Following this year’s club closures, tougher laws targeting drug dealers have infiltrated Ibiza. Posters are displayed all over the island aiming to enlist 5,000 new recruits into the police force to ‘clean up Ibiza’. Visitors should err on the side of caution at all times. Drug and alcohol testing, as well as random drug searches in the larger towns, have become commonplace.
Plain clothes police now roam the island and conduct searches in bars and on the street. They’ve even reportedly stopped taxis en route to clubs to search passengers. It’s advisable to be polite and non-aggressive if stopped or questioned by the Guardia Civil (who wear green), they can be notoriously tough on tourists.
A recent visitor to the island reported that a road block was set up between Ibiza Town and San Rafael (towards Privilege on a Manumission night). Two lanes of traffic were narrowed down to one, and car-loads of young people were stopped by the police to be searched, creating a kilometre-long traffic jam. Any person carrying illegal substances for personal use faces a fine of 300E-400E (approx AU $475-$635).
