Picardo said that at one point the Spanish vessels were in hot pursuit through British waters of the suspected smugglers as they dumped bales of what were believed to be drugs off the side of a high-speed inflatable boat.
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In April last year, the Spanish ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office after another state research vessel entered the territory’s waters accompanied by a police boat.
Picardo said police in Gibraltar should have been asked to assist in catching the criminals once the chase looked like it would go into British-controlled waters. Gibraltar is subject to EU law, although it is not entitled to participate in all Commission programs, the customs union, value-added tax legislation, and the Common Agricultural Policy. The only winners in such an instance are the drug smugglers who evade capture because Gibraltar law enforcement agencies are not alerted to their imminent arrival on our shores.
In 2013, Spain tightened up its checks on travellers crossing the border to Gibraltar, which led to delays of several hours following a diplomatic row over an artificial reef built by Gibraltar provoking anger from Spanish fisherman. Gibraltar’s authorities said Spain should have sought their government’s assistance in seeking suspects once they crossed into Gibraltar’s territory, and said failure to do so resulted in the escape of a suspected drug smuggler. “It beggars belief that the SVA have acted in this way that, in effect, has allowed a criminal who should be behind bars to get away”. In one incident, they boarded a Spanish pleasure craft off Eastern Beach and questioned its crew.
In the latest episode on Sunday, the Gibraltar government said it was “astonished and appalled” by the incident.
Although police and customs in Gibraltar regularly cooperate with their Spanish counterparts, disagreements over jurisdiction mean there is no formal protocol in place. “Nevertheless, it’s utterly unacceptable and illegal beneath the worldwide regulation of the ocean to enter our waters with out notifying us”, Hugo Swire, a minister for Britain’s overseas workplace, stated.
The sovereignty of Gibraltar is a major source of tension between the UK and Spain.
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And in February that same year, the Foreign Office issued a formal protest after a Spanish warship entered waters around Gibraltar and disrupted a Royal Navy training exercise. There was a stand-off as Royal Navy vessels circled the ship.
