The Civil Guard intervenes in Malaga an arsenal of weapons from drug trafficking
Made up of Germans and British, the dismantled organization supplied arms to drug traffickers from Costa del Sol and Campo de Gibraltar
One of the detainees was claimed by the German authorities for similar acts, another was linked to neo-Nazi movements, and the third made use of numerous false identities and passports
Among the 160 firearms seized, there are 30 assault rifles and submachine guns, in addition to almost 10,000 cartridges, 270 magazines and even a military explosive grenade
The Civil Guard, within the framework of the Nongreta operation, has dismantled in Malaga an international group dedicated to arms trafficking – including weapons of war – destined for drug trafficking organizations in southern Spain.
The Headquarters of Information has arrested the three leaders of the organization – two German citizens and one British citizen – who are charged with the crimes of integration into a criminal group, trafficking and deposit of weapons, ammunition trafficking, drug trafficking and documentary falsity.
In the searches carried out, the agents have intervened an arsenal of 160 firearms made up of 121 short weapons, 22 assault rifles and eight submachine guns, among others. They have also found 9,967 cartridges of different calibers, eight silencers, 273 magazines and even a grenade with a kilo and a half of military explosive.
The dismantled organization had been operating for more than three years. The detainees acquired weapons of war – assault rifles and submachine guns – in Eastern countries. These weapons were later manipulated in a sophisticated clandestine workshop that one of the detainees had installed in his home.
Once reactivated, they trafficked with them through another of the detainees, in charge of the sale and distribution to drug traffickers.
Violent account settlements
The investigation began last year, when the Civil Guard detected an alarming increase in the use of firearms used in "rollovers" – drug theft – and violent score-keeping between drug traffickers on the Costa del Sol and Campo de Gibraltar.
The researchers focused their attention on an individual of German nationality, who had been living in Coín (Malaga) for years, under the false guise of a foreign retiree. The exchange of information with the German Criminal Police (BKA) revealed that this individual contained an arrest warrant for an arsenal found in Hannover, facts for which his spouse is already in prison.
In the subsequent search of his home in Coín, the Civil Guard has found a sophisticated clandestine workshop with complex machinery that even needed to tap the light to support the power it required.
A Nazi tinderbox
The second detained member was responsible for the storage and concealment of the weapons. Packed in airtight bags, the weapons were ready for distribution in a warehouse that this German citizen had rented.
There, the Information agents have found a veritable tinderbox of weapons, parts and ammunition. He even had an anti-tank grenade with a kilo and a half of military explosive.
Linked to extreme right-wing groups and Nazi movements, the detainee had a “museum” of Nazi-themed objects, uniforms and flags in his home and registered ship.
Dealer with background
The third detainee, a British national, acted as an intermediary in the sale between the Germans and the drug traffickers on the Costa del Sol and Campo de Gibraltar.
Previously arrested for drug trafficking, this individual adopted strong security measures in his transfers so as not to be identified. In addition to hiding the weapons in double bottoms of high-end vehicles, he used false passports when traveling. In the registration of his home, the Civil Guard has intervened a pistol with the serial number erased and more than 1,200 cartridges ready for distribution.
In the last five years, the Information Service has carried out more than 87 operations against arms trafficking networks with the result of 422 people arrested, more than 4,737 firearms seized, 581,281 metallic cartridges intervened, 185 kilos of explosive substances, plus 700,000 euros and 20 clandestine workshops dismantled.
This operation has been developed by the Information Office (UCE3) of the Civil Guard, with the support of the German Criminal Police (BKA), the Andalusian Area Information Section and the Information Group, USECIC and the GEDEX of the Malaga Command, as well as members of the GAR and the Cynological Service. All this under the direction of the Courts of Instruction number 1 and 3 of Coín (Malaga).
For more information, you can contact the Information Office at the telephone number 650 475 925.
