This is the moment a boat dropped around 40 migrants on a busy Costa del Sol beach, before speeding off

People sunbathing on El Chucho beach in Nerja on the eastern stretch of the Costa del Sol on the afternoon of Thursday 19 September managed to capture the moment a speedboat dropped off around 40 migrants of North African origin on their mobile phones.

The occupants, mostly men from Morocco and six minors, were seen jumping from the boat into the water a few metres from the shore as the boat turned round and fled at full speed.

The Guardia Civil and Local Police were deployed to try to locate the migrants as they dispersed themselves around Nerja. For now, SUR has been able to confirm, at least 33 of them were located, including the six minors. Some had managed to get as far as Calaceite beach in Torrox.

The search continued into yesterday evening in the area of Nerja, Frigiliana and Torrox to try to locate the rest. Sources consulted said that they were trying to locate three or four more occupants of the boat.

At the foot of Calle Chaparil, in the centre of Nerja one of the migrants explained to SUR that they had left early on Thursday morning from the coastal area of the Rif in Morocco.

The man, who spoke some Spanish, said that they were all "in good health" and said he was "happy" to arrive in Spain. Other sources consulted said that up to 36 people of North African origin were travelling on the boat.

The migrants were taken to Nerja's Guardia Civil headquarters, from where they proceeded with the formalities to try to repatriate them to Morocco, as SUR was able to confirm. From Nerja they were transferred to the centre for the temporary attention of foreigners (CATE), located in the facilities of the Port of Malaga.

The last boat carrying migrants arrived in Nerja was on 29 August when around twenty people reached El Playazo beach. The Guardia Civil arrested 12 middle-aged men of North African origin in the early hours of the morning. A further seven were later located and the Guardia Civil transferred them to the CATE facility.