15 Nov, 2017 @ 16:23
1 min read

Manhunt underway after Guardia Civil officer shot in the leg during drug bust shoot out in Andalucia

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Scenes from today's aftermath

A MANHUNT is underway after a Guardia Civil officer was shot in the leg during a shoot out in Andalucia this morning.

The officer was injured in Algeciras when he engaged fire with a suspected drug dealer, causing the whole surrounding area to be cordoned off.

Cops thought they had the suspect surrounded inside a house, but when they stormed the property, there was no one inside.

There have yet to be any arrests by Policia Nacional, who have overtaken the investigation, but a stash of drugs has been located.

The officer is recovering at the Punta Europa Hospital but his injuries are not thought to be critical.

The police operation began this morning when the officers of the Málaga command moved into the Antonio Machado and Ponce de León streets in the El Saladillo neighborhood in an anti-drug raid.

Scenes from today’s aftermath

Shots were fired from a house that was quickly surrounded by agents.

A tourist dodged bullets as he became caught in the crossfire, while two other vehicles were also struck.

Several dozen officers were involved in the operation.

The operation is under secrecy and is part of a campaign to weaken the influence of drug gangs in the Campo de Gibraltar area.

Policia Nacional said: “Over the past few months the tension in the Campo de Gibraltar region has increased again.”

They say that this increase has ‘taken advantage of the fact that public opinion, media and political authorities have been distracted by Catalunya.’

The police force insists that the Campo de Gibraltar has for years been in need of considerable increases in staff to fight the drug trafficking effectively.

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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