BARCELONA – Spanish police said on Nov 5 they had dismantled seven criminal organisations operating in Costa del Sol, arresting 55 “highly violent” people and seizing nearly nine tonnes of drugs.
The police operations, carried out over the past month, were part of an effort to weaken organised crime in the popular Mediterranean resort area in southern Spain, which has large foreign communities, the National Police said in a statement.
Among those detained were 10 French nationals accused of involvement in the kidnapping of a Moroccan man in 2024 in Marbella, an upscale tourist resort.
Two other alleged members of the same group were arrested in connection with the attempted murder of two Swedish nationals in December.
Police said the victims narrowly escaped by jumping from a 30m embankment after armed men intercepted them in a ride-hailing vehicle.
Another French gang targeted by police was allegedly responsible for violent robberies against rival drug traffickers.
Authorities said the group used a small utility vehicle with a hidden compartment to transport weapons without attracting attention.
Police described the 55 suspects as “highly violent and highly specialised”.
Officers seized 8,984 kilograms of hashish and cocaine, along with 37 firearms and more than €150,000 (S$225,000) in cash.
Spanish authorities have expressed growing concern over the presence of foreign organised crime groups along the Costa del Sol, where they can easily blend into the region’s large expatriate communities and crowds of tourists.
Spain is a gateway to Europe for North African hashish and South American cocaine, making the region a magnet for international criminal gangs. AFP