VIVITI Costa del Crime

Eighteen people have been arrested across Spain for the illegal online sale of protected species, in a Civil Guard operation which began with an investigation into an Iberian Wolf which had been put up for sale on the Web.Dubbed ‘Operation Lobezno’ – ‘Wolf Cub’, a number of exotic animals have been seized, including a number of lions, three pumas, a cheetah and a tiger, in addition to an Iberian Wolf, a European Lynx and several birds of prey. EFE reports that many of the animals were transported from Eastern Europe under false documentation, passing the journey in conditions described as ‘appalling’ in vans which had been rented for the purpose.The organisation is reported to have operated in 10 Spanish provinces where the 18 suspects were arrested. Another two people have been questioned by detectives.

Málaga woman has accepted a one year sentence for assaulting her son’s teacher during an incident at the child’s school in the Palma-Palmilla district of the city. It happened in the first week of the new school year in 2007, when the mother hit the teacher and threw her onto the floor in front of other mothers and also in front of her own son.Málaga Hoy newspaper reports that although the woman was brought before a judge for a minor offence at the time, the private accusation in the case asked for the incident to be investigated further as an assault on a public employee. The preliminary hearing was held this Tuesday, where the mother accepted the one year term and 200 € compensation.It’s reported as the first sentence in Málaga where an assault of a teacher has been viewed as an assault on a person of ‘public authority’. Previously seen as a minor offence, it would have meant a fine of between 30 and 150 €, without a custodial sentence, but, as the newspaper notes, it could now mean a prison term if the accused has a previous record.It’s understood that sentences in cases of public authority assault can range from 1 to 3 years.

The Provincial Court in Málaga has once again denied an application for bail from the man at the centre of the Malaya and Saqueo corruption cases in Marbella, the ex municipal real estate assessor, Juan Antonio Roca.The court considered that his situation was worsening and that with the news that he could have money stored abroad and so there is a high risk of flight.Roca has been held in captivity since March 29 2006, but the court ruled that despite that being a long time it had only been because the complexity of the case had meant a delay in it reaching court.
The Malaya case is expected to finally get underway in Málaga this year.

So Morgan on Marbella wasn’t the horror show that we were all dreading, and at the end we had the sneaking suspicion that Piers had perhaps fallen a little in love with the town. “Marbella, whatever tickles your fancy” he summed up “has it all!”

Marbella was glued to its TV screens when Piers Morgan’s long awaited documentary finally aired on ITV. Previous shows about the town have not portrayed Marbella in the most flattering of lights – Costa del Dosh and the infamous Marbella Belles spring most readily to mind – and they all seem to underline the point that people gain 10 kilos and lose 1000 points of IQ whenever a camera crew shows up. And as one of the UK’s most recognisable and controversial figures (you either like him or loathe him. Just ask Jeremy Clarkson) viewers must have wondered if Piers was out to do a hatchet job on the town.The fabulous opening shots of Marbella, swooping in low on a helicopter over the Mediterranean towards Puerto Banus reminded us of just how stunning Marbella really can be. As he cruised along the Golden Mile in an open top Ferrari, Piers pointed out the Marbella Club Hotel and the Saudi Royal Family’s Palace, before pointing out an infamous landmark, Milady Palace. The sleaze alarms in the Hot Marbella offices went off, as we braced ourselves, expecting Piers to go down the lap dance and alternative nightclub route.Instead Piers’ first stop was the fantastically luxurious beachfront estate of a man who he described as a “Peer of the Realm who is worth more money than the Queen” (so that ruled out Lord Sugar)Didnt rule out the Duke of Westminster. The fabulous residence, complete with four bedroom guest villa, was available for a mere £20,000 a day in the high season.
After a spot of shopping with Karen Brady in Puerto Banus, where his reaction to the €16,000 price tag for a handbag was hilarious, Piers popped into long term Marbella residents Graham and Barbara Fisher’s villa in the exclusive La Zagaletta estate.

Piers finally touched on the subject of crime and corruption, taking a tour of the Golf Valley and pointing out some of the bars and restaurants that had been the scenes of shootings, before quizzing “local crime journalist and author” Wensley Clarkson on the crime situation. Although how someone who apparently lives near Granada, claimed that there was a recent fatal shooting in a hairdressers carried out by Russians (it was French Algerians in 2004) and then plucked the figure “Sixty to seventy per cent of new build developments came from black money” out of thin air, could call themselves an expert escaped us, especially when he called Marbella the “centre of criminality”. The man has obviously never been to Moss Side…And we liked Piers’ reply to the perma tanned couple who were defending the corrupt Marbella mayors for dealing with petty crime with the brilliant put down “Even Saddam Hussein had his moments”
Back in Banus Piers met with a relaxed Wayne Lineker, and spent an evening at Banus’ busiest bar (they get through 15,000 a weekend) and Piers admitted that it looked good fun, until someone waved a blow up doll at him! After a quick lap around Race Resort Ascari and tea with Max Clifford, Piers headed to Olivia Valere’s nightclub where he was regally received by the Grand Dame of the Marbella nightclub scene. Having namedropped Bruce Willis and Prince Harry, and shown Piers a €30,000 bottle of champagne, she came out with the eyebrow raising comment “I don’t like to be near poor people because it might be catching”There was more champagne when Piers interviewed the totally pointless bimbo Bianca Gascoigne at the champagne spraying party at Nikki Beach, (“You can’t drink all the champagne so you might as well spray it” she prattled) and with a millionaire from the north east of England who had retired to his yacht in Banus. “What has Marbella got that Sunderland hasn’t” asked Piers.Perhaps the “Work, rest and play, but I haven’t seen anyone working or resting” atmosphere was starting to rub off on Piers when he popped into Polo House to see James Hewitt. For those of you who are unaware of their previous history, when he was editor of The Mirror Piers demanded to have James tried for treason for sleeping with the wife of the future King. But the two seemed to get on well for the cameras at least, taking gentle digs at each other.