Spain, Germany Dismantle Network Supplying Drone Parts to Hezbollah in Lebanon

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The Spanish Civil Guard, together with German Intelligence has dismantled a network of Spanish citizens of Lebanese origin in Europe that was obtaining parts for the manufacture of kamikaze drones and sending them to the Hezbollah organization in Lebanon.

The investigations began in Spain when suspicious transactions were detected involving Spanish companies run by citizens of Lebanese origin, that were exporting large quantities of materials suitable for the manufacture of explosive-carrying drones.

Three persons in Spain and one in Germany have been arrested so far. “The detection of the suspicious transfer led to the activation of international cooperation mechanisms, which allowed the German authorities to investigate the lead that led to the drone parts supply network in Spain,” a Civil Guard statement said today.

The operation was carried out by the Intelligence Service of the Civil Guard, the German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) and the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). The coordinated actions in Spain and Germany between the Civil Guard, the BKA and BfV prevented the imminent shipment of critical material such as electronic guidance components, propulsion propellers, bearings, gasoline engines, more than 200 electric motors and 12 tons of resins and hardening substances.

The Civil Guard estimates that the network managed to ship enough material to Lebanon to manufacture “several hundred, even exceeding the figure of a thousand drones.”

Over the past few months, Hezbollah has carried out numerous attacks against Israel using UAVs, “with parts such as those acquired by the now neutralized network having been detected among the remains of drones that impacted on Israeli territory,” the Civil Guard statement added.