Tourists in Spain could be slapped with on-the-spot £170 in new shopping rules

Tourists hoping to save a few quid could be hit with fines if they buy from unlicensed traders in Spain. The new crackdown will be fronted by undercover officers in Costa Blanca, reports BirminghamLive.

The move hopes to do-away with the vendors. Should you be caught, your actions could cost you €200 (£170).

The sellers are called ‘manteros’ (‘top mantas’) in Spain as they’re haul is often atop blankets on the street. Recently, the Guardia Civil seized several tonnes of counterfeit products from a warehouse in Alicante that were intended for street sellers.

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The mayor of Torrevieja, a busy city on the Costa Blanca, has requested an increase in police numbers this summer to enforce the rules. At the height of summer, the city’s population more than doubles to around 500,000, according to Alicante Today.

Calls have also been made in Spain’s Costa del Sol to impose tougher sanctions on shoppers who buy from unlicensed vendors.

The local Association of Traders and Businessmen claims that genuine shopkeepers in the coastal town of Benalmádena are losing between 20 and 30 per cent of their earnings to the rogue salesmen.

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