The Civil Guard dismantles a clandestine workshop manufacturing improvised explosive devices
They have intervened 17 improvised explosive devices, abundant precursors of explosives, 26 firearms (two of them war), bulletproof vests, silencers and more than 2,800 cartridges of different calibers, among other effects
A person who is charged with the alleged crimes of Arms Trafficking, War Weapons Deposit, Weapons Deposit, Ammunition Deposit and Explosive Deposit has been arrested
It is one of the biggest apprehensions of homemade explosive devices made so far in Spain
The Civil Guard, in the framework of the operation "TANGERINA", has dismantled in Miranda de Ebro (Burgos) a clandestine workshop for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices. It is one of the largest seizures of this type of artisanal artifacts made so far in our country.
The detainee now had a clandestine workshop installed at his home equipped with all kinds of machinery for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices, as well as for the handling of firearms and the artisanal manufacture of ammunition for them.
They have intervened 17 of these artifacts, already assembled and loaded, many of which had hidden them in a community garage. Likewise, more than 30 kilos of different explosive precursor chemicals and laboratory equipment (specimens, flasks, precipitation containers, etc.) used to manufacture them have been seized.
Likewise, this person acquired poorly unused firearms in Eastern European countries, many of them from war (assault rifles and submachine guns), which he later manipulated to put them back in a position to fire and fire. These weapons were illegally introduced into the country through postal packages, so that if they were not registered in the national databases they could be diverted to the illegal market or used in criminal acts with total impunity.
Given the condition of weapons of war of some of them, both for their caliber and for their ability to make automatic fire (machine gunner), the reactivation of this type of weapons and their illegal possession pose a serious risk to citizen security.
This operation is part of the Comprehensive Plan for the Control of Firearms (PICAF) of the Civil Guard which, being the National Body that has entrusted exclusively the competence over the control of weapons and explosives, exercises a exhaustive control over them, closely monitoring this type of illegal behavior.
This intervention has prevented not only that the high number of explosive devices and weapons seized could be used in violent events or diverted to the black market, but also the risk to the residents of the places where the detainee stored them in case of an explosion accidental during manufacturing and handling.
The possible links between the trafficking of weapons and explosives and terrorist organizations, make the fight against this threat one of the priorities of both the national security strategy and the European Union, so from the Information Headquarters of the Civil Guard is making a constant effort to detect and neutralize their illegal supply channels, as evidenced that in the last 5 years the Information Service has developed more than 37 operations against weapons trafficking networks with the result of 336 people arrested, more than 3,534 firearms seized (many of them from war) and 386,427 metal cartridges intervened.
Seized effects
- 17 home-made explosive devices (5 of the hand grenade type, 6 tube pumps and 4 cast iron pumps, 1 spherical ball and 1 termite)
- 26 firearms: 1 assault rifle, 1 submachine gun, 2 shotguns, 3 rifles, 1 carbine, 2 handmade weapons, 8 revolvers and 8 guns; several of them ammunition, even with cartridge in the chamber and therefore ready to be used
- More than 30 kilos of explosive precursors
- 6 electric detonators and numerous explosive wicks
- 4 prohibited weapons (1 rapier stick, 1 improved slingshot and 2 electric shock guns)
- 2,846 cartridges of different calibers
- 1 pulley crossbow
- Numerous pieces of weapons and loaders
- 1 silencer
- 1 bulletproof vest
- More than 4,000 pods, projectiles, fulminants, turquoise, molds, studs, gunpowder and machinery for the manufacture of metal and semi-metallic cartridges with projectiles of different calibers, including war calibres
- 35 pyrotechnic devices class III and 4 smoke canisters
- Laboratory equipment (flasks, test tubes, precipitation cuvettes, gas mask, gloves, etc.) to manufacture explosive mixtures
The detainee has been made available to the Court of First Instance and Instruction No. 2 of Miranda de Ebro (Burgos).
The operation has been carried out by agents belonging to the Information Office of the Civil Guard with the support of the Information Group and the Explosives Deactivation Group (GEDEX) of the Commandery of Burgos, as well as the Cinological Service (explosive detector dog) .
For more information you can contact the phone 91 503 11 09.
