PROPERTY SEARCH
Police scramble to a packed La Manga beach after a ‘suspicious package’ washed up ashore
Bathers watched on as officers and lifeguards moved in to secure the mystery haul. The Guardia Civil was poised to investigate. There was just one problem
It had all the hallmarks of a significant find. On Saturday, a large package washed up on a busy beach in La Manga del Mar Menor, right on the boundary where the municipalities of Cartagena and San Javier meet. Witnesses described it as suspicious.
Word spread quickly among the bathers. Policía Local officers arrived and secured the area. Lifeguards came roaring across the sand on a quad bike to remove it, all in full view of hundreds of people who carried on swimming and sitting under their umbrellas while quietly speculating about what was inside. The consensus among onlookers? Drugs.
It wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. This stretch of coastline has previous. Waterproof packages containing cocaine or hashish have been found on regional beaches before, having fallen from the speedboats used by drug traffickers and subsequently drifted ashore or been spotted floating near the coast.
Just this week, a suspicious vessel was filmed pulling up to a beach in Cartagena to refuel, with those loading jerrycans onto the boat covering their faces to avoid being identified. So when something large and unidentified washes up on a beach packed with summer visitors, it’s not surprising that people jump to conclusions.
In cases like these, it’s laboratory analysis that confirms what investigators already suspect, and jurisdiction falls to the Guardia Civil. Police sources acknowledged that finding those responsible would be difficult, as they were almost certainly long gone by the time the package was discovered.
The Guardia Civil was ready. The lab was waiting. The bathers were watching.
In the end it was just an innocent bale of straw. Completely, gloriously, anticlimactically a bale of straw.
It turns out bales of straw washing up in the Mediterranean is not as unusual as it sounds. They typically fall from livestock transport vessels, drift with the current and eventually make landfall on the nearest beach. They’re an environmental nuisance and a maritime safety hazard, and they need to be removed when they appear.
Which the lifeguards duly did, on their quad bike, while the bathers went back to their ice creams.
Image: wikicommons
Special offer:Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
All Murcia News
Spain investigates mystery deaths..
The protected marine area off the Murcia coast is home to one of the Mediterraneanand#39;s most important populations of Cuvier..
Firefighters tackle blaze at spooky former Sierra Espuna sanatorium..
Large dogs can now travel on more trains across Spain from July..
Extreme heat warnings as temperatures soar past 43ºC: Murcia..
Murcia Property
Lifetime cover and age of enrolment..
Age often influences the conditions of medical insurance policies. For this reason, when choosing private health insurance..
Luxury villas at Altaona Resort in Murcia, Spain
Coastal property prices in Murcia are surging and savvy buyers..
Common mistakes when choosing health insurance and how to avoid..
News South West Murcia
Spain investigates mystery deaths..
The protected marine area off the Murcia coast is home to one of the Mediterraneanand#39;s most important populations of Cuvier..
Firefighters tackle blaze at spooky former Sierra Espuna sanatorium..
New statue in the centre of Cartagena in honour of fictional..
A hundred firefighters bring Mazarron weekend wildfire under..
News Mar Menor
Extreme heat pushes back reopening..
The closure has been extended by another week after extreme heat and technical challenges delayed work, with additional roadworks..
Police scramble to a packed La Manga beach after a and#39;suspicious..
New statue in the centre of Cartagena in honour of fictional..
Three Murcia restaurants named among Spainand#39;s best places..
News North and NW Murcia
New Blue Trail named in the Jumilla..
The Botanic Trail of Santa Ana is a route in the picturesque pine forests of northern Murcia The Region of Murcia already..
Jumilla nearer to achieving National Tourist Interest status..
Makeover and modernization completed at the beautiful botanical..
Remains of extinct bear species found at the 900,000-year-old..
News Murcia Central
Three Murcia restaurants named..
Eateries in Murcia, La Manga del Mar Menor and Lo Pagandaacute;n all feature among the 100 best in the country Three restaurants..
International demand drives record passenger numbers at Corvera..
Watch Fali: The Terra Natura Murcia giraffe tipping Spain to..
Murcia lags way behind the rest of Europe in natural green spaces..
Find more information by AREA, TOWN or URBANISATION …..
The Mar Menor
Cabo de Palos
Cartagena
El Carmoli
Islas Menores and Mar de Cristal
La Manga Club
La Manga del Mar Menor
La Puebla
La Torre Golf Resort
La Union
Los Alcazares
Los Belones
Los Nietos
Los Urrutias
Mar Menor Golf Resort
Pilar de la Horadada
Playa Honda / Playa Paraiso
Portman
Roldan and Lo Ferro
San Javier
San Pedro del Pinatar
Santa Rosalia Lake and Life resort
Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
Torre Pacheco
South West Murcia
Aguilas
Aledo
Alhama de Murcia
Bolnuevo
Camposol
Condado de Alhama
Fuente Alamo
Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
Lorca
Mazarron
Puerto de Mazarron
Puerto Lumbreras
Sierra Espuna
Totana
North & North West Murcia
Bullas
Calasparra
Caravaca de la Cruz
Cehegin
Cieza
Fortuna
Jumilla
Moratalla
Mula
Yecla
Murcia Central
Abanilla
Abaran
Alcantarilla
Archena
Blanca
Corvera
El Valle Golf Resort
Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
Lorqui
Molina de Segura
Mosa Trajectum
Murcia City
Peraleja Golf Resort
Ricote
Sucina
Urbanisations
Camposol
Condado de Alhama
El Valle Golf Resort
Hacienda del Alamo Golf Resort
Hacienda Riquelme Golf Resort
Islas Menores and Mar de Cristal
La Manga Club
La Torre Golf Resort
Mar Menor Golf Resort
Mazarron Country Club
Mosa Trajectum
Peraleja Golf Resort
Santa Rosalia Lake and Life resort
Terrazas de la Torre Golf Resort
La Zenia
Lomas de Cabo Roig
Important Topics:
CAMPOSOL TODAY Whats OnCartagena SpainCoronavirusCorvera Airport MurciaMurcia Gota Fria 2019Murcia property news generic threadWeekly Bulletin
