Following reports of drug usage by both adult and juvenile students during school hours and playtime, the Santa Pola Local Police, using its canine squad, have stepped up its controls around the municipality’s secondary schools. Five individuals were detected and reported for the possession and use of narcotic substances yesterday morning, Monday 24th March, thanks to the service’s employment of passive detection dogs.

When two officers and a sniffer dog arrived at the two secondary schools on Calle del Mar at 7:30 a.m., they checked students who had arrived by bus but did not discover any drugs. They went to the ravine next to the Santa Pola secondary school’s perimeter fence just before 8:00 a.m., when they saw two minors, ages 14 and 16, smoking cigarettes. They tossed the smokes to the ground as they noticed the officers.

The sniffer dog then found a piece of hashish in their backpacks, indicating positive results. The principal, the girls’ legal guardians, Social Services, and the Alicante Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office were informed, and both girls were escorted to the school.

The policemen returned to the area during break at approximately 10:50 a.m. This time, they pulled over a 17-year-old girl who was in the car park on an electric scooter. When she saw them, she attempted to drive away but was stopped; the dog found two bits of marijuana and hashish in her backpack. She was charged with possessing drugs.
A few minutes later, a 20-year-old El Altet resident who was getting out of a car to go to school received a positive result from the dog. Officers searched him and discovered marijuana in his trousers pocket. They examined the vehicle because they thought it might contain more drugs, and they found a bag of marijuana near the gear stick. They reported the driver.

The canine service resumed their hunt for potential users in La Cruz Park following the break. They found a man smoking what looked to be marijuana there, and once the detection dog recognised him, they found two buds in the pocket of his right trousers. The defendant was charged with both public narcotics possession and consumption.

Officers from the National Police and the Elche Local Police have detained two males, aged 41 and 51, who are accused of scamming multiple customers at a mechanic’s business in the city. One of individuals arrested, the business’s owner, is accused of misappropriating funds granted for repairs without actually finishing them and, in certain cases, selling cars that did not belong to him. The investigation resulted in the recovery of seven cars used in the scheme, some of which had fraudulent documentation.

The complaints uncovered the scheme

The investigation began after a number of complaints were made to the National Police. The victims, auto repair business customers, said that after leaving their vehicles for repairs and advancing the necessary funds, the shop manager stopped replying to them. Furthermore, the complainants stated that he was no longer present at the shop and avoided all interaction with them.

Two of the victims said they had purchased vehicles from the suspect but never got them. In one case, the car was not theirs, and the other was impounded. To pull off the scam, the suspect allegedly faked the vehicle’s documentation and duped the buyers into thinking the transaction was lawful.

Investigation and discovery of cars

Given the gravity of the allegations, National Police officers attached to the Elche Police Station’s Property Crimes Group launched an inquiry to clarify the situation. During the process, they requested assistance from the Elche Local Police’s Establishments and Activities Unit, which led to the finding of both the impacted automobiles and the workshop owner.

The police probe resulted in an inspection of the establishment, when authorities discovered seven cars used in the scheme. These automobiles were transported to the Municipal Vehicle Depot and then returned to their respective owners.

A second individual involved in the plot

A few days after the business owner was arrested, investigators discovered a second suspect in the fraud. This person also profited from the money obtained through fraud, convincing victims to pay for repairs that would never be finished.

In total, the inmates defrauded their clients of around 5,000 euros. The police are continuing their investigation to look for other automobiles that could be connected in the case.

The Guardia Civil, as part of Operation Barnan, has arrested a 35-year-old man as the alleged perpetrator of five burglaries inside homes and another in a cafe since last December. Most of the crimes were committed in Calpe, with the exception of one that took place in Lliber, according to a statement from the Guardia Civil.

During February and early March, the Guardia Civil detected an increase in burglaries in villas and cafes in Calpe. In response to this situation, the Investigation Department of the Guardia Civil Main Post in Calpe launched an operation aimed at eradicating these crimes and arresting those responsible.

Initial investigations determined that the robberies were committed at night and that the perpetrator likely acted alone, employing a common modus operandi: breaking doors and/or windows to gain access to the interior of the buildings.

Thanks to the analysis of several hours of security footage, the taking of testimonies, and surveillance conducted by officers, the suspect was identified and located at the crime scene. Finally, on the afternoon of March 11th, he was located and arrested.

Following his arrest, a search was carried out at his home, located in a residential area of ​​the same town, where numerous items were seized, including electronic devices, tools, jewelry, and costume jewelry, all of dubious origin.

The detainee, along with the seized belongings, was brought before the Denia Investigative Court, which ordered his release on bail.

The detainee, a Moldovan national, has an extensive criminal record for property crimes and, at the time of his arrest, had an active search, arrest, and appearance warrant issued by the Investigative Court No. 3 of the Denia Judicial District for robberies committed during November and December of last year in Altea.

The Guardia Civil continues its investigation to clarify the origin of the recovered objects. To this end, it has released a photograph of the seized items so that potential victims can identify them and, if necessary, arrange for their return. The objects are being held at the Guardia Civil Main Post in Calpe.