After consulting with Fred James it has been decided to close the

Guardia Civil shooting in Gib waters

thread which is now so long that it would be difficult for someone who has not been following it to understand.

So this is a new thread for posts about the frontier / Gibraltar situation.

Also I am starting a Syria thread to keep that as a separate issue

Fred B

Good thinking, long overdue on both counts.

I'll start

A moto has run over the foot of a Guardia Civil when he wanted to look in his bag

On Tuesday morning, just hours before Sr García-Margallo’s intervention in Madrid, Mr Hague took questions from MPs in the House of Commons.

Once again, the message was one of robust support for Gibraltar and openness to dialogue.

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=30679

Yes, that's the second one, and you'd think that was a serious offence, but even armed with video cameras (I'm assuming) we've heard nothing of prosecutions. me huele a gato encerrado.

Last month Spain banned the export of various materials to Gib.

Rocks were banned because Gib was carrying out major infrastructural works in the sea contrary to Spains environmental laws.

Well today I took some photos of these major works

2 groynes to protect the beach

The European Commission has flatly rejected that its fact-finding mission this month will investigate issues like the artificial reef, alleged fraud and land reclamation by Gibraltar.

http://gbc.gi/news/2362/ec-rejects-m...-mission-remit

Spanish Tobacconists chief claims Gib smuggling funding terrorists

http://gbc.gi/news/2361/spanish-toba...ing-terrorists

Smuggling the world over is organised crime so it would be no surprise if some in Gib are involved , just as in Spain and every other country in the world.

Not many people like paying tax, I don't deplore smuggling of contraband that is excessively taxed, I don't have the same view for smuggling Illegal and / or counterfeit products or people.

The smugglers know the score if they are caught, morally I don't have a issue with it.

Spain for me when it suited them they used to turn a blind eye to smuggling ciggies into the UK, I used to do it a lot.

Parliamentary Association backs Gibraltar against Spain

http://gbc.gi/news/2368/parliamentar...-against-spain

agree, but when I raised it was shouted down
so nice to see that wisdom prevails.

but it is the tax payer who is the one that loses in this - mainly because there is no tax paid in any leg of the transportation of such goods.
unless of course you reckon on the "profit margin" on each transaction.

but a vast growing percentage of such products as alcohol and tobacco are no of the same standard as those sold over the counter legitimately. Both products have been found to promote serious illness over and above the norm.

And i know of an incident where a vodka still blew up killing the 2 guys operating it in Lincolnshire. The authorities said they didn't know of the product's existence and worse that tests showed that it was a potential killer, even though it was found to have been on the market for well over 6 months,
local traders who didn't have access to such products had been complaining for well over a year but were rebuffed by the authorities whilst losing sales to those who were selling them

You don't have a moral issue with smuggling?


Your words "I don't have the same view for smuggling Illegal and /or counterfeit products or people" makes no sense whatsoever. What exactly are you trying to say?

Are you suggesting that smuggling people is OK?

There are very few winners where smuggling is concerned. Some bloke down the pub may get a packet of cheap fags. Big deal. And when said person needs healthcare do you think he will stop for a minute and consider who has paid for this service? Of course not. He will think it's his right.

Smuggling by definition avoids taxes levied by Governments. Without the tax revenues Governments cannot provide the services that its citizens either expect or demand.

Smuggling is shite on every level. The harsher the penalty the more I will celebrate.