Overview

• The Seprona operation spanned nearly a year with 110 inspections of wells, boreholes and storage ponds across Málaga province.
• Authorities have launched formal investigations of 36 individuals and two firms on suspicion of usurpation of public waters and environmental offences, referring 20 criminal counts to the Málaga environmental prosecutor’s office.
• Investigators identified 187 administrative infractions, including unauthorized water extractions, withdrawals exceeding permitted volumes and the absence of required volumetric metering.
• A construction materials company allegedly siphoned off 12 million liters from illegal wells over five years and sold it via tankers, netting over €240,000 in illicit profits.
• Persistent drought in Andalucía and regional water restrictions have heightened concerns over the strain on Spain’s protected hydraulic domain.