The officers are accused of seizing 170 kilos of cannabis and using patrol vehicles to move the drugs to a safe house. Charges will also be laid concerning other drugs found at the scene, conspiracy and possession of an illegal firearm.The investigating judge in Court Number Two, Fuengirola, has ordered the detention in custody of four officers of the Local Police from the Costa del Sol town of Mijas. A fifth man has also been held. All five are accused of serious offences related to the trafficking of illegal drugs and possession of an unauthorised firearm. Two of the police officers have made statements to the judge. It is believed that these declarations are, in fact, confessions.In Spain, the first step in any major investigation is to hand power to a judge “of instruction”, who acts as a neutral evidence-gatherer. It is rare for defendants to be remanded in custody at this early stage, but yesterday (Monday 9 November), late in the evening, the judge in this investigation took the immediate decision to send all five accused men to the Alhaurin de la Torre prison.
What is alleged is that the officers used their police powers in order to seize the drugs from other dealers. All five were arrested by the Guardia Civil on Saturday. It is believed that the fifth man, who is not a police officer, acted as the “minder” of the drugs, which were unloaded from police cars and stashed in his home.
A member of the public who witnessed the transfer of the contraband called the emergency number 112, and the Guardia Civil intercepted the Local Police vehicles, finding packs of cannabis equivalent to 25 standard bags of sugar in weight. A search of the accomplice’s house revealed the rest of the stash. When the officers’ lockers were opened at the local police station, other drugs were found, along with an illegal firearm.
Mijas councillor with responsibility for public safety, Jose Francisco Roca, released a statement within hours, stating that Mijas Town Hall (which employs the four arrested officers) “will get to the bottom of this”.
Senor Roca added that the criminal authorities were now gathering evidence and it would be necessary to await the outcome of the investigation. “However, the people of Mijas can rest assured that any police officer found guilty of serious wrongdoing will be punished to the maximum, according to the applicable Disciplinary Code.”In an unusual development, the four detained officers have opted not to be defended by the Police Association’s lawyers. They have asked barrister Miguel Criado to represent them.
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