A high-powered BMW X5 stolen in Marbella was turned into a weapon by drug traffickers who rammed a police car during a high-speed chase, leaving two officers with life-changing injuries, a court has heard.
The vehicle had been taken weeks earlier and later loaded with more than 500 kilos of hashish, meaning losing the haul would have meant a huge financial blow, investigators said.
According to the Supreme Court, the car was not just a getaway vehicle but a weapon used as much for attack as escape.
The court has now upheld a 19-and-a-half-year prison sentence for the main suspect, rejecting his appeal and confirming there were no legal grounds to reduce the conviction for attempted murder of police officers.
A deliberate collision
The case dates back to September 2020 on the so-called Los Yankis road in Algeciras, where Policia Nacional officers had detected a drug shipment and launched a pursuit.
As the suspect sped away, he drove straight at a police vehicle carrying two uniformed officers.
The BMW slammed into the driver’s side with devastating force. One officer was thrown several metres after being struck while attempting to escape. The other jumped out at the exact moment but was also injured.
Judges ruled the driver was fully aware his actions could kill and chose to take that risk.
Devastating injuries
One suffered catastrophic injuries, including a near-fatal haemorrhagic shock and the partial amputation of his left arm, along with severe facial fractures.
He has been left with limited mobility, minimal function in the arm, and has lost 70% of vision in one eye. He is no longer able to drive and has requested reassignment within the force.
The second officer sustained multiple injuries and has since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Crime network links
Investigators traced the BMW back to its theft in Marbella in August 2020. The vehicle had been altered and was already linked to criminal circuits, with previous connections to the UK – reinforcing suspicions of ties to British organised crime networks.
Four other suspects were tried in connection with the case but were ultimately acquitted.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
