The Guardia Civil has located a clandestine vehicle repair workshop in Torrevieja, operating just a short distance from the Las Lagunas de la Mata and Torrevieja Natural Park. The discovery followed several drone surveillance flights, which revealed irregular activity on a rented plot within a residential development. The investigation began in October after the Citizen Security Unit noticed suspicious movements and passed the information to SEPRONA in Guardamar.

During the inspection, officers found twelve cars and two vans belonging to various owners, many of them foreign residents. Inside the unit were workbenches, dismantled parts, tools, containers of used oil and new spare parts ready for installation. The site had no administrative authorisation, industrial safety measures or waste‑management protocols.

Agents also identified toxic and hazardous waste, including oils containing heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, zinc and chromium. They warn that improper disposal of these materials could cause significant environmental damage, especially given the workshop’s proximity to a protected natural area.

The operator, a forty‑seven‑year‑old local man, had already been reported on five March 2024 for similar activity on the same plot. He has now been proposed for sanctions covering environmental, industrial and waste‑management breaches. The case has been passed to the relevant local and regional authorities, and a formal request has been made to close and seal the premises.