In an incident unlikely to help relations between the UK and Spain on the thorny subject of Gibraltar, four Guardia Civil officers were detained after arriving at the Rock while chasing a boat containing suspected drug smugglers.
The incident occurred early on Sunday night as the officers engaged in a high-speed chase. Straying very close to Gibraltar, the officers were detained and ordered to surrender their weapons before being escorted to the port of Gibraltar.
The two drug traffickers were also detained.
The officers were released after about two hours following a call by the Ministry of Interior Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba to the Gibraltar authorities in which the Minister apologised for the ‘improper action’ of the officers.