Bye-bye, looky, looky

© Alexander Tihonov/Shutterstock

COUNTERFEIT CRACKDOWN: Police want to eradicate hawkers from Marbella.

LOCAL POLICE in Marbella are cracking on with the promised blitz on the hawking of counterfeit clothing, handbags, and other products on the city’s streets, as the first phase of the offensive draws to a close.

The campaign was launched on May 31, as councillors decided that enough is enough following a fiery meeting with local businesses, and police chief, Jose Andres Montoya, has now presented the results obtained thus far to the city hall.

Much of the clampdown has focused on Puerto Banus, but the web of justice will now be expanded into other areas following a clean sweep of the swanky, boutique-laden port.

Between June 28 and July 3 a total of 60 peddlers of bogus items were approached, with 3,881 items seized, two arrests resulting from a case where a search warrant was involved and an incident during which an officer received a clobbering.

The operation was conducted in three steps, the first determining where the vendors were operating, and the second involving their confiscation, both of which employed plainclothes officers.

The third phase will now take place, during which a reduced number of patrols will be employed to ensure the problem does not return.

A delighted Javier Porcuna, Citizen Security Councillor said: “It is clear that now there are no illegal vendors in Puerto Banus.”

Efforts will now concentrate on the seafront promenade, which has already seen an increase in hawkers following the initial onslaught, as the police attempt to wipe the ‘looky looky’ menace off the local map.

Montoya explained that the operation is “innovative,” because it has used plain-clothes officers to close down distribution points rather than focusing on individual vendors, with products being handed out at bus stops or in car parks.

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Comments


    • BUGSY

      10 July 2016 • 01:29

      WISH THEY´D DO A SWEEP UP HERE ON THE COSTABLANCA AREA.. THERE EVERY-FRICKIN-WHERE, BARS, RESTAURANTS AND BEACHES.. NOW.. THERE SELLING DRINKS ON THE BEACH..WTF IS GOING ON !

    • Stephen spiers

      10 July 2016 • 08:07

      There a pest.you cannot eat your meal without one of them pushing a bag.ect.in you face.very intimidating.this is in fuengirola.fish ally.and on the pasaeo.

    • Mike in ESP

      10 July 2016 • 09:02

      Marbella have said they would clean this up but I see they make their purge in July and August, but they do that every year then when the Spanish tourists have gone the crackdown goes with them! This is something that should have been sorted out years ago, what will they do with those that are caught, fine them? How will they when they don’t have bank accounts. Jail them? No I don’t think so, that costs the government money… so let back out on the streets to continue the same.

      It is the same problem with everything that is illegal, if the authorities do not crack down on it when it starts then they can never get a grip on the issue and I doubt this will be any different!

    • James

      10 July 2016 • 10:09

      You stop them hawking I am more than sure there will be an increase in theft and muggings. These Guys are only earning a living to buy food and pay for a roof over their headsThe people who buy their products could not afford to buy the real deal in the fancy overpriced shops in Puerto Banus , therefore they are not affecting the shops. The bags watches etc, in the shops are a rip off !!

    • gavin

      10 July 2016 • 11:16

      come on Bugsy, you can’t complain about them sell drinks on the beach. of course this can’t be imitation as it would take a week to say you’ve had one [quote]WISH THEY´D DO A SWEEP UP HERE ON THE COSTABLANCA AREA.. THERE EVERY-FRICKIN-WHERE, BARS, RESTAURANTS AND BEACHES.. NOW.. THERE SELLING DRINKS ON THE BEACH..WTF IS GOING ON ![/quote]

    • George Kirkpatrick

      10 July 2016 • 11:48

      The boys and one or two girls can be a pest to some intollerant folk who dont believe in Live and let Live.
      I find their cheeky attempts at salesmanship is all part of the holiday atmosphere,
      No one in their right mind who buys a €5,000 Rolex watch for 10 euros can believe its genuine,
      I say let the Lookie Lookie make his small living, you dont have to purchase, when they see your not interested they walk away,
      I always give them a wee turn, even if it is just a 1 euro DVD
      . IF YOUR NICE TO HE BOYS THEY ARE NICE TO YOU

    • George Kirkpatrick

      10 July 2016 • 16:47

      LET THE BOYS STAY AND DO THEIR WEE BIT OF BUSINESS,
      I BOUGHT A GENUINE FAKE ROLEX OYSTER WATCH OF A LOOKIE IN BENELMADENA TEN YEARS AGO. THE GOLD HAS FADED ON THE BAND BUT THE WATCH NEVER LOSES OR GAINS A MINUTE.
      GREAT VALUE FOR 10 EUROS and a bottle of orange as the Lookie was perspiring.

    • John

      11 July 2016 • 08:15

      Does any of the buyers realize that this illegal trade is harmful for the legal shops? And do they realize that most people that “try to earn a living” are victims of traffickers who keep their papers for years!?
      This is modern slaverny and YOU are supporting it!
      Wake up and stop buying stuff from these people, because you’re not helping them at all.

    • Dave Burrows

      16 July 2016 • 14:24

      As a long time resident here in Spain there is another side to these beach vendors, not just selling fake brands, I think that we are missing the point with these beach vendors, what if one of them was a jihadi, they come on the beaches with large bags which could contain the any number of deadly weapons. This year I have noticed a sharp increase in sellers from North Africa, they are Arabic speaking, I know this from the years I spent in the Gulf.
      I have not seen any police patrolling the beach or police boats off shore as we saw after the Tunisian beach attacks. Spain’s tourism industry is a possible target now that Turkey, Tunisia and of course France have seen devastating attacks and their tourism damaged.

    • Mike in ESP

      17 July 2016 • 08:25

      Apart from the fact these people are, in Spain illegally, selling goods illegally and harming businesses that are paying taxes there is the security side to be considered! I think it is quite normal to asume the Spanish mediterranean coast will be attacked at some stage and this gives a very good opportunity to possible attackers as a cover.

      As much as I dislike certain things about the Spanish police force and how they conduct themselves I do think that terrorism is something they appear to be on top of in general although that doesn’t mean that they will be able to prevent every attempt at an attack. I think of it being someone with an AK47 or similar or even something as simple as a vehicle which we seen in France then how do the police keep on top of that… well I don’t think they can to be honest and fear that looky looky men with a bomb in their bags might be a direction these terrorists need not even go in when you see the death and destruction caused by a lorry… but I think this is a very valid point apart to raise!

    Comments are closed.