Spain
(Spanish: España) officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España) has been a member of the European Union since 1 January 1986. It is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with Gibraltar, to the north and northeast by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the west and northwest by Portugal and the Atlantic Ocean.
Country Information
- Madrid
- 505,990 km2
- 48,196,693
Law Enforcement Agencies
Civil Guard (Guardia Civil)
The Spanish Guardia Civil is a military-style law enforcement agency. With more than 87,406 officers (7.72% of them women), the Civil Guard is deployed throughout Spanish territory and is also responsible for territorial waters. Under the Spanish Constitution, its duties are to protect the free exercise of rights and freedoms and to guarantee the safety of citizens. The Civil Guard falls under the authority of both the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defence (for its military missions). In respect of its customs tasks, it falls under the responsibility of the Treasury and, as a judicial police force, it reports to the Courts of Justice and the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Pursuant to Spanish Organic Law 2/86, the Civil Guard shares a number of competences with other law enforcement agencies, including public safety and order, criminal investigations, intelligence and counter terrorism, as well as administrative police duties, although it has exclusive authority in the following areas:
- Those derived from the current legislation on arms and explosives.
- The fiscal protection of the State and actions aimed at preventing and pursuing smuggling.
- Surveillance of traffic, transit and transport on inter-urban public roads.
- Custody of land communication routes, coasts, borders, ports, airports and centres and premises which, due to their interest, so require.
- Ensuring compliance with provisions aimed at the conservation of nature and the environment, water resources, as well as hunting, fishing, forestry and any other nature-related resources.
- The inter-urban transport of prisoners and detainees.
Contact Details
Customs Surveillance Service (Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera)
Customs Surveillance is a Deputy Directorate that is organically and functionally dependant on the Customs and Special Taxes Department and which is integrated in the State Agency of Tax Administration (AEAT), which falls under the authority of the Ministry of Finance.
It comprises over 2,323 officers (28% of them women) who have the status of law enforcement officers (tax police and judicial police), given the missions they carry out. Therefore, they are authorized to carry regulation weapons. Their actions are aimed at the repression of smuggling offences, the fight against drug trafficking and other related crimes such as money laundering, excise and other tax fraud and the underground economy. For this reason, they have extensive training in administrative law, criminal and procedural law, EU law, tax law, customs law and legislation on smuggling.
The Spanish Customs Surveillance Directorate has the following competences:
- to uncover, prosecute and repress smuggling (drugs, defense and dual-use material) activities throughout Spanish territory, territorial waters and air space;
- to carry out inspection, investigation and control activities at the request of the Spanish Customs Inspection Services;
- to participate in missions of investigation, surveillance and control in the field of excise duties;
- to collaborate with the competent bodies in the investigation and uncovering of exchange control infractions;
- to provide communication services within the Customs Department;
- to carry out other related tasks, including the selection of the technical resources and special equipment required to carry out operational activities. This includes vessels, aircraft, electronic surveillance and any other materials required to fulfil its mandate;
- any other activities linked to its mandate (money laundering, foreign exchange control, investigation of the black economy) in coordination with the competent authorities and those assigned by the Minister of Finance;
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National Police (Policía Nacional)
Policía Nacional is an armed force with civil status that operates under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior, with competences at a national level and with a staff of 71,570 officers (17.50 % of them women). Its core mandate is to protect the free exercise of rights and freedoms and to guarantee citizens’ security. It carries out its tasks in the areas of law enforcement, protection of the public, and crime prevention and investigation.
The commitment of the National Police to citizen security is combined with an effective response to major threats of a global nature to the model of democratic coexistence. For this reason, the fight against organized crime, terrorism, abuse of the most vulnerable, cybercrime and human trafficking are among its strategic objectives.
Pursuant to Spanish Organic Law 2/86, the National Police has exclusive competences in the following areas:
- issuing national identity cards and passports;
- the control of persons entering or leaving the country;
- those duties provided for in the legislation on foreigners, refuge and asylum, extradition, expulsion, emigration and immigration;
- monitoring and inspecting compliance with the regulations on gambling;
- investigating and prosecuting drug-related crimes;
- cooperating and collaborating with foreign law enforcement agencies, providing assistance in accordance with the provisions of the International Treaties or Agreements on the Laws, under the superior direction of the Minister of the Interior;
- controlling private security entities and services, including the supervision of their personnel, means and actions.
The National Police also collects and processes information on counter terrorist matters at national and international level, and investigates organized criminal involvement in technological and economic offences, illegal immigration networks and drug-related crimes.
Contact Details
Email
- prensa@policia.es
Phone
- +34913223319