Local Police officers from Arrecife intervened on Sunday morning, December 15, in a property in the center of Lanzarote's capital where an attempted illegal occupation was taking place, creating a situation of risk for both residents and the officers themselves.
The police operation began after a call received at the 112 Operations Room around 07:10 hours this Sunday, in which a neighbor reported loud bangs and noises coming from an adjacent dwelling. Upon arrival, officers confirmed it was a property with "the door smashed in," as reported by the Arrecife City Council in a statement.
According to information provided by the city council, the resident who alerted the Local Police stated that two unknown men had entered the home, which prompted police intervention. Despite repeated verbal requests from the officers for them to leave the property, the individuals initially ignored the officers, with one of them even displaying "an intimidating attitude and carrying an object".
Given the persistent refusal to cooperate, officers entered the property, finally locating the two men who were barricaded in one of the rooms.
The two men were finally immobilized and arrested, both lacking documentation to prove their identity or administrative status in Spain, and refusing to cooperate with the officers
Both were arrested by the Local Police of Arrecife and were transferred to the National Police for the verification of their identities and to clarify their administrative situation in Spain, for the continuation of police proceedings and their placement at the disposal of the judge of Court of Instruction number 1 of Arrecife.
The Local Police of Arrecife has activated a special anti-squatting service for months, which has been promoted by the mayor of the city, Yonathan de León, and is allowing agents to act quickly to generate new hotspots of insecurity and violence towards residents in areas where property squatting is intended.
Through this 24-hour operational Local Police phone number, 682271466, indications of squatting should be reported to allow for a rapid intervention within the first 24 hours, which is crucial to curb squatting, as reminded by the Arrecife Local Police.
