Happy end to Gran Canaria ‘drug-heist kidnapping’ but questions remain

The wife and teenage son of a well-known MMA fighter from the Canaries are back at home following their release from captivity in an incident that has made the Spanish headlines in recent days.

The woman and 19-year-old were taken from the family’s luxury villa near the El Salobre golf club in the south of the island by armed men, reportedly as part of score-settling between drug gangs. Media reports suggest the abduction stemmed from the alleged disappearance of 700 kilos of cocaine from a bigger shipment believed to have reached the Canaries in recent times.

According to Canarian daily, El Día, the woman texted her husband, who arrived home at 1am on Thursday to find the villa ransacked, to let him know she and their son had been taken, urging him to “pay what you owe. These people do not mess about: they will kill us”.

Police checkpoints were set up immediately across the island and specialist officers were reportedly flown in from the Spanish mainland to lead the enquiries and manhunt. Less than 48 hours after the kidnapping, the woman and teenager were released unharmed and speculation mounted over the weekend as to the reason for the surprising development, which sources attribute to the massive media coverage and police presence. It is unknown at this stage whether a ransom was paid to secure their release. The man at the centre of the speculation, known locally as José el del Buque, has made no public comment on the abduction or on the reports linking him to major drug trafficking.

Police have also remained tight-lipped on media reports relating the incident to the disappearance of the drugs and on speculation that the kidnappers were foreign sicarios, dispatched to Gran Canaria by drug cartel bosses for the job. A spokesperson said that the priority throughout the fast-moving operation had been “to save lives which were clearly in danger”. Investigations into the identity the abductors are ongoing and anyone with information that may assist the police has been asked to come forward as soon as possible.

The villa complex in El Salobre is part of the tourist municipality of San Bartolmé de Tirajana, which includes some of the island’s biggest resorts, and is one of the most luxurious in Gran Canaria, with many foreign owners. Local mayor Marco Aurelio Pérez reassured visitors and residents that the kidnapping was an “isolated incident” and San Bartolomé “remains a very safe destination for all”. The local authorities have been at pains also to point out that crime in the area is “very low” and fell in 2024 compared to 2023.

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