It’s long been dubbed a gangster’s paradise, but a spike in turf wars between rival clans this year has politicians along the Costa del Sol concerned.
Now, a disturbing new trend is grabbing international headlines, as teenage boys are being flown into towns like Marbella to carry out assassinations on the cheap.
The youngsters, aged as young as 16, are reportedly prepared to pick up an assault rifle and spray a stranger with bullets for as little as €3,000.
Sources in the Policia Nacional say the region is being used as the execution arm of larger criminal networks.
The ‘low‑cost’ hitmen are being brought to Spain after being recruited in deprived neighbourhoods in northern Europe, where organised‑crime cultures are already entrenched.
Here, they are offered quick cash, respect and a degree of notoriety.
It comes after a 17-year-old was arrested for allegedly gunning down a Dutch man outside a cannabis club in Fuengirola.
Last year, a teenager was arrested in Benalmadena on suspicion of involvement in a similar crime.
The alleged killer-for-hire, also 17, was given instructions on how to hunt down his target, and was on his way to pick up his weapons when he was intercepted.
Investigations suggest the method is chillingly simple. The youth is instructed via an encrypted messaging channel to collect a weapon left at a prearranged spot – often a wasteland – and carry out the attack.
The public prosecutor in Andalucia, Ana Tarrago, told the regional parliament this week that Malaga shows ‘a disproportionate figure’ of violent deaths compared with the previous year.
The prosecutor’s office warns of ‘the consolidation of new criminal behaviours’ including assaults, sexual assaults and violent deaths, as well as attempted killings and serious injuries.
Judicial statistics for the last fiscal year show a sharp rise in proceedings, as some 156 cases were opened, up from 72 the year before.
Marbella stands out, accounting for 38 of those cases (16 more than in 2023), a rise prosecutors link to ‘narco‑related settling of scores’.
The most recent murder occurred on October 3, when Hamza Karimi, a 25‑year‑old Swedish rapper known as Hamko, was shot dead in broad daylight while on the phone.
The operation to capture the suspect – an Afghan man with Swedish nationality – saw police seal off exits to prevent his escape.
He was caught, but while awaiting trial is alleged to have attempted an escape from Alhaurín de la Torre prison after reportedly removing a bar from his cell. Authorities suspect he and another inmate may have been planning a breakout.
Local police representatives say the Costa del Sol’s mix of tourists, seasonal workers and wealthy residents creates opportunities for criminals.
The public prosecutor’s office has urged a tougher, coordinated response. It says law enforcement and prosecutions alone are not enough, and that a ‘zero‑tolerance’ social stance, special measures and cross‑sector programmes are required from all institutions.
The Prosecutor adds that the penal code should be strengthened to respond to the growing threat.
The Ministry of Public Prosecution has also warned of a worrying surge in illicit activity across the Costa del Sol and the Campo de Gibraltar.
It described the situation as ‘desolate and very dangerous’ because of increased corrupting influence, narco‑related reprisals, drug thefts, attacks on security forces and the widespread use of firearms.
Read more Costa del Crime news at the Spanish Eye.
