Melon shortage warning Fugitive arrested in Alicante

EATING watermelon and melon has become almost a luxury as prices have started to soar, even tripling in price.

The refreshing summer fruit has seen its price multiply in supermarkets.

Melon crops were affected as a result of the effects of hail and heavy rains that fell in the months of May and June. The lack of supply has seen a soar in prices,

Flood relief for Torrevieja

FOLLOWING years of promises and hopes, the residents of Dona Ines and Jardines del Mar have finally seen work commence to reduce periodic flooding of their streets.

Dona Ines and Jardines del Mar are in Torrevieja, and are located between the N­332 and CV­905.

A pond is being constructed with a capacity of 14,000 cubic metres, compared to the current one of approximately 2,000 cubic metres. It will function as a flood run­off. When there is no danger of flooding, it will be opened to the public and classified as a green area.

The construction period is five months. The mayor Eduardo Dolón presented the project on Thursday, July 20, to residents at the municipal leisure centre. The company responsible for the work is Agamed, with the participation of the Torrevieja Council and Hidraqua.

The area of the projected pond is 4,533 square metres and its average depth will be 3.2 metres. The project cost will exceed €570,000.

which is expected to continue until the end of July, when more crops will be ready.

Some farms saw between 50 per cent and 60 per cent of the melon and watermelon crops that were scheduled to be harvested between the second half of June and the first half of July lost. In the Guadalentín valley, Murcia, one of the most important producing areas, the rain and hail left nearly 4,000 hectares destroyed.

Next week, as harvesting begins again, melons from the central region of Castilla­La Mancha will also be ready, which means better supplies until September.

NATIONAL POLICE in Alicante have arrested a fugitive of Bosnian nationality who was being sought by the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina for arms trafficking, and by the authorities of the Netherlands for money laundering.

Officers of the Drug and Organised Crime Unit (UDYCO) in Alicante were informed about the possible location of the 44year­old.

Knowing that he could be hiding in Alicante, officers carried out a series of investigations aimed at locating the man. They then learned that family members of the man had the intention of travelling to Spain to visit him. Soon after, several of his relatives travelled from the Netherlands on a flight from Eindhoven to Alicante, from where the officers covertly followed them to central Alicante.

Finally, and despite avoidance measures taken by the rel­ atives of the Bosnian to prevent the police from finding his whereabouts, the officers located and arrested the man, based on the arrest warrants issued by the judicial authorities of the Netherlands and Bosnia­Herzegovina.