In a coordinated operation named Sabra, the Guardia Civil dismantled a defense material smuggling network that illegally exported engines and military spare parts for main battle tanks and troop transport armored vehicles from Spain to Saudi Arabia.
The operation resulted in the arrest of one person and the investigation of another as suspects in a continuing offense of defense material smuggling. Specifically, the detainee used a company he owned, based in Malaga, to carry out numerous exports valued at more than 2.8 million euros, as reported by the Guardia Civil in a press release.
Documents indicate these transactions were made without the required transfer licenses from Spanish trade authorities, and were fraudulently declared as if they were components for civilian trucks.
Investigators also found that beyond supplying these engines and military spare parts, the company provided technical support to upgrade a large number of armored and protected vehicles used by the Armed Forces of Saudi Arabia.
These vehicles were later deployed in the Yemen conflict, violating United Nations Security Council resolutions intended to deescalate the fighting.
Officials stressed that international trade in defense and dual-use materials is tightly controlled. For lawful export from Spain, companies must be registered in a special government treaty registry and hold a license for each export.
Such license requests must be reviewed and approved by the Interministerial Board for the Regulation of Foreign Trade in Defense and Dual-Use Materials (Jimddu), a government body in which the Guardia Civil participates actively.
The purpose of these controls is to prevent materials from being diverted to crisis zones or conflict areas. The framework also protects national defense interests, aligns with Spain’s foreign policy, and ensures compliance with international embargoes and international commitments.
The intervention prevented the investigated company from continuing to export military materials without oversight by Spanish authorities and stopped the possibility that these materials could be diverted to wars, such as the Yemen conflict, or to other Middle Eastern destinations.
The operation was carried out by the Information Directorate (UCE3) of the Guardia Civil, with support from the Guardia Civil Information Group in Malaga, under the supervision of the Central Court of Instruction No. 6 of the National Court.