Police prevented around ten gangland killings on the Costa del Sol in the past year

Investigations by specialist National Police units targeting organised crime have prevented the death toll from rising even further in an area described by investigators as a "unique ecosystem" on an international scale, where the world's major criminal organisations operate either directly or indirectly.

There were five fewer murders in the first half of 2026 than during the same period last year, while police have solved 100 per cent of the homicides committed in the province over the past three years.

However, the latest attacks in Malaga city, the presence of firearms on the streets and the resulting sense of insecurity among residents have raised concern among senior police commanders.

The most serious incident claimed the life of Nacho, a 20-year-old with no links to criminal networks, who was shot in a square in the Barcenillas neighbourhood of Malaga city.

Three Swedish nationals with alleged links to organised crime allegedly opened fire on him in broad daylight after mistakenly identifying him as a threat. Although he managed to crawl to the entrance of a supermarket, he died several hours later at the Regional Hospital.

Four days later, a 47-year-old man identified as a well-known radical ultras supporter of Turkish football club Fenerbahçe was seriously injured after being shot in the face at point-blank range while having dinner on the terrace of a restaurant in the marina at Muelle Uno. He is allegedly linked to extremist factions and organised crime in his home country.

The alleged gunman, accompanied by a second suspect, approached from the steps leading up from the Paseo de la Farola, crossed between the tables at another venue and, when he reached his target's table, pulled out a gun and fired.

The victim survived after undergoing surgery, while the investigation remains open as police try to identify and locate those responsible.

The main theory being investigated by the National Police's Unit against Drugs and Organised Crime (Udyco) links the attack to a feud between Turkish criminal groups triggered by the murder of Caner Koçer in Torrevieja, Alicante, on 3 August 2025. His faction subsequently vowed revenge on social media.

The succession of shootings has led to the activation of the "Costa del Sol Plan" in Malaga city, a special operation designed to disrupt criminal networks through surprise police checks and a reinforced presence of uniformed officers.

The operation includes officers from the Police Intervention Unit (UIP), the Prevention and Response Unit (UPR) from various parts of eastern Andalucía, the Canine Unit and the Air Support Service, working alongside the Provincial Public Security Brigade.

The strategy includes random checks in nightlife areas, shopping districts, the outskirts and residential estates in an effort to intercept the movement of weapons and drugs.

Senior police officials have acknowledged the scale of the threat. Chief Superintendent Luis Esteban, head of the National Police in eastern Andalucía, described the situation in stark terms during the handover ceremony for Chief Superintendent Roberto Rodríguez, who has taken over as head of the Malaga Provincial Police Headquarters.

"We've got a ticking time bomb under our feet and we need more equipment and technical resources," he said.

Police sources consulted for the report agree that the drug trade has undergone a radical transformation. The spread of "vuelcos", in which criminal groups steal drugs or money from rival gangs, has made violence a routine means of defence and retaliation. These organisations are heavily financed and continue to have access to sophisticated firearms.

One of the issues causing greatest concern among senior officers is the major change in the type of weaponry available.

The traditional "ant trade", involving the small-scale entry of pistols concealed in drug shipments, has been replaced by a mass influx of assault rifles and submachine guns from international conflict zones, including the Balkans and current conflicts in Europe. The weapons enter the Schengen area concealed in false compartments in cars and lorries.

The availability of such firearms has been accompanied by a trend among criminal organisations to recruit increasingly young hitmen, including minors who have sometimes been trained in their countries of origin.

Used as expendable pawns by criminal leaders, these young gunmen are seen by police as increasing the danger to the general public because of their lack of restraint and willingness to take risks.