Costa Blanca

Alicante’s Urbanova Beach, finally campervan free

Over the past week, Urbanova Beach’s scenery has undergone significant transformation. The caravans have vanished from the parking area close to Urbanova Beach after months of homeowners’ concerns about overpopulation. Through a campaign and recent surveillance, the local police have intervened and accomplished what the inhabitants have long sought: the removal of large trucks from the area that, in certain cases, had been there for months.

Up until now, enforcement of municipal ordinances that forbid parking cars wider than five meters in specific locations has been slack. The Local Police have started an “on-site campaign” this week to alert camper van and motorhome owners about the new rules, according to municipal sources. Warnings of potential fines for repeat offences have been sent, even though no consequences have been applied as of yet. To stop a recurrence of the crime, two neighbourhood police officers assigned to the area will also continue to monitor the parking lot.

After months of grievances, the people of Urbanova are relieved by this intervention. The president of the Urbanova citizens’ organisation, María José Molina, emphasises the obvious changes in the neighbourhood. They have eliminated them, or at least there are fewer of them, and it appears like things are progressing. They’ve been informed by the local police, and it’s evident that they’ve acted,” Molina adds.

In addition to reducing beachgoers’ parking options, the overpopulation of these cars in Urbanova caused issues for the neighbourhood. Residents blasted the car parks transformation into a makeshift camping area with the placement of seats, tables, and even tents as an excessive infringement on public space.

The issue of RV parking in Alicante has not been resolved, despite the fact that the work in Urbanova has temporarily freed the area. Owners of these cars are currently forced to look for alternatives on beaches and in residential areas because the city lacks public locations specifically designed for this kind of vehicle.

The only official motorhome parking space on Playa de San Juan was closed in 2021, making matters worse. The area had previously been used for Cirque du Soleil and other events, but it was never reopened. The Institute of Tourism Research at the University of Alicante was commissioned by the Alicante City Council in January of this year to evaluate the financial effects of motorhome tourism and investigate potential remedies. Though it is not ruled out that it would be on the oceanfront or second line, the potential of making municipal land accessible for this usage is being explored.

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Related Topics:Alicante Ban Beach Beaches Cars Council Crime Fines Land Local People Police Public Rubbish Tourism University

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Costa Blanca

14 immigrants were saved on a boat 45 miles off the coast of Alicante

On Wednesday, 2nd April, the Maritime Rescue ship Salvamar Leo saved 14 immigrants who were travelling in a boat about 45 miles from Alicante.

In the middle of the afternoon on Wednesday, Maritime Rescue sent out its Helimer 223 helicopter and the Salvamar Leo, which is based in Alicante, to save the people on a small boat.

Their journey began on the Salvamar Leo, which took them to the Temporary Assistance Centre for Foreigners in the port of Alicante. There, the Red Cross took care of them.

The Red Cross says that all of the refugees they saved were men, and two of them were younger than 15 years old. They were all healthy after being treated.

The National Police took over the refugees after getting help from the Red Cross. They are now trying to find the boat’s captain so they can arrest him, as is normal in these situations.

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Costa Blanca

Dénia wrestler arrested in connection with a network that smuggled 300 kilos of cocaine from Ecuador

The National Police’s Drugs and Organised Crime Unit arrested a famous mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Dénia. He was part of a gang that was partly broken up in August over a shipment of 300 kg of cocaine from Ecuador that came into the port of Valencia. The fighter from Dénia is one of five people who were caught by police. Along with nine other gang members who were already in jail at the time, they are now in jail.

The man who was arrested in Dénia is thought to be the trusted man of the gang’s leader, who is also an MMA fighter, and the person who is said to have worked as a go-between in the operation.

Levante-EMV also says that the broken-down network is linked to another shipment of 490 kg of cocaine that came into the port of Valencia in April of last year.

The five people who were just caught went before Valencia’s Investigative Court No. 20 yesterday, April 3rd.

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Costa Blanca

Man arrested after being caught manipulating a roulette wheel in a gaming room

A 41-year-old man was detained by the Guardia Civil in a Callosa de Segura gaming facility for attempting to illegally win prizes by manipulating an electronic roulette wheel. After being taken before a judge, the arrested man—who had 10 outstanding warrants for similar offences in other provinces—was sent to prison.

A gambling hall notified the municipal Guardia Civil patrol about the potential manipulation of an electronic roulette wheel in the early hours of March 6th.

Officers arrived and found the man using tools to operate a slot machine before identifying him. By using a wire to stop the wheel at advantageous positions and drilling holes in the machine’s glass, they discovered that he had accrued an unpaid balance of €8,000. The man tried to leave the building at that point, smashing the emergency exit door. Despite the suspect’s fierce resistance, officers were able to apprehend him in the car park after pursuing him.

Officers searched his possessions and discovered a tool he had used to drill holes in the roulette wheel, along with more than €6,300 in cash. He received 10 search and arrest warrants from various Spanish courts, all of them were related to identical offences, it was confirmed after his identity was verified.

He was turned over to Orihuela’s Court of Instruction No. 3, which imposed an incarceration order on him.