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DRUGS

Narcos in southern Spain grow increasingly brazen

Attacks on police, unloading drugs in broad daylight... Drug traffickers in southern Spain are operating in an increasingly brazen manner that has authorities worried.

Narcos in southern Spain grow increasingly brazen
A recent drug haul in Vigo, northwestern Spain. Photo: AFP

“There is a sense of total impunity,” said Juan Franco, mayor of La Linea de la Concepcion, a poor city on Spain's southern tip that looks out onto the huge rock of Gibraltar.

In this 63,000-strong city bordering the British overseas territory, “the final straw” came on April 16th, according to Raul Zambrana of the AEGC association which represents members of the Guardia Civil police force.   

Zambrana whipped out his mobile phone and showed a video of masked men unloading a cargo of hashish in broad daylight in the fishing port of La Linea while close to 100 people nearby threw stones at police trying to stop them.   

“They've been unloading drugs day after day, month after month, year after year, and given the government hasn't done anything, they think it's an acquired right and a way of life,” Zambrana said.

'David against Goliath'

A young man who works some 80 kilometres (50 miles) away in the coastal village of Zahara de los Atunes and has witnessed the comings and goings of narcos said boats loaded with Moroccan hashish “come all the time” to unload on beaches.

And narcos have the process well organised. “There is always a team of men, some to collect the drug packages, others to transport it by car, still others to stand guard,” he said, refusing to give his name for fear of retaliation.    

Once that is done, the drug traffickers – most of whom are Spanish and locals – do not hesitate to challenge police to make sure their wares arrive safely at their hiding places.

Paco Mena, head of the Alternativas anti-drugs association, said “they use three cars: one at the front to give warnings, the other that carries the drugs and a third to charge” at police cars if necessary.

Jose Cobo, spokesman for the AEGC, confirmed the process, adding that narco boats even target police crafts – a dangerous situation that has the Guardia Civil condemning a lack of resources.

Guardia Civil and residents demonstrate to demand more resources to fight drug trafficking and tobacco smuggling,Photo: Jorge Guerrero / AFP 

As one example, said Jose Encinas of the AUGC Guardia Civil association, the traffickers' boats are much faster than those belonging to police.    

Zambrana compared the fight to that of “David against Goliath.”    

Both associations want at least 200 extra agents dispatched to the zone.    

In La Linea, for instance, “police have six cars, but five are being repaired,” said mayor Juan Franco, who called on the state to intervene as his city hall is “completely bankrupt” and doesn't have “the expertise nor the means” to fight the traffickers.

'Ideal circumstances for mafias'

Cadiz province, where La Linea and Zahara de los Atunes are located, is particularly badly affected by the drug trafficking due to its geographic and socio-economic situations.

It is the entry point in Europe for hashish from Morocco which is then pushed north to Europe. According to official data, 40 percent of all drugs seized in Spain last year were intercepted in Cadiz.

Cadiz also has the highest unemployment rate in Spain, standing at 35 percent.

Franco said these are “ideal circumstances for mafias to take root,” as he acknowledged that in some districts, like the one where residents threw stones at police, people are afraid of speaking out.    

In this context, “many people are ready to risk their life” in the drug business where they can earn €2,000 ($2,200) in 20 minutes by guarding a drug delivery, said Mena.

Police on Sunday said they had detained 30 members of “Los Castañas,” which they described as “the biggest organisation dedicated to the traffic of hashish” in the region.

They seized a tonne of the drug, 16 vehicles and three boats, among other things.

But Franco complained that “in many cases, they are captured, brought to justice, they post bail and are out the next day.”    

For Mena, the solution would be more police officers to fight the traffickers, stricter sentences for offences and an ambitious plan to root out unemployment, starting with those districts where 80 percent of young people are without a job.

By AFP's Álvaro Villalobos

DRUGS

Germany should make cannabis available at pharmacies not ‘coffee shops’, says FDP boss

Germany's possible new government could well relax the country's strict cannabis laws. But FDP leader Christian Lindner says he doesn't want to go down the Netherlands route.

A demonstrator smokes a joint at the pro-cannabis Hanfparade in Berlin in August 2021.
A demonstrator smokes a joint at the pro-cannabis Hanfparade in Berlin in August 2021. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Annette Riedl

The Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) are set to engage in coalition talks in a bid to become the next German government.  And the future of cannabis will likely be one of the topics to be thrashed out.

In drug policy, the three parties are not too far apart in their positions. So it’s possible that the drug could be decriminalised.

However, nothing is set in stone and the parties still haven’t come to a common line on the question of where and to what extent cannabis could be accessed. 

The leader of the Liberal FDP, Christian Lindner, has now come out in favour of allowing cannabis products such as hashish to be sold in a controlled manner. 

Consumers should be allowed “to purchase a quantity for their own use, for example, in a pharmacy after health education,” Lindner told a live broadcast on German daily Bild on Sunday.

Lindner said he was sceptical about the sale in “coffee shops” according to the Dutch model. “I am in favour of controlled distribution, and therefore health education must be able to take place,” he said.

READ MORE: Patients in Germany still face hurdles accessing medical marijuana

People in the Netherlands can access cannabis products in coffee shops under the country’s tolerant drugs policy. However coffee shops have to follow certain strict conditions. For instance they are not allowed to sell large quantities to an individual. 

Lindner said his main aims were about “crime and health prevention” and not with “legalising a right to intoxication”.

It’s not clear if Lindner advocates for prescription-only cannabis for medical use, or an over-the-counter model. 

The FDP previously said that they they are in favour of the creation of licensed shops. Their manifesto highlights the health benefits, tax windfalls and reallocation of police resources that legalisation would create.

The Green party also want licensed shops, as well as a whole new approach to drug control starting with the controlled legalisation of marijuana. The Greens state that “strict youth and user protection” would be the centre point of their legislation and hope to “pull the rug from under the black market”.

The SPD also want a reform of Germany’s prohibition stance – but are more cautious than the smaller parties on the legalisation aspect. They would like to initially set up pilot projects. 

READ ALSO: Why Germany could be on the brink of legalising cannabis

Controversial topic

So far, the sale of cannabis is officially banned in Germany. Possession of cannabis is also currently illegal across the entire country. Those caught carrying the substance can face anything from a fine to five years in jail.

However, the justice system generally looks away if you are caught carry small quantities for personal use unless you have a previous conviction.

The definition of personal use differs from state to state, with Berlin having the most liberal rules and Bavaria the tightest.

It is estimated that around four million people regularly use cannabis in Germany.

Representatives of police unions in Germany have warned against legalisation. They argue that cannabis is an often trivialised drug that can lead to considerable health problems and social conflicts, especially among young people.

Oliver Malchow, from the GdP police union, said that “it doesn’t make any sense to legalise another dangerous drug on top of alcohol”.

The current Ministry of Health also continues to oppose the legalisation of cannabis, a spokesperson for Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) made clear. Cannabis is a dangerous substance and therefore legalisation is not advisable, the spokesman said. 

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