British police to help Ibiza drug crackdown

The Ibizan authorities will start next year by launching a massive war on drugs on the island with the co-operation of the British police. Over the next few months, British police will be travelling to the island for talks with the Guardia Civil about how to crackdown on the trafficking and peddling of drugs, in particular designer drugs, in the area of San Antonio where the majority of the drugs trade is controlled by British cartels and is very common amongst holidaymakers. The Ibizan authorities and the Guardia Civil have decided to launch a joint operation in response to calls from shopkeepers, residents and San Antonio council for an increase in policing to improve safety and public order in the resort during the summer. Until recently San Antonio was a “no-go” zone for the police and the questionable behaviour of British holidaymakers one of the reasons for the resignation of the former British vice-consul to Ibiza. The crack down on drugs was tabled by central government delegate to Ibiza, Marienna Sánchez-Jáuregui, who is responsible for the Guardia Civil, at a meeting yesterday morning. Present at the meeting was the Mayor of San Antonio, Antoni Mari, the British vice-consul Helen Watson and a group of police representatives from the United Kingdom. Sánchez-Jáuregui said after the meeting that the talks were “constructive and interesting.” However, Sánchez-Jáuregui refused to reveal which issues were discussed “for reasons of security and efficiency.” Nevertheless Sánchez-Jáuregui was quick to stress that in neither Ibiza not Formentera are there “organised mafias” in operation, while there are a number of groups involved in the distribution of drugs.