"This machine gun is not mine" says alleged drug dealer

ALGECIRAS (Agencies) A.M.M. insisted in court that the automatic machine gun (photo: illustration only) that the National Police found in a drawr at the entrance to his home was not his. It was allegedly left there by someone else. The Public Prosecutor is seeking six years imprisonment for possession of a weapon of war (worse than mere possession of a firearm). He and another two persons are up for a number of accusations, all related to what in Spain is referred to as 'against public health' but is a pre-trial euphemism for 'drug-related'.>A.M.M. was under investigation for drug related suspicions, and on July 10, 2008, the National Police set up watch at his home. They were lucky: they had no idea that on that day there would be a drop at the home.

Two vehicles sped out of the front of the house, followed closely by the police. One was a van hired in Mijas, which would not stop on command. In his attempt at escape the driver hit several cars and eventually got onto the dual carriageway, driving dangerously. The police tried to shoot his tires out but the van broke down. Several agents were injured in the pursuit.

On close inspection, 50 bales of hashish were found in the van. A.M.M. and another alleged accomplice, M. J. E. A., admitted their relationship with the drug. The latter was the driver, who said that the two cars that had tried to intercept him did not look like police cars, which the prosecutor denies as the vehicles carried  the blue lights on that adentified them as such.

A.M.M.'s female partner, E. G. M., told the court that she did not know if there was a machine gun - and several rounds - in the house, whereas A.M.M. admitted that he did know, and told the police whose it was.

(Note: This item might have been better illustrated with the photo of a football player shrugging his shoulders, palms up in the penalty area, with an opponent lying next to him with a broken leg - but we couldn't find one...)