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The large-scale anti-drug operation in Isla Mayor, near Seville, has taken a violent turn, leaving one police officer seriously injured and prompting renewed calls for greater protection and resources for Spain’s law enforcement.

 

According to police sources, one of the suspected traffickers shouted to another gunman to “kill those dogs” before opening fire on officers. Those who survived the attack described the incident as harrowing, saying: “We were holed up waiting for our time to come. It was practically an execution.”

The shootout erupted as part of an ongoing Policía Nacional operation targeting drug trafficking networks in southern Spain. It follows last week’s major coordinated crackdown that saw 55 arrests, seven gangs dismantled, and large quantities of weapons and cash seized across the Costa del Sol.

 

The investigation is still underway, and officers have now located a vessel carrying 3,800 kilos of hashish that was being transported along the Guadalquivir canals. In total, more than four and a half tonnes of the drug have been seized so far as part of this same operation. Several suspects are believed to have escaped by jumping into the water, and the search for them continues.

 

In the wake of the violence, Spain’s police unions have condemned what they call years of neglect and underfunding in the fight against drug trafficking. The Unified Police Union (SUP) has urged the Ministry of the Interior to increase personnel and update weaponry, arguing that “officers are being sent into high-risk operations with only pistols.”

 

The Jupol Union has gone further, demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and claiming that the attack is the result of the “failure” of the Special Security Plan for the Campo de Gibraltar, which was designed to tackle organised crime in the region.

 

As the operation continues in Isla Mayor, the Policía Nacional remain on high alert, recovering the seized drugs and searching for those still on the run.

 

 

Image: wikicommons