Costa Blanca
Suspect held for the murder of John George extradited to a Spanish prison

Following his detention in Portugal last month, murder suspect Jonny Smyth has been extradited to Spain.
The 27-year-old male from Northern Ireland is presently incarcerated in a remand prison in the south-western Extremadura region of Spain, near the border town of Badajoz, after being forcibly transported across the border by law enforcement.
In anticipation of an expected transfer to the Costa Blanca, where he is the subject of an ongoing investigation into the murder of West Belfast father-of-two John George, a magistrate there ordered his remand in jail over the weekend.
On March 25th, Smyth was apprehended in Portugal on an international arrest warrant after being located at an Airbnb in Braga, a city located in the far northern region of the country.
He is expected to be summoned before the Torrevieja-based investigating magistrate who is investigating Mr. George’s murder, in order to ratify his continued detention in Spain.
The hearing will be conducted behind closed doors, as is customary in Spain, where only trials are conducted in public, similar to the post-extradition court appearance in Badajoz.
Yesterday afternoon, Tuesday April 8th, a high-ranking court official confirmed that Smyth was now back on Spanish soil. The official stated, “The detainee was initially placed at the disposal of the courts of Badajoz after his extradition to Spain. The courts of Badajoz agreed to place him in provisional detention at the disposal of the Torrevieja court.”
“The Torrevieja court is currently anticipating a report on the proceedings that took place in Badajoz in order to determine the appropriate course of action.”
Last year, Mr. George, 37, disappeared on December 14th. His family reported him missing when he failed to board a scheduled flight home four days later, following a brief vacation.
On January 7th, his body was discovered concealed beneath overgrown lemon trees, near the town of Rojales. After nearly 72 hours in police detention, a man who was arrested on suspicion of homicide later that day appeared in court on January 10th. Manuel Ramon Rives, his defence counsel in Costa Blanca, blamed the decision to detain him on his “recent friendship” with a man whom he claimed the police were pursuing at the time as the alleged perpetrator.
The police force, which has been extremely secretive about its investigation and has declined requests for interviews, issued the following statement following Smyth’s arrest: “In the context of Operation Resistente, which is being conducted by the Territorial Judicial Police Team of Pilar de la Horadada in response to an intentional homicide committed by an Irish citizen in the municipality of Rojales, we have received information through SIRENE regarding the arrest of a 27-year-old man in the Portuguese city of Braga on March 25th.”
“The Portuguese police executed the arrest in accordance with a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Court of Instruction Number Two in Torrevieja.”
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Costa Blanca
Criminal group dedicated to burglary on farms in the Vega Baja dismantled

As part of Operation “Entrada25,” the Alicante Guardia Civil has dismantled a criminal organisation that was operating in the Vega Baja region and was responsible for burglaries on agricultural estates. Part of the stolen goods have been recovered and returned to their legitimate owners, but the total value of the stolen goods is estimated to exceed 40,000 euros. One individual has been apprehended, and two others are currently being investigated as a consequence of the investigation.
In late 2024, the Torrevieja Field Robbery Team initiated an investigation into the incident in response to numerous complaints. The perpetrators were observed by the investigators to be obtaining access to the facilities by forcing locks or doors, exploiting periods when no personnel were working, and stealing high-value products such as fertilisers, compost, and phytosanitary products.
The Torrevieja Field Robbery Team received assistance from the Seprona (National Police Service) in Guardamar del Segura, the Guardia Civil stations in Guardamar and Callosa de Segura, and the local police forces of Catral, AlmoradÃ, Rafal, Cox, Granja de Rocamora, Algorfa, Benijófar, Formentera del Segura, Rojales, Benejúzar, Los Montesinos, and San Miguel de Salinas. The operation’s success was significantly influenced by the coordinated efforts of all divisions, as well as the investigation and analysis of evidence that was obtained. This led to the identification and location of the perpetrators and the discovery of some of the stolen material.
Additionally, the operation included numerous examinations of suspicious farms, warehouses, and vehicles, which were crucial in elucidating the events.
One of the suspects, a 35-year-old male, was apprehended as part of the established operations at the end of March. Subsequently, two additional males, aged 39 and 48, were identified and investigated. Five counts of burglary and an additional count of membership in a criminal organisation have been filed against each of the three individuals.
The Orihuela Court of Instruction issued an order for the detainee’s release, subject to the imposition of precautionary measures.
The Civil Guard remains committed to the prevention of this form of crime and underscores the significance of public collaboration in the fight against agricultural theft.
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Costa Blanca
Swift Arrest of Dutch Fugitive in Benidorm

A 28-year-old Dutch fugitive who was hiding in Benidorm was identified by his evasive conduct. A man in the Marina municipality has been apprehended by National Police officers. The man was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant for Extradition (EAW) issued by the Dutch authorities.
The crime of illegally possessing a firearm in 2024 led to this individual’s nine-month imprisonment. In mid-April, the fugitive fled to Spain after failing to comply with the sentence. The requesting country issued a European Arrest Warrant, with four months remaining.
The fugitive was apprehended by officers from the Benidorm Citizen Security Brigade after they identified him as acting evasively in their presence and verified that he had a European arrest warrant issued.
In January 2024, the detainee was apprehended by the Dutch police while carrying a short firearm without a valid licence. As a result, he was sentenced to three years in pre-sentence prison for the actions he committed.
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Costa Blanca
Torrevieja Local Police remove e-scooters

The Local Police of Torrevieja have removed 22 e-scooters that were improperly parked on the promenade adjacent to Avenue de la PurÃsima.
The vehicles were reported for parking in a pedestrian zone in a manner that did not adhere to the current regulations.
Parking is not permitted in pedestrian areas, walkways or footpaths. The passage should also not be obstructed by scooters, which should be parked in approved areas.
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