Mijas: heavy presence of Guardia Civil as villas raided and 12 arrests made

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This is a Europol operation against an international criminal organisation for alleged drug trafficking and money laundering offences

Irene Quirante

Friday, 27 March 2026, 15:16

A major deployment of the Guardia Civil has been underway since early this Friday morning in the Costa del Sol town of Mijas. Around 5am, a unit from the Guardia Civil began searching several villas located in various residential areas around the town.

The operation, as SUR has been able to confirm, is part of a wider investigation into money laundering by a drug trafficking organisation with branches in several European countries, especially in the United Kingdom.

The police presence created quite a stir among residents of the area, who observed the presence of officers dressed in full tactical gear and masked. They proceeded to secure the perimeters of the properties being raided before proceeding to enter and search them.

The operation was coordinated by Europol and involved the Guardia Civil's central operational unit (UCO), the specialist unit that investigates serious, organised crime.

While the investigation remains live and kept under wraps, sources close to the case confirm that a dozen arrests have already been made.

The searches in Mijas focused on properties that, according to the investigation, served as a base of operations or refuge for members of this international network on the Costa del Sol.