The Ministry of the Interior has strengthened the police presence in the city of Marbella (Malaga, 150,725 inhabitants) by bringing in between 30 and 40 officers from other Andalusian provinces. This measure is part of the so-called Marbella Plan, which started on Thursday and will continue until October. Its objective is to combat organized crime, as well as common delinquency, according to a statement from the Provincial Police Station of Malaga. The reinforcement comes after five shootings occurred in Marbella in the last two months, and two more in the neighboring municipality of Mijas. Three people have been injured in these incidents, which have led to the arrest of five individuals.
These officers are part of the Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR) and the Police Intervention Unit (UIP), better known as riot police. According to police sources, they are from the police forces of Granada and Almería and will temporarily be deployed to Marbella. Canine guides and various air resources for citizen security services will also arrive from these provinces. The project aims to implement more vehicle and people controls at random times and different locations in order to increase the element of surprise. They will conduct checks in places where there are crowds of people, such as shopping centers or leisure centers, as well as in residential areas and the numerous urbanizations scattered throughout the municipality of Marbella. These locations are where anonymity prevails and are preferred by members of criminal organizations in the area.
The area already has several specialized teams in organized crime investigations. The oldest is the Group for Response against Organized Crime (Greco), created in 2005. There are also various groups associated with the Drug and Organized Crime Unit (UDYCO) in Marbella, Fuengirola, Torremolinos, Vélez-Málaga, and Malaga. One of them has a specialized unit for settling scores, created in 2019 after a spike in murders in 2018 along the Costa del Sol. This unit has been handling the recent incidents, including two shootings in Mijas and five in Marbella, two of which are already resolved. The issue stems from the large number of drug trafficking organizations operating in Marbella, leading to disputes, territorial disputes, or robberies among them.
In one case, two people were arrested for firing up to 15 times at the terrace of a restaurant in the Nueva Andalucía district of Marbella, and three others were arrested for attempting to murder two individuals in the same area, linked to disputes among Swedish clans established in the area. This is part of the problem: the many organizations involved in drug trafficking in Marbella trying to closely control the merchandise, sometimes leading to disputes, territory clashes, or thefts between them. Now, beyond long-term investigations, the Marbella Plan aims to increase police presence on the streets, according to police sources. The objective is to “reduce the impact of common delinquency and organized crime, detecting and preventing the movements of those involved in such networks, seizing weapons and drugs, or monitoring sensitive areas such as leisure areas and residential urbanizations,” as highlighted in a statement from the National Police.
The number of reinforcement agents will also depend on whether it is a weekend or a weekday, increasing during the summer tourist season with the implementation of traditional operations such as the Safe Tourism Plan and the Summer Plan that the Ministry of the Interior carries out on the Costa del Sol. All of this will be done in collaboration with the Marbella Local Police. The goal is to ensure greater security in Marbella and tackle the growing issue of organized crime and violence in the city. The additional police presence and operational plans are part of a concerted effort to address the current challenges and ensure the safety and well-being of residents and visitors in the area.
