The
O LIVE P RESS
Your expat
voice in Spain
COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA FREE Vol. 5 Issue 108 www.theolivepress.es February 8th - February 21st 2024
Who are the most famous celebrities who have property in Spain? Find out on page 8
IN COURT: Javier Mendez
Bent cop PROSECUTORS want the former head of the Policia Nacional's anti-drug unit in Alicante jailed for 15 years for his role in the biggest-ever cocaine distribution gang in the Valencian Community. Inspector Javier Mendez was part of a 69-strong crew that distributed 4,000 kilos of cocaine. Mendez has been charged with drug trafficking, bribery and illegally disclosing information. His associates were well-known Galician and Valencian drug traffickers who set up an extensive operation to launder their proceeds with front men and shell companies in Romania, Sweden, Portugal and Colombia.
SCHOOL kids in Murcia have been banned from switching on their mobile phones in classrooms with other areas of Spain set to follow suit. Murcia's Education Minister Victor Marin said: "The possession of mobile phones in the classroom has no legal place, we cannot regulate it, but we can establish that they remain switched off." Marin said they adopted the ban after verifying the distraction it represents for students. The average time it takes a student to regain attention after receiving a phone message or notification is around 20 minutes, according to UNESCO's 2023 GEM report. In addition, 20% of serious offences committed by high school and vocational training students in Murcia are related to the inappropriate use of mobile phones. The Valencian Community is also looking to impose phone restrictions after consulting with schools.
Kill the Drug
THE Olive Press is launching a nationwide campaign against the ‘deadly’ drug Nolotil. Cocaine It comes as a protest group filed an The cocaine gang was brought official complaint with Spain’s pubdown in 2019 with one of the lead- lic prosecution office after yet aners found to have €1.5 million in other Brit died at the hands of the cash stuffed in three suitcases at ‘deadly’ drug. The complaint calls on health his house. The Prosecutor's Office has re- officials to ‘urgently initiate quested a total of 749 years in a thorough investigation’. prison for the gang members and The Association for Drug Affected People fines amounting to €435 million. Javier Mendez attended 24 meet- (ADAF) claims giving ings in 2018 and 2019 in Denia, Nolotil to tourists and Javea and Alicante with leaders of other expats is a ‘crime of serious negligence’. the criminal group. He's accused of tipping-off two of As reported in our last the ring-leaders about police in- issue expat dad Mark vestigations and taking part in a Brooks, 42, died a sensemoney laundering plot to recycle less death by sepsis caused by the drug after a minor profits made from the enterprise. Among the gang’s major moves golf injury. was a failed attempt to bring in The Olive Press has since 2,020 kilos of cocaine by boat discovered serious flaws to Galicia, with a retail value of in an official warning about the drug issued from Madrid in around €104 million. 2018. Opinion Page 6 We have discovered Nolotil - which is banned in 40 countries - is still being prescribed regularly at hospiALL YOUR LEGAL tals and ISSUES DEALT WITH! clinics around Compare funerals Here to help with your Spain. Dozens Plans cover the life in Spain including of readwhole of Spain wills, residency, ers have Interest free payment plans been in tax returns, buying from €2,250 or as little touch to
Olive Press Campaign launches as complaint is filed for criminal negligence over Nolotil
report their dealings with the drug, while some have revealed their horror stories. In particular, we spoke to the family of Irish victim, James Hanley, 72, who died after a simple operation led to an agonising O LIVE LIVE FOREVER P RESS flesh-eating disease within days of being prescribed the drug. NEVER AGAIN! Meanwhile, D o r e e n Hughes suffered ‘total DEADLY: The drug and (left) how we reported yet organ failure’ another Nolotil tragedy and had to spend months es,” she told the Ol- tion packet. learning to walk952 147 834 ive Press. A spokesman told the Olive Press: again, after her battle “Our lawyers have “Nolotil (metamizole) has a well-eswith Nolotil. found evidence of tablished safety profile and has been This week ADAF President Cristina criminality and a full investiga- used by patients for almost 60 years. del Campo revealed her group had tion is needed. We will provide all of “Agranulocytosis is a very rare, adacted after Spain’s official agency the cases we have gathered, none of verse reaction that has been known for medicines, AEMPS, launched a which the authorities have looked at for decades and is well-described in marketing campaign promoting the yet.” the medicine package information.” drug. Boehringer Ingelheim, the German See page 6 The group doesn’t believe Madrid is company that produces Nolotil doing enough to communicate why c l a i m s Nolotil has been banned around the the drug world. is safe THE BIG-HEARTED Among many key questions, the and all EXPAT SAVING complaint asked: ‘What is happen- the side ing in Spain when in the UK, US and e f f e c t s HIS LOCAL CAT Ireland, the product is banned be- are listCOMMUNITY cause it is highly dangerous?’ ed in the “We cannot wait, while we wait, m e d i more people die. Mark Brooks died c a t i o n ’ s recently and there will be more cas- informa-
KILL THE DRUG
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What incredible 90 world record has this year local man smashed this week ?
COSTA BLANCA SUR / MURCIA FREE Vol. 5 Issue 107 www.theolivepre
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voice in Spain
ss.es January 25th February
TORREVIEJA'S annual carnival will bring music, colour and fun to the city from Friday until February 11. The events will be compressed into a period concentrating shorter on the three weekends, with mayor Dolon hoping the change Eduardo will make it ‘an even better attraction’. Highlights will include Drag Queen competitionthe annual ternational Auditorium in the Inon February 3 and the big Carnival Grand Parade the following at 4pm from the Virginday, starting del Carmen
A BRITISH expat has died after being given the painkiller Nolotil for a deadly shoulder injury, it has emerged. Mark Brooks, 42, was enjoying a game of golf near his home in Alicante when he began riencing shoulder pain. expeThe next day, he went to his
FINAL HOLE: Just 48 hours later, Mark (centre left ) was dead
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Carnival time! Cultural Centre. The Grand Night is on February 10, Parade beginning at 8pm - also from the Cultural Centre and going down Calle Ramon Gallud to its finish on the Paseo Vista Alegre. The night before, a attraction will be new first-ever parade of the Foreign Troupes from 8.30pm, which will feature from cities and towns floats across Spain.
TIME TO PARTY: Carnival outfits
British expat, 42, dies after taking Nolotil: Father-of-one developed sepsis after being given the ‘lethal’ painkiller for a minor golf injury
By Yzabelle Bostyn
local health clinic on the Costa Blanca, where he received a shot of metamizole, also known as Nolotil. Some 48 hours later the dener, from Derbyshire, garwas admitted to hospital in Torrevieja with depleted white blood cells and sepsis. The next day, he was taken into intensive care with organ failure. Two days later, he was before the tragic incident dead. Mark’s life in October last took orated and just four His year. days after receiving partner, “Summer was in complete the Summer Moses injection, he slipped into shock. One day he was (right) has been TRAGIC: 4-yearing golf, really excited, play- a coma. left to pick up old Aurora is left and According to death then the next he was certhe pieces with without her dad, anti-Nolotil campaigner dead,” tificate records, Brooks’ their four-yearMark (above) tina del Campo told theChris- cause of death on Ocold daughter, Olive tober 20 was Press this week. ‘organ Aurora. failure, septic shock and “She’s now working two The pair had lar, as many clinics continued just to make ends meet. jobs cellulitis.’ lished a two-page feature been planning to hand out the drug. effecjust his life that’s been It’s not Now his ex-partner has tively promoting to get married, Spain’s most popular ruined, reached out it’s her life and her sub- It came just afterthe drug. to the Nolotil scription painkiller, Nolotil ADAF began daughter’s too. campaign group, is legal action against known to have adverse the SpanAll because of a the Association on Northern Europeanseffects ish Medical Agency (AEMPS) painkiller.” KILL of Drug Affectis banned in 30 countries,and in November, claiming a 2018 The incident ed Patients THE cluding Britain, Ireland, in- government directive not to happened Aus- sell Nolotil to (ADAF) run tralia and the US. Northern EuroDRUG when he atby del Campo. peans is not being followed. A 2018 report from tended a clinic It came after ropean Medicines the Eu- “We’re not looking for money popular with expats in she discovered showed a ‘potential to Agency or damages. We want to make Quesada on October 15.Ciudad documents, which revealed ALL YOUR LEGAL agranulocytosis’ among induce them stop giving Nolotil to that Mark’s death was certain Within hours of receiving British people,” explained as the populations. ISSUES DEALT WITH! an result ‘an apparent del injection of Nolotil he allergic reA 1999 Swedish study estimat- Campo. devel- action to metamizole’. oped a rash and blisters ed the risk at one in every on Anything but the Here to help with your his buttocks. first, the drug Regulations prescriptions, with a 26% 2000 has now been linked When he was taken morto over life in Spain including tality rate. “I want them to revise in Torrevieja, doctorsto A&E 40 deaths in Spain, including and It is believed the drug found many expats. modify regulations wills, residency, he had a low white blood have contributed to up could gate cases properly.and investicell So dangerous to 350 count, alongside signs They need tax returns, buying cases of agranulocytosis, of liver Olive Press is the drug, the to act because and kidney failure. launched cluding 170 Britons living in- given without it keeps being paign in 2017 to have it a camand selling property a prescription. His condition rapidly in banned Spain. deteri- for expat patients, People’s lives are at stake.” in particuYet incredibly, only one The campaigner is also We speak your language! deish health authority, Span- manding new analysis of the Catalunya, has warned against La Marquesa Commercial us- risks of the drug and a revision ing the drug as a first-choice of the information sheet Centre, Office 4C, Ciudad given painkiller. It ruled there to medical Quesada, Rojales 03170 professionals. ‘no evidence’ it was betterwas Boehringer Ingelheim, tel: 966 943 219 See page 15 the controlling pain than ‘safer at company that www.mylawyerinspai ternatives’ like paracetamol al- claims all the makes Nolotil, n.com side effects are or ibuprofen. clearly listed in its information Meanwhile, one English packet. newspaper recently even expat pubOpinion Page 6
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