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Blocks of cocaine thrown into the water between Ibiza and Alicante

cocaine

Officials from the Tax Agency have seized 34 kilos of cocaine that had been thrown into the Ibiza Channel, in the waters between the eastern end of the island and Cabo de la Nao, to be collected at sea by an organisation dedicated to drug trafficking.

In a statement, the Tax Agency explained on Wednesday that with this intervention, which took place on January 20, “an attempted shipment was thwarted” since the transfer of the drugs was avoided using the ‘drop off’ method, which consists of throwing the merchandise from a merchant ship so that it is picked up by smaller vessels, near the destination country.

The Palma-based Customs Surveillance patrol boat Paiño discovered the drugs when it was sailing on a preventive service on a regular maritime route.

The agents observed two packages floating in the sea tied by a rope, which were adrift, and they picked them up from the water, discovering that they were wrapped in black plastic and duct tape, and that inside they contained 30 plastic-wrapped packages.

The packages tested positive for cocaine in the ‘narcotest’ and the packages had a gross weight of 34 kilos, so their sale on the black market would have exceeded 2 million euros.

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The Tax Agency explains that the ‘drop-off’ technique consists of “corrupt personnel” from the crew of merchant ships that make an ordinary route “throwing floating packages with narcotics into the sea”, which are later recovered from the sea by some organization based in the areas where the drugs are destined. It also highlights that in August 2018, 334 kilos were seized on board the motor vessel ‘HCH-X’, whose five crew members had recovered the bales from the sea after they had been thrown from the merchant ship Erato as it passed through waters near Ibiza.

The Balearic patrol boats Paiño and Colimbo IV participated in the air-naval operation, along with a Customs Surveillance helicopter. The circumstances surrounding the discovery have not allowed any arrests to be made, so the investigation remains open. The intervention was carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Sub-directorate of Customs Surveillance Operations for 2025, which establishes operations focused on intensifying the fight against maritime trafficking and the protection of commercial traffic, the statement added.


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Costa Blanca

Missing Persons Association searching for Stiven, 26, who disappeared from Elche

The SOS Missing Persons Association has issued an urgent alert concerning the disappearance of Stiven Manrique Penagos, a 26-year-old man who vanished on April 18, 2025, in Elche, Alicante.

Stiven is of typical build, stands at a height of approximately 1.70/1.72 metres, and has dark brown hair and dark brown eyes. Due to his vulnerability, they have prioritised his disappearance, and they are requesting public assistance to locate him as soon as possible.

The organisation is urgently looking to hear from anyone with any information of his whereabouts.

If anyone has information regarding his whereabouts, please contact info@sosdesaparecidos.es or call 649 952 957 and 617 126 909.

Regarding SOS Missing Persons


Sosdesaparecidos is a non-profit association established in Caravaca de la Cruz that collaborates in the dissemination of information about missing persons of any age whose families do not know what happened or where they are.

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The goal of the 32 men and women on the SOSdesaparecidos team is to assist families by utilising their personal and professional experiences.


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Costa Blanca

Alicante TRAM collected 2,494 lost objects in 2024

Last year, Alicante TRAM passengers lost a total of 2,494 objects, which the Valencian Railways (FGV) collected. This data suggests that passengers abandon an average of seven artefacts daily and 208 objects monthly. These objects are stored at the stations for a minimum of one month and for an additional month in the lost property storage facility at Luceros station. The Alicante Local Police then receive the items if their proprietors have not claimed them after this period.

Wallets and purses, keys, backpacks, documents (ID, passports, driving licences, health cards, etc.), mobile phones, spectacles, folders, umbrellas, and handbags are the items that are seen on trains and trams in Alicante and its metropolitan area the most frequently.

October (442), January (393), November (378), June (366), March (308), April (303), August (296), July (291), May (286), December (276), February (263), and September (199) were the months in which the most items went missing, proceeding with the division by season.

The recovery of an object by its owner while it is registered with FGV amounts to 929, or 37.25%, thanks to the protocols established by FGV for the management and safekeeping of lost objects. The remaining percentage is either handed over to the Alicante Local Police or taken to a recycling centre or green point if the objects are clearly worn or deteriorated.

The time required to retrieve an item is contingent upon the presence of any identifying information or the customer’s claim. When there’s identifying information or a customer’s claim, we often recover the item the same day it goes missing, especially if it’s valuable.

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Steps to be taken


In the initial phase, lost property is dropped off and picked up at the stations served by FGV personnel before being transferred to the central office at Luceros station.

After one month, the items are collected and transported to the lost property facility at Luceros station to attempt to identify their owner, deregister them for recycling based on their condition, or deliver them to the Alicante Lost Property Office after an additional month.

They promptly hand over official documents, such as passports and ID cards, to the authorities to determine their owner, then destroy bank cards to mitigate unnecessary risks and prevent tampering. Customer service personnel conduct follow-up and minor investigations to ensure their return to the police.

Amazing objects


In addition to the previously mentioned items, there are several remarkable items that it’s hard to imagine users would overlook. These items include bicycles, scooters, suitcases, crutches, walking sticks, laptops, tablets, baby strollers, shopping carts, motorcycle helmets, portable refrigerators, toiletry bags, umbrellas, hair dryers, X-rays, prescriptions, medical reports, a construction shovel, a shower telephone, and even a toilet seat or fire extinguisher.

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Costa Blanca

Firefighters rescue hiker after fracturing her leg in fall in Dénia

Members of the Provincial Fire Consortium rescued a 40-year-old woman on Monday, April 21st, on the climb to Cova del Aigua in Dénia after she fractured her leg in a fall while hiking.

The alert was received at around 12:48 p.m., and an Alpha 01 rescue helicopter and the Special Rescue Group (GER) were dispatched to the scene, the Consortium said in a statement.

Since the woman was at a point where the ambulance could not reach due to the terrain, the rescue helicopter was activated with the GER.

Once located, the officers disembarked from the helicopter and brought her back to San Vicente Park, where an ambulance was waiting. The operation ended at 4:04 p.m.


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