Category: News

Corruption
The vice president of Spain’s football association (RFEF), Andreu Subies, has been arrested as part of a police operation that also saw former president Angel Maria Villar resign on corruption charges.
Subies, the former president of the Catalan Football Federation joined the Spanish FA in May after Luis Rubiales was appointed president.
A police spokesman said Subies had been detained as part of an active investigation into the diversion of money from the Federation.
Along with Subies, another member of the Federation was arrested yesterday as part of the Police operation.… Read all the news

Drugs
Spanish police have blocked the creation of one of the largest Breaking Bad-style drug labs in Europe after 16 people were arrested – including seven in Britain.
The operation saw nearly 15,000 litres of chemical products seized which officers say would have been used to make £5million worth of amphetamines and ecstasy.
Seven people in Spain and two in France have been held alongside the seven in the UK. The operation involved French police and Britain’s National Crime Agency.
The UK arrests took place after a £4million haul of cannabis smuggled into the Port of Liverpool on a ship that had docked from Spain was seized.… Read all the news

Barcelona Raids
Police arrested at least 55 people in Barcelona Yesterday during a massive crackdown on apartments used for migrant and drug trafficking in the Catalonia region.
More than 700 investigating agents and 150 local police officers took part in the anti-drug trafficking operation.
Police said the operation came after a two-year investigation into the rings running the drug den apartments.
A court in Barcelona authorized 40 searches on such apartments, also known as “narco flats,” in the central Raval and Gotic neighborhoods.… Read all the news

Weather
One person was still missing this morning after a weekend of rain, snow and low temperatures across Spain, due to the arrival of a mass of polar air on Friday.
The authorities are currently searching for a young man who was fishing yesterday in a rocky area off A Coruña who may have fallen into the sea. Two hikers who got lost on Saturday in the Pyrenees have been found .. Both were in good health.
The bad weather has also left 53,000 households without electricity on Menorca and in Asturias.… Read all the news

Migration
The maritime rescue service says a baby has died despite efforts by rescuers to save it after a small boat carrying migrants sunk in the Med. The death came as over 500 others were rescued.
The service said yesterday that the bottom of the rubber boat gave out, tossing 56 migrants into the water when its rescue craft reached it on Saturday east of the Strait of Gibraltar.
Rescue workers were able to save 55 men, women and children, but could not resuscitate the baby.… Read all the news

Drugs
Police in four countries have smashed an international drug-trafficking ring in which cocaine was
smuggled aboard commercial jets.
Colombian police say 30 people have been arrested, including the suspected ringleader, Jorge Juan
Merlo of Spain. He was arrested in the Colombian city of Cali.
Other suspects were arrested in Australia, Spain, and the United States. Nearly 800 kilograms of
cocaine, $200,000 in cash, and cars and cell phones were also seized.
Authorities say the drug ring was centered in Colombia from which cocaine was flown to other
countries hidden in luggage aboard regular passenger flights.… Read all the news

Jail
Former International Monetary Fund chief Rodrigo Rato arrived at a Madrid prison Yesterday to start a four-and-a-half year jail term for using company credit cards to make costly personal purchases while running state-owned lender Bankia.
Rato, who was economy minister in Spain and a prominent figure in the ruling PP before moving to the IMF, chaired Bankia for two years until just before its state bailout in 2012.
Carrying two suitcases and dressed in jeans Rato thanked family and friends for their support during the legal process against him before entering the Soto del Real prison on the outskirts of Madrid.… Read all the news

Sabotage
Police have arrested six people in Murcia for sabotage attacks on new works for the AVE high- speed train network.
The first attacks were launched in December last year and the following month the police arrested the alleged leaders a 55-year-old man and youths aged 17 and 14.
However, another wave of attacks happened in February when explosive cartridges packed with shrapnel were thrown at security staff.
The National Police say those now detained have links with extreme left wing groups.… Read all the news

Drugs
A Spanish official says police have arrested at least 15 people in an anti-drug operation that saw authorities seize more than five tons of cocaine concealed in a banana shipment.
Civil Guard and National Police agents took part in yesterday’s crackdown in Malaga. The official requested anonymity because the operation is still ongoing.
Dozens of police cars were seen at an industrial park in Malaga where the drug bust took place.
Sportsman
A CLIMBER from Crevillent on the Costa Blanca has died in the Himalayan mountain range.… Read all the news

Arms Deals
The High Court is investigating 23 years’ worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia during which
executives at a state-owned company allegedly paid millions in bribes to secure contracts.
Judge José de la Mata is examining five transactions made from 1992 to 2004 between Riyadh and
a company named Defex, as well as 11 other contracts signed more recently.
The company is 51% owned by the Spanish state while the other 49% is in the hands of private
businesses whose main activity is arms sales.… Read all the news