A tip off to the Policía Local in Salobreña led the to five arrests in Fuengirola by the Policía Nacional. The anonymous caller told the Salobreña police that his friend had been kidnapped by a drugs gang.

The tip off said that a man had been kidnapped and was being held in a flat in Fuengirola, so the police there decided to pay a visit in an unmarked van. They soon noticed that the occupants of the said flat were taking security measures by watching what was happening on the street outside – hardly normal domestic behaviour.

The stakeout was interrupted by a man who fled from the flat, pursued by several others, so they decided to intervene, arresting three Italians and two Spaniards from the ‘kidnapping team,’ and a Spaniard and Moroccan from the ‘hostages’ team.

After questioning, it became clear that the story began on the Costa Granadina where the Italian gang operated. These gentlemen had sold a certain quantity of hashish to similar minded gentlemen, who had neglected to actually hand over any payment for the ‘transaction.’ So they kidnapped the Spaniard and took him off to Fuengirola for safe keeping…

No doubt in the coming days we shall be hearing where the Moroccan fits in and if the anonymous call was his, but the Málaga police only offered a list of items confiscated: a firearm, two replicas, hashish, top-brand watches, two cars and 150,000 in cash, whilst the Salobreña police appear to know bugger all, having heroically left dangerous police work to more convincing policemen.

(News: Salobrena, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)