Operation Istán: A Murder Case Unfolds on the Costa del Sol
In October 2019, the Costa del Sol police launched Operation Istán following the discovery of a bullet-riddled body of an Eastern European man in a ditch. The body was found next to a road connecting Marbella to Istán. The High Court of Justice of Andalucía (TSJA) has recently confirmed the sentence for the sole suspect tried in this case, who is now set to serve a 17-year prison term.
Bulgarian National Convicted for Premeditated Murder
The convicted individual, a native of Bulgaria, was found guilty of planning and executing the murder with at least one accomplice. The duo used two small firearms to kill their victim, a fact that the jury accepted as proven, despite the weapons never being found. The murder took place on 25 October 2019, when the killers met their victim at the 2nd kilometre of the Istán road.
The Murder Scene: A Gruesome Discovery
The victim was lured into the car with the murderer and his accomplice. They drove for a short while before stopping at an isolated spot next to an embankment on the side of the road. The victim was then shot multiple times inside the car, with no chance of escape or defence. The bullets struck his skull, thorax, and abdomen. After the murder, the killers pushed the body down a slope next to a ditch, hiding it among the undergrowth before fleeing the scene.
Body Found, Emergency Services Alerted
Two days later, a passerby discovered the body, which bore seven bullet wounds, and immediately alerted Emergencies 112 Andalucía. The only perpetrator who faced trial will now serve a 17-year prison sentence, as ratified by the TSJA for the crime of murder.
Partial Revocation and Compensation
However, the Andalusian High Court has revoked a part of the sentence for illegal possession of firearms, which was initially set at one year and eight months. The court deemed that this part of the sentence was not properly accredited during the trial, which took place in Malaga’s Provincial Court in March this year. In addition to his prison sentence, the defendant has been ordered to pay the victim’s widow €130,000 in compensation, and an additional €150,000 to the victim’s two children for moral, personal, and patrimonial damages.
