Operation Curricán: 30 arrested over child sexual abuse in Gran Canaria

The Policía Canaria has arrested 30 people in what is known as Operation Curricán, an investigation into the alleged distribution of sexual images of minors that remains open and under judicial secrecy. The details were set out on Tuesday, 30 June 2026 by the regional Consejería de Presidencia, Administraciones Públicas, Justicia y Seguridad in a statement reported by EFE.

The operation began on Monday, 29 June in Gran Canaria. In its first phase, according to sources from the Consejería speaking to EFE that day, 17 people were arrested and the same number of property searches were carried out. The newspaper Canarias7 reported that the operation targeted an alleged network producing and sharing images of minors on the island. The following day, the number of those arrested rose to 30 as the investigation continued.

Searches across ten municipalities

Residential searches were conducted in municipalities across Gran Canaria and also on the island of El Hierro. According to the breakdown provided by the Consejería, searches took place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Arucas (four), Santa Lucía de Tirajana (three), Santa Brígida and Telde (two each), and Teror, Ingenio, Mogán and San Bartolomé de Tirajana (one each), along with one further search in El Hierro.

Sources differ on the number of searches carried out in the island capital: the statement as reported by elDiario.es and La Voz de Lanzarote cites 14 searches in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, while Canarias7 puts the figure at 13.

Offences under investigation

The offences being investigated include crimes against the sexual freedom of minors under 16, corruption of minors, and offences against public health. In reports published on the first day of the operation, several sources referred to this last category as drug trafficking.

The case is being coordinated by the court formerly known as the Juzgado de Violencia contra la Infancia y la Adolescencia, now designated Plaza número 3 de la Sección de Instrucción del Tribunal de Instancia de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, presided over by magistrate Tomás Martín. The court has placed the proceedings under judicial secrecy.

During the property searches, Policía Canaria officers seized documentation and electronic devices that will need to be analysed to establish the full extent of the network and the number of minors affected, according to one report.

Police deployment

More than 130 officers from the Cuerpo General de la Policía Canaria, drawn from various operational units, took part in the operation. These included the Subgrupo de Violencia contra la Infancia y la Adolescencia, the Unidad de Seguridad Ciudadana, the Unidad de Intervención Policial, the Unidad de Vigilancia e Inspección, the Grupo de Menores, the Subgrupo de Auxilio Judicial and the Grupo de Guías Caninos.

Given the scale of the operation, the Consejería noted, it was necessary to deploy officers from the Comisaría Insular de Tenerife to reinforce those already working in Gran Canaria.

The investigation remains open and the proceedings are under judicial secrecy; sources have not ruled out further arrests or additional searches in the coming hours.

There is also a discrepancy between sources over the name of the operation: most refer to it as Operation Curricán (or Currican), while one outlet reported it as Operation Carricán.