• The investigation began in Spain, where Spanish companies traded in large quantities of parts for military drones.
• Analysis of documents suggests Hezbollah could have assembled hundreds or thousands of drones using these parts.
• The drones flown by Hezbollah and discovered in Israel correspond to the components seized by Spain and Germany.

Spanish police said on Thursday that they detained four suspects — three in Spain and one in Germany — as part of an investigation into the sale of drone parts to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.

The investigation began in Spain, where police officers detected Spanish companies owned by Lebanese-born citizens trading in large quantities of parts and components for military drones capable of carrying explosives, according to the police.

According to a statement by Spanish police, an analysis of documents detailing trades of the components within Europe suggests that Hezbollah could have assembled several hundred or even a thousand drones using the parts. The police noted that these light aircraft, which are difficult to detect and stop, are loaded with explosives weighing several kilograms and launched into Israel.

The statement indicated that the remains of drones flown by Hezbollah and discovered in Israel correspond to the type of components seized by police in Spain and Germany.

Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire since Hezbollah announced a “support front” with Palestinians shortly after its ally Hamas attacked southern Israeli border communities on Oct. 7, triggering Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.

According to a Reuters tally, the fighting in Lebanon has resulted in the deaths of over 100 civilians and more than 300 Hezbollah fighters and has caused levels of destruction in Lebanese border towns and villages not witnessed since the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war.

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