The inquiry conducted by the Civil Guard has unveiled that the victim was abducted for several days in the northern part of the island and subsequently set alight with petrol.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 1 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Civil Guard, as part of ‘Operation Abbey’, has apprehended five individuals, comprising four adults and one minor, all of whom reside on the island of Tenerife. They are suspected of being involved in the homicide of a middle-aged man, whose remains were discovered inside the Abades tunnel at the start of October.
The victim exhibited evident signs of having met a violent end, as they were bound and partially burned, in addition to sustaining stab wounds across various areas of the body, the Civil Guard disclosed in a statement.
Given the gravity of the situation, the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police (UOPJ) of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Command has taken charge of the investigation.
Initially, the agents encountered challenges in identifying the remains, due to the fire damage impeding facial and fingerprint recognition.
The first check of missing persons failed to yield results in identifying the body; however, after several days, an alliance with agents from the Provincial Judicial Police Brigade of the National Police facilitated the potential identification of the victim.
The UOPJ requested the assistance of the Criminalistics Service of the Civil Guard based in Madrid for the identification process, to which the necessary samples were dispatched for complete identification.
Following the identification of the remains, the investigation zeroed in on individuals who might have had some connection to the victim. Through a thorough examination of all available information, alongside meticulous operational and technical efforts, the full identification of all parties involved in the homicide was accomplished, linking them to each other and the victim’s circle.
As a result of the investigative efforts, the Civil Guard has been able to arrest five suspects this week, comprising four adults and a minor, for their alleged involvement in the crime of homicide.
The inquiry has concentrated on gathering evidence, clues, and remnants that could irrefutably demonstrate the involvement of the suspects.
INCINERATE THE BODY TO AVOID DISCOVERY
Consequently, searches of residences and detailed inspections of three vehicles were conducted, managing to acquire sufficient evidence and material to connect the alleged perpetrators to the homicide.
During the investigation, it was established that the victim had been kidnapped for several days in a northern municipality before being moved to the southern region, where they were ultimately killed and set ablaze with petrol.
The motive behind this relocation and incineration was to obscure the identification of the remains and their association with the detainees.
The Citizen Security Unit (USECIC) of the Civil Guard Command of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, alongside citizen security units from the first, fourth, and fifth companies of the Civil Guard, as well as the Central Cynological Service, which travelled from Madrid to the island of Tenerife, collaborated in mapping out the locations and movements of the victim.
The inquiry has been overseen by the Investigative Court Number 4 of Granadilla de Abona alongside the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
