The
OLIVE PRESS
VALENCIA / COSTA AZAHAR FREE Vol. 2 Issue 36 www.theolivepress.es PLANS for a Valencian tourist tax have been slammed by a business group, saying it would keep Brits away. The levy, which is awaiting approval by the Valencian parliament, would introduce an accommodation surcharge of up to €2 per day. Once it becomes law, there would be a yearlong moratorium before it is introduced. But the good news is that it would be down to each individual municipality to decide whether or not it wants to impose the tax - and they do not seem keen on the idea. No councils, including Alicante and
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A tax a day keeps Brits away Benidorm, have declared themselves as willing to boost local coffers by using the levy. That still hasn't stopped strong concerns being voiced over the tax. President of the Facpyme federation, Carlos Baño, said UK media coverage of the tax proposal could deter British tourists from coming to the region. “This situation must be corrected, because tourism and Alicante Province do not deserve this bad publicity as
a result of a bad decision. It must be said loud and clear.” Valencian president, Ximo Puig said that the ‘tourist tax is not going to be implemented in practically any city in the Valencian Community’. Nevertheless, Puig, as PSPV socialist leader bowed to pressure from his left-wing coalition partners, Compromis and Podemos, to go ahead with the measure.
WORRY: Tourism bosses want to keep UK tourists onside
VODKA SOUR
Expat businessman and his vodka firm named on US sanctions list for key links to Irish mafia
REWARD OF UP TO
REWARD OF UP TO
REWARD OF UP TO
FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE FINANCIAL DISRUPTION OF THE
THE expat boss of a wellknown costa drinks company has been named as a key member of one of Europe’s biggest mafia gangs. John Morrisey and his company Nero Vodka have been placed on a US Treasury department sanctions list for their association with the Kinahan crime cartel. The American government has placed sanctions on him, alongside other key associates of the Irish gang, who lived for many years in Spain. As well as Christy Kinahan Snr, Daniel Kinahan and Christopher Kinahan Jnr, the US has also put Morrisey and Bernard Clancy on its list. They, along with Ian Dixon and Sean McGovern, are said to be a key part of the Kinahan gang, who owned a string of gyms, restaurants
FOR INFORMA THE ON OF CRIMINAL KINAHAN ORGANIZATION OR THE ARREST AND/OR TION LEADING TO THE FINANCIAL DISRUPTI TO THE FINANCIAL DISRUPTI KINAHAN CRIMINAL ORGANIZ ON OF THE FOR INFORMATION LEADING CONVICTION OF ATION OR THE ARREST AND/OR ATION OR THE ARREST AND/OR KINAHAN CRIMINAL ORGANIZ ION OF CONVICTION OF CONVICT
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SUBMIT TIPS VIA E-MAIL TO
SUBMIT TIPS VIA E-MAIL TO
KinahanTCOTips@dea.gov
KinahanTCOTips@dea.gov
KinahanTCOTips@dea.gov
HIGH PROFILE: Morrissey and wife Nicola in the local press (left) and (above) the US goverment wanted posters and other businesses on the Costa del Sol, before moving to Dubai a few years ago. Their ‘interests’ were thought to reach along the Spanish costas. While the gang still has an important influence here, its leaders started decamping to the Middle East after rival gangster Gary Hutch was killed near Marbella in 2015, leading to a bloody gang feud. But ‘Johnny’ Morrissey, 62, stayed put to help run his high-profile drinks business Nero Vodka, which is owned on paper by his wife Nicola. Based in Spain for two decades, he
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had moved from Ireland where the country’s Criminal Assets Bureau dealt a hammer blow to his business there, seizing €630,000 in cash and property.
Enforcer
Now he looks set to come under a similar microscope here, with the US describing him as ‘having worked for the Kinahan Organised Crime Gang (KOCG) for several years’. The US Treasury claims he is involved in smuggling, money laundering and other key aspects of the Kinahan op-
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eration, including as ‘an enforcer’. The high-end vodka brand is sold at The sanctions mean he and his part- many costa beach clubs and is even ner Nicola, who are regularly seen available in El Corte Ingles after on the costas party circuits, face the Morrissey fronted a massive publicisame economic sanctions as the gang ty campaign over the past few years, bosses. with events attracting many wellTheir Nero Drinks Company Ltd, reg- known members of Spain’s expat soistered in Glasgow, has specifically ciety. been put on the list of companies that He was regularly seen splashed across face sanctions, alongside two others, newspaper pages and was a recent a sports company, Hoopoe guest at the Marbella Film Festival. Sports, and a marketing company, Ducashew Trading. THE sanctions mean any US asse ts held by those named must be frozen and reported to the In effect, US citizens are banned US treasury. with the named people and their from doing business companies – anywhere in the world. This extends to non-US citizens US, or just transiting through. who are resident in the It almost certainly means that they will now be blacklisted by most other Western countries , who are expected to follow suit. Explaining the unprecedented move, US Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financia Nelson said: “The group smuggle l Intelligence, Brian cluding cocaine, to Europe, and s deadly narcotics, inlicit economy through its role is a threat to the entire in international money laundering. “Criminal groups like the KOCG nerable in society and bring drugprey on the most vulolence, including murder, to the -related crime and vicountries in which they operate. “The Treasury is proud to have coordinated so closely with our international counterparts ment will continue to use every , and the US governdismantle these criminal networksavailable resource to Among the radical moves, the .” US Treasury has even listed the home addresses and pass port numbers of all people on the list, including two addresses for the Kinahans in Spain.
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