Costa Blanca
Woman tells ETA trail “I removed the box and saw the bomb”

Former ETA leader Iratxe Sorzabal is scheduled to be tried at the National Court yesterday, Monday March 17th, at the National Court, two decades after the attempted explosion at Alicante-Elche airport. He is expected to be sentenced to six years in prison.
A cleaner uncovered the explosive device in a bin situated in the tunnel that connects the car park to the passenger arrivals area on July 29th, 1995. It was defused by bomb disposal experts (Tedax) without inflicting any damage. As per the prosecution’s report, the device was composed of “a digital clock, a 9-volt battery, 500 grammes of Ameritol explosive substance, an electric detonator, and some wires.”
Upon uncovering the box in which the explosive was enclosed, the woman who discovered it immediately recognised its nature. “I was required to mop the area surrounding a substantial bin.” The receptacle I had emptied was present when I returned, as I had left my trolley adjacent to it. She testified during the hearing, “I lifted a heavy bag, opened a box within, and discovered that it was filled with a very hard substance, including wires and a clock.”
According to the former airport employee, she was “calm in a significant way.” “In order to prevent any potential alarms, I concealed the item and promptly fled to notify the terminal staff and the authorities in the vicinity.” She explained, “I went upstairs to ensure that the area was cordoned off and that people were kept away, because I realised what it was.”
Sorzabal has appeared in court for the second time this year. The former ETA commander was charged with an attack that occurred at the Irún border crossing in Guipúzcoa in October 1995, resulting in damage to the Spanish customs office. The trial was conducted in late February. The prosecution is requesting a 12-year penitentiary sentence for that incident.
During her testimony as a defendant, Sorzabal denied “everything” while still anticipating the verdict. The ‘kantada’, a report that an ETA member submitted to the group’s leadership upon detention, was the subject of much attention. This report provided a detailed account of attacks that had not yet been identified, including the two incidents that were previously mentioned.
The former ETA commander asserted that the manuscript contained “everything” she had been “compelled to memorise, with all the details,” while in police custody.
In Monday’s session, the Civil Guard officer who analysed the ‘kantada’ testified again, stating that it contained “far more details and data about each of the actions she participated in, whether it be placing explosive devices or performing other tasks in terrorist actions,” as in the first trial.
An additional witness, who was also an officer, reported that the accused admitted to placing the device in a plastic bag on the Civil Guard premises. “According to the bombing report and the explosives technical report, that was precisely the container of the device—a black plastic rubbish bag,” said the investigator.
The trial will recommence today, when it will be prepared for sentencing. Sorzabal, who has requested to testify after all evidence has been presented, will be heard by the court.
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Costa Blanca
Firefighters rescue a hiker after fracturing her tendon whilst hiking

A 68-year-old woman was rescued by members of the Provincial Fire Consortium at the Albir Lighthouse in Alfaz del Pi (Alicante) on Saturday, April 26th. She was en route to the l’Alt del Governador de la Serra Gelada when she sustained a fracture of the Achilles tendon, rendering it impossible for her to recommence walking.
The rescue helicopter Alpha 01 and the special group of rescue (GER) were deployed to the scene after the notice was received at approximately 12:28 p.m., according to a statement from the Consortium.
The helicopter was activated to provide rescue services with the GER when the woman was unable to reach the ambulance due to the area’s orography.
The firefighters descended to their position after they were located, and the injured joint was splinted.
Subsequently, they deployed a hoist to elevate the woman to the helicopter, which transported her to San Vicente Park, where she was met by a Basic Life Support (BLS) unit. The intervention concluded at 1:35 p.m.
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Costa Blanca
National Police arrest two women in Benidorm for stealing from tourists

Two women have been apprehended by the National Police in Benidorm for stealing wallets and luggage from tourists, which are believed to contain their most valuable possessions, near their vacation rentals.
The investigation commenced in late 2024, although officers were already aware of the actions of these individuals as a result of numerous other incidents that had occurred on the same premises, including thefts from travellers who were preparing to arrive or depart from their accommodations.
The consistent modus operandi facilitated the investigation, enabling the discovery of the individuals after nearly half a year.
Both suspects were travelling from Alicante to Benidorm in a vehicle and were observed loitering in the city’s tourist areas. They concentrated their attention on the entrances of hotels and public transport stations for the purpose of observing tourist arrivals and pickups.
They selected these locations where tourists are waiting with their luggage, either to be served by reception staff or to be picked up by transport, as these are the times when they give the least attention to their belongings.
The two women also did not hesitate to follow elderly individuals who had departed from these tourist accommodations to wander around, with the intention of exploiting their negligence and stealing their belongings from their purse or knapsack.
The robbery was consistently executed in the same manner. One of them monitored the area and provided cover, while the other perpetrated the larceny of the property. They then fled in the vehicle they frequently used.
In this manner, the investigation was able to identify the actions of the two suspects, who made Benidorm their preferred location, in at least five specific incidents that took place between September 2024 and March 2025. Each of these incidents revealed evidence of their involvement.
The judicial authority deprived both women of their right to access the restricted area of Benidorm, which includes the area where they conducted their criminal activity, as a preventive measure to eradicate their criminal activity in the city, following their arrest.
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Costa Blanca
Kirsty Maxwell Benidorm balcony death to be probed in new series

A new series expects the five men who last saw Kirsty Maxwell alive to provide answers in a podcast that investigates her mysterious death in Spain.
After a night out on a hen do in 2017, Kirsty, a newlywed, plummeted to her death from a balcony at a hotel in Benidorm.
Before her death, Kirsty, 27, of Livingston, inadvertently entered a 10th-floor flat that was occupied by five British men: Joseph Graham, Ricky Gammon, Anthony Holehouse, Callum Northridge and Daniel Bailey.
In July 2020, they were cleared of being homicide suspects after judges determined that there was no “strong evidence” of criminality and no indication that she had not fallen to her death.
Nevertheless, Kirsty’s mother and father, who are devastated, are adamant that she did not leap of her own volition. The case and an appeal for information are the focus of the six-part podcast, “What happened to Kirsty Maxwell.”
True Crime podcaster Naomi Channell, who narrates and produces the series, says, “I do not believe it was a tragic accident.” All the evidence suggests that she was fleeing from something.
“There are still numerous unanswered questions.”
“It is my sincere hope that this will exert pressure on the authorities and on those who were present in the flat but have never been adequately investigated.”
Naomi met Kirsty’s family at a UK Crimecon convention in 2023, where she was present with Sue Horan, the wife of Stuart Lubbock, who passed away under suspicious circumstances at the residence of television personality Michael Barrymore in 2001.
In her podcast, she recounts how upon Kirsty’s arrival at the apartments with her friends, “a shirtless man” approached them at the elevators and enquired, “Who wants to get f*** tonight?”
Kirsty returned to the apartments early in the morning after a night out, during which she consumed alcohol but did not have any narcotics in her system.
It is unclear why she awoke, proceeded to the 10th floor, and knocked on the door of room 10E. The room was shared by five men, including the shirtless man, who were all from the Nottingham area.
One of them informed the authorities. Before jumping over the Juliette balcony to her demise, Kirsty attempted to climb through a small window in the bathroom and then ran through the apartment window.
Naomi stated, “Kirsty died instantly after falling at 7.51 a.m.” One of the men reported to the police that he had observed her fall. This individual was the sleeveless man, and his name is Joseph Graham.
Adam, Kirsty’s spouse, received a call from the Spanish police informing him that she had passed away. He was compelled to inform her mother, Denise, of the tragic news. The couple had married only eight months prior.
Brian Curry, her father, expressed his disbelief, stating, “Even to this day, it is extremely difficult to accept.”
The podcast delves into the process by which Kirsty’s family travelled to Benidorm to initiate their own investigation three months after her death, as they encountered a “wall of silence” from the police.
Naomi, a podcaster from Essex, stated, “No parent should ever be required to investigate the death of their own child.”
“Brian requested 12 hours of footage that encompassed the period prior to and following Kirsty’s death; however, the police provided him with only seven minutes of edited footage.
Kirsty’s fall is not depicted in a traumatic three-second footage captured by a camera at the poolside, which captures her impact with the ground. Brian is of the opinion that the footage was edited by an individual.
“According to investigators, the remaining CCTV footage has disappeared.” The police were compelled to acknowledge that they had disposed of the garments the day following Kirsty’s death. Her attire would have served as indispensable evidence.
“They claimed that the reason was that the clothing was stained with blood.” They acknowledged that the only method of examination was visual.
David Swindle, the retired Strathclyde detective who established Victims Abroad, was astounded by the deficiencies of the investigation.
He stated that the Spanish Police failed to conduct thorough investigations into the evidence, including independent witnesses, and did not advance forensics or CCTV footage.
“These men were not separated and were not interviewed properly.” DNA issues were encountered, samples were not collected, and Kirsty’s clothing was incinerated.
“Throughout my tenure as an investigator, I was unable to comprehend it.” “If we had all of that, we would be better equipped to understand what transpired with Kirsty.”
The podcast, which will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon on April 29, commemorates the eight-year anniversary of Kirsty’s passing.
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