonnes of RDX in Calabria at the end of August but kept the find under wraps until this week.
The cargo was hidden on a Liberian-registered ship and is believed to have come from Iran. Police say it is too much for use only by the Calabrian mafia, the N’drangheta.
The head of the regional police force, Carmelo Casabona, said:
“The N’drangheta deals with lots of criminal activities in our country but I think it is impossible that they could lead such an international affair.”"

police found 420,000 pounds sterling on the boat, 100,000 €, and 20,000 dollars."

 "The Catamaran ‘Cariro II’ left Mallorca loaded up with hashish off the Moroccan coast and then headed towards the south of the U.K. It was intercepted off Cádiz and the two crew were among those now arrested. As well as the drugs, police found 420,000 pounds sterling on the boat, 100,000 €, and 20,000 dollars."

Great Britain is 'worst place to live in Europe' Spain came second- Yahoo! News UK

Great Britain is 'worst place to live in Europe' - Yahoo! News UK: "Research by uSwitch has revealed that high living costs, below average government spending on health and education, lack of holidays and late retirement have contributed to a bleak picture for Brits. Skip related contentRelated photos / videos
UK worst place to live in Europe
Play video UK worst place to live in Europe Play video Great Britain is 'worst place to live in Europe' Enlarge photo Related content
August mortgage approvals lowest since April 2009 - BBA
Banks pull FTSE lower as U.S. worries persist
Fiscal cuts, tight credit are headwinds to growth - Bank's Dale
Related Hot Topic: Financial Crisis
Have your say: Financial CrisisTo make matters worse, the UK no longer enjoys the highest net household income in the continent. Last year it was £10,000 above the European average, whereas now it is just £2,314 ahead, slipping below Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark.
Britons in search of quality of life might want to move to France, as it held on to the top spot in the index for the second year in succession.
Spain came second, while Denmark, Poland and Germany helped to make up the top five spots, with all these countries offering more days of holiday and a lower retirement age than the UK and Ireland."

British man ran drug trafficking operation from his prison cell in Sevilla

British man ran drug trafficking operation from his prison cell in Sevilla: "British man is accused of running a drug trafficking network from his prison cell in Sevilla. National Police have collaborated with the SOCA serious crimes unit of the British Police in the operation.

The network was based on the Costa del Sol, and the police operation has resulted in the impounding of a Catamaran found to be carrying 3,200 kilos of hashish, just hours after a yacht escorted into Cádiz was found to be carrying 1,500 kilos of cocaine.

The network was organised by a British man who was on an open regime in the Sevilla jail, serving time for previous drug offences, and he organised a group of compatriots based on the Costa del Sol. The chief had also asked for a transfer to Málaga jail."

Only twenty percent of European flights will run in Spain on the day of the General Strike - September

 "Only twenty percent of European flights will run in Spain on the day of the General Strike - September 29"

Agreement was reached late on Wednesday night between the Government and the Unions on the minimum transport services which will run in Spain on the day of the General Strike, September 29.



Under the agreement all the country's airports will open, and that 40% of intercontinental flights will operate, 20% of European flights will take off, along with 10% of National services. There will also be 50% coverage on flights from the mainland to the islands, and on flights between the islands.



Local train services will see an average of 25% coverage, rising to 30% at peak times, and 20% of AVE high speed train services will operate.



It comes as the ‘global’ agreement was finally reached after ten hours of talks late on Wednesday with the flight levels proving to be the biggest sticking point.



The stoppage has now seen some coverage in the British press. The Daily Mail said that Spain is likely to descend into travel chaos on the day.



Meanwhile Iberia has cancelled 22 flights today because of the General Strike in France.









Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27271.shtml#ixzz10LD6hTHB

Real-life Kingpin Alexander Surin, who was arrested in Spain quite recently, it seems was a frequent victim of malicious words from disbelieving individuals on Internet forums.

Real-life Kingpin Alexander Surin, who was arrested in Spain quite recently, it seems was a frequent victim of malicious words from disbelieving individuals on Internet forums.

What kind of forums, you might ask? Car forums, of course. What else would a crime and drug boss do with all his money apart from living the good life? Of course, flaunt them all over the Web.

A Bugatti Veyron, an Enzo Ferrari, a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Ferrari 599 GTB, a Ferrari California and a Porsche 911 GT3 just to name a few. And these uber-exotic cars are just a glimpse of what Surin has in his stable. Believe it or not, the man stashed some $1.1 million in these cars. Talk about loose change.

Police in Europe have all the evidence linking him to these cars, including photos and forum posts that reveal Surin’s passion for engines and four wheels. Too bad, he won’t be able to drive in prison.

Marbella Town Hall has estimated that the amount of money diverted from the town’s coffers by the Malaya and two smaller Saqueo cases totals more than 500 million €.

ex municipal real estate assessor, Juan Antonio Roca, has again rejected the allegations against him, and has demanded that the court accept the admission of dozens more items of evidence.

In a 68 sheet submission, Roca calls for ‘dozens’ more items of evidence. Both Roca and his daughter Maria, who is also among the accused, have been given extra time to assemble their defence already, given that their lawyer, Aníbal Álvarez, left the case in March 2006 as she could not be paid from his embargoed bank accounts.

Some 250 journalists are accredited to follow the case in Málaga Ciudad de la Justicia from Monday. It’s the largest corruption case ever in Spain, with a total of 96 accused.

It will start with a study of the ‘previous questions’, and for the first month or so the defence lawyers will be able to make requests, call for phone tap evidence or house searches to be declared void, or to claim that the time some of the accused were held in prison on remand was excessive, or even to claim that the Málaga Provincial Court is not the competent body to hear the trial, given that the prosecution alleges crimes carried out across the geography of the country.

Meanwhile Marbella Town Hall has estimated that the amount of money diverted from the town’s coffers by the Malaya and two smaller Saqueo cases totals more than 500 million €. Roca has already, on one occasion, declared that his assets were worth more than 120 million €.

Marbella Town Hall has also added its own requests to those of the prosecutor, and called for a 7.5 year prison sentence for ex Mayor, Julián Muñoz, and 3.5 years for the diva, Isabel Pantoja.



Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27257.shtml#ixzz10Gh4go9O

officers thought he might have fled to Spain, possibly in the Alicante region suspected member of drug smuggling gang

Leicestershire detective vows to track down suspected member of drug smuggling gang: "Police want to question Shashi Dhar Sahnan about a conspiracy to import high-grade heroin worth millions of pounds from Turkey to Leicester.
Two men, Leicester brothers Babu and Bharat Sarasia, are serving 25-year and 18-year sentences respectively for their roles in the crime.
Mr Sahnan, who is thought to have played a leading role in the conspiracy, disappeared before his alleged co-conspirators were put on trial.
His whereabouts are unknown and he is listed as one of the UK's most wanted.
Det Con Kevin Hames, who led the investigation into the smuggling operation, spoke out after the Sarasia brothers appeared in court last week following an investigation into their finances.
He said: 'I have another 15 years or so of my career left and I will not stop looking for Mr Sahnan. This is not the end of this investigation.'
The Sarasia brothers were jailed after police and customs officials intercepted an 18kg consignment of heroin in July 2007.
However, police believe the gang, of which the brothers were key members, had smuggled nine consignments of the drug to the city.
The potential street value of the 10 smuggled lots is thought to exceed £12 million.
Mr Sahnan, who has links to the West Midlands and London and is not from Leicestershire, is thought to be overseas.
At one point, officers thought he might have fled to Spain, possibly in the Alicante region.
His photograph was circulated in the area two years ago in the hope that holidaymakers or expatriates would recognise him.
However, the 51-year-old, who wears a hearing aid in his right ear, remains at large."

British organised crime group based in Malaga who hired a catamaran, the Cariro 2, to transport the cannabis from Morocco to the UK.

 "Two men from St Leonards were arrested after police seized cannabis worth more than £8 million.
They were said to be 'at the UK distribution end' of a group importing the drug by sea from Morocco.
The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Middle Market Drugs Partnership - made up of Metropolitan Police, Customs and SOCA officers - boarded a yacht on Friday in a joint operation with Spanish police.
They seized more than 2.8 tons of cannabis, including 2.71 tons of cannabis resin and 100 kilos of high-grade skunk cannabis.
A statement from SOCA said: 'The operation targeted a British organised crime group based in Malaga who hired a catamaran, the Cariro 2, to transport the cannabis from Morocco to the UK.
'On Friday, armed officers from the Spanish National Police boarded the catamaran while it was midway between Morocco and Spain, and apprehended the crew members.'
Three British men and a British woman are being questioned by Spanish police, along with three Moroccan men and one Moroccan woman."

catamaran, the Cariro 2, had been hired by a British-organised crime group based in Malaga Arrests after £8m of cannabis found on boat set for UK

catamaran, the Cariro 2, had been hired by a British-organised crime group based in Malaga.
During the operation, the crew members were arrested, while additional arrests were made in Marbella.
Three British men and one British woman are now being questioned by Spanish police, along with three Moroccan men and one Moroccan woman.
The drugs haul was made up of 2.71 tonnes of cannabis resin and 100 kilos of high-grade skunk cannabis."

Two Sussex men and one from Surrey face extradition to Spain Arrests after £8m of cannabis found on boat set for UK

Two Sussex men and one from Surrey face extradition to Spain after a boat with £8m of cannabis destined for the UK was stopped between Morocco and Spain.
It follows an operation between the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), the Middle Market Drugs Partnership (MMDP), and Spanish National Police.
The catamaran was taking 2.8 tonnes of cannabis from Morocco to the UK when it was boarded by armed police on Friday.
The three men were held in the UK and are due before Westminster magistrates.
The trio, two from St Leonards-on-Sea and one from Oxshott, are believed to represent the UK distribution end of the group."

Malaya case finally gets underway in a specially extended hall in the Málaga Ciudad de la Justicia on September 27

What will be Spain’s largest corruption trial to date, the Malaya case based in Marbella, gets underway on September 27 in Málaga. 

The case broke in Marbella on March 29 2006, when police vans raided the Town Hall in the town and started to remove documents. 
It was the same at the town planning offices on the Golden Mile, and it was soon clear that it was the town’s real estate assessor, Juan Antonio Roca, was at the centre of the investigations ordered by Judge Miguel Ángel Torres.

Five years on there are now 95 accused, and the instruction case summary considers that 19 local real estate promoters paid regular backhanders between 2002 and 2006 of more than 33 million € to Roca and his cohorts. In return they were granted permission to build on land classified for other uses. One of the promoters, Aifos, has admitted that they paid Roca.

Roca is said to have spent the money, or more than 27 million € of it, on property, art, antique cars and horse carriages, but the police have found it hard to trace, as much is thought to have gone abroad in a complicated network of 24 front men acting for Roca.

All those charged in the case, including the ex Mayors of Marbella, Julián Muñoz Palomo, and Marisol Yagüe, have all denied any implication in the irregularities, although it seems that all the defence lawyers are keeping their strategies quiet ahead of the start of the hearing, although El País reports that some of them have tried to ‘flood’ the oral hearings by calling as many as 101 witnesses. One of the accused, Madrid lawyer Montserrat Corulla, has claimed that her signature on 13 documents has been falsified, while others denied that a set of initials have anything to do with them.

Side cases have also resulted, such as the money laundering charges faced by Isabel Pantoja, and the alleged bribing of Judge De Urquía by Roca.

It may be a case that truth is stranger than fiction as a new police novel claims to give its readers all the keys to the Malaya case. Written by the journalists, Hector Barbotta and Juan Cano, the book called ‘La última gota’ – (The last drop) was presented last Friday.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27235.shtml#ixzz1050TsKJq

Gibratar apologises to Spain after police acted over the border

Gibratar apologises to Spain after police acted over the border: "Gibraltar has apologised to Spain after an incident where two of the Rock’s policemen took part in an action in San Roque, Cádiz.

Following a complaint from the Spanish Foreign Ministry, the Gibraltar Government said that its agents, which have apologised to the Guardia Civil, did not follow ‘the established procedures’ and First Minister, Peter Caruana, described the incident as ‘lamentable’, and admitted that the police acted incorrectly.

It follows a search carried out by the Gibraltar agents in San Roque, following a robbery carried out in Gibraltar."

Easyjet passengers hold sit-in at Casablanca Airport

Easyjet passengers hold sit-in at Casablanca Airport: "They say their flight on Saturday was cancelled without explanation and that the airline says they cannot be collected for a week

Around 100 passengers, including 40 Spaniards, and the rest Moroccan, were holding a sit-in at the boarding gate of Casablanca airport on Saturday night, after Easyjet cancelled their flight to Madrid."

charge a sum, put at between 500 € and 600 € for banks to place cash dispensers in the street.

The PP controlled Ayuntamiento in Petrer is to charge a sum, put at between 500 € and 600 € for banks to place cash dispensers in the street.

Local councillor, Oscar Payá, said they were looking for opposition support for the idea, and they hoped the paperwork could be done to apply the charge from 2011.

He said that the law allowed for local councils to take such an initiative, as they were looking for ways to compensate for the recent loss in municipal income.

They are also considering charging mobile phone companies for their masts in the town. It’s hoped the new taxes can raise 150,000 €.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27218.shtml#ixzz0znL9cYUF

arrested 11 years later in Benalmádena Port.

man wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of a discotheque doorman in Madrid, has been arrested 11 years later in Benalmádena Port.

33 year old David Lozano Martínez, is accused of being involved in the killing of Victor Manuel Pozo Patón, the doorman of the Amnesia discotheque in Atocha, Madrid in May 1999. At that time a gang known as the Iranians were fighting for control of the drugs sold in certain Madrid establishments, and the suspect is alleged to have been a member of the gang.

It is now known the 33 year old Spaniard was arrested in the 11th of this month in Benalmádena, and found to be carrying a false passport, with his photo, but in the name of David Arévalo Jiménez. Three other men involved in the killing were found guilty in 2004.

Read more: http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_27220.shtml#ixzz0znK4M6ak