In 2015, a Civil Guard operation spanning multiple provinces disrupted a dangerous pipeline that could have fed criminal activity and extremist plotting. The centerpiece was an El Verger resident accused of storing weapons and combat ammunition in a workshop connected to his home, a detail prosecutors in Alicante underscored as the core of the case. The defense and the court stressed that the focal point was possession and storage of arms at the residence, rather than broader conspiracy theories mentioned earlier by other officials.
The Ministry initially sought a prison term of sixteen years on two counts, including possession of explosives and storing war ammunition. The defendant’s lawyers, led by Francisco Miguel Galiana Botella and Moisés Candela Sabater, negotiated a deal with the prosecution. After a guilty plea at the Third Chamber hearing, the court kept the defendant in custody for a portion of the sentence, but the final outcome was notably more lenient than the initial request.
As part of the resolution, prosecutors dropped the charge tied to ten kilograms of gunpowder found at the El Verger home. They also weighed mitigating factors that led to a reduction of the sentence for the charge of entrusting war weapons, trimming it from ten years to two. Delays in the judicial process were noted, with the prosecutor pointing out the defendant had no prior criminal record and cooperated with investigators. The court levied a fine of 9,600 euros and acknowledged that the overall execution of the sentence faced significant postponement, extending the case over more than five years.
Dénia Police
Within the same Civil Guard operation, a national police officer stationed in Dénia faced possible arrest, though the court later dismissed the case against this officer. The Alicante prosecution’s allegations were later acknowledged by the El Verger resident, who works at a gun shop in Ondara. Reports indicate that in 2015 the Civil Guard sought permission to search the defendant’s residence, drawing on information gathered by the national police. The operation reportedly established a specialized workshop for handling firearms in a room connected to the main house.
Investigators found that many of the weapons were licensed to others or remained unused. About twenty firearms were discovered without proper authorization or ownership documentation. The Civil Guard seized eight rifles and submachine guns, a pistol, a shotgun, a baton and a shotgun, two silencers, and a range of cartridges in multiple calibers, totaling roughly 17,700 rounds. In the same workshop, investigators identified weapons that could be upgraded, including two submachine guns that could be fired by swapping the barrel, an AK-47–style Kalashnikov, and another submachine gun. The defendant also possessed several short and long guns that would require collector permits for legal ownership, according to the report. The proceedings outlined a pattern of possession and handling of arms that raised ongoing questions about compliance with regulatory requirements for ownership and storage, prompting continued scrutiny by authorities. [Attribution: Prosecutor’s Office, Civil Guard records, and court documentation]