Bikini-clad revelers were photographed posing for selfies as armed police stormed a famous Costa del Sol beach club and ordered tourists out of the pool in what they said was a two-hour “routine check” over the holiday weekend.
Images from the popular Puerto Banus resort in Marbella showed long lines of police officers marching through the grounds of the Ocean Club as bewildered guests made the most of its biannual champagne party, a tradition popular with its British guests.
Tourists were urged to remain calm and were assured over loudspeakers that police were only carrying out a “routine check” and that “nothing serious was happening” as a helicopter circled overhead during its sweep on Saturday.
A client is believed to have been arrested, although police have not yet officially commented on the reason for the arrest.
The weekend raid came amid a concerted effort to crack down on violent crime in the region, with police announcing last week that they had arrested 10 people out of 300 “security checks” as part of the so-called “Plan Marbella “.
Revelers stand and take a photo as police enter the famous Ocean Club in Marbella
The national police enter the Puerto Banús complex on May 25, 2024
Police officer appears to push tourists aside during sudden ‘checks’
The revelers can only watch in bewilderment as the group of officers carry out their sweep.
About 20 police officers were seen walking around the complex over the holiday weekend.
The spectacular attack on the club followed a series of shootings in the area, prompting the launch of ‘Plan Marbella’ last month to keep British and Irish tourists safe.
Police warned locals and visitors at the time that they could expect to see more random stops and police checkpoints in and around the holiday destination.
They said nothing about surprise raids on popular tourist spots, although earlier this month heavily armed officers stormed a sports club gym in the residential area of Nueva Andalucia, near Puerto Banus, and made three arrests.
Police claimed last week that they had made ten arrests between April 11 and May 10, claiming to have carried out up to 300 security checks across the city.
Raids were reported to have been carried out at “a dozen” bars and clubs, with 1,300 vehicles stopped and searched as part of the radical new measures.
In total, some 3,000 people were detained and “controlled” as part of Plan Marbella during the period, aimed at helping stem the wave of shootings in the region.
Police said there had been a “significant reduction” in the number of robberies and vehicle thefts linked to the operation, it was reported. Weekly Euro News.
Marbella has been rocked by a series of attacks this year, most notably the March 11 attack on the British restaurant La Sala, near Puerto Banús, which led to the arrest in April of a British man and an Irish national described by the police as linked to organized organizations. crime.
Kerry Katona recently claimed she had reversed her decision to move to the famous Costa del Sol resort with her family, including fiancé Ryan Mahoney, because she no longer feels safe about the prospect following violent incidents there.
Fernando Bentabol, the prosecutor in charge of combating drug trafficking in the province of Malaga of which Marbella is a part, highlighted its darkest point in a recent newspaper interview by comparing it to Medellín, the former home of the notorious cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar.
When asked by a local Spanish journalist if the Costa del Sol was becoming Medellín, he replied: “Yes and no.” It cannot be compared with Medellín because countries like Colombia are those that produce drugs, and most of the actions there are related to plantations, as happens in Morocco for example with cannabis.
‘We are in the area where drugs are introduced and distributed to Europe.
“But in terms of the level of the organizations involved and their economic capacity, yes, of course, it can be compared.”
Locals have branded parts of Marbella such as Puerto Banús the “Wild West”.
One of them recently suggested that tourists should start thinking about wearing a bulletproof vest with their swimsuits and sandals.
Another wrote on social media, expressing fear that an innocent person could die: “A stray bullet could end up entering a house.”
In the early hours of Saturday morning, a 33-year-old man was shot in an urbanization a short distance from Puerto Banús, just across the municipal border from Marbella, in the neighboring municipality of Estepona.
No arrests have been made yet. A dozen bullet casings believed to have been fired from an AK-47 were reportedly found on the ground at the scene.
British man Marcus Stewart ran over several pedestrians in May 2017 after speeding away from the Ocean Club in an Audi following a fight between two groups of men from the United Kingdom.
He was arrested by an armed police officer on the beach following a police chase following a spectacular head-on collision on Marbella’s famous Golden Mile with a car carrying an 18-day-old baby. He was subsequently jailed for more than five years.
No charges were brought against a second Briton detained in the drama, a passenger in the car.
An agent wearing a balaclava stands guard during ‘routine checks’ in the town of Marbella
An officer walks past bewildered tourists at the Ocean Club in Marbella, Spain.
Puerto Banús is a popular hotspot for foreign tourists in Marbella, Spain
La Sala, a popular venue in Marbella, was the center of a shooting in March (stock)
Bullets pierced the glass during an attack in March, raising concerns about local security.
The Ocean Club describes itself on its website as ‘Marbella’s original classic beach club and a benchmark for style, modern luxury and an atmosphere that has made it famous as one of Europe’s chic favorites for relaxing, going out party and enjoy the best that summer has to offer. offer.’
He adds: ‘The days are relaxed, with a quality restaurant, while our themed parties are famous for being as glamorous as they are exciting and lively. Live music, dancers, entertainers and beautiful people make it an unforgettable experience.”
This year it held its grand opening party on May 3 and its second champagne party on Sunday, a day after the weekend police raid.
Peak season bed packages around their saltwater pool cost up to £980. The most expensive packages include three bottles of Veuve Clicquot.
Revelers who book the most expensive VIP beds are warned online that there is an additional minimum spend of £955 on Saturdays.
