Gang crackdown

By Peter McLaren-Kennedy

THE National Police said on Monday, January 30 that efforts to clamp down on gangs had paid off with guns and other dangerous objects also being seized.

Following the success of the intervention ministers have issued an order to enforce better surveillance of weapons and calls for violence on social media.

According to the police, the reinforcement plan resulted in more than 600,000 actions being taken to reduce the incidence of youth violence and to prevent a repetition of the scenes seen last year.

Some 1,700 sites were also inspected resulting in action being taken against nearly 220,000 people for alcohol and drug abuse.

It is understood that the experience gained from the crackdown on Madrid gangs that resulted in more than 500 arrests is being shared with divisions throughout the country in an effort to reduce crime generally.

A close call

AN Iberia passenger jet had a close call after lightning pierced the nose of the aircraft as it was approaching the airport in San Sebastian.

The A319 Airbus was reported by a news source on Monday, January 30 to have suffered damage to the radome.

The radome is the nose cover that provides the plane with improved aerodynamics but is also the protection for the plane’s radar equipment.

The lightning bolt is said to have pierced the cone coming out the opposite end of one of the horizontal stabilisers, which burst as a result.

Although the strike caused damage to the passenger jet it is understood that it managed to land safely and without harm to any of its crew and passengers.

have €200,000 of banknotes in its boot.

As reported by the force through their Twitter account, the occupants of the vehicle could not justify why they were travelling with such a large amount of money in their vehicle. The identities of the two persons have not been revealed.

They wrote: “€200,000 in a control of a vehicle on the Gran Via. Its occupants could not justify the movement or the origin of the money, so the officers of #CentroNorte proceeded to transfer them to the PN Police Station and start proceedings for money laundering. #PMM".

Given the fact that the origin of the money could not be explained, proceedings for money laundering have subsequently been initiated against the two individuals. The cash was transferred to the National Police Station in Madrid.