Four Spanish Guardia Civil officers from the maritime section at Algeciras were detained by the Royal Gibraltar Police yesterday evening. following a chase at sea which ended up in Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
The boat carrying two other Spanish nationals that was being pursued by the Guardia Civil grounded itself by the rocks at Harbour Views and the occupants were arrested.
Enquiries established that the Guardia Civil mistakenly entered Gibraltar Territorial Waters in hot pursuit of suspected drugs traffickers and have since apologised for their actions.
The four Spanish officers have been released pending further enquiries and handed over to the custody of the Guardia Civil Command in Algeciras. The Royal Gibraltar Police, however, have retained their boat and firearms pending further enquiries.
Spain’s Interior Minister Alfredo Rubalcaba apologised to the Chief Minister Peter Caruana for the mistake.
The other two Spanish nationals who were subject of the chase are being investigated on smuggling charges.
