THIS is the shock moment riot cops raid a Costa del Sol club packed with bikini-clad tourists in a chilling crackdown known as Operation Marbella.
The chilling footage shows nearly 20 heavily-armed police storming the Ocean Club Marbella in the Spanish resort of Puerto Banus and ordering revellers out of the pool.
British holidaymakers watched on speechless in their swim shorts and bikinis as officers clad in body armour crashed the venue in a broad-daylight raid.
Tourists packing out the “beautiful people” venue, which over the weekend held one of its two annual champagne parties popular with Bank Holiday visitors from the UK, were urged to keep calm.
Police issued loudspeaker messages in Spanish and English saying: “This is just a routine check. The minute we finish you can continue enjoying your afternoon.
“Don’t worry, there’s nothing serious going on.”
But the images of the operation, which lasted nearly two hours and also involved a police helicopter hovering overhead, showed why some revellers were left uneasy over the ordeal.
One clubber is understood to have been arrested, although police have not yet commented officially on the reason for the detention.
The spectacular club raid followed a string of shootings in the area, sparking the launch of the so-called Marbella Plan last month to keep British and Irish tourists safe.
Police warned locals and visitors at the time they could expect to see more random stops and police checkpoints in and around the holiday destination.
They said nothing about surprise raids on busy tourist-popular venues, although earlier this month heavily-armed officers crashed a gym at a sports club in the residential area of Nueva Andalucia near Puerto Banus and made three arrests.
Gym-users were asked for their ID before being allowed to continue with their routines.
The series of shootings so far this year in the Marbella area included a March 11 attack on British-run eatery La Sala near Puerto Banus.
The shooting led to the arrests in April of a British man and Irish national described by police as having links to organised crime.
Kerry Katona recently claimed she had U-turned on a decision to move to the famous Costa del Sol resort with her family, including fiancé Ryan Mahoney, because of the violent incidents there.
Fernando Bentabol, the prosecutor in charge of combating narco crime in the province of Malaga, which Marbella is part of, shone the spotlight on its dark underbelly in a recent newspaper interview.
Asked by a local Spanish journalist if the Costa del Sol was turning into Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city previously the most violent in the world and the former home of notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar, he said: “Yes and no.
“It can’t be compared to Medellin because countries such as Colombia are the ones that produce drugs, and most of the actions there are related to plantations, as happens in Morocco for example with cannabis.
“We are in the area where the drugs are introduced and distributed to Europe.
“But in terms of the level of the organisations involved and their economic capacity, yes it can of course be compared.”
Locals have branded parts of Marbella like Puerto Banus the “Wild West”.
One suggested recently tourists should start thinking about putting on a bullet-proof vest with their swim shorts and sandals.
Another wrote on social media, expressing her fears an innocent person could be killed: “A stray bullet could end up entering a house.”
In the early hours of Saturday morning, a 33-year-old man was shot on a residential estate a short drive from Puerto Banus, just across the Marbella muncipal border in the neighbouring municipality of Estepona.
No arrests have yet been made.
Around ten shell casings thought to have been fired from an AK-47 were reportedly found on the ground at the scene.
British man Marcus Stewart mowed down several pedestrians in May 2017 after speeding away from the Ocean Club in an Audi following a fight between two groups of men from the UK.
He was arrested by an armed cop on the beach after a police chase following a spectacular head-on crash on Marbella’s famous Golden Mile with a car carrying an 18 day-old baby.
He was later jailed for more than five years.
What is Operation Marbella?
By Tom Malley
SPANISH police have launched “Operation Marbella” to crackdown on violence and keep Brits safe after a spate of recent gang shootings.
The Costa del Sol resort is fast becoming a hotspot for crime and cops have warned locals and visitors they can expect to see more random stops and officer checkpoints in and around the holiday destination.
They are understood to be increasing vigilance in residential areas as well as shopping centres and nightspots, like the millionaire’s playground of Puerto Banus.
It comes after two terrifying shootings in March, within the space of a week.
As police crackdown on crime they are recruiting the help of sniffer dogs and “aerial resources” – including helicopters and drones.
The start of the operation, which will continue through the summer season into October, comes after locals started branding areas like Puerto Banus the “Wild West” following four shooting incidents in just over a month.
No charges were brought against a second Brit held in the drama, a passenger in the car.
The Ocean Club describes itself on its website as the “original classic beach club in Marbella and a reference for style, modern luxury and an atmosphere that has made it famous as one of Europe’s chic favourites for relaxing, partying and enjoying the best that summer has to offer.”
It adds: “Daytimes are easygoing, with a quality restaurant, while our themed parties are famous for being as glamorous as they are exciting and lively.
“Live music, dancers, entertainers and beautiful people make it an experience to remember.”
It held its opening party this year on May 3 and its second champagne party on Sunday, a day after the weekend police raid.
High-season bed packages round its saltwater pool cost up to €1,150 (£980).
The most expensive packages include three bottles of Veuve Clicquot, a luxury champagne from France.
Revellers who book the most expensive VIP beds are warned online there is an additional €1120 (£955) minimum spend on Saturdays.
Anti-tourist measures sweeping hotspots
A WAVE of anti-tourist measures are being implemented across Europe to curb mass tourism in popular holiday hotspots.
Overcrowding has become the main problem in many sunny destinations, with authorities trying to find a solution to keep tourists and locals happy.
Officials have attempted to reduce the impact of holidaymakers by implementing additional taxes on tourists, or banning new hotels.
Earlier this year Venice became the first city in the world to charge an entry fee for holidaymakers after it started charging day-trippers €5 (£4.30) if visiting the historical Italian centre.
It was followed by an area in Barcelona which resorted to removing a well-used bus route from Apple and Google Maps to stop crowds of tourists from using the bus.
Meanwhile, San Sebastián in the north of Spain, limited the maximum number of people on guided visits to 25 to avoid congestion, noise, nuisance and overcrowding.
The city has already banned the construction of new hotels.
The Spanish government has allowed restaurants to charge customers more for sitting in the shade in Andalucia.
Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, as swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am could cost a whopping £1,000.
The Canary Islands are also considering adopting measures to regulate the number of visitors – and charge tourists a daily tax.
Greece has already enforced a tourist tax during the high season (from March to October) with visitors expected to pay from €1 (£0.86) to €4 (£3.45) per night, depending on the booked accommodation.
Officials in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia want to introduce a fee for travellers to remind people to be courteous during their trips.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
