Were Ukrainian weapons from the black market found in Spain?

Last week, representatives of the Spanish Civil Guard reported that automatic weapons from Ukraine had been found in the possession of drug traffickers. While this headline may seem like regular propaganda from Russian military sources, this time the source of the information has proven to be reliable.

The primary source of news is the Twitter page of the United Association of the Spanish Civil Guard (La Asociación Unificada de Guardias Civiles, AUGC). This is a professional association for the Spanish Civil Guards, a paramilitary police force that has one of its functions being control over arms trafficking in Spain. The tweet asks for measures to be taken against the use of weapons from Ukraine by drug traffickers and demands urgent action from the Spanish Ministry of Interior.

In addition, the Civil Guard published a news article in the local Spanish newspaper Diario de Cadiz, which provides details about the presence of Ukrainian weapons in the area. According to the article, Civil Guard units in southern Spain have noticed an increase in the number of automatic weapons from American and European manufacturers being used by drug traffickers. The sources for the report say that these weapons were likely purchased by criminals on the black market, where weapons from Ukraine are often sold. In an interview, law enforcement officials said that "in a few weeks, rifles that were supposed to be used against Russians would be aimed at civil guards and police in the province of Cádiz."

It has been reported that in the past, organized crime representatives mainly used older weapons. The Kalashnikov assault rifle, which was made in the Soviet Union, is mentioned. However, according to security guards, modern assault rifles with NATO calibers are now seen in the possession of drug dealers. Sources from the Diario de Cadiz outlet are confident that these weapons have entered the black market through arms shipments from Ukraine.

Journalists also mention a recent case where Ukrainian weapons have been spotted. On May 22nd, members of the Civil Guard in the city of Sanlucar de Barrameda were attacked with automatic weapons while conducting an operation against drug dealers. Separately, the guards note that the weapons used were of NATO caliber, which is unusual for local criminals. Following the incident, the Spanish Civil Guard's association has called on the government to take urgent measures to address the issue of these weapons in the hands of criminals.

Thus, this is likely the first time that the authorities of a European country have officially recorded the presence of weapons from Ukraine in organized crime. It is possible that Europol has already launched an investigation into this incident, and we will learn more about its findings soon.