Laurence Dollimore
THE latest victim of gangland warfare who was shot and killed outside his home last night was French, the Olive Press can reveal.
The man was shot several times as he entered the garage of his home in Nagueles.
Neighbours alerted the authorities to the scene on Calle Pizarra at around 8.20pm.
The killer, believed to be hired by a criminal gang, sped away on a motorbike before cops arrived to the scene.
Police found the victim laying in a large pool of blood inside his garage.
The street was closed off while forensics and a judge were called to certify the death before removing the body from the scene.
Policia Nacional told the Olive Press this morning that the middle-aged victim was of French nationality.
“We can confirm that the victim is French,” the spokesman said.
“We cannot comment further as the investigation is still ongoing, but everything points to a settling of accounts.”
Police believe the assassin followed the victim on a motorcycle and waited for him to enter his garage in his car.
The killer took him by surprise as he exited his vehicle, shooting him several times before fleeing the scene.
The modus operandi and the ‘profile of the victim’ point clearly to a settling of accounts, police said.
It comes as between January and October this year, the murder and assassination rate in Malaga has increased by 87.5% year-on-year, according to the latest figures from the Interior Ministry.
That startling figure, mostly due to the gang-sponsored hits carried out between Estepona and Fuengirola, does not include the most recent killings.
There has been a sudden surge of brazen gangland killings which have ravaged the coast in recent months.
The terrifying attacks have seen four victims tortured and/or killed, while last month two bombs shockingly exploded in San Pedro de Alcantara and Benahavis – believed to have been part of a ‘settling of scores’ between drug traffickers.
Just three weeks ago an alleged mobster was shot in the middle of a sushi restaurant in Torremolinos.
Meanwhile, a Spaniard was shockingly kidnapped and shot at 13 times in front of terrified expats in Estepona on October 2.
In one of the most horrific incidents to date, a 35-year-old was shot, knee-capped and given the horrific ‘Glasgow Smile’ in Marbella, after being tricked into meeting the gangsters in September.
And just 10 days later a 24-year-old Brit was stabbed in the legs by an attacker in Puerto Banus.
