Britain has 230 known criminals sheltering in Spain

The Costa del Sol has seen an upsurge in violent crime in recent years with British, Irish and Russian gangs vying with local Spanish criminals for command of the lucrative drugs trade.

Morocco is only 40 miles away across the southern horizon.

The profit margins for smuggling Moroccan cannabis and Colombian cocaine are too tempting for many ex-pats, even when threatened with imprisonment or death.

A Briton was arrested in April this year in nearby Fuengirola after a consignment of cannabis and cocaine was discovered.

And drug dealer Scott Bradfield, from London, was murdered in October 2001.

His limbs were found in a suitcase on wasteland near Torremolinos in December and his head and torso were discovered in another case nearby.

Supergrass

Mr Bradfield was the prime suspect in the murder of James Gaspa, who was shot dead at his home in Islington, north London, in May 2000.

Police were about to issue an extradition warrant for him and it is possible he was killed to prevent him turning supergrass.

But he may have been executed simply because his dealing had encroached on a rival's territory.

The drugs trade and the property boom are luring criminals of all nationalities to the Costa del Sol.

Police said they feared criminals would try to launder money in old European currencies to avoid having to exchange it for euros and in the process declare it.

"The last couple of years those with money have been Russians and Polish, but mainly Russians," Miss Johnson told BBC News Online.

She said the price of property had gone "sky high" in the last year.

Her agency advertises six-bedroom villas for 2.28m euros (£1.45m) and even two-bedroom apartments for 143,000 euros (£91,315).

There have been reports of drugs being smuggled into Puerto Banus on luxury yachts, which are less likely to be searched than dilapidated fishing boats.