Laurence Dollimore
SPANISH police today launched a crackdown on a series of suspected drug dens on the Costa del Sol.
Some 50 Guardia Civil officers armed with sniffer dogs and drones stormed an urbanisation in Manilva at around 7am.
Parts of the Royal Manilva complex have been taken over by squatters for some time, with the authorities suspecting the houses are being used to run a drugs ring.
At least two people were arrested in the raids, with further detentions not ruled out.
Officers searched multiple properties in the complex following repeated complaints from neighbours.
Manilva is a popular area with British expats, offering a cheaper alternative to the likes of nearby Marbella.
Neighbours told El Confidencial that drones had been flying above the complex before dawn.
The complex was left empty following the 2008 crash and most homes were eventually taken over by a bank, which launched a rent to buy scheme.
But this attracted many squatters who simply stopped paying the rent – or entered without any resistance – and refused to move on.
“Word spread that there were uninhabited houses, and they took advantage of the fact that there was no security to squat them,” said one of the neighbours, who said that they had been ‘very nice’ properties and that many ‘have been destroyed by squatters.’
Residents were this morning woken up by officers kicking doors down and screaming ‘get on the ground!’
They hope the raids will be a starting point to remove the squatters permanently.
