Lorraine Williamson
The Costa del Sol is once again under a harsh spotlight after a violent ambush in Alhaurín de la Torre left a Danish man fighting for his life and residents questioning the region’s fragile sense of safety.
Alhaurín, a commuter town prized for its calm streets and international community, was jolted late on Monday when gunfire echoed near a roundabout on the A-404. Investigators say a white van carrying the 39-year-old victim was forced to stop by an SUV fitted with blue flashing lights. Two men wearing fake police vests approached and opened fire when the driver resisted. Bullets struck the Dane in the face and torso before the attackers fled.
Overnight arson attack
Hours later, the drama escalated. With the victim’s van temporarily parked at a closed supermarket for forensic examination, a luxury car carrying two masked figures arrived around 4.00 am. Surveillance footage shows them smashing a window, pouring petrol inside, and setting the vehicle ablaze before disappearing into the night. A second burnt-out car was found in the Montes de Málaga at daybreak, believed to be the getaway vehicle. Both fires appear calculated to wipe out evidence.
Part of a deadly trend
This is not an isolated act. Over the past 18 months, Málaga province has recorded 33 shootings, eight deaths, and 43 injuries, according to figures cited by the far-right party VOX. The coastal strip, long marketed for sunshine and luxury, has become a battleground for international drug networks. In April, a man was executed in broad daylight in Calahonda, Mijas; in June, a Fuengirola promenade turned into a killing ground with two dead and a third wounded. Each case ended with cars torched to hinder forensic teams.
Political voices are growing sharper. VOX spokesman Antonio Luna accused Spain’s Interior Ministry of “abandoning” the police and Guardia Civil by failing to provide enough officers or resources to counter organised crime. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska rejects such claims but admits the coast faces “unprecedented pressure” from global gangs exploiting its ports and transport links.
A coastline on edge
For residents, the attack brings the violence uncomfortably close. Alhaurín, once seen as a safe alternative to busier resorts, now joins Marbella, Fuengirola and Mijas in confronting a reality locals grimly call the Costa del Crime. As investigations continue, the question hangs over Málaga’s sun-drenched coastline: how long before this pattern of shootings, arson and impunity demands a far stronger response from Madrid?
Sources: Vox España, Malaga Hoy