Edinburgh-Linked Couple Arrested in Spain After Gangland Attempted Murder

A couple with links to Edinburgh have been arrested in connection with a gangland shooting in Santiago de la Ribera, Spain. Authorities allege the man and woman fired four shots into the victim's back on his doorstep in the San Javier district in November 2024.

The victim was rushed to hospital, spent months in intensive care and has been left with life-changing injuries.

Evidence and arrests

The Civil Guard, one of Spain's national police forces, say the suspects are connected to a violent organised-crime gang involved in drug trafficking. According to eyewitnesses, a suspect ran from the scene on foot before getting into a nearby vehicle; about an hour later a burned-out car believed to be the getaway vehicle was found on a road between San Javier and Los Narejos.

Police reported the stolen car carried false licence plates matching witness descriptions. The following day, detectives searched a high-end British-registered vehicle with false plates in the Mazarrón area and found a weapon fitted with a silencer — later identified as the firearm used in the attack — along with ammunition, a balaclava and gloves.

DNA recovered from seized clothing linked two people to the case, and investigators also recovered fired cartridges from the scene. The probe, named Operation Esbroya 24, involved more than a year of close cooperation between Spanish authorities and UK law enforcement.

In April the male suspect was detained at Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández International Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Edinburgh. Two weeks later the woman was arrested at Alicante airport as she entered the country. Spanish officers say the couple travelled to Murcia to locate the victim at his home. Investigations are ongoing.