The inspection ended at about 14:05 on 10 November, when TEDAX specialists and the Policía Nacional canine unit confirmed that the suitcase contained no explosives. The first police alert reached the force’s 091 dispatch room at around 12:30, putting the inspection’s conclusion roughly 95 minutes later. The security operation in central Málaga then began to wind down, and restrictions were lifted gradually.
The trolley case had been left unattended at the junction of Calle Córdoba and Avenida Manuel Agustín Heredia, in the Muelle Heredia area. With no one claiming it, the Policía Nacional activated its preventive explosive-threat protocol and cordoned off the area while specialist teams examined the luggage. SUR reported, citing police sources, that the bag contained no dangerous substances or items.
Seguridad Ciudadana officers and TEDAX specialists went to the scene. The canine unit assisted with the inspection. Police also deployed drones and a Policía Nacional helicopter. Guardia Civil patrols attended, while Policía Local units redirected traffic around the perimeter. TEDAX is the Policía Nacional’s specialist explosives-disposal unit.
Pedestrian and vehicle access was restricted from about 13:15 across nearby routes, including Calle Salitre and Callejones del Perchel. Paseo de los Curas was also affected, as were Muelle Heredia and Avenida José María Garnica. As a precaution, the Autoridad Portuaria offices and the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía (UNIA) were evacuated. Restrictions were lifted in stages after the suitcase was cleared.
The Málaga operation ended without the deadly outcome of a separate callout in Oviedo on the same day. There, officers encountered a partly open backpack with a blinking light in the Villafría neighbourhood. It exploded as a Policía Nacional canine-unit sub-inspector approached, killing him and seriously injuring an accompanying TEDAX officer, according to an earlier Oviedo report. The two incidents were separate, with no reported link between them.
Once the suitcase was cleared, police began withdrawing deployed units. Traffic and access to the central area gradually returned to normal. No injuries were reported in Málaga.
