Dramatic footage shows the shocking moment Manchester City star Erling Haaland is asked by balaclava-wearing police to identify himself during a police raid at his favorite Costa beach club.
The Norway international was filmed reaching into his pocket to pull out his ID after being caught while enjoying some R&R at popular hangout Playa Padre in the town of Marbella.
Moments earlier, heavily armed police in riot gear were seen running towards the beach club as a helicopter hovered overhead.
The dramatic Sunday night raid on the club, officially opened in 2017 by Hollywood actress Eva Longoria, came three weeks after police in bulletproof vests stormed the famous Ocean Beach club in neighboring Puerto Banus in an operation similar.
The stunned British tourists in swimsuits and bikinis were ordered out of the pool so they could identify themselves.
Police officers wearing balaclavas raided the popular Playa Padre venue in the town of Marbella
The Manchester City star appeared surprised when he was asked to produce his ID during the raid.
Halaand was photographed at the venue last weekend, letting his hair down while dancing alongside a DJ.
The back-to-back club raids followed a series of shootings in the area, prompting the launch of so-called Operation Marbella in April to keep British and Irish tourists safe.
Haaland, who is enjoying some free time in Marbella, where he and his former footballer Alfie have a property after Norway failed to qualify for Euro 2024, regularly visits Playa Padre when he is in town.
He was photographed there last weekend, letting his hair down as he danced alongside a DJ in front of other revelers.
The club’s owners have not yet commented on social media about the incredible raid in broad daylight and the Spanish National Police has not offered any information about the operation so far.
One British expatriate, commenting on what happened, later joked about the footage of the police raiding the club: ‘Who knew the National Police were such a fan of Erling Haaland.
“Real footage of them running to take selfies with the Manchester City star at Playa Padre.”
Another witness said it had happened shortly before nightfall and estimated the number of police involved at around 200.
The last raid of this type in Marbella was on May 25 at the Ocean Club.
Haaland enjoys his summer vacation after Norway’s failure to qualify for Euro 2024
Police broadcast messages over loudspeakers in Spanish and English after entering saying: “This is just a routine check.” When we finish you can continue enjoying your afternoon.
“Don’t worry, nothing serious is wrong.”
Footage of the operation, which lasted almost two hours and also involved a police helicopter that flew over the scene after officers arrived, showed why some revelers were uneasy about having their holiday interrupted in such a way. radical.
A clubber is believed to have been arrested, although police made no official comment on the reason for the arrest at the time. Operation Marbella was launched on April 11.
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 places frequented by tourists, although shortly before the Ocean Club raid, heavily armed officers stormed a gym at a sports club in the residential area of Nueva Andalucía, near Puerto Banús, and made three arrests.
Gym users were asked for their identification before being allowed to continue with their routines.
The seven shootings so far this year in the Marbella area include a March 11 attack on the British restaurant La Sala, near Puerto Banús, which led to the arrests in April of a British man and an Irish national described by the police and with links to organized 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.
Kerry Katona recently claimed that she had made a 180-degree turn in her decision to move to the famous Costa del Sol resort with her family.
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.
When asked by a local Spanish journalist if the Costa del Sol was becoming Colombia’s second largest city, the most violent in the world in the 1990s before a cleanup and the former home of famous drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, he said: “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.”
Padre Beach, which attracts a primarily international crowd, burned in flames in February 2019.
Eva Longoria opened it in 2017 thanks to her friendship with the owner. The actress was mistakenly named as one of the owners after the inauguration.
Pamela Anderson and former Made in Chelsea star Ashley James have also been photographed partying there.
Before the attack on the club, Haaland was seen refueling his £140,000 Ferrari at a petrol station in the southern Spanish port city of Algeciras, an hour’s drive west of Marbella.
Before the attack on the club, Haaland was seen refueling his £140,000 Ferrari at a petrol station.
He is believed to have been returning to Marbella from windsurfers’ paradise Tarifa when he stopped to refuel his electric blue Ferrari California.
Unconfirmed reports earlier this month said the Manchester City striker was considering following in the footsteps of Manchester United midfielder Casemiro and investing in a newly promoted football club on the Costa del Sol.
Marbella FC announced on June 4 that the Brazilian had become a shareholder of the Spanish third division team and had taken a position on the board of directors.
The possibility of a surprise tie-up between Man City and Man United Costa increased with subsequent reports that Haaland and his father were considering doing the same.
Erling, 23, regularly vacations in the area and was photographed in March with his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen visiting his father’s new property in the Epic Marbella complex opposite the city’s famous Golden Mile.
As well as investing in property, the Manchester City star has also invested some of the money he earned from football in a luxury restaurant in the area.