The hunt for a wanted French fugitive sparked a major emergency response in Torremolinos at the weekend.
Footage shared online showed scores of Guardia Civil vehicles on Avenida de Palma de Mallorca.
The video was recorded near the court houses in the centre of the Costa del Sol town.
It came after a helicopter was filmed ‘flying very low’ over the area at around 11am on Sunday morning.
It led residents online to speculate that the authorities were ‘definitely looking for someone’.
It has since emerged that he was a ‘dangerous criminal’ who was wanted by authorities in France.
He was tracked down to Torremolinos after months of investigation by the Guardia Civil’s UCO force.
The serious response during his arrest was due to his dangerous associates in the criminal underworld.
The Guardia Civil has yet to release any further data on the operation.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
