A BRUTAL Costa del Sol stick-up gang notorious for targeting fellow drug traffickers has been arrested in a complex operation by the Policía Nacional in Velez-Malaga and the Guardia Civil in Valencia.
Six Spanish and Moroccan men, aged between 33 and 48, were rounded up in Operation Oconer-Sorry, a series of smash raids across five homes and a mechanic’s workshop in Mijas.
The high-stakes bust revealed a sophisticated criminal organisation that snuck GPS tracking devices on the drug-transporting vehicles they were planning to hit. They would then tail them discreetly before executing their heist with skill and precision – and extreme violence.
One particularly violent raid took place in Valencia, where they hijacked a truck passing through La Safor at high speeds in sports cars that carried duplicate number plates.
The vehicle, officially carrying a cargo of fruits and vegetables, was in fact concealing a large stash of hashish.
The gang members fired warning shots into the cabin before gaining control of the lorry, viciously beating the driver and kidnapping him.
He was later found in an abandoned area, having managed to contact the Guardia Civil despite being robbed of all possessions.
It was an MO that they repeated frequently with a high degree of violence and precision, often even posing as police officers with fake badges and uniforms.
The police operation brought in a haul including a pistol, an automatic weapon with a filed off serial number with a loaded magazine, 18 9mm cartridges, GPS signal jammers, police and Guardia Civil uniforms, emergency lights, a drone, 6,000 euros in cash, three vehicles, and a motorcycle.
The suspects face numerous charges including armed robbery, illegal detention, drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons, document forgery, impersonation of public officials, and involvement in organised crime.
Despite all these charges, only one of the six has been remanded in custody as the Costa del Sol courts once again let dangerous suspects walk the streets.
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