A settling of accounts could be the trigger for the success that has led the National Police to dismantle a criminal organization of Serbian origin, involved in a violent assault on the home of a rival group in Estepona, Málaga. The operation has resulted in the arrest of 11 people in Malaga, Madrid and Barcelona, ??nine of whom have been placed in preventive detention. Among those detained is the leader of the organization, who faces an International Arrest Warrant issued by Serbia.
The investigation began in January when five Serbian citizens were admitted to a Malaga hospital with serious injuries as a result of a violent assault at their residence. The investigations revealed that the home in which they lived had been assaulted using firearms and that the residents had been tied up, beaten and injured. Given the seriousness of the events and the little collaboration that these people showed with the agents, it was possible to verify, with the collaboration of the Serbian authorities, that the perpetrators could be dangerous criminals related to the crime.
The agents discovered that the assault had been meticulously planned and executed with military tactics, and that a drone had even been used to monitor the victims. The investigations identified eight people involved in the assault, five of whom carried out direct action and three carried out surveillance work.
From the beginning of the investigations, investigators suspected that this assault could be motivated by a settling of accounts between Serbian clans.
During the operation, seven home searches were carried out in Estepona, Madrid and Vilassar de Dalt, where three firearms, ammunition, false identity documents, a drone and 16,000 euros in cash were seized. Additionally, a pistol with the serial number removed was found near the crime scene.
The dismantled organization had an extensive infrastructure in several Spanish provinces, including Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona and Alicante, and was linked to drug trafficking. Two of the detainees also face international arrest warrants issued by Serbia.
The police operation, which included the participation of the Special Operations Group and the Special Security Operational Group, has resulted in the arrest of those allegedly responsible for illegal detention, robbery with violence, illicit possession of weapons, injuries, falsification of documents, trafficking of drugs and membership in a criminal organization. Nine of those arrested remain in provisional prison after appearing in court.
