Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Police in the Axarquia have detained eight people after an investigation into the supply of fuel to narco-boats ended in gunfire at a warehouse near Torrox and the seizure of thousands of litres of petrol.
The National Police said the operation, known as Panceta, led to arrests in Malaga province, Cadiz and Ceuta after officers disrupted what they described as a logistics base for the illicit fuel network.
Warehouse raid led to shooting
According to police, the first phase of the inquiry began in May when officers caught two suspects in the act of loading fuel into a rural industrial unit in Torrox. Police said four other members of the group then arrived at the scene in two vehicles and opened fire as officers moved in.
Police returned fire and the suspects fled. During the escape, one of the vehicles involved in the gang’s run-off road collided with a motorcyclist who was not connected to the operation and injured him, according to the force.
Officers seized 5,740 litres of fuel stored in plastic containers, along with two zodiac-style boats, outboard engines and bags of supplies prepared for crews working on board the narco-boats.
The police also said investigators believe a worker at a filling station in Algarrobo may have been complicit in supplying large quantities of fuel to the network.
More arrests in Cadiz and Ceuta
A second phase of the inquiry led to four more arrests, with three people detained in Algeciras and another intercepted at the Tarajal border crossing in Ceuta as they tried to leave Spanish territory.
The suspects face possible allegations including attempted homicide, attacks on officers, public health offences, road safety offences and illegal weapons possession, depending on their alleged role in the group, police said.
The case adds to a series of police operations in southern Spain aimed at disrupting the fuel supply chains that support narco-boats operating in the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby coastal waters.
