British Expats Fear Increase In Mob Violence As Lockdowns End

As Spain’s Costas begin to slowly return to normal in spite of the pandemic, mob violence erupts again.

In the first violent incident since the Spanish lockdown began, a young British expat has been shot in a suspected ‘settling of accounts’ attack. The 27-year old Brit was driven by a friend to the nearest Marbella hospital with four shotgun wounds to his legs. According to local media, his life isn’t in danger but he will need an emergency operation. Local police are taking the attack as a warning and have started an investigation, but shootings of this type are regularly linked to Spain’s organised crime gangs and their drug-smuggling operations.

Should this be the case, it’s the first time since the coronavirus state of alarm was called all along the Costa del Sol coastline. The violent attacks which became the norm a year or so ago had largely diminished during the Spanish lockdown due to the increased police presence in the region.

Gangs were known to be keeping their heads down, but the first sign of a reopening of violent attacks took place last week. After a large crowd of British drinkers had started a brawl outside a Mijas pub, the resulting chaos covered up an almost fatal stabbing. Six people were arrested, with one revealed as a British cocaine dealer who’s now in the process of being extradited to face British justice. In Barcelona, a Brit wanted by UK police for conspiring to commit murder was also arrested and will be extradited to face justice.