Families threatened in late-night eviction raid in Playa Blanca
A group of terrified residents in Playa Blanca, in the south of Lanzarote, have accused a private eviction company of carrying out a violent night-time raid at the abandoned Villas Camelot development. Witnesses claim the men forced their way into properties, intimidated families, threatened children and stole nearly €2,000 in cash.
According to multiple complaints filed with the Guardia Civil, four men wearing jackets branded with Lanzaokupa entered the unfinished complex just after midnight on Tuesday. Residents say they broke belongings, shouted at them to leave and acted as if they were police officers.
One woman told investigators the men pushed her husband, threatened her young daughter, saying, “Get out of the way if you don’t want something to happen to you”, and stole €1,900 in cash from inside their home. A witness who previously worked as a security guard at the site confirmed seeing men enter properties, smash belongings and throw people’s possessions outside.
A young girl could be heard crying during the incident, which unfolded in the half-built housing blocks. Video footage captures one of the men telling residents to “move to the pavement” as they filmed the confrontation.
By Tuesday morning, several residents had reported the men to the Guardia Civil, accusing them of intimidation, forced entry and theft. They stated the company had come to the area to “mediate” but stressed no official eviction had been authorised.
The Villas Camelot site between Calle Malvasía and Calle Laurel has become a centre of conflict in Playa Blanca’s housing tensions. While some villas were completed and turned into holiday rentals, the rest were left as skeletal shells, later occupied by families with nowhere else to go.
It’s not the first time this area has seen conflict. Just one street away, another abandoned building was forcibly cleared in January 2024, leaving around 100 people, including 24 children, on the streets. That eviction order was later overturned.
This latest incident has intensified anger in the community, with residents accusing private firms of taking the law into their own hands while authorities turn a blind eye.
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