RGP Arrests Man After Guardia Civil Vessel Enters BGTW
A 19-year-old local man has been arrested on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration after an incident involving the Guardia Civil and Gibraltar law enforcement agencies in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
The RGP recovered a Spanish-registered vessel that had been abandoned in Gibraltar Harbour, while HM Customs detained and later released two people from a second vessel. The Government says the Guardia Civil vessel entered BGTW during the pursuit and has reiterated that Gibraltar authorities should be notified so they can respond.
A statement from the Government follows below:
Serious Incident at Sea Leads to Customs Arrests & Guardia Civil Incursion
An ongoing operation at sea involving Gibraltar's law enforcement agencies has resulted in the successful arrest of a number persons and the boarding and detention and seizure of a vessel by H M Customs Gibraltar.
The Government has also received reports and videos showing a related incursion by a Guardia Civil vessel into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters which is suspected to relate to the same incident.
The incursion reported appears to involve the Guardia Civil vessel entering Port Waters and towing a small pleasure craft.
The events reported to the Government suggest that a potentially very serious incident has occurred.
The Government and the Convent are working together with the law enforcement agencies and the Port to determine the facts.
The situation is developing.
The Government will make a further statement when it has ascertained the exact nature of the events.
A further statement follows below:
Further to its earlier statement this evening, the Government is now able to set out the facts of the incident as established by the Royal Gibraltar Police and HM Customs.
At about 6.05pm today, the Royal Gibraltar Police received information from a member of the public that a Spanish Guardia Civil vessel was towing a vessel that had been abandoned within Gibraltar Harbour after its occupants had jumped ashore by Peter Isola Promenade.
RGP land and marine assets responded immediately. The crew of the RGP Marine Section interceptor Sir Francis Richards recovered the abandoned vessel from the Guardia Civil within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
The abandoned vessel, which is Spanish registered, and a second Spanish registered vessel crewed by two persons had been pursued by the Spanish authorities into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters foR their alleged involvement in migrant smuggling.
During the course of the incident, RGP officers arrested a 19 year old local man on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration. Officers of the HM Customs Marine Unit stopped the second vessel and detained its two occupants while the vessel was searched and documentation was checked, after which they were released.
The man arrested by the RGP and the vessel recovered by the RGP remain in police custody. The investigation is ongoing.
The Government notes that the vessels concerned were being pursued on suspicion of a serious offence. That does not alter the position that Guardia Civil vessels have no jurisdiction in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, and that the proper course in such cases is to alert Gibraltar's law enforcement agencies, who are fully capable of acting, as they did today.
HM Government of Gibraltar and Gibraltar's law enforcement agencies stand ready to cooperate and coordinate with the law enforcement agencies of Spain in tackling illegal migration and people smuggling. When Gibraltar's authorities are not notified, that cooperation cannot take place.
The Government thanks the officers of the RGP and HM Customs for their swift response, and the member of the public who reported the incident.
