Treasury to investigate stoning attack on SVA officers (From Spain) in Gibraltar

Stoned. This is how two agents of the Customs Surveillance Service were received on the Levante beach in Gibraltar after a chase in an operation against tobacco smuggling. The service's boat broke down and the tide dragged it to the shore where the alleged smugglers took advantage of the situation to stone and injure the two agents. One of them had to be hospitalised and underwent surgery due to the seriousness of his facial injuries.

The PP senator, José Ignacio Landaluce, has asked the Ministry of Finance to investigate this attack and the possible inaction of the Gibraltar Police. "We are going to ask whether or not there has been collaboration from the British authorities. It seems that there was a uniformed officer who intervened but did not prevent them from being attacked", explains Landaluce.

The Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, assures that she will investigate this attack and the possible inaction of the Gibraltar authority that the Partido Popular denounces. "Customs will investigate what has happened and will ask for the necessary explanations to clarify these elements, but condemnation must always come first, regardless of who is behind it or the motive," Montero clarifies.

According to sources close to the case, the agents were unable to intercept the tobacco that was being transported in the boat and had to row it to the patrol boat.

In the early hours of this morning, a new operation against smuggling took place, resulting in the seizure of 7,500 packets of tobacco.

RESPONSE FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF GIBRALTAR

The Government of Gibraltar has described as a "very serious violation" of its sovereignty and jurisdiction the entry of two agents of the Spanish Customs Surveillance Service, who were injured to varying degrees in the early hours of Thursday morning after being stoned on Gibraltar's Levante beach while trying to stop a cache of smuggled tobacco.

They said that this intervention "would constitute a very serious breach of the law" if "it were confirmed that the Spanish officers fired their weapons in Gibraltar", as well as being a "reckless and dangerous" action in an area, they stressed, "with a high density of civilian population, given the proximity of a residential development".

In this context, the Gibraltar and UK governments considered that the events "will require careful assessment as to the nature and level of the diplomatic response", and explained that "they will contact Spanish officials to seek explanations for this violation of Gibraltar's sovereignty before making a final decision on the action to be taken".

"The evidence surrounding this incident reveals a serious breach of British sovereignty and potentially the most serious and dangerous incident for many years," said Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, who noted, however, that "before reacting" they will "be sure of the facts". "But events indicate that the actions of Spanish officials are intolerable", he criticised.

Two agents of the Spanish Customs Surveillance Service were injured to varying degrees in the early hours of Thursday morning after being stoned on the eastern beach of Gibraltar by a group of people allegedly linked to tobacco smuggling.

As explained to Europa Press by Customs Surveillance sources, the events occurred after five o'clock in the morning when an auxiliary boat of the Surveillance patrol boat observed movement that could be related to tobacco smuggling in waters near the Gibraltar border.

The agents experienced problems in the boat and while on the eastern beach of Gibraltar, they were surrounded by a group of people who began to throw stones at them, some of which were very large. Finally, they were able to refloat the boat and reach the patrol boat by rowing.

However, both officers suffered injuries to their faces, including a broken nasal septum for one of them and several broken bones in the face of the second, who required hospitalisation. In addition, several cuts required stitches.

The Gibraltar government explained that they had contacted their Spanish counterparts "to inquire about the welfare of the VAS officers concerned". "Spanish law enforcement agencies know that they can request and rely on the support of Gibraltarian law enforcement agencies if they need to continue a pursuit in Gibraltar, but it appears that they have not done so in this case," they warned.

An incident on Thursday in which shots were fired by Spanish customs officers as they were pelted with rocks by smugglers on Eastern beach was “potentially the most serious and dangerous” episode in Gibraltar “for many years”.

In a joint statement, the Governor of Gibraltar, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo deplored the “unacceptable lawlessness” displayed by a group of smugglers who violently set upon two Spanish officers, both of whom were injured.

But they also condemned the presence and actions of the Spanish officers in Gibraltar as a “gross violation” of British sovereignty and said the UK Government would demand answers from Spain as it prepared a diplomatic response to the events.

The incident unfolded at around 5am on Thursday after a small rigid-hulled inflatable boat [RHIB], the tender of a larger patrol boat operated by Spanish customs, the Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera [SVA], lost engine power in rough seas close to the shoreline in Eastern beach as it chased a small boat suspected of involvement in tobacco smuggling.

The waves pushed the SVA boat to shore where the two officers on board were surrounded by a large group of individuals – as many as 25, officials here believe - and pelted with rocks, some of them up to 20cm across.

Both officers sustained injuries but managed to refloat their vessel and row out to sea, Spanish law enforcement sources said.

A video circulated on social media on Thursday appeared to show at least two shots being fired during the incident.

A second video that emerged on Friday, apparently recorded by one of the smugglers, showed dramatic scenes on the shoreline as the two Spanish officers struggled with their boat as a group of men threw rocks at them and recovered boxes of tobacco.

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As well as the SVA boat, there were two small RHIBs on the shoreline. Smugglers were seen carrying tobacco cases from the boats across the beach to the roadside.

At one point in the footage, one of the officers appears to draw a weapon and fire five shots toward the sand as a barrage of rocks splash into the sea around him and his colleague.

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In the six-minute video, there are moments of great tension and one of the Spanish officers is later seen slumping to the sand.

Spanish law enforcement sources said both officers sustained injuries, one of them suffering serious facial fractures from the impact of a rock.

There have been no arrests in Gibraltar in connection with the incident, though a police investigation remains ongoing.

Spanish law enforcement agencies had carried out an operation targeting tobacco smugglers in La Linea that same night and it is possible the group in Gibraltar were chased by the SVA as they fled the police presence on the Spanish side, although this has not been officially confirmed.

Neither was it clear on Friday at what stage Gibraltar’s law enforcement agencies became aware of the incident unfolding on Eastern beach, or how. Officials here confirmed there had been no contact from the Spanish side, however.

Officers from Gibraltar’s HM Customs were the first Gibraltar law enforcement presence to arrive at the scene but were not visible in the video when the rocks were being thrown and the shots fired. The Royal Gibraltar Police also attended but arrived after Customs.

Some Spanish media reports claimed the Gibraltar officers did not offer assistance to their SVA counterparts, but this was firmly denied in the joint statement from the Governor and the Chief Minister.

The HM Customs officers first on the scene did not intervene on shore, where the four would have been outnumbered by the smugglers, but offered assistance to the two Spanish officers while awaiting reinforcements.

“The information provided to the Government of Gibraltar suggests that when they attended the scene, officers of His Majesty’s Customs immediately offered their Spanish law enforcement colleagues assistance and medical attention,” the statement said.

“The SVA officers refused the medical attention offered.”

“They told HM Customs officers that despite the fact that their vessel appeared to have engine failure, they wanted to immediately return to their main vessel, which they were permitted to do.”

The developments are serious on multiple levels and come at a delicate time in Gibraltar’s relations with Spain, particularly against the backdrop of ongoing talks for a UK/EU treaty on the Rock’s post-Brexit relations with the bloc.

Strengthening law enforcement cooperation is an element of those discussions and the events on Eastern beach will underscore the need to establish a framework allowing law enforcement agencies from both sides of the border to better coordinate and work together.

On Thursday, the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, and Police Commissioner Richard Ullger contacted their Spanish counterparts to enquire after the well-being of the SVA officers in question.

But both the UK and Gibraltar governments are clear that, despite the injuries and the unsavoury criminality that led to them, the presence of Spanish officers on a beach in Gibraltar would not be tolerated.

The confusion surrounding the events though means they continued to adopt a cautious approach as they awaited information from Spanish authorities.

The response is being coordinated with senior officials at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London and with the UK Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott.

In the joint statement, the Governor and the Gibraltar Government said the incident required “careful consideration” as to “the nature and level” of the UK’s diplomatic response to Spain.

UK officials will contact their Spanish counterparts to seek an explanation of what the statement described as a “violation of the sovereignty of Gibraltar” before making a final determination of what action to take.

Likewise, “the lawlessness of a gang of individuals apparently engaged in illicit activity in Gibraltar is unacceptable to the Government and represents activity that the Government and Gibraltar’s law enforcement agencies will not tolerate,” the statement added.

And despite the video evidence showing that shots were fired, the statement avoided making a firm statement on that aspect pending further investigation and feedback from the Spanish Government.

“Should it be confirmed that Spanish officials discharged their weapons in Gibraltar, such action would be a very serious breach of the law as well as being reckless and dangerous, especially in an area of dense civilian population, given the proximity of a residential estate in the area,” the statement said.

“The evidence surrounding this incident discloses a gross violation of British sovereignty and, potentially, the most serious and dangerous incident for many years,” the Chief Minister said in the statement.

“Before reacting we must of course be sure of the facts but the events indicate that the actions by the Spanish officials are intolerable.”

“Spanish law enforcement agencies know they can seek and would enjoy support from Gibraltar law enforcement if they need to continue a chase into Gibraltar but it would appear that they did not do so in this case.”

“We will continue working with our law enforcement agencies to determine the facts and will seek assistance from Spain in doing so.”

“Whilst we continue to determine the facts, I nonetheless reached out yesterday to Spanish counterparts to inquire after the well-being of the Spanish officers in question.”

“As we continue to work with our law enforcement agencies in reaching final determinations as to the location etc of the discharge of weapons, we will also work in conjunction with the United Kingdom Government in order to determine the appropriate response in respect of these dangerous actions and gross violation of our British sovereignty by the presence of Spanish law enforcement officials in Gibraltar.”

On Friday night, Spain's Ministry for Foreign affairs condemned the attack on the Spanish customs agents and said it "categorically rejects the terms" of the statement issued by Gibraltar, "as well as the claims of alleged British sovereignty over the territory and waters of Gibraltar contained within it".

“The statement is particularly incomprehensible at a time when Spain has put on the table an agreement to create an area of shared prosperity,” the Spanish ministry said in a statement.

“The Government of Spain demands efficient measures in the fight against smuggling, which prejudices all the area, and wishes the Spanish officers a speedy recovery.”

The developments were also being followed by the GSD, whose Leader, Keith Azopardi, tweeted about his concerns.

“Eastern Beach incident suggests armed Spanish customs officers were in our waters & possibly on shore itself. Smuggling (if that’s what happened) is completely unacceptable & should be cracked down hard by our law enforcement authorities. Spanish authorities have no role in Gib,” he tweeted.

“The incident is serious & could have been even worse. I am filing questions in Parliament so that there can be Government clarification after investigation. Our laws should be respected by all & enforced in our land & waters by our authorities.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article suggested the officers from HM Customs arrived on a vessel. In fact, they arrived on land and the article has been corrected to reflect that.

Spain’s Foreign Ministry says it strongly rejects the terms of a joint statement by the Gibraltar Governent and Governor which described this week’s confrontation between Spanish Customs officers and a group of smugglers at Eastern Beach as a "grave breach of British sovereignty and jurisdiction".

The Spanish Foreign Ministry rejects what it calls the "claims" to British sovereignty over Gibraltar’s territory and waters. It describes the statement by Number Six and the Convent as “especially incomprehensible” at a time when, it says, Spain has put on the table an agreement to create a "zone of shared prosperity".

The Spanish Government condemns the aggression towards the Servicio de Vigiliancia Aduanera officers, and calls for effective measures in the fight against smuggling, which it says negatively affects the whole area.

For its part the Andalucian Junta also asks the Gibraltar Government for collaboration and conviction in the fight against drug trafficking and smuggling.

Spokesman Antonio Sanz told reporters in Spain that the smugglers are the real enemies and lawbreakers.

While asking that sovereignty and the fight against smuggling not be confused with diplomatic matters such as sovereignty, he however added it was clear that Gibraltar had no jurisdiction over the waters in which the incident occurred.

The Governor and Chief Minister have described Thursday's incident at Eastern Beach as a grave breach of British sovereignty and jurisdiction.

The incident saw a confrontation between Spanish Customs and a group of smugglers.

A six-minute video seemingly filmed by smugglers shows how the incident unfolded on Eastern Beach’s southern shore shortly after 5am om Thursday.

GBC has analysed the recording to see what it tells us.

GBC analyses six minute video of Eastern Beach incident in which eight shots...

The Governor and Chief Minister have described Thursday morning's incident at Eastern Beach as a grave breach of British sovereignty and jurisdiction.

The incident saw a confrontation between Spanish Customs and a group of smugglers.

Number Six says it's coordinating its response to the incident with senior officials at the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London and with the British Ambassador to Spain.

The joint statement with the Governor says the lawlessness of a gang of individuals apparently engaged in illicit activity in Gibraltar is unacceptable, and represents activity that will not be tolerated.

It adds UK officials will be contacting Spanish officials to seek an explanation of this violation of the sovereignty of Gibraltar, before making a final determination of what action to take.

Eastern Beach incident grave breach of British sovereignty and jurisdiction...

The UK Government has made a formal diplomatic protest to Spain following the dramatic incident on Eastern beach last week, during which warning shots were fired by Spanish customs officers as they were pelted with rocks by smugglers.

Both Spanish officers suffered injuries during the attack, which was condemned by authorities both in Gibraltar and Spain.

Last Friday, in an unprecedented joint statement that underscored the gravity of the incident, the Governor, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel, and Chief Minister Fabian Picardo deplored the smugglers’ “unacceptable lawlessness”.

But the presence of the Spanish officers on Eastern beach and the use of firearms close to a built-up area also caused serious concern here and was described in the statement as a “gross violation” of British sovereignty.

It took just under a week for the UK Government to piece together details of the incident and prepare its response, which was delivered to Spain’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

“The UK’s Ambassador to Spain has today [for Wednesday] protested the incursion to the Spanish Government,” a spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told the Chronicle earlier this week.

The response involved input from the Governor, the Chief Minister, senior officials at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London and the UK Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott.

Officials would give no further detail on the nature or content of the protest but left no doubt as to the seriousness with which the matter had been viewed.

As has happened in the past after somewhat less serious incidents, however, Spain will likely respond to the UK protest with one of its own.

Exchanges of diplomatic protests are not unusual in the wake of incidents that touch on each side’s different positions on sovereignty, particularly in British Gibraltar territorial waters.

Last week Madrid publicly and “categorically” rejected the terms of the joint statement issued by the Governor and the Chief Minister, insisting on its traditional position on the waters around the Rock.

It also complained that the joint statement was “particularly incomprehensible” against the backdrop of ongoing treaty negotiations.

The incident on Eastern beach came at a particularly sensitive time for relations between Gibraltar and Spain, with negotiators engaged in the final stages of negotiations for a UK/EU treaty they hope will define a constructive and positive framework for the Rock’s future relations with the bloc.

In the wake of the incident, there were indications on both sides of the border of a desire not to let it flare up into a major diplomatic row that might derail two years of complex and difficult work toward a treaty.

Strengthening law enforcement cooperation is an element of those negotiations and the events on Eastern beach underscored the need to establish a framework allowing law enforcement agencies from both sides of the border to better coordinate and work together, despite starkly different underlying positions on sovereignty.

TOBACCO RULES

In a separate development, the Gibraltar Government on Thursday published new regulations to further broaden the areas defined as Special Zones under the Tobacco Act.

Under that legislation, Customs and police officers have enhanced powers to stop and search people they suspect to be involved in illicit tobacco trade and order them to leave the area or face arrest.

Likewise, the quantity of tobacco defined as a commercial quantity is lower at 600 cigarettes than in the rest of Gibraltar, where it is 2000 cigarettes.

Eastern beach, the areas close to the border and coastal areas in the port and inner harbour were already defined as Special Zones but the update published on Thursday now includes the area of Eaton Park, as well as the area behind Northview Terraces and the new Forbes building.

“HM Customs are using all avenues - legal and operational - to disrupt illicit tobacco activity and the antisocial behaviour that accompanies it,” said John Payas, the Collector of Customs.

The Chief Minister added: “Since we were elected in 2011 we have been increasing the powers available to Customs and police officers to curb illicit activity.”

“We have reduced the activity greatly and this new measure, at the request of the Collector, adds to the arsenal of measures available to our law enforcement agencies in the battle against that illicit trade.”

“We will do more to stop this activity whenever we are requested by our law enforcement agencies to do so.”

Six arrested in La Línea for stoning VAS officers on a Gibraltar beach

The National Police have arrested six people in La Línea de la Concepción accused of having assaulted two agents of the Customs Surveillance Service (SVA) by throwing stones at them from a beach in Gibraltar during an intervention against tobacco smuggling.

In a note, the police explain that they are considered the alleged perpetrators of the crimes of injury, serious assault on an agent of the authority and tobacco smuggling.

The detainees, they add, are the main perpetrators of the events that took place last February, when two SVA agents were seriously injured when they tried to stop a tobacco smuggling operation.

The events, which had significant repercussions when a video of the action was made public, took place in the context of the Customs agents' pursuit of a boat carrying tobacco from Gibraltar.

As a result of the strong storm that was raging in the area at the time, they ended up running their boat aground on the Levante beach, on the east coast of Gibraltar, where they were received with stones by those under investigation, suffering serious injuries to their faces that required surgery.

The complaint was lodged at the La Línea de la Concepción police station by those in charge of the Tax Agency and, once they had recovered from their injuries, the assaulted agents were heard at police headquarters.

These statements by those affected, together with the photographic examinations carried out and the investigation carried out by the agents of the Urban Crime Group attached to the Local Judicial Police Brigade have culminated in the identification and arrest of six Spanish citizens as the alleged perpetrators.

The investigation is still open to fully clarify the facts, as well as the location and arrest of more persons responsible, who are being sought and captured.