This is the moment four alleged gangsters were arrested after a police chase through south-eastern Spain resulted in the seizure of eight AK-47 machine guns.
The pursuit began in the early hours of July 2, when the Policia Nacional’s Organised Crime Unit spotted a car speeding dangerously along the A-7 motorway near Elche in Alicante, heading towards Murcia.
Attempting to follow the vehicle discreetly, officers soon realised the driver had noticed them.
He accelerated to speeds of more than 150km/hr, weaving between roads in an effort to shake off the pursuing cops.
As more police units joined the chase, the suspect allegedly rammed patrol vehicles several times in an attempt to escape.
In one collision, a police car was forced off the road and suffered significant damage, leaving two officers with minor injuries.
The pursuit finally came to an end in Abanilla (Murcia), where the driver lost control, crashed into a tree after entering farmland and fled on foot.
One officer chasing the suspect was injured after falling down an embankment, suffering cuts and bruises.
Despite an immediate search, the driver escaped.
Arsenal of weapons discovered
When officers searched the wrecked vehicle, they made a startling discovery.
Inside were eight AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifles, complete with magazines.
Spanish police describe the weapons as war-grade firearms, often associated with organised crime groups involved in serious offences including drug trafficking and contract killings.
Investigators believe the cache pointed to the driver’s links with a sophisticated criminal network.
Four suspects arrested
Documents recovered from the abandoned vehicle enabled investigators to identify the suspect and trace his alleged associates.
Between July 2 and July 5, detectives located members of the group living in Alicante and San Vicente del Raspeig.
On July 6, police arrested four Spanish nationals, aged between 21 and 43, including the driver who fled the crash.
According to investigators, all four have extensive criminal records, primarily for drug trafficking and other serious offences.
They have been accused of possessing war-grade weapons and membership of a criminal organisation.
The alleged driver also faces additional charges of dangerous driving, assaulting police officers, and criminal damage.
The four suspects appeared before an investigating judge in Alicante on Thursday as the investigation continues.
