The operation has led to the dismantling of a clandestine network headed by a 63-year-old Russian ex-military man, operating from a hidden workshop in a storage unit in Figueres. From this location, blank-firing and traumatic pistols were modified into real firearms, which were subsequently distributed to drug trafficking and kidnapping groups.
The criminal organization's nerve center was located in the province of Girona, where 631 of the seized items were found, valued at approximately five million euros on the black market. During searches of both the storage unit and the suspect's home in L'Escala, precision tools, barrels, slides, and frames were discovered, along with weapons in various stages of transformation, including submachine guns and rifles adapted for live fire.
Weapons were distributed through courier companies, using impersonated or fictitious identities to evade controls. The investigation began early this year upon detecting suspicious shipments. The interception of a package in Benidorm destined for Badajoz was crucial in identifying those involved.
The operation resulted in the arrest of six individuals in Girona, Valencia, Badajoz, and Barcelona. The ringleader, considered a high-value target for the EU, has been remanded in custody. The investigation remains open nationally and internationally to trace the seized weaponry, and further arrests are not ruled out.
