About to complete his first year at the head of the National Police of Lanzarote, Commissioner Luis Mayandía points out the drug trafficking on the island as one of his main concerns. "There is too much drug circulating in Lanzarote," he acknowledged, clarifying that this situation is largely due to the island's own geographical situation. "We are in a strategic location and we are very close to the places where it is produced and from which it leaves," he detailed, indicating, as an example, the arrival of the last 'narco-boat' earlier this year.
Another problem, due to its importance, that concentrates the efforts of the security force he directs is "the existence of networks or people who are part of those networks and who provide false documentation" to citizens who arrive in Lanzarote, via the airport, from different countries. Mayandía, in statements to Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero, explains that it has been detected that these citizens legally enter the island as tourists and once here, this network provides them with false documentation "that allows entry to any country in the European Union". When these people try to pass to those countries "they are detected" by the British security forces and "they return it to us" in accordance with the provisions of the EU agreements, Mayandía points out regarding the operation of the forgery network.
However, the commissioner is satisfied with the work being carried out by the troops he directs. "They haven't returned them to us lately," he says, highlighting the efforts being made to put an end to this problem.
"The feeling of insecurity is subjective"
Despite everything, Mayandía believes that Lanzarote is a safe island. "The feeling of insecurity is subjective," he says, pointing out that, even if a policeman could be placed every hundred meters "in the streets of Lanzarote or any city, we would never achieve that absolute security and that a criminal would not end up committing his misdeed."
Asked if crime has increased in Lanzarote as a result of the crisis and the fact that there are a higher number of people living on the street, Mayandía rejects this question. "You cannot associate unemployment or adverse economic situation with crime. Nor can you associate immigration with crime. I absolutely separate need from crime. The criminal commits crimes because he wants to, because it is the most comfortable and it is what he knows how to do," he argues.
He is more harsh about the fact that there are criminals who can be arrested up to thirty times in a short space of time. "I blame the Law, which has fallen short," he argues, indicating that, in his opinion, "the Law is tremendously guarantor, but it also has those flaws that allow that loophole for judges and prosecutors not to be able to put all those individuals in pre-trial detention".