Spain scraps health benefits for illegal immigrants

Spain takes pride in its universal health care but Europe's debt crisis has spurred tough budget cuts that will bring sometimes life-saving treatment for illegal immigrants to an abrupt end. Carmen Maria, a 33-year-old woman from Nicaragua who arrived in the country in 2010, has no legal ID in Spain but has benefitted from free health coverage for her illness nonetheless. She has been working as a cleaner and despite failing to obtain residency she was able to enjoy the same health care as any legal Spanish citizen. Ten months ago she was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, a skin disease which can be associated with a tumour and lead to potentially fatal complications. "It's considered a rare disease and my condition requires constant medical monitoring," said Carmen Maria, whose husband and four children still live in Nicaragua. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government, faced with soaring unemployment, rising debt and a slide into recession, has launched an austerity plan aimed at cutting the deficit from 8.5 percent of GDP last year to 5.3 percent in 2012. To achieve the package's target of cutting health expenditure by seven billion euros ($9.3 billion), only legal immigrants will retain health coverage as of September 1. Among illegal immigrants, only children, pregnant women and emergency cases will qualify for free treatment. "This will only put Spain on a par with other European Union countries," according to Health Minister Ana Mato. The measure will leave half a million illegal immigrants who have been counting on Spain's health coverage with no safety net, and several organisations have been sounding alarm bells. Carmen Maria decided to seek help from the group SOS Racismo, saying, "I'm alone here, I don't have anyone." "The economic crisis, no matter how severe it is, should not be an excuse for stripping immigrants of all their rights," SOS Racismo said, describing access to health care as "a fundamental right". "This is a very dangerous situation," said Vladimir Paspuel, who heads Ruminahui, a Spanish-Ecuadorian association that offers social and legal assistance to immigrants. "It can have life-threatening consequences in cases where a disease is not treated in time," he said. "Another thing is that it sends a subliminal message to Spanish society: 'Illegal immigrants are the ones who are pilfering the money, they are responsible for the crisis'," he explained. In a bid to defuse any surge in anti-immigrant rhetoric among the public following the conservative government's decision, groups such Ruminahui point out that immigrants are more sparing with their visits to the doctor. According to a study carried out by a health expert and published in the El Pais daily, immigrants on average go 5.05 times when Spaniards go 7.65 times over the same period. "I don't go to the doctor more than twice a year," said Wilson Quintero, a 42-year-old Ecuadorian. But scrapping health coverage for 500,000 Latin Americans, North Africans and Eastern Europeans in Spain "is a serious problem", he said. "If someone falls ill and doesn't have a steady job, what is he supposed to do? It will become very difficult," he said. Wilson has lived in Spain since 2002 and worked as a builder until the real estate bubble burst, which led him to lose first his job and then his residency. Spain's unemployment rate is the highest in the industrialised world at 24.4 percent. It is even higher among immigrants at more than 40 percent.

Spanish court clears four Scots of drug trafficking

Four Scots have been acquitted by a Spanish court of drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Ronald O'Dea, 45, from Kilmarnock, Mary Durkin Hendry, 61 from Hamilton, Ian Donaldson, 32, and James McDonald, 62, both from Glasgow, were cleared at the National Criminal Court in Madrid. Judges said there were pointers towards clandestine activities but insufficient evidence to convict. Stephen Brown, 45, from London, was convicted of trafficking amphetamines. He was jailed for six-and-a-half years and fined 8,000 euros. Cash forfeited The case followed a four-year operation by Spanish law enforcement agencies and the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency into amphetamine smuggling and money laundering. Mr O'Dea and Mr McDonald were arrested in Spain in November 2008. Mr Donaldson, who fled, was later extradited from Scotland. He forfeited £70,000 which had been found when he was arrested. The Spanish judges said there was reasonable doubt about clandestine activities between the accused, and property they owned without legitimate income to support it. But they said there was insufficient evidence to convict them and Ms Hendry, who was also charged.

latin gang, more violent than the Latin Kings, called Las Maras, could be established in Spain within three years.

A Civil Guard sergeant, who lived for a time in Honduras, has warned that a latin gang, more violent than the Latin Kings, called Las Maras, could be established in Spain within three years. Sergeant Pedro Gallego warned that the Latin Kings and the Ñetas, who used to have a higher presence in Spain were only ‘sleeping’ now, but would see a resurgence in activity as the economic crisis bites and youth unemployment rises. Members are attracted to join the gang because of its lifestyle, status and quick access to sex and drugs. Gallego has published a book with the conclusions of his study La Mara al Desnudo. The book explains that the tattoos of the Mara gang members are important and represent secret codes between them.

The Judge in Instruction Court 1 in Torremolinos has ordered provisional prison without bail for a man who was arrested in Benalmádena on Wednesday.

The man had put his four year old step-daughter in the boot of his car with the presumed intention of protecting her from chicken pox. The 27 year old now faces charges of illegal detention and attempted murder with malice. Although he did not have the intention of killing the girl, his actions could have caused her death, according to judicial sources. It happened just after midnight on Wednesday in Calle Cómpeta in the centre of Arroyo de la Miel. Police were alerted by a resident who heard the cries from the child in the boot. On their arrival they broke a window of the car so air could get inside and decided to dismantle the back seat to gain access to the girl. She was not seriously injured although did show scratches and bruises on her face. As the child was being rescued the man, named as F.A.C. came out of the flat with the intention of using the car, and was promptly arrested by the Local Police. The man argued that he had shut the child in the boot so the child did not get chicken pox, because a family member suffering from the disease was in his home. The mother was not in the house at the time. Click here for related stories  mobile |  email this article |  printer friendly page More Spain News : Andalucía : Costa del Sol Readers' comments: Please keep to the subject. Opinions published here are of our visitors, not the Typically Spanish team. Comments which go against Spanish laws or which are libellous are not allowed. We reserve the right to delete any comment we wish. Placing a comment indicates you have read our terms and conditions and privacy policy. Por favor, céntrate en el tema. Son las opiniones de los internautas, y no las de Typically Spanish. No está permitido verter comentarios contrarios a las leyes españolas o injuriantes. Reservado el derecho a eliminar los comentarios que consideremos fuera de tema. Escribir un comentario indica que has leído nuestros condiciones de uso y politica de privacidad. Leave a comment Name and location: Email (will NOT be published): Notify on replies: Comment: Verification: click on image to refresh it    del.icio.us |  digg |  technorati |  yahoo | Stumble It! Facebook | Reddit | Newsvine | Meneame | Wikio Blink | Google | Fresqui | MSN reporters | Live Spaces My Space | Fark | Mixx | Twitter Costa del Sol Man locks his 4 year old step daughter in car boot so she can't catch Chicken Pox Spanish Oddities 76 year old pensioner fined 20 € for chaining herself to her bank Spanish Oddities British Woman gets attacked by eagle as she walks her dogs Spanish Oddities Argentina paper dresses up Marino Rajoy as a butano delivery man Spanish Oddities Model mum helps rescued Beared Vulture chick Spanish Oddities The designers' loo comes to Barcelona Watch video More Spanish Oddities | | Home | About | Add a Directory Link | Contact Us | New Links | Terms | Privacy Policy | Promote Your Site | RSS | Site Map

Malaya case court secretary to continue

The Malaya case, investigating the corruption in Marbella Town Hall, opened in Málaga in September 2010. A possible obstacle which could have complicated the case considerably was solved on Wednesday when the Justice Ministry said they were extending the services of the judicial secretary who has been working exclusively on the case, Inmaculada Núñez, who original contract was set to expire on April 30. President of the Málaga court, José Godino, announced the renovation of the contract after the session on Wednesday. Meanwhile the businessman Tomás Olivo, one of the accused in the Malaya case, has been condemned to five years prison for ill-treating his ex girlfriend, with whom he had a baby daughter. Penal Court 13 in Málaga heard how he had installed cameras in the home so he could watch events when he was not there. Tomás Olivo, who is the owner of the La Cañada Commercial Centre in Marbella, is considered to have acted against his ex with ‘humiliation, aggression and control’ during the relationship and after they broke up. He has been found guilty on three counts of ill-treatment in the family environment, one of them regular abuse. The sentence says that since 2003 and until the start of 2006 he ill-treated the woman by ‘insulting her, pushing her, hitting her, telling her how she should dress, and questioning marks on her body which he thought showed that she had been in contact with another man. He also locked her in the house.

SUV driver who caused Benalmádena coach crash sent to prison for three and a half years

The man who caused the accident on the A7 motorway above Benalmádena on April 19 2008, has been given a three and a half year prison sentence and banned from driving for five years. Nine Finnish tourists died and 26 were injured, some of them seriously, when Jesús Gil Bueno drove his Kia Sportage four-wheel-drive into the side of a coach in what were very wet conditions. The Finnish tourists were on the way to the airport for a flight home after their holidays. The victims of the accident have been compensated with the Jesús Gil Bueno insurance policy. The driver was found to be over the alcohol limit and tracked to have been driving at 152 km/h at the time of the impact.

Spain breaks up gang smuggling Iranians to UK

Spanish police have broken up a gang trying to smuggle Iranian migrants into Britain via the Canary Islands, arresting 22 people. The migrants, charged up to 20,000 euros (£16,300) for the journey, were transported by air or overland by lorry and in luggage compartments of buses. Once in the Canaries, usually the islands of Tenerife or Fuerteventura, they would fly to Britain, police said. Fake passports were found at the home of the alleged ringleader, they added. The Spanish authorities launched their investigation in February, with the arrest of a suspect attempting to board a flight from Tenerife to the UK with forged identification, reports say. The UK Border Agency was also involved in the case. Thirteen people are said to have been arrested in Tenerife, three in Fuerteventura and six in Madrid. While many gang members, including the alleged leader, were based in Spain, others were reportedly scattered abroad in Iran, Greece, Switzerland and Germany. Spanish police said the smugglers had referred to the migrants as cattle or sheep and instructed them how they should act on arrival in Britain. Discounts were given for children while those aged under two were said to have been allowed free passage.

British woman stabbed

 The 53-year-old woman, who has not been named, was rushed to hospital after the incident in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to the Spanish news agency EFE. It is understood that she was stabbed in the stomach with a kitchen knife in her home near the small town of Pinoso, Alicante, during what is thought to have been an attempted robbery. The woman, who was alone at the time, managed to call the emergency services and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she underwent surgery. She is said to be out of danger. The mountainous Pinoso area, on the Alicante/Murcia border, has become increasingly popular with foreign buyers in recent years, with a growing British community. A local newspaper, La Verdad, said that many foreign residents chose to live in isolated countryside houses, which made them an “easy target” for crime. In 2007, a British pensioner called Janette Grocutt living in the hamlet of Paredón, just a few miles from Pinoso, was raped and murdered in her home.

Reopen Madeleine case, police urge

Scotland Yard has urged Portuguese authorities to reopen the search for Madeleine McCann as detectives said there are 195 potential leads to finding her alive. The detective leading the Metropolitan Police review said the case can still be solved before officers released a picture of what she might now look like as a nine-year-old. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said he believes her disappearance was a stranger abduction, as he said there are 195 "investigative opportunities". Police refused to say what evidence they had uncovered to suggest Madeleine is alive. Mr Redwood confirmed that his team of more than 30 officers involved in the case had been out to Portugal seven times, including a visit to the family's holiday flat in Praia da Luz. It will be five years ago next week since the three-year-old went missing as her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, dined with friends nearby. A spokesman for the McCanns said the family was pleased with the image. Mr Redwood said his 37 officers had dealt with 40,000 pieces of information but the "primacy still sits in Portugal" in the attempt to find her. Commander Simon Foy said: "Most significantly, the message we want to bring to you is that, on the evidence, there is a possibility that she is alive and we desperately need your help today to appeal directly to the public for information to support our investigation." Mr Redwood said "evidence that she is alive stems from the forensic view of the timeline" that there was the opportunity for her to be taken. Investigations show "there do appear to be gaps", he added. Detectives in Portugal are also understood to want the case reopened but must gain judicial approval via the courts.

Insecure websites to be named and shamed after checks

Companies that do not do enough to keep their websites secure are to be named and shamed to help improve security. The list of good and bad sites will be published regularly by the non-profit Trustworthy Internet Movement (TIM). A survey carried out to launch the group found that more than 52% of sites tested were using versions of security protocols known to be compromised. The group will test websites to see how well they have implemented basic security software. Security fundamentals The group has been set up by security experts and entrepreneurs frustrated by the slow pace of improvements in online safety. "We want to stimulate some initiatives and get something done," said TIM's founder Philippe Courtot, serial entrepreneur and chief executive of security firm Qualys. He has bankrolled the group with his own money. TIM has initially focused on a widely used technology known as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Experts recruited to help with the initiative include SSL's inventor Dr Taher Elgamal; "white hat" hacker Moxie Marlinspike who has written extensively about attacking the protocol; and Michael Barrett, chief security officer at Paypal. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Everyone is now going to be able to see who has a good grade and who has a bad grade” Philippe Courtot Many websites use SSL to encrypt communications between them and their users. It is used to protect credit card numbers and other valuable data as it travels across the web. "SSL is one of the fundamental parts of the internet," said Mr Courtot. "It's what makes it trustworthy and right now it's not as secure as you think." Compromised certificates TIM plans a two-pronged attack on SSL. The first part would be to run automated tools against websites to test how well they had implemented SSL, said Mr Courtot. "We'll be making it public," he added. "Everyone is now going to be able to see who has a good grade and who has a bad grade." Early tests suggest that about 52% of sites checked ran a version of SSL known to be compromised. Companies who have done a bad job will be encouraged to improve and upgrade their implementations so it gets safer to use those sites. The second part of the initiative concerns the running of the bodies, known as certificate authorities, which guarantee that a website is what it claims to be. TIM said it would work with governments, industry bodies and companies to check that CAs are well run and had not been compromised. "It's a much more complex problem," said Mr Courtot. In 2011, two certificate authorities, DigiNotar and GlobalSign were found to have been compromised. In some cases this meant attackers eavesdropped on what should have been a secure communications channel. Steve Durbin, global vice president of the Information Security Forum which represents security specialists working in large corporations, said many of its members took responsibility for making sure sites were secure. "You cannot just say 'buyer beware'," he said. "That's not good enough anymore. They have a real a duty of care." He said corporations were also increasingly conscious of their reputation for providing safe and secure services to customers. Data breaches, hack attacks and poor security were all likely to hit share prices and could mean they lose customers, he noted.

Anti-depressants likely do more harm than good, study suggests

Commonly prescribed anti-depressants appear to be doing patients more harm than good, say researchers who have published a paper examining the impact of the medications on the entire body. See Also: Health & Medicine Pharmacology Birth Defects Mental Health Research Mind & Brain Depression Disorders and Syndromes Psychiatry Reference COX-2 inhibitor Psychoactive drug Seasonal affective disorder Anti-obesity drug "We need to be much more cautious about the widespread use of these drugs," says Paul Andrews, an evolutionary biologist at McMaster University and lead author of the article, published recently in the online journal Frontiers in Psychology. "It's important because millions of people are prescribed anti-depressants each year, and the conventional wisdom about these drugs is that they're safe and effective." Andrews and his colleagues examined previous patient studies into the effects of anti-depressants and determined that the benefits of most anti-depressants, even taken at their best, compare poorly to the risks, which include premature death in elderly patients. Anti-depressants are designed to relieve the symptoms of depression by increasing the levels of serotonin in the brain, where it regulates mood. The vast majority of serotonin that the body produces, though, is used for other purposes, including digestion, forming blood clots at wound sites, reproduction and development. What the researchers found is that anti-depressants have negative health effects on all processes normally regulated by serotonin. The findings include these elevated risks: developmental problems in infants problems with sexual stimulation and function and sperm development in adults digestive problems such as diarrhea, constipation, indigestion and bloating abnormal bleeding and stroke in the elderly The authors reviewed three recent studies showing that elderly anti-depressant users are more likely to die than non-users, even after taking other important variables into account. The higher death rates indicate that the overall effect of these drugs on the body is more harmful than beneficial. "Serotonin is an ancient chemical. It's intimately regulating many different processes, and when you interfere with these things you can expect, from an evolutionary perspective, that it's going to cause some harm," Andrews says. Millions of people are prescribed anti-depressants every year, and while the conclusions may seem surprising, Andrews says much of the evidence has long been apparent and available. "The thing that's been missing in the debates about anti-depressants is an overall assessment of all these negative effects relative to their potential beneficial effects," he says. "Most of this evidence has been out there for years and nobody has been looking at this basic issue." In previous research, Andrews and his colleagues had questioned the effectiveness of anti-depressants even for their prescribed function, finding that patients were more likely to suffer relapse after going off their medications as their brains worked to re-establish equilibrium. With even the intended function of anti-depressants in question, Andrews says it is important to look critically at their continuing use. "It could change the way we think about such major pharmaceutical drugs," he says. "You've got a minimal benefit, a laundry list of negative effects -- some small, some rare and some not so rare. The issue is: does the list of negative effects outweigh the minimal benefit?"

Madeleine McCann, the British girl who went missing while on holiday in Portugal half a decade ago, could still be alive, Scotland Yard said on Wednesday.

Madeleine McCann as she might look aged 9  Photo: Teri Blythe

Detectives released a new “age progression” image of the toddler, which they said showed what she would look like today at the age of nine.

On Wednesday, Britain’s biggest police force said that as a result of evidence uncovered during a review “they now believe there is a possibility Madeleine is still alive”.

Officers have so far identified nearly 200 new items for investigation within historic material and are also “developing what they believe to be genuinely new material”.

Scotland Yard urged Portuguese authorities to reopen the search for her amid the new "investigative opportunities".

Police said the image, created ahead of what would have been her ninth birthday on May 12, had been created in “close collaboration with the family”.

National Police have arrested in Tenerife an Italian wanted for five homicides in Poland who has been on the run since 2009.

 News of the arrest has just been released, although it happened on March 16. The police statement said he has now been transferred to the National Court for his extradition to Poland. National Police also arrested another Italian on April 11 who is wanted by the Dutch authorities for drug trafficking. He’s been on the run since 1995. And on April 17 the National Police arrested a 33 year old Polish man who was wanted by the Swedish authorities for drug trafficking. The National Police say that these arrests confirm their determination to cooperate with police forces international, and to stop delinquents taking refuge on a paradise island.

British fraudster, Michael Brown, could be in Spain for some six months

Multi-millionaire British fraudster, Michael Brown, who was deported from the Dominican Republic to Spain over the weekend could be in Spain for months before extradition to the U.K. Famous for his 2.5 million pound donation to the Liberal Democrats 2005 election campaign, the 46 year old Glasweigan posed as a bond dealer and claimed connections with royalty to embezzle an estimated 36 million pounds from clients. Among his victims the former chairman of Manchester United who was taken for 8 million pounds. He fled the UK in 2008 and has been living in the Dominican Republic under the name, Darren Nally, since then. An international manhunt arrested him in January but they are still hunting for a missing 18 million €. Brown arrived in Spain on Saturday morning accompanied by offices from the Dominican Republic. Now a European Arrest Warrent is hoped to be enough to get him to Britain, but Channel Four News reports that a London based solicitor, Nigel Richardson, who handled the extradition of a drug suspect from Spain in 2011, has said that even if Brown agrees to the extradition it could still take months. There will be a hearing to see if he does consent to extradition, and if he does it takes place in 21 days. Being such a high profile case could see the Spaniards acting quicker than normal. If he contests the extradition any decision is not likely for some six months. The Home Office and the Serious Organised Crime Office have refused to comment on the case or to say what would happen to him on his arrival in the UK. He has an outstanding seven year prison term, but that could be increased for jumping bail.

British man arrested for stabbing a Senegalese man in Mijas

43 year old British resident of Mijas, named with the initials J.S. has been arrested by Local Police in connection with an aggression against a 52 year old Senegalese man, named with the initials M.N. who was stabbed with a sharp object in the Sitio de Calahonda urbanisation. It happened just after midnight on Saturday night, and the injury is the lumber region. Police called the emergency services who took the injured man to the Costa del Sol Hospital, after he had given them a detailed description of his attacker. A search was started by the patrol which saw how a man tried to flee when the police were seen. Finally the police managed to catch the Briton who refused to identify himself and who also attacked one of the police. He had to be reduced to the ground and suffered the fracture of his left shoulder as a result. Both the Local Police and the Guardia Civil, and private security guards who operate in the estate inspected the scene of the aggression to try and find the weapon used and they found a broken bottle which has been taken into evidence.

police hunt for Michael Brown's missing millions

British police are still trying to trace £18m allegedly stolen by the Liberal Democrats' fugitive donor Michael Brown, who is expected to be extradited to Britain within the next 10 days. Brown, 46, was in a holding cell near Madrid airport on Sunday, having been deported from the Dominican Republic, where he had been on the run from UK authorities for three years. Brown, who gave £2.4m to the Liberal Democrats before the 2005 general election, is not expected to challenge a formal move to extradite him to London which has already been set in motion. He was convicted of theft and false accounting in his absence in Britain in 2008 and sentenced to seven years in jail. Detectives are still trying to trace around £18m of Brown's stolen money, which had been moved between his accounts in the US, Britain and Switzerland, the Guardian understands. Brown was estimated to have stolen more than £60m in a number of frauds. Most of his assets have been accounted for in property deals, a Bentley, a yacht and the private jet once used to fly senior Lib Dems across the UK. However, more than £18m has not yet been accounted for. "The file at Interpol on Brown and his associates remains open," a source told the Guardian. Brown's return will be another embarrassing development in the long-running saga over the Lib Dems' biggest single donation. The party has refused to compensate any of Brown's victims, claiming it received the money in good faith and spent it on the 2005 election campaign. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg welcomed Brown's return to Britain but said on Sunday that the party would not be returning his donation because the Electoral Commission had concluded the money had been received in good faith. The deputy prime minister, who pointed out that the donation was made before he was elected to Westminster, told BBC1's Sunday Politics: "I'm very pleased he's coming back to serve his sentence. This is a convicted fraudster. "I should stress that this is something which happened as far as the Liberal Democrats are concerned before I was even an MP, yet alone leader of the Liberal Democrats. What I've been told is that the Electoral Commission in 2009 looked at this exhaustively – as far as the receipt of that money by the Liberal Democrats from one of his companies. They categorically concluded that the money was received in good faith and all the controls, all the checks that should have been made were reasonably made by the Liberal Democrats at the time. If we'd been shown wanting on those accounts then of course we should pay the money back." But Brown's return will increase focus on the Electoral Commission inquiry into Brown's donations. The inquiry failed to call the Lib Dems' former treasurer, Reg Clark, who resigned over Brown in 2005 and warned advisers to the former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy that Brown should be treated with extreme caution. One of Brown's victims said the Lib Dems should return the money. Tony Brown, managing partner at law firm Bivonas which represents US attorney Robert Mann who lost more than $5m (£3m), said Brown may be asked to give evidence as part of his client's claim against the Lib Dems. "The Lib Dems have refused to repay this money to our client even though they know that this is the proceeds of crime. The Electoral Commission has failed to investigate this properly in our view. So now that Brown is returning to the jurisdiction, we can investigate again and establish the basis on which the Lib Dems received this money." Brown is expected to appear before a Spanish court to confirm his name and will then appear before an extradition hearing within 10 days. City of London police, who first uncovered Brown's fraud, confirmed his deportation. Detective Superintendent Bob Wishart said: "We hope that him facing justice will bring some closure to the victims who suffered as a result of his frauds." A close friend of Brown's told the Guardian on Sunday that he had arrived in Spain on Saturday after "volunteering" for deportation from the Dominican Republic, where he has been hiding for three years under the name of Darren Nally. "He asked to return to Britain. He is going home to face the music," the friend said. Brown appeared to come from nowhere when the party was paid £2.4m in the runup to the 2005 election from his company 5th Avenue Partners. A fast-talking and brash Glaswegian, he had walked into the party's then headquarters in Cowley Street and offered it money. He was not registered to vote, had no interest in politics and had never been a party member, but said he was giving the money to create an even playing field. Brown wined and dined with Charles Kennedy and other party grandees, and used his private jet to fly Kennedy across the country during the election campaign. Former Lib Dem insiders say he dazzled them with stories of Gordonstoun public school, St Andrews University and his connections with royalty and the US government. The truth was that he had attended his local school and completed a City and Guilds in catering at Glasgow College of Food Technology. He had no US government links – although he was wanted in Florida for cheque fraud. He was arrested in late 2005 after four former clients said he had duped them out of more than £40m in a high-yield fraud. His victims included Martin Edwards, the former Manchester United chairman, who had invested £8m with 5th Avenue Partners. The court would later be told that 5th Avenue Partners was wholly fraudulent and Brown had given money to the Lib Dems to give himself an air of respectability while duping his victims. The party had been used as part of his cover story, a judge said. In June 2008, while awaiting trial, Brown fled and a warrant was issued for his arrest. In the weeks before he disappeared, from his Hampstead bail address in north London, he changed his name on the electoral roll to Campbell-Brown and allowed his hair to turn grey. He travelled to the Dominican Republic where he enjoyed a millionaire's lifestyle while on the run. He lived in gated communities yards from some of the most pristine beaches in the Caribbean, drove a series of 4x4 vehicles and was a regular at exclusive golf courses. In Punta Cana, an exclusive resort on the eastern tip of the island, he could often be seen walking his dog – named Charles, after the former Lib Dem leader. He was arrested in Punta Cana in January on unrelated fraud allegations.

Donaldson enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in Marbella and Tenerife, trafficking accused found hiding in loft with £70k in cash

 A SUSPECTED drug trafficker was found by police hiding in a farmhouse loft in Scotland with a bag stuffed with £70,000, a Spanish court was told last week. Ian Donaldson, 32, is accused of helping fund an international drugs ring smuggling cocaine and speed from Spain to Scotland The former amateur racing driver – who drove a Lamborghini with the distinctive Lambo 88 plate – was tracked down to the farm by officers from the Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency. Donaldson – who enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in Marbella and Tenerife– is one of six Brits facing court in Madrid accused of making millions from the drugs trade. Detective Inspector James Wallace of the SCDEA told the court: “I arrested him on February 27, 2009. He was hiding in a loft area in a farm building. We also found £70,000 hidden in a bag.” Eight SCDEA detectives gave evidence to the National Court in the Spanish capital last week via a video link from Edinburgh. The court heard Scottish police mounted a surveillance operation after Donaldson, from Renton, Dunbartonshire, was released on bail. Detectives watched him in a series of meetings in Glasgow and Hamilton in April 2009, as he tried to hide the origins of his fortune, prosecutors allege. Donaldson met with fellow accused Mary Hendry and Joseph Campbell and was observed discussing large sums of money and swapping paperwork for a nightclub in Gran Canaria. It was alleged they were secretly plotting to make it look like Donaldson had made some of his wealth from the club. Meetings took place at supermarkets in Glasgow and Hamilton and the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. DI Wallace told the court: “We saw he (Donaldson) was creating a defence for the Spanish charges. “I believe they (Hendry and Campbell) were both subservient to Donaldson, who instructed them on what to do.” The detective said Donaldson and his company IRD Services were also investigated for money- laundering in Scotland. He added: “There is evidence he purchased seven vehicles in Scotland, worth up to £900,000, between 2006 and 2008.” Mary Hendry told the court she only met Donaldson twice for legitimate business meetings. She said: “Joseph Campbell introduced me to Ian Donaldson because I was trying to sell my restaurant. “I met him the next day and he said he was not interested. I never saw him again.” It is alleged Donaldson was the money man for a gang of drug smugglers based in Tenerife and Marbella, led by Glaswegian Ronald O’Dea, 45. The gang are alleged to have spent millions on luxury villas, fast cars and yachts. In October 2008, police seized a a haul of amphetamines worth £660,000 heading to Scotland after stopping a lorry in Oxfordshire. Donaldson, Hendry and O’Dea share the dock in Madrid with fellow Scot James MacDonald, 62, and Londoners Steve Brown, 45, and Deborah Learmouth, 49. The gang face charges ranging from drug-trafficking to money-laundering. They deny all charges. Two other defendants – Brian Rawlings and Joseph Campbell – failed to show up at the trial. The judges will give their verdict at a later date.

Britons living overseas defrauded 43 million pounds in benefit fraud in 2011

The British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, has been visiting the Department of Work and Pensions benefits and healthcare team in Madrid. He warned Britons living abroad not to break the strict rules on what benefits they can and cannot claim. People who are pretending to live in the UK so they can collect benefits, but in fact are living overseas cost the British taxpayer 43 million pounds last year. Most of the reports of such benefit fraud came from Spain. Iain Duncan Smith commented, “We are determined to clamp down on benefit fraud abroad, which cost the British taxpayer around £43 million last year. This money should be going to the people who need it most and not lining the pockets of criminals sunning themselves overseas. The vast majority of British people overseas are law abiding, but fraudulently claiming benefits while living abroad is a crime and we are committed to putting a stop to it.” He also encouraged Britons to use the dedicated Spanish hotline to report benefit thieves. 900 554 440 or you report a benefit fraud here. The hotline has resulted in 100 people being sanctioned or prosecuted, and 134 more cases are currently under investigation. 3.1 million pounds in over payments of benefit have been identified and will be reclaimed. Source – UK in Spain - http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=News&id=754530182 Duncan Smith made the most of his visit to Madrid and took the chance to meet with Health Minister, Ana Mato, and the Mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella. They discussed the response to the crisis with Duncan Smith calling for an end to the culture of ‘unemployment and dependency’, increasing the control on public spending and eliminating ‘the subsidies which don’t resolve problems because in some cases ‘they trap the poor’.

Anti-Corruption prosecutors to be strengthened in Málaga

 

The State Attorney General, Eduardo Torres-Dulce, has said that there are plans to designate ‘one or two prosecutors’ more to the specialist Anti-Corruption section in the province of Málaga. He made the comment at an event where Juan Carlos López Caballero took possession as Chief Prosecutor for Málaga, a job which he was sharing with his post as Delegate from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, where three prosecutors work. There have been complaints from prosecutors that only 8% of civil servants who work for the administration of justice do so in the prosecutors’ office, a number described as ‘totally insufficient’.

Health Minister announces crackdown on foreigners using the Spanish Health Service

The cabinet on Friday decided to crack down on foreigners using the Spanish Health Service as part of an additional 7 billion € of cuts. They intend to toughen the conditions for inclusion on the Padrón census. Minister for Health, Ana Mato, said ‘We are going to end the abuses committed by some foreigners’. She is going to change the Ley de Extranjería which intends to put a limit to the so-called ‘health tourism’, which has seen family members of foreign residents to come to Spain ‘exclusively’ to receive health attention. Ana Mato insisted that from now it will not be so easy to come to Spain, sign the Padrón census, and obtain a health card, as it has been. ‘Just getting on the Padrón they all had the right to the health card’, said the Minister. ‘Now there will be a series of additional requirements when the Padrón is issued’. She said to guarantee the universality of the Health Service ‘for all the Spaniards’ it was necessary to stop the illegal and undue use which some foreigners have been making of this service. On Thursday the Minister met with the regions and they agreed on a new article which will ‘explicitly prohibit a person moving regions in search of health attention'. The Minister considers these measures will do away with health tourism and save 1 billion €. Ana Mato also said that she was going to revise some international conventions on the matter, given that ‘many’ countries do not repay the money they owe Spain for the health attention given here to their citizens. Among the other measures approved, the end of paying for some medicaments ‘with little therapeutic value’. A list of included medicines accepted nationally is to be prepared. The Minister said ‘We all have to collaborate with those who having a worse time’.

Ryanair threatens surcharge on flights to Spain

 

Millions of its passengers – who have already booked and paid for their flights in full – may now be asked to pay an extra fee upon departure, or be told they are not allowed to board. The airline sent an email to customers this week warning them of the backdated fare. “We may be forced to debit passengers for any government imposed increases in airport charges prior to your travel date,” its message read. “If any such tax, fee or charge is introduced or increased after your reservation has been made you will be obliged to pay it (or any increase) prior to departure”.

Warning of rise in bogus rape reports in Malaga

THERE has been a rise in false reports of rape from tourists in Malaga, according to the police. They are apparently doing this, the police say, to make fraudulent claims from their travel insurance. Doctors claim that in several cases they are convinced that the women are lying, but it is very hard to prove. “Some travel insurance policies have clauses by which tourists can get the money for their tickets back as well as compensation if they report they have been raped on holiday” one doctor told a local Spanish daily. Police and doctors report that they first saw this approximately three years ago and that on the Costa del Sol it is not a widely extended practice, whereas in areas such as Mallorca, it is seen more frequently. The police say they suspect women whose stories don’t add up, who can’t remember anything about the alleged attackers, or who do not appear to be overly upset about the ordeal. However, they rarely have enough proof to open proceedings against the alleged victims for making a false report. In most cases the women, aged between 19 and 25, have left Spain within 48 hours of making the report. Meanwhile doctors say they suspicions are raised when there is a lack of injuries or when the alleged victim wants to avoid undergoing an examination. Often no biological evidence is found.

TWO members of the Costa del Sol Drugs and Organized Crime Unit (UDYCO) are on trial for alleged irregularities in their work.

The two National Police officers are facing 19 and eight years in prison, as well as a four-year suspension in a trial which is expected to go on until July. One of them, the former head of the unit in Marbella, is accused of embezzlement, falsehood, violating a sentence and retaining a person against their will. As well as the sentence and suspension mentioned above the public prosecutor is asking for a 34-year ban from the police force. The other officer, who was Chief Inspector of the Unit, is accused of failing to perform his duties, violating a sentence, embezzlement, coercion and illegal weapons possession. The officers came under investigation in 2006, some two years after the unit dismantled a drug trafficking network in Marbella. During the arrests one of the detainees lost a gold watch worth €20,000, which was handed over to the head of the unit who failed to provide a receipt for it. According to the public prosecutor, he decided to keep it, and failed to mention it in any reports. When the detainee’s lawyer asked for it, he denied having it, but later handed it over and wrote a report claiming that he had ordered a search of the police station to find it. During another operation, he allegedly took €1,000 and a case. Meanwhile, the other officer on trial allegedly received complaints from lower ranking regarding the behaviour of their boss and despite knowing the truth about the gold watch, never reported the incident to his superiors. The first officer is also accused of setting a wanted man free in 2005 without telling his superiors after the detainee agreed to become an informer. However, when he was arrested again the officer allegedly “wanted nothing to do with him”, according to the prosecution. With the help of this man, he is accused of setting up a drugs sale to boost his reputation in 2005. He allowed his informer to “escape” with the €30,000 from the transaction, which they later allegedly shared. The other officer was approached by a Russian couple who wanted a detective so a friend could check on his wife. He allegedly pretended to pay a private detective and used resources available to him thanks to his position in the UDYCO. He is also charged with taking a TV seized during an operation home with him for more than a month, amongst other irregularities.

Arrested in Marbella father and son accused of drug trafficking in France

Two French citizens, father and son, who had complaints paths dictated by the French authorities for drug trafficking and in Spain were attributed to drug crimes and falsifying public documents, have been arrested in Marbella (Malaga). Researchers have been able to locate in the city of Marbella, where they were arrested on day 12 after checking their real identities and their claims incautarles court and through a house search, 52 kilograms of hashish and 58,340 euros in cash, plus false documents. Judicial authorities were concerned at European level arrests and delivery of AL born in Anglet (France) in 1946, and XL, 27 and son of the former, said today the General Directorate of Police in a statement. Operated drug was found in a suitcase hidden under a staircase of the residence of those arrested and the money hidden in a double wardrobe, and after the arrests of individuals have been brought to justice, according to sources.

POLICE dismantled a gang which stole cars in Alicante and Murcia and broke them up for spare parts.

Six premises were searched in and around Orihuela (Alicante) and nine people detained.

The arrests also allowed police to solve 30 outstanding thefts, said sources close to the case.

The gang came to the attention of the police in September last year after three Moroccans were found stealing vehicles in the Vega Baja.

Many were parked vans, with the keys left in the ignition while drivers made deliveries.

Investigators found that the thieves were stripping down vehicles at a country house in Los Miras, near Los Montesinos.

 

They then took the spares by road to North Africa via the Algeciras ferry, using faked invoices from scrap dealers to confirm their origin.

 

Entire vehicles were also taken to Morocco on false papers after changing their number plates for those of cars of the same make and model.

The group used additional premises in Callosa de Segura, where the most valuable spare parts were hidden.

Those of little value and most of the chassis were dumped in a ruined depot on a Crevillente (Alicante) industrial estate.

Police also intercepted a large van in Lorca (Murcia) and arrested the driver, a Moroccan heading for Algeciras.

It was loaded with spares, including Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen engines.

Other members of the group, also Moroccan, were arrested in Alicante, Algeciras and Marbella.

The operation is ongoing and police do not rule out further arrests.

Man named in Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll murder trial 'is in Spain'

The Kevin 'Gerbil' Carroll murder trial has heard that one of the men alleged by the accused to be involved in the gangland figure's death is in Spain. Karen O'Donnell, 40, from Cumbernauld, told the High Court in Glasgow her cousin William Paterson said he was going to Spain in December 2009. Mr Paterson is one of eight people accused by Ross Monaghan of involvement in Mr Carroll's death in January 2010. Mr Monaghan, 30, denies murder in the Asda car park in Robroyston, Glasgow. He has lodged a special defence of incrimination against eight men, including Mr Paterson. Frequent visitor Advocate depute Iain McSporran, prosecuting, asked Mrs O'Donnell when she last saw Mr Paterson, who she knows as Billy. She told the jury it had been a week after her son's engagement party, which took place after the shooting of Mr Carroll. Mrs O'Donnell said Mr Paterson was a frequent visitor to her home and often phoned and texted her. Mr McSporran asked if she knew where he was, to which Mrs O'Donnell replied: "I believe he's in Spain to work in bars." She said he had told the family he was going to Spain in December 2009. Mrs O'Donnell was asked if Mr Paterson had ever gone abroad before, and replied that he had gone to Australia for a year in 2002. Murder charge The prosecutor asked if it was "obvious" that Mr Paterson had "fled the country to stay away for as long as possible". Mrs O'Donnell replied: "No, not in my opinion." She said she did not know when Mr Patterson was expected to return, and said she was aware that police were looking for him in connection with a charge of murder. It is alleged that while masked and acting with others, Mr Monaghan murdered 29-year-old Mr Carroll by repeatedly discharging loaded handguns at him, shooting him on the head and body. Mr Monaghan is accused of - while acting with others - attempting to defeat the ends of justice by disposing of a revolver, pistol and ammunition within undergrowth in Coatbridge and Airdrie, both North Lanarkshire. It is also claimed a car - bearing false number plates YF 55 EZZ - was set on fire. Mr Monaghan also faces a number of firearms charges. He denies all the charges against him and has lodged a special defence of incrimination against eight people. The trial, before judge Lord Brailsford, continues.

Spain's Royal Family Rocked by a Series of Legal Scandals

 

It is not the best moment to be King of Spain. Juan Carlos' son-in-law Iñaki Urdangarin is being investigated for involvement in a massive corruption scheme; and his eldest grandson just shot himself in the foot — literally. On April 9, the 13-year-old Felipe (who is known to the public by his nickname Froilán), was finishing up target practice at his father's estate, when he accidentally fired a bullet into his right foot. Because Spanish law prohibits anyone under the age of 14 from operating a firearm, the Civil Guard has now opened an investigation into the event. "Without a doubt," says journalist Mábel Galaz, who covers the Spanish royal family for El País newspaper, "this is their annus horribilis" — a reference to Queen Elizabeth II's description of 1992, the year the marriages of three of her children (including that of Charles to Diana) were breaking up and Windsor Castle caught fire. For decades, Spain's Bourbons avoided the kind of public scrutiny and censure that bedevils other European royals. The country's media — not even the gossip rags — made few or no coy references to mistresses or financial misdoings, nor did they whisper about unseemly meeting with Arab sheiks or a special fondness for diet pills. But that reticence is beginning to change, thanks in part to recent legal scandals. And as it does, Spain's attitudes toward monarchy in general are also changing. (MORE: Spain's Death Spiral and the Hypocrisy of the Euro) "There's been a willingness to accept a construction of the King as the savior of democracy," says Julián Casanova, history professor at the University of Zaragoza. "And as a result he was never subjected to public criticism." Despite the fact that he was dictator Francisco Franco's handpicked successor, Juan Carlos lent his support to parliamentary government — basically writing himself out of power — and in 1981 went on television to disavow an attempted military coup, an act that quickly helped crush it. Because of those events, says Casanova, "the media has protected him." Yet that protection is no longer being extended in the same degree to his descendants — or at least not his descendants' spouses. In the years following her marriage to Felipe, the King's son and heir, Princess Letizia was reported to suffer from eating disorders and to have undergone plastic surgery. Critics have also questioned her fashion sense. (Two adorable children and a more modern style have since helped ease the scrutiny.) The King's eldest child Elena's 2009 divorce from the aristocrat Jaime de Marichalar scandalized sectors of this still predominantly Catholic country. But no infractions — real or imagined — have so affected the royal family's standing as the indictment of Urdangarin. In the fall of 2011, the husband of the Infanta Cristina was officially accused of diverting millions of dollars in public funds from the Noos Institute, a nonprofit organization that he chairs, to offshore accounts. Called to testify in February of this year, Urdangarin declared his innocence. The investigation is ongoing.   The royal family has tried to distance themselves from their wayward son-in-law, a former Olympic handball champion. In December, Urdangarin was suspended from attending official functions, and in his televised Christmas speech, the King made a pointed reference that was not lost on royal watchers. "Fortunately, we live in a state of law, and any objectionable action should be tried and punished according to the law. Justice is for everyone." Although the Infanta Cristina has thus far avoided indictment, for the first time she did not join the rest of the royal family for their traditional Easter vacation last week. Clearly, the royals are feeling the hot breath of public scrutiny. In October, a regular survey by the Center for Sociological Research showed that, for the first time in the past 17 years, trust in the royal family had fallen below the halfway mark, lower even than trust in the media. Perhaps in response, in December, the royal household made its income public for the first time (they received about $11 million in 2011, of which roughly 10% went to salaries and individual expenses). And on April 11, as the Spanish government announced massive cuts in the salaries and benefits of public workers, the royals followed suit, declaring that they would reduce their own budget by $224,000. "They're feeling obligated to have more transparency," says Casanova. "Given the situation in Spain, I don't think they had choice." (For comparison, Queen Elizabeth's royal household has an annual income of about $33 million.) (MORE: Spain's Big Gamble: What Two Cities Will Give Up to Win EuroVegas) Against this backdrop, Sunday's shooting accident surely hasn't helped their image. Nor did Queen Sofia's attempt to brush off the event's significance with a grandmotherly comment: "These things happen with boys." The Civil Guard begged to differ: after calling the accident a "clamorous infraction," they have opened an investigation. If found guilty, Felipe's father, who was with him at the time, could face fines. "This was clearly an accident," says psychologist Javier Urra, Madrid's former ombudsman for youth. "But there's a sense that the royal family should set an example." (Juan Carlos was himself involved in a tragic shooting accident as a young man. While the Bourbons lived in exile in Portugal, 18-year-old Juan Carlos was cleaning a revolver when it went off, hitting his 14-year-old brother Alfonso in the forehead, killing him.) Does their at least occasional failure to set an example mean that monarchy itself is in danger? "Absolutely not," says journalist Galaz. "People here still have a ton of respect for the King who got us through [the attempted coup on] February 23." But with the King now 74 years old, and democracy firmly established in Spain, it remains to be seen whether they will transfer their loyalty to his son. Until now, the 44-year-old Felipe, who was has a master's degree from Georgetown University, has comported himself well. "The bad news is that there's a lot of noise around the monarchy these days, and that the Infantas Elena and Cristina are no longer considered trustworthy," says Casanova. "The good news is that their brother is."

Spanish police investigate how grandson of King shot himself in foot

Felipe Juan Froilán Marichalar y Borbón, 13, the eldest grandson of King Juan Carlos is recovering in hospital after misfiring a shot into his right foot during target practice with his father at their home in Soria. The accident on Monday was described as a "thunderous infringement of the law" by Civil Guard sources according to Spanish daily newspaper El Pais. A judge on Wednesday ordered the launch of an investigation into the incident and called for the questioning of the boy's father Jaime de Marichalar, as the child was in his charge at the time. Don de Marichalar, who went by the title Duke of Lugo until his divorce in January 2007, could face a fine of up to 3,000 euros (£2,475) for allowing his son to use a firearm without a license, which cannot be obtained until age 14. The shot fired at close range travelled clean through the boy's foot in the toe area. He received first aid at a local hospital before being transferred to the Quiron clinic in Madrid where doctors operated on the foot.

tourist caught in Morocco with £500k worth of cannabis is jailed

 

A tourist in Morocco has been jailed for two years after being caught with £500,000 of cannabis in his camper van. Daniel Healy, 67, from Glasgow, was arrested as he tried to cross the border from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Police discovered the 100-kilo stash of the drug hidden in aluminium boxes in the Spanish-registered van’s water tank. He has been held in tough Tetuoan prison since his arrest in September last year, which was revealed in the Sunday Mail at the time and he has now been sentenced. It is not known whether Healy pled guilty to the charges or was convicted by jury. At the time, his friend Graham Boszormenyi, 46, claimed Healy was unaware of the hidden drugs. Last night, Healy’s daughter Siobhan, who is a celebrated glass artist in Dennistoun, refused to comment. The foreign office said: “We will continue to provide consular assistance.” A US state department report on Moroccan jail conditions said: “They ­ generally do not meet ­international standards. “Prisons are overcrowded, resulting in poor hygienic conditions and prone to violence.”

In a big drugs haul in the early hours of yesterday morning, police pounced on a fast launch carrying over a tonne of drugs which the RGP put the street value at over £7 million

The haul was as a result of ongoing collaborative work with the Guardia Civil...the RGP Police launch started to track a vessel which was on the eastside of Gibraltar making its way to Europa Point.

Due to the nature of the information a number of police officers were placed in strategic positions around the Rock to enable to follow the direction of the said vessel which then made its way towards Rosia Bay, hidding itself behind one of the tankers anchored in the bay.

An RGP statement adds: "Due to police spotters information was passed on to the RGP launch which made its way towards the said tanker, but on being seen the said vessel, which could now be identified as a red rigid semi inflatable, started to get away from the RGP launch. A chase then ensued with beacons and sirens applied, and in the process, one of the occupants was seen to jettison what appeared to be a Cannabis Bale into the sea. The RGP vessel managed to stop this RHIB which was seen to be fully loaded with bales suspected to be Cannabis Resin."

Both occupants of the RHIB were arrested on suspicion of being in possession of the said drugs with intent to supply others. Forty Eight (48) bales were found on this vessel, each bale estimated to weigh approximately 25 kilos, thus making a total weight of 1.2 tonnes.

The vessel and both defendants, Angel SERRAN PADILLA and Mateo RUIZ FAJARDO, both born in 1984 and resident in Ceuta were conveyed to Police Marine Base.

They were then transferred to Police Headquarters where they were interviewed under caution.

They were subsequently charged jointly with the following offences:

• Possession of a controlled drug namely approximately 1200 kilos of Cannabis Resin.

• Possession of a Controlled drug, namely approximately 1200 kilos of Cannabis Resin with intent to supply another or others.

• Jettisoning Cargo

• Importing a Prohibited Import, namely a rigid inflatable boat.

They appeared in the Magistrates Court where they were remanded in custody.

This has been the largest seizure of Cannabis Resin in recent years where persons have been arrested and charged with possession of the said drugs, said police.

The estimated street value of the said seizure is £6.2 million.

National Police arrest 15 Nigerians for drug trafficking

 

National Police have arrested 15 people from an organisation which distributed drugs, mostly cocaine, across Spain and other European countries. All 15 are Nigerians who have been arrested since the start of the investigation last September. The first arrests were of people acting as drugs mules carrying ‘acorns’ (small packages of drugs) inside their bodies, intercepted at Palma de Mallorca and Almería airports. In the first arrest in Palma the ‘mule’ was carrying 1,350 grams of cocaine in 77 ‘acorns’. Investigations then revealed other people responsible based in Alcalá de Henares, Azuqueca de Henares, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca. Other arrests have been made in Roquetas de Mar.

Costa del Sol foreigners present a denuncia at Hacienda after equity release fraud

Diario Sur reports that retired foreign residents have denounced a number of foreign financial entities to Hacienda regarding an alleged fraud which means they could lose their homes. The group claims that a dozen banks have become accomplices in a fiscal fraud. Most of the 30 foreigners, resident on the Costa del Sol, are British and they demonstrated on Monday outside the branch offices of the Agencia Tributaria in Avenida de Andalucía in Málaga. They were led by the President of their group, 74 year old Evan Armstrong, and Vice President Ian Sherdley. They have also presented a letter to Hacienda which explains to the treasury why they consider a full-blooded fiscal fraud has taken place implicating them without their knowledge. Represented by the lawyer Antonio Flores, they carried placards which attacked some of the banks which they claim have tricked them. The banks are financial entities outside Spain which the foreign residents claim offered them equity release on part of the value of their properties without charges. They were then told that succession tax would be reduced for their inheritors in the case of their death by an arrangement which saw their money being invested in investment funds in other countries which were supposedly without risk. The reality is that many owners have lost most of their money. The foreigners say they have been victims of a fiscal fraud carried out in Spain, and that is why they are taking action at the Agencia Tributaria against the financial entities which are implicated.

King of Spain's grandchild was legally too young to use the Shotgun

There has been a new twist to the shooting accident suffered by the oldest of King Juan Carlos grandchildren, Froilán. The 13 year old accidentally shot himself in his right foot; it’s thought with a twin barrel 36 calibre shotgun. It’s a common weapon in the hunt for small game. He was on holiday with his father, Jaime de Marichalar, and his sister, Victoria Federica, at his father’s family home in Soria. Now it has been established that he was using a firearm which is not allowed for the under 14 year old; the rule is described as a ‘serious infraction’. For children between the ages of 14 and 18 year a special authorisation is needed to use firearms, obtained from the Guardia Civil. They also have to be accompanied by an adult. The National Arms Association has commented that a 36 calibre shotgun ‘is the appropriate for a child to learn’ to start this activity. Floilán’s right foot has been surgically cleaned in an unnamed Madrid hospital but he is not thought to be seriously hurt.

They killed their friend, went partying, and then back to burn to body

 

A man has admitted in court he saw how a friend killed another by 30 stabbings as they were all high on cocaine, and how the body was burned. Jorge, Ulises and David are known to have got high on the drug in a house in Torrevieja, and then started fighting between them, resulting in Jorge’s death from 30 stab wounds. After the killing, Ulises and David went out in Torrevieja, still high on cocaine, and then drove to Madrid to buy more drugs. They took money out of the victim’s credit card while in the capital. They then returned from Madrid to Torrevieja and set fire to the body and the house where it all happened. The amazing case opened in the Provincial Court in Madrid today Tuesday, and Ulises and David face more than 50 years in prison for homicide and taking out money on the credit cards. Ulises told the court, ‘We were chatting, drinking and taking cocaine. David went out to buy drink, there was an argument under the effects of the cocaine, and then Jorge came out of the kitchen with a knife and David had to defend himself. So Jorge suffered 30 stabbings including getting his throat cut’. ‘I was scared’, continued Ulises, ‘I was scared of both of them’. He admitted in court that they had taken money out of the victim’s account – ‘I knew the number because he trusted me', he said. He explained to the court how they purchased a can of petrol to set fire to the body and the house.

Vinnie Jones heads to Marbella

Vinnie Jones is heading to Marbella for a role as a twisted garrotte killer. The British actor and ex-footballer – who was once given a yellow card after just three seconds on the pitch – will play a lead in gangster movie Shill, to be filmed entirely on the ‘Costa del Crime’. “Jones plays Branch, a guitar-playing nutter who chokes his victims with his strings,” said Shill writer and producer Paul Grimshaw, who based the film on his own experiences. The Shill actors will meet investors at Marbella Film Festival in October this year, with filming set for spring 2013. “We’ll be filming over a six-week period which will be a chance for some real star-spotting in Marbella,” said Grimshaw, who has worked as an estate agent in Marbella for 20 years. The film – also likely to star Tom Hardy – focuses on ‘shill bidding’, online fraud which involves falsely inflating prices of goods sold on auction sites such as eBay. Having made ten million pounds in cash, the team embark on a spending spree to Marbella to hide the money from the law. But after Shill makes a deal with crime baron Drake, a bloody and brutal mutiny is unleashed

Salou, the northern Spanish town where thousands of British students flock every spring for four nights of drunken debauchery.

It was a case of deja vu last night for the long-suffering residents of Salou, the northern Spanish town where thousands of British students flock every spring for four nights of drunken debauchery.

For the twelfth time, the Costa Dorada resort has been overrun by Saloufest, the notorious annual sports tour returning for another round of hard drinking, half-naked partying - and the odd day of volleyball or hockey.

The first pictures released from this year's event paint a familiar picture: packs of fresh-faced revellers in proudly ridiculous fancy dress, their flesh largely bare and arms aloft as they stagger and bellow through the streets.

On the march: British students wrapped in flags as they head out for the first night of parties at SalouFest in Salou, Spain

Fireman's lift: A British student makes off with a fellow reveller as the drunken Saloufest parties spill out on to the streets

Culture clash: Two young women match geisha-style makeup with pink bum bags for a night out in the Costa Dorada resort

The first 5,000 of a total 8,200 people are said to have made the trip from Britain's universities yesterday, marking an increase of 1,000 on last year.

Police say the first night of the tour passed without any arrests being made - but past form suggests they won't be holding out much hope for an easy ride.

 

Last year's event saw officers launch a crackdown on any students caught drinking in public, putting an end to the days when the locals would turn a blind eye to those flouting Salou's alcohol bylaws.

The town also decided to uphold rules preventing the Saloufest partiers from roaming around town half-naked.

The 2011 tour saw two toga-wearing students hauled off to a police station and fined £265 for breaking the alcohol laws.

This year the local authorities have handed out leaflets warning British visitors not to drink on streets and beaches, while those found stumbling around shirtless can expect to face the consequences.

 

Riot of colour: There's no missing these Brits abroad as they pull on garish tones and leggings for a debauched night in the Catalan village

Rowdy: Four students holler from the terrace of a nightclub during the first night of booze-soaked parties

Sitting comfortably? A show of bravado sees one British student doing a press-up as another sits on his back

Spanish media reports that ILoveTour, the firm that organises the festival, has some 30 supervisors on hand to babysit the horde of 18-to-23-year-olds.

One account, from Spanish newspaper El Pais, talks of streets streaked with vomit and urine, disoriented youths, deafening noise and riot vans on standby.

Despite local opposition, hoteliers in the area support Saloufest because it extends the holiday season and is timed so as not to interfere with the influx of Easter tourists. 

In an effort to keep the peace, some of the seven hotels set aside for the event have opted to separate their British guests from other holidaymakers.

The basic festival package sees students shell out £189 for coach travel and four nights in two-star accommodation, with optional extras including day trips to nearby Barcelona and Port Aventura.

Shameless: A passerby cheers as two partygoers get up close and personal outside an Irish-themed bar

 

In the gutter: The week-long tour has barely begun, but Saloufest seems to have taken its toll as these two huddle on the pavement outside a nightclub

Sin city: Dog collars and a novelty cross pass for fancy dress on the streets of Salou

 

Tribes: Clusters of UK students stagger through the village in fancy dress. A vague cavewoman theme finds this pair draped in animal print

Bookish? A mob of Saloufest drinkers in 'geek' fancy dress, one of the go-to costume themes for student union club nights up and down the UK