John Culatto
FOUR Spanish nationals have been arrested after a high speed chase off Sandy Bay.
The boat was of the type used for drug smuggling from Morocco to Gibraltar and Spain.
The Guardia Civil tracked the boat leaving La Atunara heading towards Eastern Beach.
It was then boarded at Sandy Bay with the help of the Gibraltar Defence Police (GDP) launch.
The 13 metre semi-inflatable launch was equipped with radar and had a large number of fuel bottles, supposedly for the journey.
Manuel Leiva Varo, 23, from Algeciras, Jose Antonio Rodriguez Roman, 31, from La Linea, Ivan Guillen Duran 29, from La Linea, and Kevin Gomez Moreno 30 from La Linea, were charged with importing a boat.
The men were held in cells before appearing the next day in the Magistrate’s Court.
