The General Corps of the Canary Police and the Court of Violence against Children and Adolescents of Gran Canaria are maintaining an open investigation against a presumed network that recruited dozens of protected minors or those in vulnerable situations in the archipelago to sexually exploit them and induce them into prostitution. The investigation also looks into the commission of a crime against public health for drug trafficking.
The so-called Operation Incubus, which is under seal, was uncovered in January 2025, when the Autonomous Police arrested four people in Gran Canaria in connection with crimes against the sexual freedom of minors. Of these four detainees, two have remained in provisional prison since then. This was followed by another five arrests in June, which ended with the release of the investigated parties, and the re-arrest of one of them in October.
As revealed by the newspaper Canarias7, the main defendants in this operation have a history of sex offenses with minors, some of them related to the 18 Lovas case, a case that investigates the crimes of corruption of minors against girls and adolescents under guardianship and sexual assault.
The aforementioned media outlet points out that the investigated individuals would look for the victims in supervised homes or the schools where they studied. "First I have to check you out before introducing you to other clients," the aforementioned media outlet quotes one of the investigated individuals as saying to one of the underage victims. This outlet assures that 34 victims have been detected in the operation.
A case uncovered in January 2025 In January, the agents carried out five entries and searches in different addresses and storage rooms in four municipalities of Gran Canaria: Santa Lucía de Tirajana, Agüimes, Telde and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Within the framework of these initial searches, seven vehicles, electronic devices, money, and drugs were seized. In addition, the Autonomous Police found biological samples, which have also been analyzed.
New arrests in June
Last June, the Canary Islands Police arrested five people as part of the same case, seizing their mobile devices. All of them were released.
Following the analysis of the devices, one of these five investigated individuals was arrested again in October after criminal material related to minors was found on his cell phone. In addition, the agents searched two addresses related to him, his usual home and a family home where he stayed overnight. In these new searches, they found new evidence pending analysis that could be related to the criminal acts.
Different units of the Canary Islands General Police Force collaborated in this operation: the Judicial Police Office (OPJ); the Prevention, Response and Intervention Unit (UPRI) –including its canine unit–; the Operational Support Group (GOA) and the Citizen Security Unit (USEC).