Fredbargate

Personally at the time the first suggestions were made I was happy for it to continue although it had gone off topic on many occasions.

However Syria being injected into the same thread was too much.

Dick Dasterdly

So you were into the import/export business as most of those participating loosely described it ?
Wonder if you ever got caught ?

I knew quite a lot of guys who were at it, some of them tried to recruit me, but I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, not only on moral grounds, but also because I knew from what I'd seen that the vast majority only got away with it for a limited period before they were nailed by customs.

One of my pals was on customs at my local airport and he told me how easily they picked up on the regular smugglers.

EMR

A fag smuggler from essex moving to the costas, bit of a stereotype is it not !!

Fredbargate

Gibraltar will have its own voice in ‘ad hoc’ talks with Spain – Chief Minister

The process of ‘ad hoc’ talks being mooted by UK and in which Spain has indicated it is willing to participate has been the result of a joint Gibraltar – UK collaboration, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has confirmed.

“These talks will not be bilateral or quadrilateral….Gibraltar will have its own distinct voice at any such talks,” he said last night.

“Our economy is not only stable, but actually performing even more strongly than I predicted during the budget session in June.”

http://www.chronicle.gi/headlines_details.php?id=30700

Fredbargate

Now, is it me, or has anyone else noticed a pattern emerging here, where the Guardia Civil and the Spanish National Police appear to be taking in it turns to report incidents of violence at the frontier… 'Incidents that no one else it seems, apart from whoever made the report has any knowledge of!

http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/hea...10759&offset=0

me refers to the journalist

Domino

I know the GC get around a little - but even for them that is out of their normal remit

we all know threads can, do, will go off thread. but as you say Syria isn't even covered by BES.
but you can never keep a good expat down - they can talk the hind legs off a donkey about anything under the sun.

Domino

seems they are like the Brits in Spain, seem to have it tattoed across their forehead.

was good friends with a guy from HMRC, moved to the sticks from Heathrow as it was too stressful, but he did over 15 years there.
bought my daily newspaper from the local JP
the stories that used to come out after a few bottles of my homebrew

andyrich666

In the days from france to calais I lost a car a Rover 214 and a transit van, we did get the van back, I also crashed a BMW in Belgium and had to leave it there, someone had a touch then,

Then we used hire cars, we knew the risk, played withour own money broke the law and when caught loosely punished, I don't make the law, it was low risk at the time, It was tiring and then the captures were increasingly not worth the hassle so I stopped it, then did a bit via air, every month id do a fag run to Spain, but that really only ever covered the time away, it was not for profit, probably just could not give it up.

Coach trips, did them too, very long days, One thing I will say compared to most of the people I know who did this, I was never on benefits / claiming disability, one of the guys I know he opened a post office / off licence and got away with it for about 3 years and all the time he was claiming disability and still driving back and for

I still know loads of people who do it now but on smaller scale, the thing is now they have took the easy smuggling away, it has turned to counterfeit dangerous goods, The problem with the smuggling as anything is what we did was for us but it has turned into big time organised crime and of course that is worse.

But in clamping down now brings the counterfeits in, so for me that is worse.

I was never a consumer though.

Fredbargate

An Algeciras fisherman has written to the Queen pleading for Gibraltar to dismantle the artificial reef, that he claims is depriving him from earning a living. Manuel Vázquez has posted his letter on a popular Spanish website that enables citizens to seek support for their cause. By this afternoon it had over 20 thousand signatures in support.

http://gbc.gi/news/2369/%27anguished...rites-to-queen

ononno

You ain't lived mate:-D. You should have tried smuggling nylons into Yugoslavia in the 60's. Really light and minimum space required.

jackytoo

What bugs me is why do the fishermen have to fish in that little bit that belongs to gibraltar There is plenty more ocean around there. Does Gibraltar have better fish than Spain

andyrich666

I think the Gib fish have scoffed all the Spanish fish in retaliation so all the Spanish can see is there Navy at the bottom of the ocean !

Domino

oh come on Jacky - you know that British anything is better than anything from the colonies


but if an echo sounder can't tell the difference between a turbot and a cod - even when they started their life in Spain, how does anyone know what they have until it lands on the deck.

Fredbargate

Reports were coming out of the G20 meeting that Rajoy and Cameron had had cordial talks over Gibraltar.

I think not

Judging by the queues at the frontier last night when I observed that the motorcycles didn't move for at least 45 minutes, these motorcyclists are mainly Spanish workers.
Plus a lengthy car queue last night and again this morning.

jackytoo

La Linea businesses say their trade is down 60%.