Seven arrested and two police injured in police operation in Alicante

Despite the widespread perception among locals that some of Alicante’s northern neighbourhoods are “lost”, the police remain persistent in their efforts to uphold law and order and safeguard public safety. About fifty officers from the National Police, the National Police’s Attached Unit, and the Local Police participated in a massive coordinated security operation in the northern region on Monday afternoon, 18th May. The operation, which occurred in parts of the Juan XXIII Segundo Sector neighbourhood, Colonia Requena, and many alleyways close to the North District Police Station in Alicante, produced seven arrests. While subduing two of the detainees who resisted arrest, two police officers suffered minor injuries; one of them had multiple serious scrapes on his neck.

In addition to assessing a number of bars and eateries in the northern section of the city, the operation’s main objectives were to examine cars and individuals. The operation began just after 7:00 p.m. and lasted until almost 10:00 p.m. after a coordination conference at the North Police Station in Alicante. Officers checked 21 cars and identified 114 individuals throughout the operation. Seven people were arrested as a result of the police activities, including one for an outstanding burglary warrant, one for fraud, two for document forgery, two for assault, and one for violating a valid order.

Examining establishments

Four establishments were inspected as part of the operation, along with vehicle and personnel checks. Eight tickets for major infractions pertaining to insurance, licenses, and safety precautions were issued by officers during these inspections. Additionally, two minor infractions pertaining to operating hours resulted in citations.

Thirteen tickets for narcotics possession, three for carrying a bladed weapon, and one for insulting officials were also issued as a result of the police operation. Six traffic infractions were issued, and three cars were seized. For an alleged driving infraction, another person was looked into but not taken into custody.

The operation started at “La Cuesta de Bas Mingot” in Juan XXIII, which is named for journalist Francisco Bas Mingot. Later, officers raided the illegal street market on Calle Cuarzo in Colonia Requena, which is situated next to the sports fields and frequently receives complaints from locals. This action caused a stampede of individuals, and police took some of them into custody after they injured themselves while fighting.

A resident voiced her annoyance after police discovered roughly twenty immigrants in the colonisation alleyway as the checks came to an end in the alleyways close to the North Police Station. The resident informed the police, “They have to come every day; there are fights, and they go into the building entrance to do drugs and sleep.”

As part of the Levante Security Plan, officers from the National Police’s Operational Response Group and Investigation Group of the North District Police Station, the Provincial Citizen Security Brigade’s Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR), the Air Unit with drones, and the Police Intervention Unit (UIP) participated in the operation. Officers from the Local Police, the National Police Unit attached to the Valencian Community, and members of the Alicante City Council’s cleaning service were also deployed. Their job was to use a truck to remove everything that was strewn on the ground at the illegal market in Colonia Requena.

The exercise demonstrates how several departments and agencies work together to manage security in the North Zone’s neighbourhoods in a comprehensive manner. They were able to respond to issues of public safety as well as the surveillance of businesses and cars due to the concurrent presence of specialised units with uniformed and plainclothes officers.

Police officers stress how crucial these operations are to boosting citizens’ sense of security, stopping illicit activity, and guaranteeing adherence to existing laws. As part of the efforts to strengthen surveillance in especially vulnerable parts of the city, the operation ended with a large number of actions, arrests, and reports submitted. These kinds of operations integrate administrative inspection, monitoring, prevention, and police reaction to possible violations or crimes.