Fuengirola, Wife's agony as father-of-two dies swimming

FATHER of two has died after he was swept out to sea while swimming on holiday in Spain.
Colin McLean, 42, had been playing with his eight-year-old son Fraser in the sea near Fuengirola, Malaga, shortly before he got into difficulties.

He shouted for help and is understood to have been pulled from the water by a police officer who tried to revive him as his wife Jenny sat by his side but he could not be saved.

Mrs McLean flew back to Edinburgh this week with Fraser and the couple's five-year-old daughter Olivia following the tragedy on Monday.

They had been staying with friends at the family's holiday flat near Fuengirola since last Wednesday, and her husband, a project manager with the Port Of Leith Housing Association, flew out on Saturday to join them.

Mrs McLean said: "We went to the beach. It wasn't choppy. There was no flag up - no flag up at all.

"Fraser and Colin were playing in the waves and basically, Fraser just came out and all of a sudden we couldn't see Colin.

"The next minute he was way out at sea. We were shouting and screaming to get help and eventually, as far as I'm aware, a policeman stripped and went in and got him.

"Paramedics worked on Colin for about 45 minutes to an hour but there was absolutely nothing - and I sat with him all the time."

The family, who live in Corstorphine, are staying with relatives as they try to come to terms with their loss.

Mrs McLean added: "Colin was so strong I can not even begin to think how or why it happened, or what happened - whether it was an undercurrent that just took him away - I don't know.

"Fraser doesn't know what to do. Colin did everything with him. Took him to rugby, to play golf, everything.

"He was the best dad in the world.

"Colin meant everything to me. He was my friend. I just don't know what I'm going to do without him.

"His mum and dad and sister are just devastated, but have been brilliant, helping us to get through this."

 

British pubs raided on Costa del Sol - Telegraph

British pubs raided on Costa del Sol - Telegraph: "Operation Cardhu targeted pubs and bars in the resorts of Marbella, Fuengirola, Calahonda, Torremolinos, Benalmadena and La Cala. Police arrested four expats with outstanding warrants and a pub owner who was allegedly selling drugs from his premises.
During the raid, hundreds of British expats and holidaymakers were ordered to identify themselves to officers.
Most of the detained Brits were wanted over drugs offences.
'We know there are still many British fugitives hiding out in the Costa del Sol,' a police source said.
'We want those fugitives to know they are not safe from justice here and they will be tracked down and caught.'
The south coast of Spain earned the nickname Costa del Crime in the early 1980s"

villains of British origin meeting in Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmadena.

first to suffer from police harassment have been the villains of British origin. In just five days, agents specializing in organized crime have traced their points meeting in Marbella, Mijas, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmadena. 101 identifications have been made, 14 local inspections made, mostly in pubs or bars, and five people arrested.

Those detained include two fugitives sought for drug trafficking in their countries, one wanted by Spanish authorities, and two others who allegedly were involved in selling small quantities of drugs. Such is the case of the waiter and the owner of a pub in Benalmadena. During the inspection of the premises, the officers involved found various doses of marijuana and hashish hidden behind the bar and in the garbage. In addition to arresting them, Police have recommended suspending the trading license of the establishment.

In the opertion are collaborating agents specializing in the fight against drug trafficking and the Special Response Group Organized Crime (Greco), as well as liasions from the British police posted Spain for this operation. "We want to draw the attention of the bad guys who think that the Costa del Sol is the perfect hideaway and remind them that we are monitoring them closely" said a police commander.

The operation, named Cardhu, has been ongoing since the 24th October. Although the first phase was aimed specifically at British criminals, the operation is not over. Forthcoming operations focus on meeting places for fugitives from other countries, police said.


The fact that the campaign has begun by targetting British citizens is significant. 25% of registered foreigners in the area are from the UK, according to data from 2009 - and, recently, violent incidents involving them are on the up, mainly due to fall outs over the lucrative drugs trade.

The Costa del Sol is also a favorite haunt of Irish criminals, especially those who are quickly becoming drug barons. These criminals are taking center stage in the drug trade and creating infrastructure in Málaga, and establishing contact with Moroccan traffickers.

Between 2008 and 2009, three drug lords died in settling of scores. The gangs have hired people in the Costa del Sol, and when they need to settle scores, they do so in the same area. Police cited the example of the death on 21 April, of a 32 year old British man gunned down in his apartment in Benalmadena following an abortive attempt to "rip off" his local drugs baron

Fuengirola criminal attempts to remove his finger prints

Police in Fuengirola have arrested a 30 year old criminal who had several warrants out for his arrest and a long criminal record. The suspect was caught a few days ago when he and another criminal of the same nationality jumped a police checkpoint. Officers chased the suspect, who was driving a rented Opel Corsa, and managed to corner him.Inside the vehicle officers found a suitcase, clothes and a safe which they discovered had been stolen from a tourist who was staying at a hotel. Once taken to the police cells, the man was caught rubbing his fingers against the wall to try and remove his fingerprints to stop the police from identifying him. When approached by an officer, the suspect tried to take his gun off him in order to escape. He was finally restained and now awaits a court date.

Danish citizen who was wanted by Great Britain for alleged crimes of robbery, fraud and money laundering has been arrested in Fuengirola.

Danish citizen who was wanted by Great Britain for alleged crimes of robbery, fraud and money laundering has been arrested in Fuengirola. A European warrant had been issued by the British courts for the arrest of T.G.G.K. (30), who has allegedly done dozens of people out of more than three million pounds sterling (almost five million euros). The victims of the swindle had bought shares in different companies that were worth nothing. T.G.G.K. was wanted for a total of fourteen alleged crimes related to fraud and money laundering committed between 2003 and 2006.
The Spanish police unit dedicated to finding fugitives has also arrested British I.S.J. (24) in Formentera del Segura in Alicante and German E.K. (59) in Els Poblets - also in Alicante. The British man was wanted in his country for robbery, misappropriation and damages committed in 2006 in Chorley, England. The German courts were looking for E.K. for crimes of fraud and document forgery committed between 2003 and 2005 when he worked as a financial assessor.

Scam estimated to have netted the gang more than €65 million euros

Judge at Fuengirola court has indicted twenty individuals of different nationalities with conspiring to defraud around 200, mostly British, foreign property investors in a scam estimated to have netted the gang more than €65 million euros. They are accused of selling shares in fictitious construction properties on the Costa del Sol and face charges including fraud, falsifying documents, money-laundering, and tax evasion. Two of the suspects were arrested last Wednesday in a series of raids across Málaga province.

Kevin Russell Hawkes, drowned on the Carvajal beach in Fuengirola

Kevin Russell Hawkes, drowned on the Carvajal beach in Fuengirola . Health workers tried in vain to reanimate the man as his recently married wife urged them to continue with their efforts. The Briton had decided to take a swim at 4,15pm yesterday despite the large waves seen on the beach at the time and reports say he was soon in difficulties some 50m from the shore. A group of surfers were the only people on the beach who could help, but by the time they reached the man he was unconscious.The couple was staying with a group of friends in the Gardenia hotel in the town and were on their honeymoon.

Authorities in Fuengirola are to bring charges against the company responsible for carrying out roadworks on the access approach

Authorities in Fuengirola are to bring charges against the company responsible for carrying out roadworks on the access approach roundabout to the popular Miramar shopping centre. The action has been brought following an incident which occurred after two pipes from the drainage system burst open, allowing the outflowing water to mix with sewage material and carry waste and toxic substances into the Rio Fuengirola. This has resulted in the death of numerous fish and animals in the surrounding area.The local council reacted swiftly by banning bathing on the nearby Castillo beach, raising the red flag and restricting access to the coastline for 100 metres on each side of the river. According to the council, the clean-up operation was supervised by the local healthcare authorities, and municipal workers were employed to block the mouth of the river and to recover the dead animals. The councillors responsible for the maintenance of beaches, housing and the environment, Isabel Moreno, Ana Mula and Jesus Pascual, respectively, visited the area to oversee the clean-up operation and assess the environmental impact . Mijas Town Hall expressed concern that the roadworks had caused the pipes, which run parallel to the sewer, to fracture, which subsequently allowed the dirty water to seep in.
The construction company has managed to block one of the pipes and is currently working to cleanse the area and repair the second pipe.

British man who is allegedly a member of an international drug trafficking network involved in a shooting incident in Ibiza

Officers from Fuengirola's Local Police force have arrested two people who they think were involved in a shooting incident in Ibiza in July last year. The men were travelling on a motorbike which was stopped during a routine check at the Torreblanca roundabout, and although the driver produced documentation in a different name, the police suspected that he is a British man who is allegedly a member of an international drug trafficking network, and who took part in a shoot-out between gangs in San Antonio, Ibiza, last summer. The drug trafficker is wanted by the Guardia Civil in San Antonio and there is also an extradition warrant out on him, issued by Belgium.

Wave of arrests investigation into taxfraud involving a bank in Liechtenstein. Costa arrests were in Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos

70 Spanish nationals have been arrested in a major investigation into tax and fiscal fraud involving a bank in Liechtenstein. Four of the detentions were in Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos and Benalmádena and officers have also visited a private bank located in Nueva Andalucía.
According to official sources some 200 million euros is thought to have been involved in the fraud. The 'Jade-Limusina' investigation started in April when the Tax Agency presented the anti-corruption prosecutor with a report indicating that 198 people could be involved in tax evasion. These were all resident in Spain and are thought to have had dealings with the Liechtenstein Global Trust (LGT).
This is an international case and started off in Germany where some 1,000 people are though to be involved. As it developed it saw the tax authorities in Spain working with colleagues in Australia, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK and USA. All these countries had instances of their nationals using the same bank to allegedly avoid paying tax to the authorities.
The case in Spain was placed under the wing of the Audiencia Nacional judge Santiago Pedraz who ordered investigations by the tax authority's own team and the anti-corruption squad of the Guardia Civil. This led to raids on around 20 companies and business advisors in Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga and Zaragoza.
The situation of the Nueva Andalucía private bank is not clear. It is believed that the Guardia Civil were at the bank interviewing officials for an hour but no arrests appear to have been made. It is also understood that the same bank could be involved in the German arm of this investigation.
LGT is not only caught up in this fraud investigation. Last week in the USA a hearing of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) of the US Senate also cast doubt on the bank's operations. In a statement LGT Group asserted that: ''it has always conducted its business in accordance with the applicable legal and regulatory provisions. The data under investigation by the PSI - which is based on the data stolen from LGT Treuhand in 2002 and goes back to the 1970s - is from a time when different regulations applied and when there was no Qualified Intermediary (QI) agreement in place. The specific cases mentioned in the subcommittee's report are dated and do not in any way reflect LGT's current business practices.'' Obviously following the wave of arrests in Spain and the parallel investigations in the USA the bank will once again be under the spotlight.