Seven Serbian nationals have been jailed on the Costa del Sol after police discovered a plastic-lined room containing a covered chair, hammer, restraints and firearms.
The suspects were sent to Alhaurin de la Torre prison on the same night last week in connection with a major investigation into organised crime.
The allegations facing the group include attempted murder, unlawful detention and membership of a criminal organisation, as well as weapons and ammunition offences.
Their arrival immediately attracted the attention of prison staff, according to penitentiary sources cited by Malaga Hoy, who said they had to be separated according to protocols.
The men allegedly warned prison workers that there would be ‘problems’ if they were not kept together in the same wing.
Officials refused their request and distributed them across different parts of the prison.
All seven were described as exceptionally large men, with the shortest standing at around 6ft2.
Dramatic police raid
When investigators entered a property linked to the case, several men attempted to escape.
Two were reportedly wearing face coverings and cut-resistant gloves, while one suspect fled towards the outside carrying a firearm. Another was intercepted on an exit ramp.
A third suspect then allegedly escaped from the property, while another man fled through the rear of the house and threw a bag towards a neighbouring property.
Police later entered that property and located another three people.
The seventh suspect was eventually discovered hiding among bushes while officers searched for the item that had been thrown away.
Plastic-lined room discovered
Investigators believe one room inside the property had been prepared for a violent act.
According to the report, its surfaces had been lined with plastic and a chair inside had also been covered.
Police allegedly discovered a hammer, two firearms, remnants of duct tape and cable ties inside the room.
The wider investigation also led officers to two AK-47 assault rifles, a handgun and three magazines.
The Serbian suspects’ arrival has reignited concerns among prison unions about groups of high-risk prisoners being admitted during the night.
By that stage, inmates are generally locked inside their wings, movements around the prison are restricted and fewer staff are on duty than during daytime hours.
Unions have previously raised the issue with central government representatives, arguing that night-time admissions can increase risks for both prisoners and the officers responsible for receiving and classifying them.
Those concerns become more pronounced, they argue, when staff must process seven suspects linked to the same serious organised crime investigation at once.
