Narco gunmen open fire on police during Torrox fuel depot raid

Drug traffickers unleashed around 30 shots at National Police officers in a Torrox warehouse packed with fuel and speedboats early on Tuesday. The brave officers from the Udyco-Costa del Sol unit escaped injury and arrested two suspects in this intense anti-drug operation on the Axarquia coast.

Armed clash erupts at industrial unit

Officers approached a man, aged 51, at the entrance to the facility near the river Güi near the border of Velez-Malaga. Several men in two vehicles immediately fired on them. Local Torrox police joined the raid, which targeted a site used for storing jerrycans of petrol employed in maritime refuelling of narco-boats, known locally as petaqueo.

Suspects sped away along the old N-340 road before colliding with each other and racing onto the A-7 motorway towards Malaga. Their reckless escape created major dangers for other road users. Police continue hunting the remaining fugitives while forensic teams examine the scene for evidence.

Motorcyclist describes high-speed impact

An 18-year-old student from Torrox returned home on his moped after a coastal ride when one fleeing Audi struck his handlebars near the Lidl supermarket roundabout. He fell but sustained only minor shoulder injuries.

Quick thinking led the teenager to pursue the car for several hundred metres until he spotted patrol vehicles at the Torrox Park junction. He noticed the damaged rear bumper and realised something suspicious was happening. Officers from the local police took his statement, and he later visited a health centre for checks. His moped suffered bodywork damage, yet he expressed relief at surviving the incident unharmed.

Raids expose extensive support network

Investigators discovered several narco-boats, numerous fuel containers, and a van fitted with dual tanks holding up to 5,000 litres inside the warehouse. This equipment typically supplies semi-rigid vessels that smuggle drugs across the Mediterranean.

Authorities also detained a woman hours after the shooting as an alleged associate, bringing the total arrests to two. Operations remain active, with further detentions possible as police map the full extent of the criminal group.

The Axarquia region faces ongoing problems from drug smuggling organisations that exploit its long coastline, proximity to the A-7 motorway, and rural premises for hiding vessels and supplies. This latest clash demonstrates continued pressure on such logistical bases.