Raffaele Amato was detained in a joint operation by Italian and Spanish police in Marbella

Raffaele Amato was detained in a joint operation by Italian and Spanish police in the city of Marbella on Saturday. leader of the powerful Neapolitan-based mafia, the Camorra, has been arrested in southern Spain, Italian prosecutors have said.
Amato is accused of eight murders between 1991 and 1993, and of being "the principal, or one of the principal importers of cocaine into Italy". He had been living under a false name on the Costa del Sol, police said. The 44-year-old had been a fugitive from Italian justice since 2006, when a Naples court issued a warrant for his arrest for murder. Police said Amato had once been a key lieutenant of the alleged mafia godfather, Paolo Di Lauro, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2006 for Mafia association, extortion and drug trafficking. However, about five years ago he led a successful breakaway from Di Lauro and took control of the narcotics market in Naples, they added.Raffaele Amato, considered to be one of the chiefs of the Napolitano Camorra Mafia, was arrested in Marbella on Saturday. EFE reports that the arrest took place in a joint Spanish and Italian police operation while the 44 year old man was dining with two members of his family in a restaurant.
Amato has been on the run from justice in Italy since 2006 and is accused of carrying out eight murders between 1991 and 1993.

Amy Fitzpatrick Mayor of Mijas should erect posters and billboards with Amy's photograph and details

Audrey Fitzpatrick said she was glad to have the opportunity to ask Ambassador Mercedes Rico in Dublin to assist in getting more action from the Spanish authorities. Amy was 15 when she disappeared in Spain on the night of January 1 last year. She left a friend's house to walk about one kilometre to her own home in Calahonda on the Costa De Sol but failed to arrive. The Dublin teenager had lived in Spain with her mother, brother and her mother's partner for some years since moving there from Ireland. A search by Spanish police, including the use of helicopters and tracker dogs, failed to find any trace of her. Audrey told the Herald she would ask the ambassador today to do what she could to persuade the local authorities in the Costa del Sol to erect posters and billboards with Amy's photograph and details in the hope it might lead to a breakthrough. "The local mayor said no when we asked him to put up billboards but we think they would be a great help. I got the idea when I saw billboards in Gran Canaria put up by the local council seeking information on a missing seven-year-old boy. "Our own mayor of Mijas should do the same for Amy," she said. The Dublin mother is also seeking help from the ambassador in her quest to have a meeting with the Spanish prime minister to appeal personally for more resources to be put into the investigation. She said both Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen had met with her personally while taoiseach and she believed a personal meeting with the Spanish leader could help the search. Audrey and her partner Dave Mahon were scheduled to fly back to their home in Spain after today's meeting.

Mijas Costa 25 year old man had his throat cut on the Sitio de Calahonda development

25 year old man died in the early hours of this morning as a result of being injured in the throat with a knife in Mijas Costa according to the 061 emergency services.
Emergency service personnel were called to the Sitio de Calahonda development after being called by Civil Guards around 3 a.m. where they tried in vain to resuscitate the victim.The judge ordered that the body be removed and Civil Guards are now investigating the crime.

Estepona British couple attacked and man was stabbed twice in the back, piercing his kidney

National Police are investigating the brutal attack of a 50-year-old British tourist who was stabbed twice and hit over the head with a bottle by a gang of youths in Estepona on May 10.The attack took place when at approximately 4am the victim and a British woman were sitting by the seaside in an area which is frequented by young people who drink and socialise there at the weekends. For unknown reasons the victim was attacked by a group of North African youths who were only a few metres away. One of the youths approached the man and hit him over the head with a bottle. A second youth then stabbed him twice in the back, piercing his kidney.
The gang ran off while the woman managed to help the victim to Avenida España where they found a Local Police patrol.The victim was rushed to the Costa del Sol Hospital where he remains under observation. The police have now launched an investigation to try to identify and capture the group of violent attackers.This is the third case involving a knife attack in less than a week after a young man was stabbed in the Torrequebrada area of Benalmadena while he was stood in the front porch of his house.
In an isolated attack a few days earlier, a man was arrested for allegedly attacking his sister with a knife in Torremolinos. She sustained cuts to her hand.

National Police has broken up a network of 22 shops which sold manipulated and counterfeit games consoles across the country.

National Police has broken up a network of 22 shops which sold manipulated and counterfeit games consoles across the country. In the first operation of its type in Spain the police moved against the franchises which sold manipulated chips, compatible games cartridges and the counterfeit consoles in the provinces of Madrid, Sevilla, Valladolid, Málaga, Salamanca, Zamora, León, Gerona and Santiago de Compostela.Eight people have been arrested, including the man who set up the franchise system and more than 30,000 chips and other electronic material valued at 922,000 € has been impounded.

Alan McGregor Heron, 56, lives on the Costa del Sol,his Ferrari California was clocked in a radar trap travelling at 168mph in a 75mph zone

Alan McGregor Heron, 56, lives on the Costa del Sol,his Ferrari California was clocked in a radar trap travelling at 168mph in a 75mph zone on the A-92N motorway, police said adding that it was the highest speed ever recorded in the province.
Policeman clocked him at 159mph .A patrol car was dispatched and intercepted the Briton as he approached the town of Baza to the north east of Granada in the Sierra Nevada shortly after."It is rare to catch anyone driving at more than 200 kmph (124mph)," said a police spokesman. "But to reach the speed of this driver is completely unheard of."It is thought the car was brand new and was being driven with temporary plates issued in Spain.The expatriate, who police said keeps several expensive high cylinder cars at his home in Marbella, was fined 3,600 euros (£3,168) and had his driving licence confiscated.

Sarah Hunt,finally been jailed after more than four years hiding in Spain.

fraudster who siphoned off thousands of pounds in cash from two restaurants where she worked has finally been jailed after more than four years hiding in Spain.Sarah Hunt, who was also known as Sarah Hopkins, was thought to have fled to the Costa del Sol while awaiting trial for theft and false accounting charges in 2004.
But she was finally tracked down to the holiday resort of Malaga after police circulated her pictures on Crimestoppers UK Most Wanted site.She was jailed for 14 months at Birmingham Crown Court this week.Hunt, aged 34, from Tamworth, stole about £20,000 in takings from two restaurants in Star City, Nechells, and also at the Touchwood shopping centre, Solihull.

Eight Britons have been arrested for drug trafficking in Magaluf

Eight Britons have been arrested for drug trafficking in Magaluf.
The Guardia Civil in Palmanova on Mallorca say that those arrested acquired adulterated drugs, and then cut them some more before reselling them on in the clubs of Magaluf.The arrests were made in the early hours of Sunday, and a home was raided where quantities of cocaine, MDMA ecstasy and hashish was recovered along with some cash.The eight will appear in court shortly.

52 year old British neighbour,hurt as neighbour attempts suicide by Butane Gas

Woman who was injured in a gas explosion at her home on the N340 coast road in Almayate Bajo in the early hours of Tuesday has reportedly admitted that she purposely caused the blast in an attempt to commit suicide. She is said to have opened the valve on a butano gas bottle and then lit a cigarette.It came after an incident at her home in the early hours of Monday, where local police arrested her partner’s brother, 42 year old J.A.M.G. The woman, named by EFE as 37 year old N.E.R.P., told officers she had been sexually assaulted.Sheremains under treatment in the Carlos Haya Hospital in Málaga with superficial burns to 33 % of her body. Her 52 year old British neighbour, named by EFE as M.T.S., was also injured, but has already been discharged from hospital. His wife and two children escaped the explosion unhurt.Five other neighbours were evacuated as a precautionary measure while experts assess the damage caused to their houses. It’s understood that the house where the blast took place suffered considerable damage, and that a wall between that house and the British neighbour’s was destroyed.

Shooting in Rincón de la Victoria two arrested

The two men in custody are both Spaniards, and were picked up in the early hours of Tuesday, near the scene of the crime, EFE reports. A friend who saw what happened told the news agency that the motive was some sort of personal disagreement, and that the two accused, armed with a shotgun, had turned up at the same square on Saturday night but left when they were unable to find the person they were looking for.
Two men, both aged 21, have been arrested for a shooting in Rincón de la Victoria on Monday night where the victims, a man and a woman, were shot at as they were sitting in a square near the Casa de Cultura in La Cala del Moral. The weapon used is reported to be a shotgun.19 year old S.N.R. was injured in the abdomen and one of her arms, while her friend, 21 year old A.N.R., received injuries to his hands. Both are in the Carlos Haya Hospital in Málaga.

Benidorm a Portuguese man has been arrested for theft.

Benidorm a Portuguese man has been arrested for theft. He would break into the personal lockers of the staff in hotels in the town in search of cash and valuable items. He passed the items on to an Argentinean man who has also been detained.

Benidorm robbery of a branch of Bancaja

National Police in Benidorm has arrested two Bulgarian men in connection with the robbery of a branch of Bancaja in the town last March 22. The two are accused of making a hole in the wall of the bank on the Sunday, and after their arrest police also impounded a stolen Audi car, and a wide range of tools and other items used in robberies.

Charles Stabler,pensioner was attacked by a burglar at his Benalmádena home

Charles Stabler, 65,pensioner was attacked by a burglar at his Benalmádena home last month, has died of his injuries. The 65 year old had been in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit of Carlos Haya Hospital in Málaga, and is reported by Europa Press to have died last Friday, three weeks after the attack.
He never woke from a coma after being hit around the head last month.The burglar, who escaped with just two mobile phones and 30 euros (£27) in cash, fled after ransacking the apartment and setting it on fire.left Mr Stabler unconscious on the floor as flames took hold around him.A neighbour called emergency services after seeing smoke coming from the flat, in the seaside resort of Benalmadena.Police have arrested a 44-year-old Spaniard and he is being held in custody.He is thought to have followed Mr Stabler home from a local bar and forced his way in at around midnight on April 9.Mr Stabler spent three weeks in a coma in intensive care at the Carlos Haya hospital in Malaga.A spokeswoman for the hospital said: "Unfortunately Mr Stabler passed away in the intensive care unit on Friday." An investigating judge will rule on whether the suspect should face trial.

International manhunt is under way to trace a Bradford man suspected of conspiracy to murder.

Raymond Daniels, 39, extradited from Marbella in Spain, where he had moved to in 2007, last December to face the drugs charges. Now he is feared to have fled abroad, although detectives also think he could be hiding in the UK. has not been seen since walking free from court in March when a judge threw out drugs conspiracy charges against him. Daniels, of Drighlington, is wanted for questioning about a conspiracy to murder Mohammed Nissar Khan – one of his co-defendants on the drugs allegations. But he disappeared after an application to dismiss charges of conspiracy to supply heroin, against Daniels, Khan and three other men and allegedly involving £750,000 of the drug, was granted by Judge Roger Scott at Bradford Crown Court on March 6. The decision was upheld by a High Court judge after a challenge by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Daniels had been in custody awaiting trial in April on the drugs charges, but was released when they were dismissed. Two Bradford men, Christopher Fletcher, 46, and his nephew James Fletcher, 25, were arrested and charged in January with conspiring with Daniels, between June 2007 and May 2008 to murder Mohammed Nissar Khan. They are in custody and due to face trial in July. Daniels, who has links to the travelling community, had not been charged with the murder conspiracy because detectives were awaiting the consent of the Spanish authorities, under extradition laws. That approval came two days after he had been freed from the drugs charges. Detectives in West Yorkshire Police’s Organised Crime Group are checking up on possible leads following a national appeal on BBC’s Crimewatch programme last week. Detective Chief Inspector John Hoyle urged anyone with information about Daniels’s whereabouts to come forward. He said: “Although Raymond Daniels is not a danger to the public in general, if anyone does recognise him they should not approach him but inform the police at once.

“We feel somebody must have assisted him. He has links throughout the country and in Spain and if anyone has information about where he is we are anxious to hear from them.”

Speaking of the drugs allegations, Det Chief Insp Hoyle said: “We presented the evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service, which decided there was sufficient evidence to go before the courts.

“It’s unfortunate that this judgement came before we were able to charge him with conspiracy to murder.”

Team of armed robbers broke into Dolph Ludgren villa on the Costa del Sol

Dolph Ludgren, who has been married to jewellery designer Anette Qviberg for 15 years, and has two children, has stepped up security at his home following the raid last week.Team of armed robbers broke into the star's villa on the Costa del Sol, tied up his wife, who was home alone, and terrorised her into handing over cash and jewellery.But they cut short their raid on the luxury property in the hills above Marbella after recognising the actor in a family photograph in one of the bedrooms. source told Spanish media: "Things might have turned out very differently if Dolph had been at home.

"The criminals fled as soon as they realised the owner of the house they had raided was someone they wouldn't want to come up against in a fight."

The Swedish actor, who is 6ft 5in tall and has a black belt in Karate, rose to fame with his role as Russian boxer Ivan Drago in the fourth of the Rocky films. He has since starred in more than 40 films and still trains up to six days a week at his local gym. The 51-year-old recently took part in a six-round exhibition fight against a Russian wrestler in Moscow. "It left Anette pretty traumatised," said a source close to the family. "She's Dolph's angel and anyone who messes with her is messing with him."
Spanish police are hunting for the three masked attackers. "Police have got very few leads. All three burglars wore balaclavas and they've no real description to go on," a source said. "They're looking at CCTV footage to see if they can advance the inquiry.
"Dolph's away on business a lot and he's increased security to try to avoid a repeat."Anette has even spoken about leaving the area but Dolph's persuaded her it's a one-off and they should stay put for now."

Costa Del Sol drugs war is spilling onto the streets of Britain

Detectives fear a Costa Del Sol drugs war is spilling onto the streets of Britain after a kidnapping.
One man had his ear hacked off in a horrific attack.He was snatched along with another man outside an curry house in West Yorkshire and they were driven around for two hours before being dumped near Crosby Marina, Merseyside.Now police fear an underworld eruption and an orgy of violence will follow the attack as the savage drugs war escalates.Two men were kidnapped off a street in Lupset, Yorkshire, before being found by passers by in Crosby.After being snatched and bundled into a Citroen Berlingo van, the pair were subjected to two hours of torture before one had an ear sliced off.
A police source said: "Two men were found badly beaten on the Marina in Crosby, and one had had his ear hacked off.

"It seems a drugs package had gone missing on its way from Spain and the gang were trying to find out where it was.

"The attack was very vicious and there was lots of blood. It looked more like a scene from a movie."Gangs are becoming more brutal and these kinds of attacks are getting more frequent.

"The package was probably from the Costa Del Sol as so many gangs have links there."

The two men, a 48-year-old from Wakefield, and a 52-year-old from Barnsley, have since been released from hospital.Leading the investigation DCI Jon Hoyle said: "We are investigating a serious and targetted assault on two men."We are keeping an open mind as to the motive of the attack and continue to appeal for information.
"These men were subjected to a sustained attack causing serious injuries before they were found by a member of the public in Crosby."

finca ‘Los Naranjos’ shot at close range with a hunting shotgun

Autopsies carried out on the bodies of two men found dead on the finca ‘Los Naranjos’, on the Camino de los Martínez in Alhaurín de la Torre, on Saturday night have confirmed that they were shot at close range with a hunting shotgun. Neither man was carrying documentation and has yet to be identified, although reports from El Mundo newspaper indicate they could be from South America and are possibly from Colombia.The man arrested in connection with their deaths is the owner of the finca and testing for gunpowder residue is being carried out on the dead men’s hands to determine if either of them shot at the suspect now in custody. There are some reports that both were carrying pistols, and the owner of the finca is reported to have claimed that he defended himself when the two men attacked his property.

Swedish man arrested for murdering his wife at their home in Torrevieja last Saturday has been remanded to custody

Swedish man arrested for murdering his wife at their home in Torrevieja last Saturday has been remanded to custody by the judge. Judge Iris Valero is in charge of domestic violence cases locally and is understood to believe the murder was premeditated, La Verdad newspaper reports.The paper notes statements from neighbours on the urbanisation where the couple lived, La Siesta, that the victim, 67 year old Mona J., suffered repeated abuse from her husband. The accused, Karl J., aged 66, now faces domestic violence charges as well as the murder charge.He attended court on Tuesday in a wheelchair after being admitted to hospital with dehydration the previous night; he had refused to take in any food or liquids since his arrest last Saturday.La Verdad reports that Karl J. was too drunk to make a statement to police on the day of his arrest.

Four drug smugglers have been arrested in Cádiz

Four drug smugglers have been arrested in Cádiz in a joint Civil Guard and Customs operation which has seized more than a ton of cannabis from a boat boarded off Puerto de Santa María. Officers discovered 1.1 tons of the drug hidden in a false bottom built into the boat once the vessel, which was flying under the Spanish flag, was inspected in port.The two crew members taken into custody are both Spaniards, as are another two men arrested in Chipiona who are believed to have been the leaders of the smuggling operation.
A search of one of the suspects’ home in Sanlúcar de Barrameda revealed a stash of more than 8,000 € cash, together with three hunting rifles. Eleven mobile phones, a satellite phone and a car have also been impounded along with the boat.

Scott Harrison has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison by a court in Spain.

Scott Harrison,former world featherweight boxing champion, was arrested at Málaga airport on Thursday when he got off an Easy Jet flight from Glasgow with his parents. They have told the press that they were aware of a warrant against him, but they did not think it would be acted upon.A warrant had previously been issued for his arrest after he missed a court date last September, and as he has to stand trial in the Málaga provincial court on charges of robbery and of assaulting a policeman and one other in 2006. The recovering alcoholic says he has come back to Spain of his own free will to try and clear up the matter, but he faces up to three years in prison if found guilty. He has already spent five months on remand in the Alhaurín de la Torre prison because of the case and also has had his Costa del Sol home seized by the bank.Scott Harrison has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison by a court in Spain. Harrison was detained by officers from the country's National Police when he landed at Malaga Airport on Thursday.
The 31-year-old was found guilty of attempting to steal a car and assaulting two men in the vehicle as well as a policeman in October 2006. He spent five weeks in a maximum security Spanish jail after his initial arrest near Malaga. Harrison had a glittering career in boxing, becoming WBO featherweight champion in 2002 and subsequently defending it successfully. But he has faced problems with alcohol, drugs and depression, and in 2006 he was declared bankrupt, stripped of both his WBO title and his licence to box for bringing the sport into disrepute. He was jailed in Scotland last year after admitting drink driving, assault and breaching bail conditions.

Harrison was released from Glasgow's Barlinnie prison in December, after serving four months of a eight-month sentence.

A judge in Spain issued an international arrest warrant after he failed to attend court last September, when he was serving time in Barlinnie.

Harrison, who is battling to get his boxing licence back, was found guilty of the attempted robbery and assaulted, after a drinking binge with his late uncle in October 2006.