DAYS NUMBERED FOR CRIME IN SPAIN

Criminal organizations in Spain “know their days are numbered,” said Interior Minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba as he unveiled new figures relating to the fight against organized crime on Wednesday.

Last year the police and Civil Guard arrested 5,881 people and dismantled 561 criminal gangs, 354 of which were broken up completely. Assets and goods totalling over 270 million euros were seized, as were 16,540 kilos of cocaine, 93,038 of hashish, 165 of heroin and 193,331 ecstasy tablets.

Of the dismantled groups, 462 were involved in drug trafficking, 340 in robbery and 117 in crimes against individuals and freedom. Most of those arrested — 2,881 — were Spanish, 868 were from other EU nations and 2,126 came from countries further afield.

Rubalcaba attributed the results to greater specialization and training within the National Police and Civil Guard and the number of agents devoted to fighting criminal networks, which has increased from 3,555 in 2004 to 6,708 in 2009.

“It's good that it is known that we are efficient, that criminals are not going to have a good time here and that the Penal Code is very severe,” he said.