The impact of drug-smuggling speedboats in Almeria reaches Brussels

Speaking to the media in Almeria, Crespo highlighted the situation of "insecurity" which, as she warned, has worsened over the course of this summer, particularly in provinces including Cadiz, Huelva and Almeria, which is why his party has called on Brussels to examine this issue.

The MEP has also backed the request made by the president of the Andalusian regional government, Juanma Moreno, to the central government to reinstate "special units" of the Guardia Civil, such as the now-disbanded OCON-Sur, in order to step up the fight against organised crime.

“I think this is a very consistent stance and, of course, an absolutely necessary form of opposition,” Crespo said, highlighting that the situation of “insecurity” in the country is “a priority issue at the start of the political year” and that, therefore, it must also be examined by the European institutions.

The regional minister for housing, youth and planning, Rocío Díaz, made similar remarks on Monday, arguing that the Guardia Civil’s elite unit specialising in the fight against drug trafficking in Andalucía (OCON-Sur) “should never have been disbanded” by the central government and called for it to be “reactivated”.

“Andalucía is experiencing a rise in crime linked to drug trafficking, and what we are calling for is the reactivation of that elite Guardia Civil unit, which should never have been disbanded,” Díaz stated on Monday during a press briefing in Granada.

She insisted that OCON-Sur must resume operations "as soon as possible" in order to "provide support and resources" to the state’s law enforcement agencies to ‘combat’ drug trafficking in the region.

On Monday, the regional minister for education, María del Carmen Castillo, echoed this call, highlighting “the high level of insecurity” caused by the presence of “drug mafias” in Andalucía.

“Especially at a time like now, in the summer, when tourism plays a crucial role and contributes to the well-being of our region” she said during a press briefing in Almeria.

The statements by Díaz and Castillo follow a letter sent last Sunday by Juanma Moreno to the central government, requesting the reactivation of this unit, which was disbanded four years ago: "We are no longer talking about a specific region; rather, the entire coastline and part of the interior are now targets for drug traffickers. We have become all too familiar with the sight of drug-smuggling speedboats operating and taking refuge in broad daylight, for example, in the Guadalquivir riverbed,” Moreno explained in the text, referring to the fatal shootings last week in Isla Cristina (Huelva) and Utrera (Seville).

The Spanish government’s representative in Andalucía, Pedro Fernández, has criticised Juanma Moreno for his “lack of understanding, ignorance and contempt” towards the work carried out by the state security forces (FCSE) in the fight against drug trafficking.

In a statement sent to the media, Fernández stressed the "effectiveness" of the actions taken by the National Police and the Guardia Civil and argued that Moreno is "underestimating" the operational decisions taken by both forces, including the reorganisation of OCON-SUR.

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