Morocco, the world’s leading producer and exporter of kif (the dried bud of the female marijuana plant), according to the United Nations

Morocco, the world’s leading producer and exporter of kif (the dried bud of the female marijuana plant), according to the United Nations, has for decades tolerated the illegal production of cannabis that allows an entire region to survive.

More than 70 percent of European countries in 2008 claimed that Morocco was their prime source of cannabis (either directly, or via Spain or the Netherlands), according to the most recent figures from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. These countries have pressured Morocco to take action to significantly reduce its production of the drug.


In the past few years, the country has started to crack down on production of the crop and has invested millions in not only burning the fields but also helping farmers cultivate other kinds of crops. Since 2003, Morocco has received €28 million ($38 million) from the European Union to eradicate the cultivation of cannabis and signed several treaties pledging to do so. In addition, the United States donated $43 million to help farmers find new crops to replace hashish.

In theory, such a plan should work. In reality, though, it has faced many challenges and experts say it is likely to fail in the long run."

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Hashish | Marijuana | Cannabis | Morocco

Hashish | Marijuana | Cannabis | Morocco: "Early January, in Taounate, a little village in the Moroccan mountains of the Rif region, almost eight tons of cannabis were seized in three farmers’ homes.

Last June, right after the Bab Berred revolt, three helicopters dropped pesticides on plantations in the region to burn the fields. As the political will to eradicate the production of the illegal crops grows, observers say there are few measures to help the region’s inhabitants as they lose their main source of income."

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Man Arrested In Spain Over Bristol Murder | Bristol's News | Bristol News Centre - JACK fm - Playing What We Want - Bristol's Local Radio Station

Man Arrested In Spain Over Bristol Murder | Bristol's News | Bristol News Centre - JACK fm - Playing What We Want - Bristol's Local Radio Station: "A 20-year-old man has been detained in connection with the murder of Abdirisak Mohamoud.

It's understood the man was arrested on suspicion of murder yesterday in Barcelona.

The 20-year-old is in court in Madrid today where a judgement will be made to see if he will be extradited to the UK - a process which could take up to two weeks.

Avon and Somerset Police worked closely with the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Spanish authorities to make this arrest.

Abdirisak Mohamoud was stabbed on the evening of Thursday, July 8, last year on Villiers Road in Easton."

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Million pound MOT scam on Costas broken up

Million pound MOT scam on Costas broken up: "Seamus and Paula Montgomery, a retired UK expat couple, are reported in the UK national press to have been arrested for operating a vehicle MOT certificate scam for the last up to five years that has been estimated to have netted them a million Pounds Sterling in payments made by resident expats in Spain who were avoiding their having to take their UK registered motor vehicles to the UK for the MOT test.

Motor vehicles can only be MOT'd in the UK if they are physically present there and the owners are resident in the UK. However, many thousands of expats were duped by false adverts in the expat press that encouraged them to pay up to 200 GBP in exchange for a fraudulent MOT.

The crime now means that there must be many UK-registered vehicles operating in Spain that could be mechanically faulty. Police warn that driving abroad without an MOT will invalidate your insurance and could be criminal offense in some EU countries.

The arrested couple had been operating in Spain under the advertised name of “J G O’Connor”, and Essex police warn the couple have been regularlarly advertising their services in Spain over the last few years in a free weekly national English-language newspaper, the 'Euro Weekly News' and in Portugal in 'The Portugal News', amongst others."

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The sad plight of the mentally ill sleeping on the streets of Spain

The sad plight of the mentally ill sleeping on the streets of Spain: "I have written a couple of articles in recent months about the plight of homeless people in La Línea who are forced to sleep fitful nights on the town’s streets. Just over two weeks ago, in the Costa del Sol News and in Panorama, I featured a British resident of San Roque, Mary Finlay, who is organising feeding trips to these unfortunates once a week – I will return to her work later in this article.
I start with the disclosure that at least two of the people on the town's streets are also mentally ill.

Their case has been highlighted by the Plataforma Los Parados – the action group speaking for the ten thousand plus jobless in the border town. They have written to the Andalucía Ombudsman over the men’s plight.

They say that because of the economic crisis, people with mental health problems have no roofs over their heads. Hence, they are sleeping outside in the winter cold and rain. One of these persons is 43-year-old Juan Medina López, who has been abandoned since before Christmas and is receiving no psychiatric help or social assistance. Nor can he and others like him be attended to at other municipal centres."

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Algarve gang threatened to rape Irish women - World news, News - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk

Algarve gang threatened to rape Irish women - World news, News - Belfasttelegraph.co.uk: "A gang of masked men beat, robbed and threatened to rape two Irish women at their holiday apartment on the Algarve.

The four thugs forced their way into the apartment after following the young women home from a night out.

The terrified victims were punched and kicked and forced to hand over their bank cards and a laptop computer.

When they refused to give their PIN codes for the cards the men threatened to rape them.

The gang then fled with the computer and the cards with the PINs.

The horrific ordeal happened in the popular family resort of Vilamoura in southern Portugal.

A police source said: 'The women were genuinely terrified. They were returning home from a night out in Vilamoura at about 6am on Saturday.

'We believe the gang followed them back to the apartment. They forced their way into the apartment building and then into the women's flat.

'Once inside they were beaten and then threatened with rape until they gave over their bank card PINs."

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Spain's highest court confirms 12-year sentence for Laffage killer - EiTB News Life

Spain's highest court confirms 12-year sentence for Laffage killer - EiTB News Life: "Spain's Supreme Court, the highest in the country, confirmed on Monday a 12-year sentence for José Diego Yllanes, the man responsible for the death of young nursing student Nagore Laffage.
Yllanes was found guilty by a popular jury of homicide but not guilty of the crime of murder, a decision which triggered considerable controversy.
The popular jury's sentence considered as extenuating circumstances the accused's inebriated state at the time of the crime plus the considerable compensation payment made by him to the family of the victim; however, the judge did not consider mitigating circumstances Yllanes' emotional state when he carried out the crime or his subsequent confession."

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New Year crackdown on expat benefit fraud - Telegraph

New Year crackdown on expat benefit fraud - Telegraph: "Fraud officials have joined forces with overseas counterparts to target Brits in countries where most fraud is carried out, including Spain and America, and even as far afield as Thailand and Sweden.
Common scams include people not declaring they have moved abroad, relatives claiming for a dead claimant or third party, or people working overseas while claiming unemployment benefits.
“Abroad fraud cost the taxpayer around £66 million last year,” said Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform.
“This money should be going to the people who need it most and not lining the pockets of criminals sunning themselves overseas. We are determined to stop benefit thieves stealing from the British taxpayer and recently launched our hotline in Portugal to make it even easier to report benefit crime.”
The Portuguese hotline adds to the existing dedicated service available in Spain, the two main hotspots for expat benefit fraud activity. Fraud investigators work with overseas organisations, such as land registries, as well as the Foreign Office and UK banks in order to track down benefit cheats."

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New Year crackdown on expat benefit fraud - Telegraph

New Year crackdown on expat benefit fraud - Telegraph: "Fraud officials have joined forces with overseas counterparts to target Brits in countries where most fraud is carried out, including Spain and America, and even as far afield as Thailand and Sweden.
Common scams include people not declaring they have moved abroad, relatives claiming for a dead claimant or third party, or people working overseas while claiming unemployment benefits.
“Abroad fraud cost the taxpayer around £66 million last year,” said Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform.
“This money should be going to the people who need it most and not lining the pockets of criminals sunning themselves overseas. We are determined to stop benefit thieves stealing from the British taxpayer and recently launched our hotline in Portugal to make it even easier to report benefit crime.”
The Portuguese hotline adds to the existing dedicated service available in Spain, the two main hotspots for expat benefit fraud activity. Fraud investigators work with overseas organisations, such as land registries, as well as the Foreign Office and UK banks in order to track down benefit cheats."

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