# Arrested at airport



## mosley

I visited Fuerteventura a couple of weeks ago, I was stopped at the airport and arrested by several police in front of everyone, I was travelling with my wife and son, it was most embarrassing, they took me to the office at the airport, no one spoke English, the coach holiday rep and my family were all waiting, it took ages to sort out what was wrong.



Finally through broken English and sign language,I realised it was about an incident that occurred 22 years ago in Malaga and there was a warrant, they said the court was open on Monday and I would need to go back to the office at the airport on the Monday, they would let me go on my way with my family if I agreed to come back on the Monday, this incident happened on the Saturday.



I and my family were really worried over the weekend waiting for the Monday, I had to get a taxi and be there at no later than 9 am, the taxi fare was 100 euros.

The incident they were talking about was roughly 1989, I bought some travellers cheque's off a guy who said they had them left over and they were going home and I could have then cheap, I foolishly bought them with the guys passport (the old twelve month one) which had only days before running out.



I tried to change some and was immediately arrested, kept in a police station, went to Malaga prison, was there around 6 weeks, released 12 midnight with my belongings and passport, I arranged to fly home the next day and forgot all about the terrible experience.



I was told by the police at the airport, that the judge was getting in touch with Malaga court, again in broken English, after about a hour, I was told it was finished and I would have no trouble again off the police, it was old records mixed with new I was then released.

I had to get a taxi again, another 100 euros.



I am now 71, I take three different medications a day, I would like to visit Spain again but I am frightened it will all start again and I am not well enough to cope with the stress.



Can anyone tell me how to make sure I can visit without the problem?


----------



## JoCatalunya

How sad the police treat you like that, perhaps you should contact a lawyer in Spain and have a chat, go on the website for the British Consul in Barca or Alicante or the like and there is a list of English speaking lawyers who can advise you on what you need to do. 

Typical Spanish bureaucracy, they don't know their heads from their behinds at times and treat decent folk abysmally whilst letting the real crooks go about unmolested.


----------



## mosley

Thanks


----------



## xabiaxica

mosley said:


> I visited Fuerteventura a couple of weeks ago, I was stopped at the airport and arrested by several police in front of everyone, I was travelling with my wife and son, it was most embarrassing, they took me to the office at the airport, no one spoke English, the coach holiday rep and my family were all waiting, it took ages to sort out what was wrong.
> 
> 
> 
> Finally through broken English and sign language,I realised it was about an incident that occurred 22 years ago in Malaga and there was a warrant, they said the court was open on Monday and I would need to go back to the office at the airport on the Monday, they would let me go on my way with my family if I agreed to come back on the Monday, this incident happened on the Saturday.
> 
> 
> 
> I and my family were really worried over the weekend waiting for the Monday, I had to get a taxi and be there at no later than 9 am, the taxi fare was 100 euros.
> 
> The incident they were talking about was roughly 1989, I bought some travellers cheque's off a guy who said they had them left over and they were going home and I could have then cheap, I foolishly bought them with the guys passport (the old twelve month one) which had only days before running out.
> 
> 
> 
> I tried to change some and was immediately arrested, kept in a police station, went to Malaga prison, was there around 6 weeks, released 12 midnight with my belongings and passport, I arranged to fly home the next day and forgot all about the terrible experience.
> 
> 
> 
> I was told by the police at the airport, that the judge was getting in touch with Malaga court, again in broken English, after about a hour, I was told it was finished and I would have no trouble again off the police, it was old records mixed with new I was then released.
> 
> I had to get a taxi again, another 100 euros.
> 
> 
> 
> I am now 71, I take three different medications a day, I would like to visit Spain again but I am frightened it will all start again and I am not well enough to cope with the stress.
> 
> 
> 
> Can anyone tell me how to make sure I can visit without the problem?


what a horrible experience!!

I know hindsight is wonderful, but the first thing you should have done - in fact your hoilday rep should have done for you - was get in touch with the British consulate

I honestly don't know what to suggest as to what to do in the future - except maybe get in touch with the consulate here now & see what they suggest


we often get asked 'what will happen when I land in Spain - I was arrrested there x number of years ago, will it come back to haunt me-?'

I guess now we know the answer


----------



## xabiaxica

JoCatalunya said:


> How sad the police treat you like that, perhaps you should contact a lawyer in Spain and have a chat, go on the website for the British Consul in Barca or Alicante or the like and there is a list of English speaking lawyers who can advise you on what you need to do.
> 
> Typical Spanish bureaucracy, they don't know their heads from their behinds at times and treat decent folk abysmally whilst letting the real crooks go about unmolested.


errrrrrrrr - there WAS an arrest warrant for him, and he HAD broken the law, albeit 22 years ago


----------



## JoCatalunya

xabiachica said:


> errrrrrrrr - there WAS an arrest warrant for him, and he HAD broken the law, albeit 22 years ago


Yes, he had, but a polite word would have been so much nicer don't you think. As and if they discovered he was Ronnie Biggs in disguise then they could arrest him, not go at it like a bull in a china shop from the get go.


----------



## xabiaxica

JoCatalunya said:


> Yes, he had, but a polite word would have been so much nicer don't you think. As and if they discovered he was Ronnie Biggs in disguise then they could arrest him, not go at it like a bull in a china shop from the get go.


if they'd locked him up instead of letting him go to his hotel I might agree with you - but he himself said it was more embarrassing than anything else

I have a feeling he shouldn't have left the country 22 years ago - so they had him down as a flight risk


but without more details than he can be expected to put on a public forum we can't know

the bottom line is the consulate should have been brought in at the get go - then he'd know what his position is now


----------



## MaidenScotland

Of course they don't forget 


YouTube - Only fools and horses ,Grandad gets arrested .wmv


----------



## mrypg9

mosley said:


> The incident they were talking about was roughly 1989, I bought some travellers cheque's off a guy who said they had them left over and they were going home and I could have then cheap,* I foolishly bought them with the guys passport *(the old twelve month one) which had only days before running out


I'm not sure what you mean by that....did you use a false passport?
Presumably you were allowed to leave Spain in 1989......or did you do a bunk?


----------



## xabiaxica

MaidenScotland said:


> Of course they don't forget
> 
> 
> YouTube - Only fools and horses ,Grandad gets arrested .wmv


:spit:


----------



## JoCatalunya

The Consulate should have been informed immediately, those are the rules, however, the Spanish police are a little slow at doing it at times. What's more they should have gotten an interpreter for the gentleman, sign language and guesswork is not very professional and neither is it very satisfactory. Apparently the police have access to a translation service on the phone, but as they have to pay for it they tend to prefer to muddle through.


----------



## dunmovin

mosley said:


> I was told by the police at the airport, that the judge was getting in touch with Malaga court, again in broken English, after about a hour, I was told it was finished and I would have no trouble again off the police, it was old records mixed with new I was then released.
> 
> I had to get a taxi again, another 100 euros.
> 
> 
> 
> I am now 71, I take three different medications a day, I would like to visit Spain again but I am frightened it will all start again and I am not well enough to cope with the stress.
> 
> 
> 
> Can anyone tell me how to make sure I can visit without the problem?


Getting in touch with the Spanish consulate in the UK and ask if it is possible to get the Malaga court to issue you with a written statement that the matter has closed, might be worth a try.


----------



## MaidenScotland

I wonder what happened to the guy who didn't have a passport to go home with?


----------



## xabiaxica

MaidenScotland said:


> I wonder what happened to the guy who didn't have a passport to go home with?


that's a point - how _did_ he get home without a passport?:confused2:


----------



## mosley

The one he gave me was not his, he gave me one in another name which turned out stolen.


----------



## MaidenScotland

mosley said:


> The one he gave me was not his, he gave me one in another name which turned out stolen.


So you knew the passport and cheques were stolen? After all you need a passport to leave the country so why would he sell you a passport?


----------



## mosley

MaidenScotland said:


> So you knew the passport and cheques were stolen? After all you need a passport to leave the country so why would he sell you a passport?


Because he had his original to get home, I never gave it a thought like now with hindsight, I was stupid I know, but I am paying for it 22 yrs later.


----------



## VFR

mosley said:


> Because he had his original to get home, I never gave it a thought like now with hindsight, I was stupid I know, but I am paying for it 22 yrs later.


So he had these travelers cheques left that he would no longer need & as you know they are as good as cash.
They are issued in the owners name (like the ones you had)
They are useless without the owners passport (which you also obtained)
It came as a surprise to you when you found out they were stolen (yea right)


----------



## jojo

If I understand this all correctly, you knowingly or not, somewhere along the line got mixed up with a criminal? You may have been perfectly innocent, but the guy who's passport you used all those years ago may have been a serious criminal (not just someone who messed around with dodgy passports, travellers cheques etc.) who they've been looking for for many years???? Your name has obviously cropped up alongside his and its possible that they thought you were he (why wouldnt they if your name is linked to his dodgy passport)??? Certainly major crimes dont have a "sell by" date and this guy may still be "wanted"?? 

The Spanish police - in fact from what I can gather most police other than British, dont mess around and arent known for being PC. However, speaking in broken english is only to be expected really dont you think?? - I wonder how good the British police are at speaking Spanish at UK airports

However, contact the British and/or Spanish consulate and put in a complaint and request that this doesnt happen again. Hopefully they will look into it, apologise and make sure that it doesnt happen again.

Jo xxx


----------



## MaidenScotland

Does your passport get checked in the Canaries???


----------



## jojo

MaidenScotland said:


> Does your passport get checked in the Canaries???


Good point! I imagine so, they check them everywhere you go it seems, just a form of identification

Jo xxx


----------



## MaidenScotland

jojo said:


> Good point! I imagine so, they check them everywhere you go it seems, just a form of identification
> 
> Jo xxx




Yes but if your travelling from Europe do they check them?

I have never had mine checked when I fly into Spain from the U.K but it's been a few years since I went to the Canaries so not sure..
I get mine checked when I fly in from Egypt I go through immigration at Madrid and then fly onto Alicante.. no checks at Alicante.


----------



## jojo

MaidenScotland said:


> Yes but if your travelling from Europe do they check them?
> 
> I have never had mine checked when I fly into Spain from the U.K but it's been a few years since I went to the Canaries so not sure..
> I get mine checked when I fly in from Egypt I go through immigration at Madrid and then fly onto Alicante.. no checks at Alicante.


I dont know, I do know that altho they are supposed to "check" them, very often when we arrive at Malaga, they hardly look up and half heartedly glance at them. I guess they assume that you've got this far, so it must be ok?? 

But of course with the 9/11 thing came more stringent rules, so they are supposed to be vigilant and consciously check everything every step of the way

Jo xxx


----------



## xabiaxica

jojo said:


> I dont know, I do know that altho they are supposed to "check" them, very often when we arrive at Malaga, they hardly look up and half heartedly glance at them. I guess they assume that you've got this far, so it must be ok??
> 
> But of course with the 9/11 thing came more stringent rules, so they are supposed to be vigilant and consciously check everything every step of the way
> 
> Jo xxx


they might not check them arriving - although sometimes they do

but they DO check them on the way out - you can't get airside without showing your passport - it might be a cursory glance- but they DO check


----------



## MaidenScotland

jojo said:


> I dont know, I do know that altho they are supposed to "check" them, very often when we arrive at Malaga, they hardly look up and half heartedly glance at them. I guess they assume that you've got this far, so it must be ok??
> 
> But of course with the 9/11 thing came more stringent rules, so they are supposed to be vigilant and consciously check everything every step of the way
> 
> Jo xxx




I have never seen passport control manned in Alicante lol 
As you know my job means I visit various embassies here in Cairo.. U.K/USA/France-- you cannot get into the embassy/consul without an appointment and passport for i.d you also have to leave your mobile phone at the gate and only the person named on the appointment is allowed in. Yesterday I visited the Spanish embassy just turning up, come in, no need to leave your phone, no i.d check, your maid wants to come in with you no problem welcome...


----------



## MaidenScotland

I am now guessing that Malaga is an international airport and that might be the difference in security etc


----------



## gus-lopez

MaidenScotland said:


> I have never seen passport control manned in Alicante lol
> As you know my job means I visit various embassies here in Cairo.. U.K/USA/France-- you cannot get into the embassy/consul without an appointment and passport for i.d you also have to leave your mobile phone at the gate and only the person named on the appointment is allowed in. Yesterday I visited the Spanish embassy just turning up, come in, no need to leave your phone, no i.d check, your maid wants to come in with you no problem welcome...


I'm with you on this one. In 20 trips between 2002 & 2005 into Alicante I've never seen the desk manned & never been checked ,& my daughters say it still isn't & they are never checked. At Almeria airport they check every person coming off the plane. Yet you can't get into any Hacienda building without everything out of your pockets & into the tray for the x- ray machine & going through the metal detector !


----------



## MaidenScotland

xabiachica said:


> they might not check them arriving - although sometimes they do
> 
> but they DO check them on the way out - you can't get airside without showing your passport - it might be a cursory glance- but they DO check




Yes but who checks them? You have to show your passport/boarding card to go through security.. but that is not immigration/passport control. Madrid sees the passport checked throughly and I am always asked the reason for my visit at this it at 4am, this might be because I have Islamic country visas.


----------



## JoCatalunya

*Arrested at Airport*

Barca are usually pretty keen in their checks, as are Reus both check you on the way in and on the way out. 
We joke around here that when folk get off the plane the immigration people assign each and every person a job title. "you are a builder, you are a plumber, and you are a plasterer.' When in reality the people were really a postman, a warehouse worker and unemployed layabout, because I swear everyone who comes through these parts is either a builder, plumber or plasterer. England must be bereft of them.


----------



## xabiaxica

MaidenScotland said:


> Yes but who checks them? You have to show your passport/boarding card to go through security.. but that is not immigration/passport control. Madrid sees the passport checked throughly and I am always asked the reason for my visit at this it at 4am, this might be because I have Islamic country visas.


it might not be passport control - but _someone_ is still looking at the passport & the picture

though come to think of it, at Alicante on my last trip I def had to show my passport at passport control to get out of Spain

and again at Luton!

I can't remember back to the late 80's - though I'm pretty sure it was tougher to get through then than it is now - no x ray machines or anything - but they for sure looked at passports in & out of the countries


----------



## VFR

That is why you are required to fill out the Passenger ID form when booking a flight, so they know who is coming & when.
No doubt this info is read by a computer & will instantly flag up a known name (known to them that is)


----------



## mrypg9

playamonte said:


> That is why you are required to fill out the Passenger ID form when booking a flight, so they know who is coming & when.
> No doubt this info is read by a computer & will instantly flag up a known name (known to them that is)


I read somewhere that some UK Government Agency has details of everry single flight in and out of the UK that we make.
They're using this info to track welfare fraudsters who live in Spain and claim Invalidity Benefit or whatever it's now called in Spain.


----------



## VFR

mrypg9 said:


> I read somewhere that some UK Government Agency has details of everry single flight in and out of the UK that we make.
> They're using this info to track welfare fraudsters who live in Spain and claim Invalidity Benefit or whatever it's now called in Spain.


I would not doubt that that happens, but I thought that this was exportable ?


----------



## gus-lopez

playamonte said:


> I would not doubt that that happens, but I thought that this was exportable ?


Some parts are , others aren't. With those parts you are not able to be out of the UK for more than 90 (?) days without losing your entitlement.


----------



## MaidenScotland

xabiachica said:


> it might not be passport control - but _someone_ is still looking at the passport & the picture
> 
> though come to think of it, at Alicante on my last trip I def had to show my passport at passport control to get out of Spain
> 
> and again at Luton!
> 
> I can't remember back to the late 80's - though I'm pretty sure it was tougher to get through then than it is now - no x ray machines or anything - but they for sure looked at passports in & out of the countries




There is no passport control when leaving, you go up the stairs and through security thats it.. I always have to show my passport to get into the UK.


----------



## ivorra

JoCatalunya said:


> .....Typical Spanish bureaucracy, they don't know their heads from their behinds at times and treat decent folk abysmally whilst letting the real crooks go about unmolested.


In ten years as residents of Catalunya, this stereotype has not been our experience. In the few encounters with the police ('Mossos, Policia Local and Guardia Urbana) that we have had, they have always been courteous and helpful, sympathetic even when articles were stolen from our car. As for the bureaucracy, once one gets the hang of 'el ley de falta uno' ie always read up on what documents and copies you need before visiting the office so as to minimise the chances of being caught out, things usuually go smoothly. And there has been a noticeable improvement in recent years as more and more transactions have been made available on-line and the local government offices and health service have built fully networked databases.


----------



## MaidenScotland

JoCatalunya said:


> How sad the police treat you like that, perhaps you should contact a lawyer in Spain and have a chat, go on the website for the British Consul in Barca or Alicante or the like and there is a list of English speaking lawyers who can advise you on what you need to do.
> 
> Typical Spanish bureaucracy, they don't know their heads from their behinds at times and treat decent folk abysmally whilst letting the real crooks go about unmolested.




You would have thought him a real enough crook if it was your stolen travellers cheques he was spending.


----------



## dunmovin

MaidenScotland said:


> You would have thought him a real enough crook if it was your stolen travellers cheques he was spending.


Actually.no I wouldnt put him in the same class as thief who stole the cheues....naive, yes and with no intent to be insulting to the OP.... bloody stupid.

He's on holiday 22 years ago.... someone offers travellers cheques at a knockdown rate.. doesn't know enough about the system or how it works, but these things are as good as cash..... Yes alarm bells should have going off when the passport went with the deal and momentary greed and lack of thought landed him in trouble.

Guilty of handling stolen property or dumb enough to believe the story of the seller? Either way he's guilty, but lets not say he's thief.

Correct, he should not have left before sorting it out(making flight from justice another crime) and the subsequent arrest was justified, but if the Malaga court has disposed of the matter that should be the end of it.


----------



## jojo

dunmovin said:


> Actually.no I wouldnt put him in the same class as thief who stole the cheues....naive, yes and with no intent to be insulting to the OP.... bloody stupid.
> 
> He's on holiday 22 years ago.... someone offers travellers cheques at a knockdown rate.. doesn't know enough about the system or how it works, but these things are as good as cash..... Yes alarm bells should have going off when the passport went with the deal and momentary greed and lack of thought landed him in trouble.
> 
> Guilty of handling stolen property or dumb enough to believe the story of the seller? Either way he's guilty, but lets not say he's thief.
> 
> Correct, he should not have left before sorting it out(making flight from justice another crime) and the subsequent arrest was justified, but if the Malaga court has disposed of the matter that should be the end of it.



But you dont know what else the person who passed over the stolen traveller cheques may have done. He may have been a major, major criminal and if his name was tied in with our OP, then they're gonna be suspicious, even after 22 years.

Jo xxx


----------



## Pesky Wesky

dunmovin said:


> Actually.no I wouldnt put him in the same class as thief who stole the cheues....naive, yes and with no intent to be insulting to the OP.... bloody stupid.
> 
> He's on holiday 22 years ago.... someone offers travellers cheques at a knockdown rate.. doesn't know enough about the system or how it works, but these things are as good as cash..... Yes alarm bells should have going off when the passport went with the deal and momentary greed and lack of thought landed him in trouble.
> 
> Guilty of handling stolen property or dumb enough to believe the story of the seller? Either way he's guilty, but lets not say he's thief.
> 
> Correct, he should not have left before sorting it out(making flight from justice another crime) and the subsequent arrest was justified, but if the Malaga court has disposed of the matter that should be the end of it.


We don't know enough of the story, but something doesn't add up (not trying to say the OP isn't telling the truth, but due to language difficulties, different cultures/ police systems smthing's not quite right)
In his first post the op says he spent 6 weeks in a jail in Malaga!! Then he was released at midnight, but charged or not? With court case pending or not? Deported or not?
OP, as you yourself say ,you need to get this sorted out and if the embassy can't help you, you need an English speaking Spanish lawyer, or failing that a Spanish speaking British lawyer.
And yes, I agree, you should have had better treatment at the airport, but you didn't and perhaps that's what will be waiting for you on your next trip. although I hope not.
Hope you can get it all sorted out


----------



## dunmovin

Pesky Wesky said:


> We don't know enough of the story, but something doesn't add up (not trying to say the OP isn't telling the truth, but due to language difficulties, different cultures/ police systems smthing's not quite right)
> In his first post the op says he spent 6 weeks in a jail in Malaga!! Then he was released at midnight, but charged or not? With court case pending or not? Deported or not?
> OP, as you yourself say ,you need to get this sorted out and if the embassy can't help you, you need an English speaking Spanish lawyer, or failing that a Spanish speaking British lawyer.
> And yes, *I agree, you should have had better treatment at the airport,* but you didn't and perhaps that's what will be waiting for you on your next trip. although I hope not.
> Hope you can get it all sorted out


on that Pesky, I have to disagree. From what the OP posted, he was fugitive from Spanish justice, regardless of age,time elapsed, the officials were dealing with a fugitive and had no knowledge of the mans history. Fine..the offence might be a petty one, but at the same point, it could have been part of a money laudring operation... they dont know and had to handle it as if they dealt with a Major criminal.

Bottom line? was he stupid and got conned,or a poor sucker that got caught? Does it matter? the theft of the cheques could have been a pickpocket or a murderer, a con for a few dollars or part of a money laundering operation

One other point....if you spent 6 weeks in jail and didn't go to court to be cleared..... do you think youl'd remember that as an unresolved issue you might want to avoid?

To the OP: there are many ways you can resolve this, but the bottom line is you were a party to a crime against the laws of the country you were in, fled their justice system.

I think you know that.


----------



## Pesky Wesky

dunmovin said:


> on that Pesky, I have to disagree. From what the OP posted, he was fugitive from Spanish justice, regardless of age,time elapsed, the officials were dealing with a fugitive and had no knowledge of the mans history. Fine..the offence might be a petty one, but at the same point, it could have been part of a money laudring operation... they dont know and had to handle it as if they dealt with a Major criminal.
> 
> Bottom line? was he stupid and got conned,or a poor sucker that got caught? Does it matter? the theft of the cheques could have been a pickpocket or a murderer, a con for a few dollars or part of a money laundering operation
> 
> One other point....if you spent 6 weeks in jail and didn't go to court to be cleared..... do you think youl'd remember that as an unresolved issue you might want to avoid?
> 
> To the OP: there are many ways you can resolve this, but the bottom line is you were a party to a crime against the laws of the country you were in, fled their justice system.
> 
> I think you know that.


Well, I'm not up on what happens when you're released from prison in any country, but if no one tells you what you've got to do (ie go to court, report to a police station, charges have been dropped...) in a language that you understand, then it's difficult to bide by the law. I don't know if that's what happened or not, but the OP hasn't said anything different to that, has he? I don't see anything about him being a fugitive from the police.Or have I missed smth?
He does say he was released at midnight with all his belongings including his passport. I understood that if he was given his passport it was that he was able to leave the country??
Anyway, what matters is that he would like to visit Spain again and at this point feels he can't


----------



## xabiaxica

MaidenScotland said:


> There is no passport control when leaving, you go up the stairs and through security thats it.. I always have to show my passport to get into the UK.


I get pushed in a wheelchair the back way!!

yes, through security then - but you do show your passport



the point I'm trying to make is that you do have to show your passport somewhere to someone - you wouldn't get to the plane without it


----------



## MaidenScotland

xabiachica said:


> I get pushed in a wheelchair the back way!!
> 
> yes, through security then - but you do show your passport
> 
> 
> 
> the point I'm trying to make is that you do have to show your passport somewhere to someone - you wouldn't get to the plane without it




Yes but security is not passport control... two different people all together.
Security checks that your name is the same name as on your boarding card. Passport control checks if you are allowed in or out of a country and they have a list of undesirables .


----------



## Pesky Wesky

Pesky Wesky said:


> Well, I'm not up on what happens when you're released from prison in any country, but if no one tells you what you've got to do (ie go to court, report to a police station, charges have been dropped...) in a language that you understand, then it's difficult to bide by the law. I don't know if that's what happened or not, but the OP hasn't said anything different to that, has he? I don't see anything about him being a fugitive from the police.Or have I missed smth?
> He does say he was released at midnight with all his belongings including his passport. I understood that if he was given his passport it was that he was able to leave the country??
> Anyway, what matters is that he would like to visit Spain again and at this point feels he can't


And a PS
By "better treatment at the airport" I mean having a translator, which is probably part of an international agreement I would have thought


----------



## JoCatalunya

The police here have access to a telephone service by which they can provide an interpreter for anyone who does not speak the local lingo. 
They should also have informed the Consul of this mans arrest the moment it happened.

Neither happened, so technically the gentleman could denuncia the police for failure to comply with a) their own rules regarding non indigenous speaking detainees, and the Vienna Treaty 1963.


----------



## rob1340

MaidenScotland said:


> I am now guessing that Malaga is an international airport and that might be the difference in security etc


I travel through Malaga airport regulary and someone always looks at my passport both on entry and exit.last time i travelled it was even scanned on entry wich was a first.

cheers


----------



## jojo

rob1340 said:


> I travel through Malaga airport regulary and someone always looks at my passport both on entry and exit.last time i travelled it was even scanned on entry wich was a first.
> 
> cheers


 My OH does too and he says the guy in the booth barely looks up at his passport. At christmas when I travelled with my daughter who has one of the scannable passports, they did scan hers??! But only glanced at the rest of ours!

Jo xxx


----------



## 90199

The British Consulate are not based on Fuerteventura see link,

Fuerteventura & Lanzarote Consular services


----------



## mickybob

JoCatalunya said:


> treat decent folk abysmally whilst letting the real crooks go about unmolested.


Ahhh, but decent folk are easier to arrest. Real crooks are a lot more trouble to nick.

But my sympathy goes to the OP, shouldn't have happened like that.


----------

