A major international police operation has swept across Spain and Scotland, with simultaneous dawn raids targeting suspected high-level organised crime networks.
Officers from Police Scotland, working alongside Spanish authorities, carried out coordinated searches in Barcelona, Malaga and multiple locations across Scotland in an operation that began at 4am on Friday.
At least eight people have been arrested in Scotland, according to reports from BBC Scotland, although it remains unclear whether any arrests have been made on Spanish soil.
Properties in Glasgow, Lanarkshire and West Lothian were among those searched, alongside addresses in Spain, as part of an investigation into alleged drug trafficking, money laundering and wider organised crime activity.
The raids are the result of more than two years of intelligence work involving Police Scotland, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Guardia Civil.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector George Calder confirmed that Scottish officers are currently deployed in Spain as part of the operation.
‘We are sharing intelligence, information and resources,’ he said, warning that suspects cannot evade justice simply by crossing borders.
While the operation comes amid an ongoing and violent gang conflict in Scotland – linked to dozens of arrests and multiple convictions – authorities have stressed that Friday’s raids are not directly connected to that feud.
They are also said to be unrelated to the high-profile killings of Scottish gang figures Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons Jnr, who were shot dead in Fuengirola in May 2025 while watching the Champions League final.
However, the Costa del Sol once again finds itself in the spotlight.
The major police operation was underway in Mijas from the early hours of Friday, with a heavy presence of officers in areas including Riviera del Sol and Cala Hills.
Authorities confirmed the operation was part of an international investigation led by Europol into suspected money laundering linked to drug trafficking.
The operation involved the Guardia Civil, including its elite Unidad Central Operativa (UCO), which specialises in tackling organised crime networks.
Their involvement suggested investigators are targeting a high-level criminal group with potentially complex international links.
Raids and heavy presence in residential areas
Residents in Riviera del Sol and Cala Hills reported multiple property searches, with large numbers of officers entering homes.
In at least one case, neighbours said more than 30 Guardia Civil officers were present at a single property.
Helicopters were also deployed overnight and into the early morning, in another sign of a high-risk operation, often used when there is concern over suspects fleeing or destroying evidence.
Investigators have not yet confirmed arrests or seizures, and the operation remains ongoing.
Linked to wider crackdown
The deployment comes just days after another major Guardia Civil operation in nearby Torremolinos, where officers secured the transfer of an international fugitive wanted by France.
The suspect was subject to a European Arrest Warrant over his alleged role in the kidnapping and torture of a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and his wife, in a case involving a €10 million ransom demand.
According to investigators, the victim was abducted at gunpoint while dropping his children at school. During the ordeal, kidnappers reportedly amputated one of his fingers to pressure the family.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
