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A couple from El Campello who were wanted for the nation’s biggest cocaine haul turn themselves in

The El Campello couple who ran a fruit company that brought in the container containing 13,062 kilogrammes of cocaine last October—the biggest cocaine haul in Spain and the second in all of Europe—have been evading capture for about five months. After the drugs were found and the couple vanished from the opulent villa in El Campello where they lived with their daughter. José Miguel BC, 58, and his partner, Vilma Janet AB, 51, ended their escape yesterday and turned themselves in at a National Police station in Madrid. They were arrested in response to both national and European arrest warrants.

After the police processes are over, the couple—who are being represented by attorney Francisco Miguel Galiana Botella—will be turned over to the National Court. The police have also been searching hospitals for the man, who is originally from Almoradí, because he is ill and needs constant dialysis treatment. The location of the couple’s five-month hiding place is unknown.

First, a sister of the administrator of Abadix Fruits of El Campello, who owns 2% of this fruit import and export business, was taken into custody by the police in the province of Toledo last October. With the help of attorney Galiana Botella, the Public Prosecutor’s Office asked for this woman to be imprisoned; though the court granted her temporary freedom.

The couple and their company, along with other individuals and businesses, were under investigation since the middle of last year for their relationship with an international drug trafficking organisation that imported cocaine containers, for which Inspector Óscar Sánchez Gil, the former head of the UDEF in Madrid, was imprisoned after being arrested with his wife, also a national police officer, allegedly worked. The Algeciras court that opened the proceedings following the discovery of the nation’s largest cocaine haul ultimately abstained in favour of the central court of instruction number 1 of the National Court.

According to the National Police’s Internal Affairs department’s investigation, this police commander concealed about 20 million euros in cash between his Madrid home and a villa he purchased and refurbished in Dénia. The purchase was purportedly funded by funds given to him by the drug ring in return for the protection he gave the organisation.

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In order to determine whether containers and businesses connected to the drug trafficking organisation were the focus of other police investigations and to notify the criminal organization’s leaders, investigators have found that the former head of UDEF allegedly opened investigations where he entered data on them. Since the El Campello couple was not there when the search was initiated the police thought that they might have received a tip and hurried out of their villa.


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Costa Blanca

Two men investigated for “sextortion” of 13 men

The Civil Guard is investigating two Santa Cruz de Tenerife individuals who used ads posing as women on dating websites to extort 13 people from Mazarrón (Murcia), Alicante, Albacete, Zaragoza, Guipúzcoa, Málaga, Gerona, and Pontevedra, according to the police.

Operation “Licey,” which began in July of last year, has unearthed a sextortion-focused criminal network and resulted in the investigation of two people who are accused of money laundering, extortion, and criminal group involvement.

The investigation started in Mazarrón after a man claimed to have received threatening calls and messages from someone posing as the head of a brothel and hitmen.

They got 3,000 euros after the Mazarrón victim used a dating site that promoted escorts. They then threatened to publish his online activities and reveal all to those close to him through calls and messages.

After the funds were first moved to a number of bank accounts run by “economic mules,” the Guardia Civil examined the traceability of the funds until the final recipient’s identity was established.

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Two Santa Cruz de Tenerife individuals have been identified by the Guardia Civil following months of inquiry as suspected members of a criminal organisation, extortion, and money laundering.

Since Operation “Licey” is still going on, further arrests and victims are possible.


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Costa Blanca

Man arrested after ex-‘s adopted daughter dies

In a house in the Llano de Brujas neighbourhood of Murcia, a five-year-old child died yesterday afternoon after ingesting an excessive number of pills. The Guardia Civil has detained Jesús J., the girl’s adoptive mother’s ex-boyfriend (she was his cousin’s biological child), in Torrevieja, Alicante, on suspicion of homicide. According to people close to the investigation, the individual reportedly called the police and admitted that he had “done something wrong.”

Benemérita Guardia Civil investigators are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the small girl taking of these tablets, which seem to be Orfidal. Based on this and other facts, it seems likely that the man killed the girl. The results of an autopsy, which will be essential in elucidating the circumstances surrounding her death, are still pending.

The body of little Nadia was found in the aforementioned district on Tuesday afternoon in an apartment on Calle González Valentín. Sources say that the body was discovered and that emergency services were contacted by the parents of the girl’s adoptive mother’s ex-boyfriend, known locally as Suso.

The girl was foaming at the mouth and had obviously lost consciousness. The girl was still alive when the ambulance and Murcia Local Police officers arrived on the site, and their paramedics tried to revive her. But in the end, the child passed away at home.

After learning of the news, Ramona, the little girl’s adoptive mother went into the flat. According to some reports, the woman’s ex-boyfriend had called her before. Neighbourhood reports claim that the woman yelled as she exited the flat, accusing her ex-partner of killing the girl: “It was him, it was him.”

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The case has been turned over to the Guardia Civil’s Judicial Police. Officers got in touch with the suspect’s relatives and associates. One of the suspects close friends tried to persuade Jesús J. of the significance of turning himself in to the authorities and providing an explanation of what had transpired by sending him audio recordings and text messages.

The man was apprehended by police in Torrevieja, Alicante, late yesterday, Tuesday 1st April. Additionally, investigators searched the flat for any evidence that would shed light on the case.


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Costa Blanca

Cleaning staff will go on indefinite strike at Madrid airport

Madrid Airport

The AENA-run cleaning service at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport has announced an indefinite strike that will start for night shift employees on April 8th at 11:00 p.m. The state Federation of Services, Mobility, and Consumer Affairs, the UGT, released a statement stating that the step was necessary because of “the need to address the unification of agreements, the repeated breaches of these agreements, and the existing shortage of staff.” They also bemoan “the new cleaning requirements and methods imposed by AENA,” which they say “has generated a situation of constant stress and pressure” for the sanitation staff.

Twenty-nine percent more passengers travelled in 2024 than the year before, totalling 66,196,984. According to FeSMC-UGT, this notable rise implies that cleaning employees must bear a heavy “physical and emotional burden” each day in order to deliver high-quality service. Serveo Facility Management SAU, which operates in Terminals 1, 2, and 3, Serveo Servicios SAU, which operates in Terminal 4, and Optima Facility Services, which operates T-4 Satellite, are the companies that are impacted by the strike.

The striking committee draws attention to sick leave coverage, which is “numerous” across all terminals, in relation to unmet agreements. “We were without a replacement for as long as forty or forty-five days. The firms guaranteed that this issue will be fixed. We had to quadruple the regions that should typically be given because of the extreme wear and tear. According to Fernanda Correira, a committee member who represents the Workers’ Union (USO), “making promises seems very easy, but delivering is not so easy.” In addition, AENA has started surveying passengers about the quality of its services. To make sure the image is as “perfect” as possible, a sizable number of cleaning personnel are sent to the site where one of these surveys is conducted. On the other hand, other terminal components are overlooked.

Committee members have described nighttime as “the most critical time.” For the cleaning staff, the homeless population is a “serious problem” because it has grown from 30 or 40 to around 500 in the past ten years. They must travel two by two in the event of an incident, thus they work in terror. They claim that cleaning their regions takes a lot more time and effort and has an impact on everything else.

In the past, we employees would return home exhausted from the physical strain, but now days, the emotional component is what matters most. From the beginning to the end, we are under pressure to perform. In addition to the businesses, we also voice our displeasure with AENA, their client. Although everyone wants the airport to be clean, nobody appreciates the job we do. Not even the travellers, who occasionally even make fun of us. One of the 700 employees that make up the cleaning services workforce, including temporary workers, states, “We have a huge amount of sick leave for mental health reasons.”

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The ASAE union, which has been against AENA for the “out-of-control” situation with regard to the number of homeless persons, says it “supports the strike due to AENA’s continued financial cuts in contracts.” “We completely understand that they want to work in decent and safe environments and not have to endure insults, threats, and attacks from the 500 people living in poverty at Barajas Airport, another reason for the protest,” they say. The striking employees “regret in advance any deep inconvenience this situation may cause to airport users.”

In the meantime, attempts to address the homeless disagreement between Madrid City Council and infrastructure administrators have not been successful. Both parties have remained silent during the “high tension” moments, expressing their profound care about the matter while frequently ignoring their obligations. The trend has not improved at all, and it may possibly worsen in the upcoming months due to the absence of alternative housing for these individuals, even if winter and the unfavourable weather are ending.


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Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical in Murcia
January 30, 2025 - February 2, 2025    
All Day
From the silver screen to the stage, via a big silver bus, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert comes to Murcia with the Spanish stage show [...]
Torrevieja Carnival 2025
February 7, 2025 - March 2, 2025    
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Torrevieja's famous carnival takes place from 7 February to 2 March 2025, with all the usual parades and events surrounding this cultural delight.
Torrevieja Jobs Fair
February 13, 2025    
09:30 - 14:00
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International Open BMX Racing Weekend in Elche
February 15, 2025 - February 16, 2025    
09:00 - 16:00
This weekend, Elche will be the site of the International Open BMX Racing. This is expected to be the best BMX competition ever, with some [...]
Torrevieja National Drag Queen Contest
February 15, 2025    
21:00 - 22:45
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February 16, 2025    
11:00 - 14:00
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February 22, 2025    
19:00 - 20:30
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Artichoke and Broccoli Gastronomic Fair in San Fulgencio
February 23, 2025    
11:00 - 14:00
At this fair, let the different tastes of artichoke and broccoli surprise you. Try some tapas made with these delicious items. You can also join [...]
Il Trovatore in Torrevieja
February 26, 2025    
20:00 - 22:00
The Municipal Theatre in Torrevieja will be the host to the opera Il Trovatore on Wednesday 26 February, 2025.
Orihuela Medieval Market
February 28, 2025 - March 2, 2025    
All Day
Orihuela hosts a medieval festival every year. The market starts at the Cathedral and has many stalls selling food, drink, souvenirs, artefacts, jewellery, and apparel, [...]
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16 Feb 25
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