The Spanish National Police dismantled a significant clandestine criminal network based in Girona, Spain, involved in manufacturing and distributing firearms primarily for drug trafficking and kidnapping groups. The network was led by a 63-year-old Russian ex-military man operating a hidden workshop in a storage unit in Figueres. From there, blank-firing and traumatic pistols were converted into functional firearms. Authorities seized 644 weapons, thousands of cartridges, and numerous silencers; 631 of these items were found in Girona, valued at roughly five million euros on the black market. The operation uncovered various weapons in stages of transformation, including submachine guns and rifles adapted for live fire, as well as precision tools, barrels, slides, and frames. Weapons were distributed via courier companies using impersonated or fictitious identities to evade detection. The investigation started after detecting suspicious shipments, with a key interception in Benidorm of a package destined for Badajoz. Six individuals were arrested across Girona, Valencia, Badajoz, and Barcelona, including the ringleader who has been remanded in custody. The investigation remains open nationally and internationally to track the seized weaponry, with no further arrests ruled out.

The Spanish National Police dismantled a significant clandestine criminal network based in Girona, Spain, involved in manufacturing and distributing firearms primarily for drug trafficking and kidnapping groups. The network was led by a 63-year-old Russian ex-military man operating a hidden workshop in a storage unit in Figueres. From there, blank-firing and traumatic pistols were converted into functional firearms. Authorities seized 644 weapons, thousands of cartridges, and numerous silencers; 631 of these items were found in Girona, valued at roughly five million euros on the black market. The operation uncovered various weapons in stages of transformation, including submachine guns and rifles adapted for live fire, as well as precision tools, barrels, slides, and frames. Weapons were distributed via courier companies using impersonated or fictitious identities to evade detection. The investigation started after detecting suspicious shipments, with a key interception in Benidorm of a package destined for Badajoz. Six individuals were arrested across Girona, Valencia, Badajoz, and Barcelona, including the ringleader who has been remanded in custody. The investigation remains open nationally and internationally to track the seized weaponry, with no further arrests ruled out.