MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK calls 'outrageous' and 'unlawful', Spanish incursions in Gibraltar waters

“It is completely unacceptable and unlawful under the international law of the sea to enter our waters without notifying us”, said minister Swire.

Spain has been accused of an “outrageous” and “unlawful” violation of British sovereignty after boats entered UK waters in Gibraltar on Sunday. Helicopters were also flown over a beach on the British territory as Spanish police chased criminals on the water, a move branded extremely dangerous by the Government of Gibraltar.

 Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said the “completely unacceptable” incursion was a clear violation of UK sovereignty. The Gibraltarian Government said they were astonished and appalled after Spanish police made several incursions into British waters.

The Royal Navy helped escort the Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera (SVA) - the Spanish police's drugs and money laundering squad - out of the waters following the international row

Spanish vessels have once again entered British Gibraltar Territorial Waters in a clear violation of the international law of the sea.

Foreign minister Swire said that “On 9 August Spanish state vessels repeatedly entered British Gibraltar Territorial Waters without notifying Gibraltarian authorities. We understand that the Spanish were in pursuit of vessels who may have been committing crimes. However it is completely unacceptable and unlawful under the international law of the sea to enter our waters without notifying us.

”These repeated incursions into British Gibraltar Territorial Waters are a clear violation of UK Sovereignty by another EU country and we will be raising this as a matter of urgency with the Spanish authorities“.

In one incident, the Spanish were understood to have been chasing smugglers who were dumping suspected bales of drugs off the side of a fast-speed inflatable boat. They also allegedly flew a helicopter over the Sandy Bay beach area of the territory.

In another incident the Spanish allegedly boarded a boat and questioned crew.

The Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, said: ”We consider this has been a serious and unnecessary failure on the part of the Spanish SVA which has had outrageous consequences in respect of the violation of our sovereignty.“

CM 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 and blamed the failure to do so for the escape of one suspected smuggler.

He said: ”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.