In the small coastal town of Alcossebre, officers from the Civil Guard detained a woman who was internationally wanted at the request of the Netherlands. Four minors were found with her, including her two children who had previously been removed from her custody. She faces a number of serious charges, including child exploitation, possession of prohibited materials, human trafficking, unlawful detention, and other offenses.
The arrest operation was conducted under complete secrecy. According to law enforcement, the woman had been hiding in Alcossebre, where she rented an apartment and tried to avoid drawing attention. However, her presence did not go unnoticed: local residents and police officers observed suspicious behavior among a group of teenagers who frequently appeared on the streets without adult supervision.
Search and arrest
It all began on December 7, when two teenagers—a 13-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy—were discovered in the neighboring municipality of Alcalà de Xivert. Both reported that they had been abandoned by the woman they were traveling with. The teenagers were immediately taken to a temporary shelter, where they explained that the woman had left with two other children.
Following this, officers from the Civil Guard in Vinaròs launched an investigation. They found that the detained woman had previously lost parental rights to her children—a 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl. Together with them and two other teenagers, aged 16 and 17, she fled from a care center in the Netherlands where all four had been under state protection.
Rescue of the children
During the investigation, police located the apartment where the woman was hiding with two of the children. She was detained near the building as she attempted to leave by car with her 12-year-old son and a 16-year-old teenager. At the time of her arrest, the children were in the vehicle. The woman was arrested on suspicion of endangering minors and other offenses.
All four teenagers, aged 12 to 17, were placed in a temporary accommodation center in the province of Castellón. Their condition is reported as satisfactory. In the near future, a decision about their fate will be made jointly with the Dutch authorities.
International search
At the time of her arrest, the woman was already the subject of a European arrest warrant issued by a court in the Netherlands. She faces charges of child exploitation, possession of child pornography materials, human trafficking, illegal drug trafficking, kidnapping, unlawful deprivation of liberty, hostage-taking, and leaving children unattended.
After her arrest, the suspect was taken to the court in Vinaròs, where she was placed in custody as a preventive measure. She is now awaiting a decision on her possible extradition to the Netherlands. The investigation remains under the supervision of Central Investigation Court No. 6 of the National Court.
Police cooperation
The operation leading to her arrest was the result of close cooperation between the Vinaròs Civil Guard and the local police of Alcalà de Xivert. Thanks to their coordinated actions, officers were able not only to detain the suspect, but also to ensure the safety of all minors who were with her.
Currently, all circumstances of the case are being thoroughly examined. Investigators are working to determine how the woman managed to cross the border and go into hiding in Spain, as well as identifying possible accomplices and tracking how the children were moved throughout the country.
