Gibraltar, Spain: Chief Minister Extends Powers to Control Tobacco Activity

Source from:  Gibraltar Chronicle (gi)  11/26/2013

The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, has further extended the powers of Customs and Royal Gibraltar Police officers in relation to tobacco in areas around the frontier and North Front.

The Notice of Declaration of Special Zones Etc (Amendment) 2013 was published on Friday as a legal notice.

The effect of the declaration is to give customs and police officers the power of stop and search and to direct individuals to leave the new Special Zones which will now extend from the frontier to, and include, the area of the Sundial roundabout on Winston Churchill Avenue.

The effect of the declaration is also to make it an offence in these areas to request or procure any other person to export or assist with the exportation of cigarettes by land.

Since being elected into Government in December 2011 Mr Picardo has used the powers contained in the Tobacco Act to create these Special Zones from Western Beach across to Eastern Beach and covering the whole area from the frontier fence to the Airport.

This extension will now add the area of Winston Churchill Avenue from the frontier to the Sundial.

The Chief Minister said: "This is part of providing the tools for the enforcement of the Tobacco Act by Customs

and the Royal Gibraltar Police which is designed to deal with the unacceptable social problems that the tobacco business is creating in certain areas of Gibraltar. This is in addition to the stopping of retailing of tobacco (other than with vending machines) in the residential estates of Laguna and Glacis. Further measures will shortly be introduced to assist even further in addressing these issues. The relevant law enforcement agencies in Gibraltar know they can count on this Government's full support in respect of their work to control illicit activity which is in breach of the provisions of the Tobacco Act." Enditem