Dark side of Spanish tourist hotspot hijacked by violent Italian mafia gangsters

Three Italian mafia mobsters were arrested on drug trafficking charges in recent days – in none other than Marbella.

The Spanish hotspot has become home to many of the world’s toughest gangs and it was famously dubbed the “United Nations of organised crime” by one detective.

Ciro Marigliano, Stanislao Marigliano and Michele Sannino are believed to be members of the brutal Camorra, the Naples mafia organisation, and they have been accused of international drug trafficking.

And after the arrest of the trio in Marbella, including Ciro who was also wanted for attempted murder, Italian Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, said: “The arrest of three dangerous fugitives represents a serious blow to organised crime, the result of careful investigative activity and extraordinary collaboration.

“The determination and high professionalism shown by the Naples police and the Spanish authorities once again highlight the State’s ability to effectively combat the most insidious criminal organisations.”

Despite this, at least 113 criminal gangs made up of 59 nationalities are believed to operate from Malaga, where Marbella is based, and below we take a closer role of the Italian mafia in an area loved by sun-craving tourists.

Mafia in Marbella 

Despite the gangs running independently, they reportedly “sub-contract” services, to the benefit of everyone.

This includes the Dutch and Belgium’s arranging cocaine shipments with the Colombians before Camorra gangsters transport it across Europe while Albanians and Kosovans provide weapons and muscle, as reported in the .

One member of Camorra, who has spent years residing in Marbella, said: “There are groups from all over the world here. People of all different nationalities, doing all kinds of jobs. We don’t intermix, but we’re constantly collaborating.”

One trafficker from Malaga spoke to about how an ambush, known as vuelcos, by another gang is “much more common than a police raid”.

But to avoid this, many gangs reportedly go to the Camorra mafia gangsters on the Costa Del Sol to provide security.

And giving a chilling insight, one member said: “We guaranteed the success of the operation, and are paid in advance.

“Everyone knows that if something happens with the shipment, there will be consequences. If you try something, we’ll kill you. Usually, the shipment has a GPS tracker. If at any point the signal disappears, we will kill you.”

Bloodshed 

Despite thousands of Brits descending on the Costa Del Sol for their sun holidays every year, gang trouble has often plagued the area.

The examples are many, and includes a body with holes drilled through its toes being found in a lock-up in the area in 2022. But one officer told the : “In their world that’s nothing abnormal.”

In the same year, a torture chamber was found in an apartment complex where a dead man was found covered in clingfilm.

Tourists were also shaken by a shooting and stabbing at Opium Beach Club after a fight broke out.

And as for the Italian mafia, members of the Ndrangheta suffered a blow in September 2022 when 32 suspects were arrested by cops.

The gang members are believed to use brute force and torture to get their way – and they were arrested on drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

Up to 500 law enforcement officers were involved in the sting that was supported by Europol.

After seizing a large supply of drugs, a Europol statement read: “The criminal gang is believed to have played an active role in cocaine and cannabis trafficking in between Spain and Italy, using vehicles equipped with hidden compartments and speedboats to transport the drugs.

“The members of this criminal organisation would routinely use violence, including torture, to further their criminal goals. Some of the arrestees are linked to a number of murders in Italy.”