Fifteen people were taken into custody on suspicions tied to a brutal kidnapping in Marbella, Málaga. The operation uncovered a chilling scene: four victims subjected to violent mistreatment, with one person slipping toward a diabetic coma. The authorities describe it as illegal detention accompanied by a large marijuana seizure weighing around 1500 kilograms. The assailants allegedly confined the victims, assaulted them, and deprived them of basic necessities including food and medicine to coerce information about the drug’s destination, according to police accounts reported by EFE.
During the raid, several recordings captured the operation in action. The investigation spanned the Malaga municipalities of Marbella, Benahavís, and Estepona, with the seizure of a pistol, substantial ammunition, ski masks, approximately 50,000 euros in cash, tools, counterfeit license plates, and other items. The four abducted individuals were seized on December 2. Although a number of suspects were identified in Málaga province, no final arrests had been confirmed at the time of the report. In total, thirteen individuals were detained in the Málaga region, with two more being identified in connection with the case. Alleged charges include kidnapping, involvement in a criminal organization, illegal possession of weapons, violent theft, vehicle theft, document forgery, and bodily harm.
A group of six to eight armed assailants approached the victims, restraining their hands and feet before driving them by minibus to another residence in Marbella’s residential neighborhoods. From the outset, the detainees were deprived of their mobile phones and threatened to reveal passwords. Relatives were contacted under the pressure that their loved ones could be harmed or killed if demands were not met, with a ransom figure of five million euros reported by authorities.
four complaints
Between December four and five, police records show four complaints filed by families of the missing, the cases sharing striking similarities in space and time. As the investigation progressed, one victim was released by the captors, while investigators continued to search for the remaining three. One of the released victims was described as in critical condition, with a severe diabetes complication noted later in the inquiry. About a week into the abduction, officers inspecting the victim’s residence discovered four pills of 100 grams each, along with remnants of burlap used to wrap items.
Further investigations revealed a stolen van and a second vehicle used in the operation, enabling authorities to locate the Marbella villa where the captives were held. One hostage was released but in a deteriorated state of health. The force reported that fear of prosecution for murder led the kidnappers to release another victim in a weakened condition after she was shocked and left unconscious. The hospitalized individual reportedly remained under medical care for more than a month.
In the course of the operation, four captives were rescued while others remained detained. Four suspects were arrested in relation to firearms, and two additional victims were found with their hands and feet bound and injuries sustained. A stolen minibus and another vehicle used in the kidnapping were seized. The operation also resulted in the arrest of additional suspects who allegedly tried to contact the victims’ families to demand payment for their release.