The recent surge in gangland violence is risking the reputation of Marbella while turning Malaga’s coastline into the ‘Costa del Crime.’
That’s the verdict of hard-right Vox party minister Antonio Sevilla, who demanded tougher action against organised crime in the region.
His comments came just hours after a man was shot in the leg in broad daylight on Marbella’s Golden Mile on Tuesday.
Three Dutch men were arrested following the brazen attack, which occurred near a hotel shortly after 2pm.
Sevilla, who is head of Vox Malaga and an MP in the Andalucian parliament, blamed Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska for the increase in gun violence.
‘Because of him, the Costa del Sol is becoming the Costa del Crime,’ Sevilla said.
The VOX politician claimed Malaga province has recorded at least 16 shootings so far this year.
Calls to bring back OCON-Sur
Sevilla used the latest incident to renew demands for the reinstatement of OCON-Sur, the Guardia Civil unit created to tackle drug trafficking and organised crime in southern Spain.
‘What more does the Interior Minister need to reactivate the OCON-Sur unit?’ he asked.
Sevilla claimed the demand was not coming from Vox alone, arguing that members of Spain’s security forces have also called for its return.
OCON-Sur was created in 2018 amid escalating drug trafficking activity in southern Spain, particularly around the Campo de Gibraltar, before being dismantled in 2022.
Vox argues that bringing back the specialist unit, alongside increasing the human and material resources available to police, is necessary to combat criminal organisations.
Fears over Marbella’s image
Sevilla also warned that repeated shootings risk damaging Marbella’s international reputation and its crucial tourism industry.
‘For the residents of Marbella, it is not easy knowing that their city is being taken over by organised crime,’ he said.
He accused Grande-Marlaska of turning Malaga’s ‘paradise into a hell for residents and business owners’.
The claims are the latest political reaction to a series of high-profile shootings and other violent incidents on the Costa del Sol.
Sevilla said there is a clear need for more officers and equipment, arguing that police on the ground are those directly confronting groups involved in drug trafficking and organised crime.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
