Costa Blanca
In Spain, the number of cheap petrol stations is growing

The most recent report from the National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) claims that flagship stations—those who enter into an exclusivity agreement with a fuel distributor—continue to suffer as independent service facilities expand. There are 12,631 operational establishments on Spanish territory, according to data from this entity as of December 31, 2024. This is 96 more points of sale than the previous year. However, the majority of them are self-sufficient.
More and less expensive petrol stations
According to the report released by this organisation on February 27th, 2025, independent gas stations accounted for “just over 45% of the network” of gas stations in 2024. The CNMC emphasises “the continuous increase in the networks of Plenergy , Petroprix and Ballenoil (acquired by Cepsa-Moeve while retaining its brand)” . The report notes that these three independent brands’ installations resulted in a corresponding increase in their number of points of sale of 291, 280, and 159.
According to data, these numbers are in contrast to those from 2009, when independent petrol stations made up 28% and the three major operators (BP, Repsol, and Moeve) 55%.
Additionally, these independent brands were used by the service stations that reported a reduced price in 2024. Vilafranca del Penedès (Barcelona)’s Plenergy station had the lowest price for 95 gasoline, “followed by two with the Bonarea label in Olesa de Montserrat (Barcelona) and Castellgalí (Barcelona)”. However, two petrol stations with the Ballenoil label in Morón de la Frontera (Seville) and Torrevieja (Alicante) had the lowest prices for A diesel. These were followed by one with the Petroprix label in Gijón (Asturias) and another with the Plenergy label in Villareal (Castellón).
Additionally, the newsletter provides additional details about Spanish petrol stations. For instance, 14.3% of the network is made up of “unattended or partially unattended” petrol stations.
Less than 25%, between 25% and 50%, and between 50% and 75% of opening hours are partially unattended, while the bulk of this percentage are entirely unattended, meaning that over 75% of operating hours are unattended. In comparison to 2023, there are now 1,799 stations that fit these criteria, which is 338 higher than the previous year.
Despite the promotion of electric automobiles, which hardly increased their sales in 2024, the CNMC also noted that “demand for 95-octane petrol and diesel A was 2.0% higher than in 2023.”
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Costa Blanca
Two men arrested for drug trafficking in Benidorm

According to police sources Yesterday, Friday 21st March, two men were arrested in Benidorm (Alicante) on suspicion of drug trafficking in a pub in the city’s English district, where they allegedly hid the drugs in fire extinguishers and cisterns in the establishment’s toilets.
During the raid, officers discovered 85 packets MDMA, ecstasy, cocaine, and marijuana. Quique Tortosa, spokeswoman for Benidorm Local Police, said that the drugs were “hidden in fire extinguishers, toilet cisterns,” and under the establishment’s cash register. The arrested persons were allegedly protecting the drugs inside the premises, and officers recovered the cash they were carrying, which appeared to be “the proceeds of sales transactions,” Tortosa explained.
The operation is part of the Benidorm Local Police Response and Prevention Group’s daily inspections of the city’s leisure establishments. Themen have been turned over to the National Police for any required investigations.
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Costa Blanca
Car thief arrested in Aspe

A 35-year-old thief has been arrested for a succession of vehicle break-ins on the streets of the Alicante town of Aspe.
The man, a Spanish national, was apprehended by the Civil Guard after an investigation was initiated in response to an anomalous increase in this type of crime in the municipality.
The suspect employed a modus operandi based on observation. “He would steal valuables by breaking windows or exploiting unlocked cars when no one was present,” the police explained.
The burglaries persisted without interruption, and they even obtained access to a video that a witness had captured, in which a man was observed tampering with the interior of a vehicle.
The suspect, a criminal with a history of similar offences, was identified by the authorities as a result of the images. Simultaneously, investigators identified that certain stolen items were being advertised on online trading platforms, which expedited the investigation.
The operation was successfully concluded with the detection of the individual and the recovery of numerous stolen items that were being sold online, thanks to the cooperation of neighbours and the efforts of the officers. A transverse flute, a violin, and numerous radio transmitters were among the items.
The suspect was ultimately apprehended at his residence, where additional items were confiscated, such as digital storage devices and eyeglasses. All of these items have been deposited in official custody at the court’s disposal, pending potential identification.
The detainee has been presented before Novelda Investigating Court No. 1, which has ordered his release on bail.
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Three years in prison for causing a traffic accident in Pinoso that killed two

A driver has been sentenced to three years in prison by the Third Section of the Alicante Provincial Court for exceeding the speed limit while intoxicated and testing positive for cocaine. This also resulted in an accident that resulted in the deaths of a couple, aged 83 and 78, and the injury of their 11-year-old granddaughter, who was travelling in a separate vehicle. The incident took place in Pinoso in July 2020.
The individual who was convicted has entered into a plea agreement and has been sentenced for crimes against road safety, reckless homicide, and injuries.
The tragedy took place at an intersection in the heart of Pinoso, near the Rico Lucas speed bump. The vehicle in which the victims were travelling collided sideways with the driver, who was subsequently convicted, as he was travelling at a rate of over 90 kilometres per hour at the time, despite the fact that the speed limit was 30 kilometres per hour.
Following the acknowledgement of responsibility for the crime and the agreement reached with the family of the deceased regarding the payment of financial compensation as a mechanism for reparation for the damage caused, based on civil liability, the Prosecutor’s Office initially requested a six-year prison sentence. However, this sentence was reduced by half.
He was also sentenced to a six-year driving ban in addition to the prison sentence. His vehicle was also confiscated.
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