A 600-kilo ‘heist’ of cocaine from a two-tonne shipment is believed to be the motive behind the kidnapping of a mother and her 19-year-old son in El Salobre, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, in Gran Canaria.
According to sources close to the investigation, the victims are the wife and son of José A.C., known in the criminal underworld as ‘El del Buque’, a reference to the Buque de Guerra neighbourhood in Las Palmas.
In criminal slang, a ‘heist’ refers to a robbery between drug trafficking gangs. Investigators are working to determine whether José A.C. and his associates were involved in the theft of 600 kilos of cocaine from a 2,000-kilo shipment that arrived in Gran Canaria by boat and was allegedly hidden in La Isleta.
Robberies between rival drug gangs are not uncommon, and Gran Canaria has witnessed similar incidents in the past. In this case, the cartel responsible for the original drug shipment is believed to have hired foreign hitmen to carry out the kidnapping as a means of extortion.
The abduction took place yesterday, Thursday, at the family home in El Salobre, a high-end residential area near the local golf course. Allegedly the house was broken into, and the two victims were taken against their will.
The kidnapping is suspected to have been carried out by foreign mercenaries hired for such operations, as this method is frequently used by drug cartels to settle disputes and reclaim stolen goods.
The National Police have taken charge of the investigation, working discreetly to uncover the details of the case. Officers spent Thursday morning conducting a thorough search of the home and its surroundings, which was later sealed off in accordance with police protocol.
Given the serious nature of the incident, authorities are maintaining the highest level of confidentiality to protect the lives of those involved. The Canary Islands’ police headquarters declined to comment on the matter.
In line with standard procedures, alerts have been issued to the Guardia Civil, Local Police, and the Canary Islands Police. Officers from the National Police have also been deployed from mainland Spain, and cooperation with international law enforcement agencies specialising in drug trafficking is underway.
The incident has had a significant impact, not only on local residents in the typically peaceful area of El Salobre but also on Gran Canaria’s reputation as a tourist destination. The presence of hired assassins executing such high-level crimes marks a new level of criminal activity on the island, raising concerns about escalating violence in the region.
