The millionaires’ playground of Puerto Banus near Marbella on Spain’s Costa del Sol pulls in 120,000 British tourists each summer, but in recent years ruthless gangs have moved in
Beyond the dazzling seafront of Puerto Banus, with its yachts, posh shops and supercars, lurks a darker side that is now the focus of a police crackdown.
The millionaires’ playground near Marbella on Spain’s Costa del Sol pulls in 120,000 British tourists each summer. Revelling in the glamour, they splash out an average £108 per day. But in recent years ruthless gangs with links to Albania, Morocco and Colombia have moved in, battling it out for a slice of the multi-million pound drugs trade that dominates the area.
Just weeks ago terrified tourists fled for their lives at the resort as a gangster opened fire into a restaurant with an Uzi submachine gun during daylight hours. Footage showed the man calmly walking away from the scene near the Cristamar shopping centre, which is often full of British and Irish tourists. Incredibly, no one was injured â but the gunman has yet to be caught.
Now security has been increased in the port and businesses are being closely monitored in a show of force called the Strategic Police Response Plan. It is intended to combat drug use and street-level trafficking. More than 100 armed police have so far arrested 12 top drug dealers. Officers have also clamped down on street drinking and monitored venues.