Just some of the seized cigarettes
Credit: Customs Authority
Up in smoke
It seems surprising that quite a few criminals are associated with either producing counterfeit or smuggling cigarettes.
There is probably greater profit in making counterfeits but then there is a much greater upfront cost in finding premises, equipment, staff and sources of tobacco so smuggling seems to be more popular.
Recently announced by the Spanish Customs Authority is that towards the end of May following months of investigation, officers stopped a vehicle near to Adra and discovered that the car contained no less than 9,500 packets of a selection of different brands, all with no tax seals.
The person involved was known to supply third parties in much of Andalucia and the secrets that were seized had a value in excess of €50,000 if properly registered.
English movie
The ‘biopic’ about the life of Amy Winehouse Back to Black will have two screenings in English at the Cine Sala Federico García in Albox on June 15 at 6.30pm and June 16 at 6pm with entry costing €6.
Rubbish
Some 20 volunteers took to the beaches at Roquetas de Mar to take part in a charity rubbish collection and even they were surprised at the amount and range of garbage that had been discarded.
Swimming Pool
The Municipal Swimming Pool in Los Gallardos will open its doors for the Summer on June 21 and opening hours will be 11am to 8pm Monday to Sunday.
Voter apathy
Those entitled to vote in the 2024 European Elections in Almeria weren’t rushing to the polling stations as latest reports record the fact that just under 35 per cent bothered to vote and this was almost 12 per cent down on the 2019 election.
San Juan
The village of Zurgena will be hosting the Night of San Juan on June 22 in the Plaza de la Iglesia although the celebrations actually start at 1pm.
There will be typical local food available as well as a Henna workshop and inflatable mattresses for the youngest.
At 6pm there is Flamenco Dancing with a young local group and followed by the San Juan Procession at 8pm with music lasting until midnight and the traditional lighting of the flames.
Jumping over bonfires at midnight is one of the many traditions of the Noche de San Juan fiesta although for those inland, it’s not as easy to arrange as those on the coast who also traditionally jump into the sea as well as San Juan was John the Baptist.
Forget Brexit
According to figures revealed by the National Institute of Statistics, in April, Almeria Province saw a smidgin under 17,000 British passport holders visit on holiday.
They were pretty well spread around although a larger number congregated by the coast or in areas where English is often spoken.
It is not known how many of these visitors are second home owners and considering that prices tend to shoot up in the summer when UK schools are closed, it may well be that this was a contingent of older travellers hoping to take advantage of cheaper fares and decent weather.
Interestingly, there were more Brits than the combined number of French and German visitors who between them took second and third place.
Favourite spots for British visitors were Mojacar, followed by Vera and then Roquetas de Mar.
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Married to Ophelia in Gibraltar in 1978, John has spent much of his life travelling on security print and minting business and visited every continent except Antarctica.
Having retired several years ago, the couple moved to their house in Estepona and John became a regular news writer for the EWN Media Group taking particular interest in Finance, Gibraltar and Costa del Sol Social Scene.
Currently he is acting as Editorial Consultant for the paper helping to shape its future development.
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