THIS is the shocking moment riot police storm a Costa del Sol club packed with bikini-clad tourists in a chilling crackdown known as Operation Marbella.
The chilling footage shows almost 20 heavily armed police officers storming the Ocean Club Marbella in the Spanish resort of Puerto Banus and chasing partygoers from the pool.
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British tourists watched, speechless, in their swim shorts and bikinis as police dressed in bulletproof vests stormed the site in a broad daylight operation.
Tourists flocking to the “beautiful people” venue, which at the weekend held one of its two annual champagne parties popular with UK bank holiday visitors, were urged to remain calm.
Police issued loudspeaker messages in Spanish and English saying: “This is just a routine check. Once we’re done, you can continue enjoying your afternoon.
“Don’t worry, there’s nothing serious going on.”
But footage of the operation, which lasted almost two hours and also involved a police helicopter flying overhead, showed why some partygoers were uneasy about the situation.
A club member was reportedly arrested, although the police have not yet officially commented on the reason for the arrest.
The spectacular raid on the club followed a series of shootings in the area, triggering the launch of the so-called Marbella Plan last month to keep British and Irish tourists safe.
Police warned residents and visitors at the time that they could expect to see more random stops and police checkpoints in and around the holiday destination.
They have said nothing about surprise attacks on busy, popular tourist spots, although earlier this month heavily armed police raided a sports club gym in the residential area of Nueva Andalucia, near Puerto Banus, and made three arrests.
Gym users were asked to provide their identification before being allowed to continue with their routines.
The series of shootings so far this year in the Marbella area included a March 11 attack on the British-run La Sala restaurant near Puerto Banus.
The shooting led to the arrest, in April, of a British and Irish national, described by police as having links to organized crime.
Kerry Katona recently said she changed her decision to move to the famous Costa del Sol resort with her family, including fiancé Ryan Mahoney, because of violent incidents there.
Fernando Bentabol, the prosecutor responsible for combating drug trafficking crime in the province of Málaga, of which Marbella is a part, highlighted his weakness in a recent interview with a newspaper.
Asked by a local Spanish journalist whether the Costa del Sol was turning into Medellín, Colombia’s second largest city, formerly the most violent in the world and former home of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, he said: “Yes and no.
“It doesn’t compare to Medellín because countries like Colombia are the ones that produce drugs, and most of the actions there are related to plantations, as happens in Morocco, for example, with cannabis.
“We are in the area where drugs are introduced and distributed to Europe.
“But in terms of the level of the organizations involved and their economic capacity, yes, of course it can be compared.”
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Locals have branded parts of Marbella like Puerto Banus as the “Wild West”.
One recently suggested that tourists should start thinking about wearing a bulletproof vest with their swim shorts and sandals.
Another wrote on social media, expressing her fear that an innocent person could be killed: “A stray bullet could end up entering a house.”
In the early hours of Saturday morning, a 33-year-old man was shot in a residential complex a short distance from Puerto Banus, across the municipal border from Marbella, in the neighboring municipality of Estepona.
No arrests have been made yet.
Around ten cartridges believed to have been fired from an AK-47 were found at the scene.
British man Marcus Stewart ran over several pedestrians in May 2017 after speeding away from the Ocean Club in an Audi following a fight between two groups of men from the United Kingdom.
He was arrested by an armed police officer on the beach following a police chase following a spectacular head-on crash on Marbella’s famous Golden Mile with a car carrying an 18-day-old baby.
He was later imprisoned for more than five years.
What is Operation Marbella?
By Tom Malley
SPANISH police have launched ‘Operation Marbella’ to quell violence and keep Brits safe following a spate of recent gangland shootings.
The Costa del Sol resort is fast becoming a crime hotspot and officers have warned residents and visitors that they can expect to see more random stops and checkpoints by officers in and around the holiday destination.
They are believed to be increasing surveillance in residential areas as well as shopping centers and nightclubs such as the millionaires’ playground of Puerto Banus.
It comes after two horrific shootings in March in the space of a week.
As police crack down on crime, they are enlisting the help of sniffer dogs and “aerial assets” – including helicopters and drones.
The start of the operation, which will continue through the summer season until October, comes after locals began calling areas such as Puerto Banus the “Wild West” following four shooting incidents in just over a month.
No charges were laid against a second Briton detained in the drama, a passenger in the car.
The Ocean Club describes itself on its website as “Marbella’s original classic beach club and a beacon of style, modern luxury and an atmosphere that has made it famous as one of Europe’s chic favorites for relaxing, partying and enjoying the best that summer has. to offer.”
He adds: “The days are relaxed, with a quality restaurant, while our themed parties are famous for being as glamorous as they are exciting and lively.
“Live music, dancers, artists and beautiful people make this an unforgettable experience.”
This year’s opening party was held on May 3 and the second champagne party on Sunday, the day after the weekend police raid.
Peak season bed packages around your saltwater pool cost up to €1,150 (£980).
The most expensive packages include three bottles of Veuve Clicquot, a luxurious French champagne.
Partygoers booking the more expensive VIP beds are warned online that there is an additional minimum spend of €1,120 (£955) on Saturdays.
Anti-tourism measures sweep critical spots
A WAVE of anti-tourism measures is being implemented across Europe to curb mass tourism in popular holiday spots.
Overcrowding has become a major problem in many sun destinations, with authorities trying to find a solution to keep tourists and locals happy.
Authorities have attempted to reduce the impact of tourists by implementing additional taxes on tourists or banning new hotels.
Earlier this year, Venice became the first city in the world to charge tourists an entry fee, after it began charging day-trippers 5 euros (£4.30) if they visit the historic Italian center.
It was followed by an area in Barcelona that resorted to removing a heavily used bus route from Apple and Google Maps to stop crowds of tourists from using the bus.
Meanwhile, San Sebastián, in northern Spain, limited the maximum number of people on guided tours to 25 to avoid congestion, noise, inconvenience and overcrowding.
The city has already banned the construction of new hotels.
The Spanish government has allowed restaurants to charge customers more for sitting in the shade in Andalusia.
Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, as swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am can cost a staggering £1,000.
The Canary Islands are also considering adopting measures to regulate the number of visitors – and charging tourists a daily fee.
Greece has already applied a tourist tax during the high season (March to October) and visitors are expected to pay between €1 (£0.86) and €4 (£3.45) per night, depending on the accommodation booked. .
Authorities in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, want to introduce a traveler tax to remind people to be courteous during their travels.
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