The Civil Guard, as part of ‘Operation Abbey’, has detained five individuals, comprising four adults and one juvenile, all residents of the island of Tenerife. They are accused of committing homicide against a middle-aged man whose remains were discovered inside the Abades tunnel at the beginning of October.
The victim exhibited clear signs indicative of a violent death, having been bound and partially burned, in addition to sustained stab wounds across multiple areas of the body, as reported by the Civil Guard in a statement.
Due to the severity of the situation, the investigation was taken over by the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police (UOPJ) from the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Command.
Initially, the officers encountered challenges in identifying the remains, as the fire damage hindered facial and fingerprint recognition.
An initial check of missing persons did not aid in identifying the body, although days later, collaboration with agents from the Provincial Judicial Police Brigade of the National Police facilitated a potential identification.
The UOPJ sought assistance from the Criminalistics Service of the Civil Guard, based in Madrid, for the identification of the remains, sending the necessary samples for comprehensive identification.
Following the identification of the remains, the investigation turned its attention to individuals who may have had some connection to the victim. An exhaustive analysis of all gathered information, together with meticulous operational and technical efforts, led to the complete identification of all those implicated in the homicide, revealing links between the suspects, one another, and the victim’s social circle.
Thanks to the diligent investigative efforts, the Civil Guard was able to arrest five individuals this week, comprising four adults and one juvenile, as suspected perpetrators of the homicide.
The inquiry has concentrated on the collection of evidence, clues, and traces that could unequivocally confirm the suspects’ involvement.
Burning the body to evade identification
Consequently, searches of residences and technical visual inspections of three vehicles have been conducted, successfully gathering sufficient evidence to associate the alleged offenders with the homicide.
Throughout the investigation, it was discovered that the victim had been kidnapped for several days in a northern municipality before being moved to the southern area, where he was ultimately slain and set ablaze using petrol.
The intent behind this transfer and incineration of the body was to hinder identification and conceal any connection to those who have now been detained.
The Citizen Security Unit (USECIC) of the Civil Guard Command in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, alongside the citizen security units from the first, fourth, and fifth companies of the Civil Guard, as well as the Central Cynological Service, which was dispatched from Madrid to collaborate in locating and tracking the victim’s movements.
The investigation has been overseen by the Investigative Court Number 4 of Granadilla de Abona and the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
