A disturbing scene unfolded Monday afternoon in one of the port areas of Marbella, at the popular tourist and local hotspot Puerto Banús. On one of the docks, a young man was found lifeless. He was brought there on a speedboat, after which unknown individuals disappeared without making any attempt to help or explain what had happened.
Witnesses immediately notified law enforcement. Officers from the Guardia Civil and National Police, as well as emergency medical personnel, arrived on the scene. However, paramedics could only confirm the man’s death. His identity remains unknown, and the circumstances surrounding his death are raising many questions among investigators.
Preliminary findings indicate that the boat used to bring the body was a semi-professional vessel resembling the so-called ‘narcolanchas’—boats often used to transport illegal substances. The people on board were wearing masks, further heightening suspicions of a criminal act. Shortly after abandoning the body on the dock, the boat sped off into open sea, leaving authorities with no chance to apprehend the crew.
A preliminary examination found no obvious signs of violence on the body, so a final determination about the cause of death will come after the forensic examination. The body has already been taken to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Málaga, where specialists will investigate all the circumstances.
Investigators are not ruling out any possible motives at this stage, but the main theory is a connection to drug trafficking. Such incidents are not new to the region: the Costa del Sol coastline has long attracted the attention of criminal organizations involved in narcotics smuggling. However, such a brazen method of disposing of a body is rare, even for this area.
Police continue to question potential witnesses and review surveillance footage from the port area. Efforts are underway to identify the victim and track down those involved in the incident. Marbella residents are alarmed by what has happened and hope the mysterious crime will soon be solved.
