Police arrest man who fell from RHIB during chase at sea

A Spanish man who fell from a small speedboat while trying to flee from police was arrested on suspicion of exporting tobacco by sea.

The incident happened at around 4am on Wednesday when police officers on a patrol boat spotted five small rigid-hulled inflatable boats loading boxes from the shore at Emerson’s Place.

Two were loaded and three were empty, the RGP said.

“The RHIBs immediately left the scene and conducted evasive manoeuvres, causing one man and one box to fall overboard,” police said.

“The Marine Section vessel stopped to recover the man and the box which was later found to contain 50 cartons of cigarettes.”

The man, a 20-year old Spanish national, was arrested on suspicion of exporting or attempting to export tobacco by sea and possession of cigarettes in a commercial quantity.

The other RHIBs escaped into Spanish waters.