On a rainy January day in 2021, in Villacarrillo, Jaén, the field was a churn of mud. A 32 year old Senegalese migrant worker, Ibrahima Diouf, refused to continue olive picking under the harsh conditions. He argued with his employer and chose to leave, saying he would go to Huelva to work for another business owner. He bought a bus ticket, contacted a fellow countryman to share a new living arrangement, and before heading to the station, he met with the employer to settle the wages he claimed were owed. Yet Ibrahima never boarded that bus, and after remaining with the employer, he seemingly vanished into the earth.
The Civil Guard’s Central Operations Unit and the Jaén Command are investigating the disappearance of the seasonal worker and the businessman, Ginés Vicente, aged 53. Since last September, investigators have inspected the businessman’s home, garage, and other properties to locate the whereabouts of the young African man. Now, through citizen cooperation, two new clues have emerged that could help illuminate the case, as reported by Prensa Ibérica through the OPEN CASE channel.
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Police statements indicate neighbors saw Ibrahima on the day the laborer disappeared, and one spoke of a large bloodstain on the street near the businessman’s residence. These witnesses described the scene in detail and pointed detectives to a precise location. The testimonies prompted the Benemérita’s Eye Examining Team to revisit the area, collecting samples and listening to a neighbor who described the events with unusual clarity.
Citizen cooperation also yielded new information for the Civil Guard about a suspicious purchase. It is alleged that the employer kept records suggesting a possible link to the Three Kings Day period. Several witnesses reported seeing Ginés Vicente at a workshop that specialized in the supply and repair of agricultural machinery in Villacarrillo.
Two large and durable tarpaulins
Witnesses recall the nature of the items bought at the workshop. One neighbor, who requested anonymity, described a purchase of two large tarpaulins used to cover and protect material in the olive groves. The neighbor added, in a casual, almost ritual tone, that the buyer was preparing for a situation where olives might be dropped from trees, thus needing strong coverings. The testimony hints at a possible link to the Worker’s routine and the timing around the period of the Three Kings festival.
These fresh leads arrive a mere two months after authorities requested public assistance in solving the case. Specific appeals sought photos, videos, and any graphic material captured on the streets of the town between January 5 and January 7 of that year, with emphasis on the parade associated with the Three Kings Day.
The businessman remains the principal suspect in the investigators’ view, with ongoing searches and inquiries concentrated on him for months. New findings have included a prior report indicating allegations of abuse against another young African worker who disappeared in 2013 while employed by the same individual. That earlier case involved a dispute over working conditions and remains a focal point for families seeking closure.