The rumours about a big drug crack down in Ibiza have been flying around for a while. Now, just as the 2007 summer season officially kick started, the authorities have shut down three of the island’s most popular clubs.

Amnesia and Bora Bora were forced to close its doors for one month, while DC-10 will have to close for two months, effective immediately. All three venues were also ordered to pay a 6,000 Euros fine.

The action is in response to local police and Guardia Civil based on investigations conducted during 2005 and 2006 and the allegation that the clubs did little or nothing to stop the use and/or dealing of drugs inside the venues.

Amnesia was due to open on June 16 with big nights such as Cocoon and Cream already lined up. Mondays at DC-10 started last week.

The use of narcotics “creates dangerous situations and damages Ibiza’s tourist credentials,” sources at the Ministry of the Interior told local newspaper Diario de Ibiza yesterday. The officials also say that during the opening weekend this summer 450 people were found to be in possession of narcotics. No details were supplied as to the types of drugs involved, or the number of cases involving alcohol abuse in the same period.

The fact of a matter is that the industry in Ibiza only lives for summer. To be shut down for a month or two here pretty much equals to an ordinary club being shut down for a year. The closing will also have a terrible impact both on the seasonal workers, who travel from around the world, and the locals.

Clubbing is one of the main reason most people actually travel to Ibiza, so closing them demonstrates a will to enforce a zero-tolerance law regardless of the consequences.

Ibiza-Voice reports that the three have already banded together to take legal action against this ruling.

Let’s see what happens next…

Update: Message from Cocoon @ Amnesia’s MySpace Bulletin:

Hello,

As some of you have heard Club Amnesia will be shutting down for 1 month. First of all i don’t know what to say, we are all shocked when we got the news yesterday. But we thought everyone should know about this, since you the PEOPLE are the ones that have supported us from the beginning.

Club Amnesia , DC-10 and Bora Bora have joined forces to fight this! And believe us we will fight it till the end. Our lawyers as I’m writing this down are doing everything possible for Club Amnesia to start June 16, 2007. But as of now Club Amnesia Opening June 16, 2007 have been cancelled!!

Lets all pray and hope that we win this fight!!!

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