An operation named Bluedream, conducted jointly by the Civil Guard and the Belgian Federal Police, has resulted in the apprehension of three Belgian men who have been placed in custody on suspicion of the murder of 66-year-old Belgian woman Laura Gastón. Her dismembered body was found floating on the coast of Arico in southern Tenerife. Meanwhile, her husband is also missing, with the Civil Guard suspecting foul play in his case as well.
According to a statement by the Civil Guard, the Belgian Authorities, following a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Court of Instruction Number 1 of Arona, handed over the two individuals arrested in Belgium to the judicial authorities on Wednesday for their alleged involvement in the homicide.
On the same day, the Civil Guard also apprehended a third Belgian individual residing in Tenerife in connection with the ongoing investigation. He is currently in provisional detention.
The events in question took place at the end of April when a married Belgian couple in their sixties, residents of southern Tenerife, were reported missing. Subsequently, a body showing signs of a violent death was discovered floating in the sea off the coast of Arico. The body was later identified as the missing woman.
Due to the gravity of the situation, the Judicial Police Unit of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Command took charge of the investigation, working closely with the Belgian Federal Police through international police channels.
The investigative efforts included home and vehicle searches, witness interviews, surveillance footage analysis, victim activity reconstruction, deployment of specialized canine units from Madrid for biological material searches, as well as various analytical and technical tasks to uncover the truth behind the events.
Once the suspects were identified and sufficient evidence was gathered for their arrest, a European Arrest Warrant and Extradition were issued by the judge of the Court of Instruction Number 1 of Arona, as two of the suspects were temporarily in Belgium.
Residence in Tenerife
Therefore, on June 20, a coordinated operation between the Judicial Police Unit of Tenerife and the Belgian Federal Police led to the simultaneous arrest of two individuals in Belgium and a third in Tenerife. All three are Belgian nationals resident on the island, although the two apprehended in Belgium had briefly returned to their home country.
The operation involved coordination meetings with the EUROJUST agency and the Belgian Federal Police, with the liaison officers from the Civil Guard in Belgium and the Belgian Federal Police in Spain ensuring smooth communication between the respective law enforcement agencies.
The operation was executed with the involvement of the Reserve and Security Group No. 8 (GRS-8) of the Civil Guard and the Intervention Unit of the Belgian Federal Police.
The investigation was overseen by the Court of Instruction Number 1 of Arona and the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
