Mar 24 - Western Beach Attack on Customs Officers
Officers of HM Customs came under attack at Western Beach yesterday evening. Whilst officers were conducting a routine patrol of the area, a group of 4 men in hooded tracksuits were sighted immediately south of the frontier fence. The men proceeded to throw stones at the officers in a completely unprovoked attack. The group then fled across the frontier fence to Spain where they continued their assault. Gibraltar Defence Police marine section attended the area in support and similarly came under missile attack. No-one was injured in the incident.
In unrelated incidents, HM Customs have seized over 58,500 cigarettes and four Spanish registered vehicles at Eastern Beach, Western Beach, British Lines Road, Laguna Estate and from a parking area by Devil’s Tower Rd. Four Spanish nationals have been arrested in connection with these seizures.
The arrests at the beaches and in the residential estate were executed in Special Zones demarcated by the Chief Minister under S11 of the Tobacco Act.
Additionally, three of the arrests were made by Customs under the recent amendment to the Tobacco Act, which provides for the offence of concealing cigarettes in a vehicle.
