Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Police have arrested a suspect in the case of two British tourists killed on a Mar Menor highway after an inflatable boat, used to smuggle migrants and drugs, slipped off its moorings and struck their vehicle.
A joint operation by the Guardia Civil, the Policia Nacional and the Murcia Region saw 17 members from a smuggling group arrested during raids on Tuesday in Elche and Rojales.
A middle-aged Moroccan was detained. He has been charged with homicide and injury.
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In the raids, two cars were confiscated including the vehicle towing the boat in November 2024.
Other items removed included a shotgun, a revolver, ammunition, 15 mobile phones, quantities of cocaine and hashish, and over €3,000 in cash.
The British men, aged 49 to 57, were killed instantly in La Manga when the boat became loose after it joined the highway from Llano del Beal.
The inflatable caused an accident with 12 vehicles, while the SUV fled towards La Manga.
The speedboat’s full force was felt by the rental car of three British friends who were on a golfing vacation.
One person, 51 years old, was taken to Murcia’s La Arrixaca Medical Center in a grave condition. Ten others were injured by the seven car accident.
A criminal gang used a 10-metre inflatable boat with twin 300 horsepower engines to transport migrants and drugs over the Strait of Gibraltar.
Investigators were able to identify the make, model, and location of the vehicle transporting the boat. They also identified its driver, despite the fake license plates.
