A Danish man has been arrested in Mijas after allegedly being found carrying a hand grenade in a residential area of the Costa del Sol.
The arrest took place on Friday, October 23, in the El Faro de Calaburras urbanisation, near La Cala de Mijas, according to Spanish newspaper ABC.
Mijas Local Police initially detained the man before handing the case over to the Guardia Civil because of the potential danger posed by the explosive device. The Guardia Civil confirmed the arrest to ABC on suspicion of illegal possession of explosives. The investigation is continuing, and officers are trying to establish why the man had the grenade.
Guardia Civil investigates possible motive
Investigators have not established whether the suspect intended to use the grenade against someone, intimidate another person or leave it somewhere as a warning. All these possibilities remain unconfirmed.
ABC reported that investigators are also examining a possible connection to the Mocro Mafia, a network of criminal groups associated with the Netherlands and Belgium and linked to international drug trafficking.
However, no confirmed evidence linking the Danish suspect to the organisation has been made public. The arrest comes against a backdrop of concern over organised crime and weapons trafficking on the Costa del Sol, where police have investigated shootings and other violent incidents linked to suspected criminal disputes. Previous police action has included weapons seized in an operation targeting organised crime.
Previous grenade seizures on the Costa del Sol
Hand grenades have been recovered in previous police operations in Malaga province. In September 2015, EWN reported on guns and explosives found in Mijas after police discovered weapons and explosives in an abandoned car in Riviera del Sol.
More recently, the Spanish Interior Ministry reported that the Policía Nacional had seized an arsenal of weapons in Malaga province during an investigation into suspected arms and drug trafficking. The operation resulted in four arrests and the seizure of 36 rifles, 11 pistols and 11 hand grenades, as well as seven silencers, eight bulletproof vests and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition.
The circumstances surrounding Friday’s arrest in Mijas are still unclear, and the authorities have not confirmed whether the case is connected to any wider criminal network.