14 arrested as alleged criminal gang broken up

A CRIMINAL gang allegedly responsible for the brutal murder of a 34-year-old American man in Mijas in May have been arrested by the Guardia Civil.

Altogether, the police force reported, 14 Cuban and Colombian nationals have been detained during the operation and 13 of them are behind bars.

The operation, which started in May, was carried out in Malaga, Madrid, Toledo and Guadalajara Province to disband a large criminal gang that worked on an international level stealing drugs from drug-trafficking groups and using extreme violence.

The Mijas death, the Guardia Civil explained was one example of this violence.

After discovering the man’s body at a house in Mijas owned by the gang, investigators discovered that he had arranged to meet two men hours before his death to sell them some drugs.

Yet he was unaware, the police reported, that they were members of the gang and had been watching him closely. After tricking him into going to the house, where his body was later found, to carry out the transaction, gang members tied his hands behind his back and shot him three times.

The suspects face charges of murder, drug trafficking, counterfeiting, illegal weapons’ possession and belonging to a criminal gang.

During the operation 32 kilos of cocaine (valued at about €1.1 million), seven vehicles worth €120,000, €508,000 in counterfeit notes and €10,000 in cash were confiscated along with three guns, one equipped with a silencer, tracking and surveillance equipment and fake National Police uniforms and badges