Valencia Police chief calls for penal code reforms

THE Chief of Valencia Region’s National Police has called for an “urgent reform of the Spanish Penal code” in order to “more effectively combat organized crime.”

“The legal loopholes and the idiosyncrasy of Spanish geography have made the country an ideal refuge for these criminals, especially Alicante Province,” Chief Antonio Moreno Piquer said. More than 450 people have been arrested so far this year linked to organized crime groups involved mostly in drug trafficking and burglaries.

Thanks to these arrests, 35 organized groups and 25 criminal organizations were dismantled, according to police sources. The call for reforms was made during an organized crime conference at Alicante University. Over the next few days the types of organized crime as well as police investigations and international cooperation will be addressed.

Moreno Piquer also pointed out that citizen cooperation is highly important in the detection of this type of crime as these organizations are often deeply integrated into society.

By Nicole Hallett