alleged members of an organized network trafficking with weapons and drugs were arrested in Granada.

All the detainees are Spanish and are aged between 35 and 45.

The operation began several months ago focused on locating illegal weapons which had allegedly been sold by the network. The police also found sophisticated cannabis greenhouses where more than 2,000 plants were seized. The electrical supply to the greenhouses had been obtained illegally.

Thirteen properties in Granada province were searched, and more than €130,000 in cash, as well as 14 firearms, ammunition, and four high range vehicles were seized.

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Posted in: SIXTEEN alleged members of an organized network trafficking with weapons and drugs were arrested in Granada.

Polish woman arrested in Marbella for murder

 

POLISH woman was arrested in Marbella for her alleged involvement in a murder in Valencia in August 2009. The victim was Djordje Kenecevic, who was shot and burned inside his car in Almussafes (Valencia). The 49-year-old woman, identified as Danuta G.K. but also known as Renate B. and other identities, was arrested on the Palm Beach urbanization in Marbella. She had been identified as a suspect some months ago but was only located in Malaga last week after using one of her false identities to travel within Europe. She is a known drug smuggler and was wanted by the German authorities, according to press reports. She was set free with charges of covering up the murder, but later taken to prison under the orders of the National Court as there is also a request for extradition to Germany. The extradition process will have to wait, as the crime which she will have to respond for in Spain is more serious and carries a longer sentence. Djordje Kenecevic is believed to have been killed by members of the gang he belonged to. Most of them, like him, were sailors who took advantage of their work with Europe’s main shipping company to transport packages with up to five kilos of cocaine between European ports. The detainee is considered to have been one of the leaders of the organization, and is the second person arrested in this case.

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Bank manager arrested for robbing his own bank

 

Bank manager has been arrested in Vitoria after trying to rob his own branch. The man arranged for his brother to attack the bank, but things immediately went wrong when several people saw the brother putting on a wig and false moustache sitting in a car round the corner from the bank, and alerted the authorities. The man then left the bank by car but was found later by the police who found a wig, beard, moustache and false teeth in a bag he was carrying, along with gloves and a fake pistol. The car he was driving was found to belong to the bank manager, his brother. When the police asked the bank manager what had happened he initially said that a man had come into the bank to ask about several products and left shortly after, but other clients and employees said that it was ‘evident that the man was in disguise’. Both men have been arrested by the Basque regional police, la Ertzaintza, who said that the brothers came up with the idea because of the financial difficulties they were in. The arrests took place on Friday, but the Basque Government interior department only released news on Monday. The 60 and 53 year old are accused of attempted robbery with intimidation and will appear in court shortly.

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Moroccan teenager found dead on a roadside in Marbella

 

National Police have identified a body which was found on the hard shoulder of the road between the Nueva Andalucía area of Marbella and Ronda on Monday as that of a 15 year old Moroccan boy who has been named by his initials, T.A. Despite the identification from finger prints there is no report of a missing person. It’s thought that his body could have been thrown from a moving vehicle as it passed the access road to the La Quinta urbanisation. The body, which was dressed in sports gear, was removed from the scene for autopsy as the investigation continues to determine the exact cause of his death. However reports indicate that he had suffered shotgun wounds to the face.

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Family mourns man's death in Spain

 

family has been left "devastated" after a young father died while on holiday in Spain. Chris Lindsay was staying in Calahonda, between Marbella and Fuengirola, when he died on Friday. His brother told a newspaper that the 34-year-old was found unconscious in the street with cuts and bruises and his passport missing. He is thought to have died of liver and kidney failure. Mr Lindsay had become a father three months ago. His brother, Tony Lindsay, 38, from Edinburgh, told the newspaper: "We don't know who found him but he had been unconscious in the street and his passport was missing. There was bad bruising down his right-hand side and cuts on his knees and elbows. He had certainly been in a fight. "All we can say for sure is that he ended up dead." Mr Lindsay's father, Harry Lindsay, from Airdrie in Lanarkshire, told the newspaper he was "absolutely devastated". Mr Lindsay is believed to have travelled to Spain with colleagues from the Marketing Company, based in Glasgow. A company spokeswoman said she had "no comment at all". A Foreign office spokeswoman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Spain on October 7. We are providing consular assistance to the family."

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Spain's fifth biggest bank, Banco Popular, said on Monday its takeover offer for smaller rival Banco Pastor has been accepted

 

Spain's fifth biggest bank, Banco Popular, said on Monday its takeover offer for smaller rival Banco Pastor has been accepted by the target bank's majority shareholders. Their agreement effectively seals the all-share deal, worth a reported 1.36 billion euros ($1.8 billion), the latest step in the restructuring of Spain's financial sector following the collapse of a property bubble in 2008. The three major Banco Pastor shareholders representing a combined 52.28 percent of the equity "have accepted the terms of the offer," Banco Popular said in a statement. The three shareholders are corporate foundation Fundacion Pedro Barrie de la Maza with 42.17 percent, Amancio Ortega, who owns the textile giant Inditex, with 5.06 percent and Tesalia with 4.04 percent. Banco Popular announced Friday it was in talks with Banco Pastor, one of five Spanish banks that in July failed European Union stress tests to assess the ability of lenders to withstand a prolonged recession. "It was very unlikely that Banco Pastor could survive given its strong exposure to the property sector and its resulting high level of bad debts, but also its reduced size and weak capital base," Spanish retail bank Bankinter said in a research note. Banco Pastor hopes to complete the deal by early next year. It said it may carry out a convertible bond issue of around 700 million euros to maintain its solvency ratio at 9.6 percent. "It is likely that there will be more concentrations in the sector, but this will take place slowly," said Fernando Hernandez, a fund manager at Spanish brokerage Inversis. The Bank of Spain and the government have put pressure of Spanish banks to merge so as to lower costs and strengthen their balance sheets to cope with bad loans that piled up after the 2008 property market collapse. The financial restructuring has already cut the number of savings banks from 45 to 15 through a series of mergers. Banco Pastor and Banco Popular shares were suspended from trading on Friday when they announced the takeover was being discussed. The offer consists of: -- 1.115 new Banco Popular shares in exchange for each Banco Pastor share. Based on the latest Banco Popular share price, that would value Banco Pastor's outstanding shares at 1.08 billion euros. -- 30.9 new Banco Popular shares for each mandatory convertible bond in Banco Pastor. According to the daily El Pais, this part of the offer is worth another 277 million euros. Hernandez said the deal would allow Banco Pastor "to get out of a delicate situation and move to a more normal situation. "But for Banco Popular, even if they gain market share, they will introduce more risk to their balance sheets through greater exposure to the property sector," he added. Banco Pastor shares jumped 21.05 percent at 3.68 euros in mid-afternoon trade while Banco Popular shed 1.21 percent at 3.522 euros. Banco Popular had total assets worth 130 billion euros ($174 billion) at the end of last year, compared to 31 billion euros for Banco Pastor.

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Posted in: Banco Popular,said on Monday its takeover offer for smaller rival Banco Pastor has been accepted,Spain's fifth biggest bank

British Ambassador encourages cooperation between social services and English speaking charities

 

As part of his visit to Murcia, the British Ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman, attended a workshop with local English speaking charities and social services to help improve the support offered to vulnerable British nationals living in the area. As the British population in Murcia has increased tenfold since 2002, all parties were keen to get together and discuss how working together could help them to better support vulnerable and elderly British nationals. The workshop, part of the Alicante Consulate’s ConeXiones programme, was the first of its kind in Murcia, and was organised with the help of YoVoluntario, the Murcia regional government volunteer support organisation. The Ambassador was able to see the local English speaking charities find out from social services exactly what was help was available and also discuss how they could work together in the future. They all agreed that it is vital for British nationals to be registered on the padrón in their local towns as without this, they cannot access social services assistance. Leopoldo Navarro Quilez, the head of Yo Voluntario, started the event by explaining to the local associations what support Yo Voluntario can offer and also how to ensure that they are legally registered in Spain. He encouraged people to use the resources that are available in Spain and thanked them for their hard work in supporting British nationals. During his talk at the event, the Ambassador said: “I am delighted to launch ConeXiones in From left to right, The Ambassador, the President of the Region of Murcia, the British Consul and the Regional Councillor for Tourism Murcia. The rapid increase in British population in the last decade has meant that it is essential that there is an adequate support network. It is impressive to see representatives from social services from all the main town halls where there is a significant population working hand in hand with British and Spanish charities to support those who are in need.” As this is the first time that the Ambassador has visited the Region of Murcia, he also took the opportunity to meet with the President of the Region to discuss issues around property and the new airport that is being built. Additionally, he met with the Honorary Consul in Murcia, Antonio Berdonces, and the Delegado del Gobierno for Murcia where they discussed the location of the Honorary Consulate and contingency planning. Charities that attended the ConeXiones event included Age Concern Costa Cálida, MABS Murcia, Royal British Legion, Help at Home and Help Mar Menor. From the Spanish side, Caritas and Cruz Roja attended as well as social workers from the key town halls where British nationals live, such Mazarrón , Los Alcazares and San Javier.

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Belgian pensioner jailed for wife's death in Calpe

 

80 year old man from Belgium was remanded to custody on Monday after his 78 year old wife was found dead at their home in Calpe on Saturday. The Civil Guard found him next to his wife’s lifeless body at the couple’s home on the Carrió urbanisation on Saturday afternoon after a phone call from the man’s son saying that his father had confessed by telephone to killing his mother. She was also from Belgium and her body was found lying on the floor with a serious wound to the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services who were called out to the couple’s home. The husband was found to have minor injuries, which he appears to have sustained after attempting to commit suicide after killing his wife. The accused took up his right to refuse to answer any questions when he was interviewed by the judge on Monday, although Diario Información indicates that the 80 year old confessed to the Civil Guard on Sunday that he had killed his wife during an argument. There has been no confirmation as yet of any previous history of domestic violence.

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54 immigrants intercepted by the Spanish authorities

 

54 immigrants were intercepted by the Spanish authorities on two patera small boats close to Motril and Adra on Saturday night. Most of those rescued were adult Moroccans, but it has not been ruled out that some are under age. The Red Cross reports that all are in good health. The Motril boat was carrying 24 males, 21 Moroccans and three from the Sub-Sahara. They were taken into Motril port where they arrived at 0410 Sunday morning. The other boat was intercepted 7.5 miles to the SE of Adra, and was carrying 30 male Moroccans.

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Posted in: 54 immigrants intercepted by the Spanish authorities

Two children missing from Córdoba

 

search is underway for a brother and sister, aged 6 and 2, Ruth and José Bretón Ruiz, who vanished from a park in Córdoba on Saturday afternoon. The children were in the Cruz Conde park in the city with their father, and since then there has been no sign. Police say they are keeping all options open after taking statements from the parents who are in the process of separation, and after the mother denounced psychological ill-treatment on Sunday. The mother is from Huelva where the coupled lived until a month ago, when they decided to end their relationship. The father is from Córdoba and the first news of the missing children came at 1840 on Saturday. He claimed that they vanished when he lost sight of them for an instant.

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Teenager found dead on a roadside in Marbella

 

The National Police have identified a body which was found on the hard shoulder of the road between the Nueva Andalucía area of Marbella and Ronda on Monday as that of a 15 year old boy who has been named by his initials, T.A. His exact nationality has not yet been released, although it is known that he is not Spanish. The body was removed from the scene for autopsy as the investigation continues to determine the exact cause of his death.

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British man arrested on Tenerife with 34 heroin capsules in his body

 

34 year old British man has been arrested at the Los Rodeos Tenerife North Airport after found to be carrying 75 capsules of heroin inside his body. News has just been released of the arrest which took place last Wednesday afternoon, and a statement from the Guardia Civil says the total weight of the drug recovered was 913 grams. Apparently when stopped by customs officials on arrival from the Spanish mainland, suspicions were raised when the Briton was unable to give a clear explanation as to the reason for his visit to Tenerife. The man, who has not been named in reports, was subjected to medical and police surveillance in the Canaries Universitario Hospital until all the capsules had been passed. That was checked by x-ray.

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City Hall has now set up a special space where woman and men can carry out the oldest profession in the world without being fined.

area has been prepared next to the Guadalhorce river

Photo EFE

 

Ten months after introducing new restrictions on prostitution in Málaga, prohibiting the offering of services less than 200m from shops or homes, the PP controlled City Hall has now set up a special space where woman and men can carry out the oldest profession in the world without being fined.

Some are calling the idea a ‘follódromo’, and it reminds others of the late Marbella Mayor, Jesús Gil’s intention to establish a ‘Putódromo’ in Marbella.

The area chosen is next to the Guadalhorce river, and over the last few weeks the Ayuntamiento has levelled the ground and installed a dozen or so lampposts. 

Several non-governmental organisations have already criticised the plan, considering that it will expose the prostitutes to robberies and aggressions, but the prostitutes think it is the only way for them to avoid the actions of the police and fines of 700 €.

Sandra Vicente, from the Commission to Investigate Domestic Violence against Women, is reported in El País as saying
‘The problem is the Town Halls are taking it for granted that prostitution is legal. Most of the laws penalise the women who are in the street, but do not specifically mention prostitution’.

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Posted in: City Hall has now set up a special space where woman and men can carry out the oldest profession in the world without being fined.

British warship chases Spanish boat out of Gibraltar waters

 

British warship chased a Spanish customs vessel out of British territorial waters at Gibraltar, a spokesman for the British military command in the contested territory said Wednesday. The frigate HMS Argyll was leaving Gibraltar on Tuesday on deployment to the Middle East when it spotted the Spanish ship in British waters off the territory, the spokesman at the British military command said. "Argyll turned and followed the customs vessel round Europa Point and into the Bay where the customs vessel exited British Gibraltar's territorial waters," he said. The Spanish vessel, a large corvette-type vessel named "Fulmar", then sailed to the Spanish port of Algeciras on the other side of the bay, he added. It was the latest in a series of maritime face-offs in the waters off Gibraltar, which is strategically placed at the western entrance of the Mediterranean. In April Gibraltar police charged one of its boats was damaged in a clash with Spanish police vessels that illegally entered its waters in pursuit of alleged drug traffickers. Britain claims a strip of three nautical miles (5.5 kilometres) surrounding Gibraltar as its territorial waters. But Spain does not recognise any waters off Gibraltar as belonging to the territory apart from its ports. Spain ceded Gibraltar to Britain in 1713 under the Treaty of Utrecht but has long argued that it should be returned to Spanish sovereignty. Britain has said it will not renounce sovereignty against the wishes of Gibraltarians.

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Posted in: British warship chases Spanish boat out of Gibraltar waters

Imogen Thomas brands Katie Price a "transvestite" as Danny-Gate continues

And in the latest salvo of what I’m ­calling ­Dannygate after the ex-model’s dalliance with rugby player Danny Cipriani, 23, furious Imogen has told pals: “Out of every woman in the world, her?! She’s such a slag.” Imogen, 28, has been with Danny since July. She thought they had a future.

But now all Imogen’s plans are off after pictures showed him ­leaving his home barefoot with Katie the ­morning after an evening together.

Former Miss Wales Imogen fumed: “He’s such a liar. You don’t spend ages telling someone about your issues and how women have treated you then go do ­something like that.”

Imogen was putting on a brave face when she appeared at the Inspiration Awards For Women in London on Friday – but photos of Danny cosying up to mum-of-three Katie, 33, had her ­tweeting in fury on Thursday: “Danny Cipriani is the ­biggest bull******r out there.”

It’s not their first clash over guys – Katie dated Jermain Defoe after ­Imogen split with him in 2009.

Now I can’t wait to hear what Katie has to say about all this.....

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Posted in: Former BB star Imogen ­Thomas has launched a ­blistering attack on Katie Price – telling pals: “She looks like a transvestite.”

Spanish bullfighter Juan Jose Padilla could lose his vision after a dangerous run-in with a bull.

Elena Munoz/AP

A bull brutally gored a matador in Spain on Friday, tearing through the man's jaw and pushing out his eyeball as spectators watched in horror.

"I can't see, I can't see anything," Juan Jose Padilla, 39, shouted as he was rushed out of the ring while bleeding profusely and cupping his protruding eye.

The 1,120-pound animal had chased the bullfighter and pinned him to the ground, goring him after he tripped. Television images caught the horrifying scene.

The bull, named Marques, was the second fighting beast Padilla had faced during the second day of the annual Virgen del Pilar festivities in Zaragoza.

Padilla was rushed to emergency facilities at the Misericordia bullring before being driven to the hospital.

A statement from the Miguel Servet Hospital said he was in a stable condition after a five-hour operation to repair his face.

The hospital said Padilla was likely to suffer facial paralysis and lose sight in one eye.

The hospital said he suffered eye, bone, muscle and skin damage when the bull pinned him to the ground. Surgeons had not been able to repair a severed facial nerve.

Surgeons used titanium plates and mesh to reconstruct parts of Padilla's face.

 

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Posted in: Spanish bullfighter Juan Jose Padilla could lose his vision after a dangerous run-in with a bull.

Spanish banks in €6bn merger talks

 

Banco Popular, Spain’s fifth-biggest listed bank by assets, has offered to buy its smaller listed rival Banco Pastor in a merger that marks a new stage in the restructuring of the country’s financial sector. In filings published on Friday by the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), the market regulator, the banks said they were proposing a friendly all-share deal in which Popular would offer to buy 100 per cent of Pastor. More ON THIS STORY Dismay at Spanish bank restructuring Spain nationalises three more savings banks In depth European banks Santander predicts return to big profits Global Insight Italy and Spain The CNMV had earlier suspended trading in shares of Popular, with a total market value of €4.99bn, and of Pastor, valued at €827m, apparently after news of the discussions leaked before the planned announcement on Monday. At Friday’s share prices, the Popular offer represented a one-third premium for Pastor and valued the target bank at 0.75 times book value, according to the Pastor camp, although Popular’s share price could fall once the suspensions are lifted. CaixaBank, the banking arm of the Barcelona-based La Caixa savings bank, was valued at 0.8 times book value at its flotation earlier this year, but Bankia, comprising Caja Madrid and six others, managed only 0.4 times when it was listed. Three savings banks seized by the official bank rescue fund last month were valued at between zero and 0.12 times book. Until now, the Bank of Spain and the Spanish government have focused on forcing unlisted savings banks to recapitalise themselves and merge with each other to reduce costs and improve efficiency after the collapse of the Spanish housing and construction bubble. Listed banks have been seen as potential buyers rather than takeover targets. “This is only the start,” said one person aware of the talks as the boards of the two companies held separate meetings. “There is going to be a huge shake-out in the banking sector.” Popular is a national Spanish bank that has focused on retail banking and lending to small and medium-sized businesses, while Pastor’s activities are concentrated in the north-western region of Galicia. Pastor – along with four Spanish cajas or savings banks – was one of the nine European banks that failed Europe-wide stress tests in July.

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