Mayor demands extra police to bring down ‘narco’ mafia gang accused of threats and burning cars over shutdown cockfighting arena in Costa Blanca area

THE mayor of an Alicante province town wants extra police brought in to bring down a mafia gang trafficking in drugs and running cockfights.

Aspe mayor, Antonio Puerto, has slammed threats made recently against him, fellow councillors, and officials.

On Monday, a car used by Aspe’s police councillor, Jose Vicente Perez, was set on fire.

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In July, a van owned by the mayor’s father, was discovered burnt out.

Problems have increased after a massive operation in January which saw 60 Policia Nacional officers raid a warehouse bar called ‘Gallera El Chato’ which housed a cockfighting arena.

19 people were arrested and 150 others identified.

Aspe council subsequently closed down the venue for not having a license with 19 crimes detected including drug trafficking.

Antonio Puerto said: “What has been happening with the threats and car attacks is the work of a drug mafia that wants to roam freely.”

He said he had received ‘threats and persecution’ aimed at reopening the cockfighting venue and stressed that those who are suffering the most are the families of the affected councillors.

Puerto has demanded that the sub-delegate of the Government in Alicante province, Juan Antonio Nieves, assign special units from either the Guardia Civil or the Policia Nacional to sort out the problem.

Police councillor, Jose Vicente Perez, said that the people who have made threats have followed through by burning two vehicles.

“They don’t care that it is known that it was them because they boast privately about what they did and they go unpunished.”