Local man arrested on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration after port incursion incident

A 19-year old local man was arrested by the Royal Gibraltar Police on Friday evening on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration following an incident in which a Guardia Civil vessel chased a Spanish-registered speedboat into Gibraltar’s harbour.

The RGP and other local law enforcement agencies responded swiftly after receiving information from a member of the public just after 6pm that a Guardia Civil rigid-hulled inflatable vessel was towing a speedboat abandoned by its occupants near Peter Isola Promenade by the small boat marina.

The crew of the RGP Marine Section interceptor Sir Francis Richards recovered the abandoned vessel from the Guardia Civil within British waters.

“The Spanish registered vessel, together with a second  Spanish-registered vessel also crewed by two persons, had been pursued by Spanish authorities into BGTW for their alleged involvement in illicit migrant smuggling activities,” the RGP said in a statement.

“During the course of the incident, RGP officers arrested a 19-year old local man on suspicion of assisting illegal immigration, whilst officers from HM Customs Marine Unit stopped the second vessel being pursued by Spanish authorities and detained its two occupants whilst the vessel was searched and documentation was checked, after which they were released.”

The person arrested by the RGP and the seized vessel remain in police custody and the investigation remains ongoing.

Earlier this evening, the Gibraltar Government said the incident could potentially be “very serious” given a Guardia Civil vessel had entered British waters and attempted to take executive action without notifying Gibraltar’s authorities.

In a subsequent update, No.6 Convent Place echoed that message but acknowledged Spanish officers had been pursuing the vessel on suspicion of a serious offence.

“That does not alter the position that Guardia Civil vessels have no jurisdiction in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters, and that the proper course in such cases is to alert Gibraltar's law enforcement agencies, who are fully capable of acting, as they did today,” No.6 said.

The investigation remains live and the RGP said it would offer no further information at this stage.

The incident unfolded against the backdrop of concern about unlawful migration across the Strait of Gibraltar after 80,000 people entered Ceuta unlawfully late July.

While most returned to Morocco voluntarily, several thousand still remain in Ceuta, plunging the Spanish north African enclave into an uncertain situation, upending its normal daily life and fuelling fears about safety and security.

The incident also comes during the early stages of provisional implementation of the UK/EU treaty on Gibraltar, which includes a framework to strengthen cross-border law enforcement cooperation.

“HM Government of Gibraltar and Gibraltar's law enforcement agencies stand ready to cooperate and coordinate with the law enforcement agencies of Spain in tackling illegal migration and people smuggling,” No.6 Convent Place said.

“When Gibraltar's authorities are not notified, that cooperation cannot take place.”

The Government thanked the officers of the RGP and HM Customs for their swift response, and the member of the public who reported the incident.