A Illa de Arousa to convert seized drug trafficker property into public housing

The municipality of A Illa de Arousa in Galicia has reached an agreement with Spain's National Plan on Drugs to purchase a building previously owned by notorious drug trafficker Marcial Dorado. The property, located in O Xufre, was scheduled for public auction in November but has been withdrawn following the municipal agreement.

The acquisition will cost approximately 1.34 million euros, to be paid over a ten-year period. The plan is to convert the unfinished building into 15 public housing units, with the possibility of converting two large commercial ground floors into additional residences through future urban planning modifications.

Mayor Luis Arosa stated that the initiative aims to transform assets derived from illegal activities into community resources, noting that “where narcotics saw a business opportunity, we see a home.” While the project does not resolve the entire local housing shortage, it represents a significant conversion of criminal assets into municipal public heritage.