Brits in Spain face fines for new shopping crackdown in popular holiday spot

Holidaymakers in Spain are being warned of a new crackdown that could see them fined for buying from unlicensed street vendors.

Undercover cops will be patrolling the streets of Costa Blanca, south-east Spain, dishing out penalties to unsuspecting tourists. The popular holiday destination is taking a stand against illegal street sellers, who peddle everything from trainers and sunglasses to fake ‘designer’ handbags and watches.

Tourists are often lured in by the bargain prices, but those who buy these cheap souvenirs could now find themselves £170 poorer. Plain-clothed police will be on patrol throughout the peak summer holiday period, and anyone caught buying from unlicensed “manteros” will be slapped with an immediate fine of up to €200 (around £170).

These sellers are known locally as manteros or ‘top mantas’ because they typically display their goods on top of blankets spread out on the street. Recently, the Guardia Civil confiscated several tonnes of counterfeit products from a warehouse in Alicante destined for these street sellers.

The mayor of Torrevieja, a bustling city on the Costa Blanca, has called for more police this summer to enforce the rules. During the peak of summer, the city’s population swells to around 500,000, according to Alicante Today, reports Birmingham Live.

There have been calls in Spain’s southernly Costa del Sol for stricter penalties against shoppers who purchase from the notorious ‘looky looky men’. These wandering street vendors, often seen peddling trinkets, clothing and knock-off merchandise to beachgoers in Spain, are frequently operating illegally without a licence.

The local Association of Traders and Businessmen alleges that legitimate shop owners in the coastal town of Benalmadena are losing between 20 and 30 per cent of their profits to these unlicensed sellers.

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