Operation Thunder: Benidorm's 'cage' to seal off the city and prevent criminals from escaping

The National Police and the Local Police of Benidorm ( Alicante ) have jointly conducted a simulated lockdown of the city . Both forces have coordinated for this Operation Thunder protocol, which consists of implementing a lockdown or cage for a simulated criminal act in which the offenders attempt to leave the city.

In this exercise, in addition to blocking all strategic entry and exit points to Benidorm , "instructions for the mobilization of personnel, code names, call signs, and measurement of response times" have been implemented, according to a statement from the police force.

To ensure the drill was "as close to reality as possible," the police officers who participated were unaware that it was going to take place, so they had to deal with the "unprepared" situation .

"The coordinated mobilization of resources has been key to meeting the expectations of the leadership of both police forces," the National Police stated.

The Chief Superintendent of the Benidorm Local Police, Luis Martín Arévalo, described the drill as "effective in a real-life situation" and noted that "the results are excellent thanks to the coordination between both forces."