By Nohad Topalian | 2025-04-12

BEIRUT -- Spain's Civil Guard arrested a Hizbullah operative in Barcelona's Eixample district on April 1 for resuming drone component smuggling operations from the same apartment where he was detained last July.

Civil Guard agents also raided another location near Barcelona, in an operation that highlights Hizbullah's persistent efforts to maintain its European logistics network, ARA reported.

The operative, who had previously served prison time, was part of a cell that constructed over 1,000 explosive-capable drones for Hizbullah using components sourced from Spanish and European companies.

These unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), designed to carry several kilograms of explosives while maintaining a low radar profile, were part of Hizbullah's broader military procurement strategy.

The Spanish arrest is part of a wider European operation that included related arrests in the United Kingdom and France, according to ARA.

The operation builds on July's joint Spanish-German investigation that targeted the same apartment in Barcelona and resulted in three arrests, including the recently detained suspect.

Domestic support weakens

"This is a continuation of arrests made in cooperation with German authorities targeting Hizbullah's drone manufacturing network," investigative journalist Hajar Knio told Al-Fassel.

Hizbullah's networks outside Lebanon have deeply infiltrated religious and cultural institutions across Europe, using them as centers for planning, recruitment and intelligence gathering, she said.

"The Spain operation confirms the existence of Hizbullah sleeper cells working to provide materials for drone manufacturing and to destabilize the region on Iran's orders," a source who requested anonymity told Al-Fassel.

But popular support for Hizbullah appears to be waning in Lebanon.

"The party is no longer welcome in many Shia areas, though people stay silent out of fear and to ensure aid access," the source said.

The party's attempts to rebuild a military force faces significant obstacles as its main backer, the Iranian regime, "is in a difficult situation and under surveillance," said Lebanese Taharror political movement founder Ali Khalifeh.

Local opposition is mounting, particularly in the southern city of Sidon, where residents are pushing to ban Hizbullah's Al-Qard al-Hassan financial institution from operating in their community, Khalifa told Al-Fassel.