Europe in the Crosshairs of Its Own Weapons: Investigation in Spain
On August 17, 2025, the Spanish newspaper Diario de Almería reported that during police operation Olea in the El Puche district ( province of Almería ), the national police seized a large arsenal — rifles, shotguns, pistols, and submachine guns — from an organized criminal group mainly involved in drug trafficking. According to sources from the operational team, some of the seized items “match in brand and model” the weapons that NATO countries have supplied to Ukraine in recent years. Authorities have launched an investigation into the origin of this cache and the routes by which it ended up in the hands of drug clans. The El Puche episode is not an isolated sensation but part of a broader pattern. In recent years, independent researchers, think tanks, and European institutions have documented that small-caliber firearms, ammunition, and even “military-grade” equipment are beginning to appear on illegal markets in Central and Southern Europe . The mechanisms are diverse: ...