Central Operative Unit
Unidad Central Operativa (Spanish)
Emblem of the UCO
Active	Since 8 September 1987; 38 years ago (1987-09-08)
Country	Spain
Agency	Civil Guard
Abbreviation	UCO
Structure
Agents	Mora than 700[1]

TheCentral Operative Unit (Spanish:Unidad Central Operativa,UCO) is a specialized division of theCivil Guard ofSpain responsible for the investigation and prosecution of the most serious forms ofcrime andorganized crime, whether national or international, as well as support to the Territorial Units ofJudicial Police, that, due to lack of personnel or resources, or because the criminal field is more than oneautonomous communities, require the support of this Unit.

The main crimes that the UCO investigates are:^[2]

• Economic crimes, includingfrauds,counterfeit money andsmuggling.
• Drugs trafficking.
• Money laundering.
• Homicides andkidnappings.
• Crimes against thenational heritage sites.
• Telematics crimes.
• Crimes againstthe environment, including trafficking ofendangered species.
• Medicaments trafficking.
• Smuggling of valuable objects.
• Arms trafficking, explosives smuggling andhazardous goods trafficking.
• Human trafficking.
• Vehicles smuggling.

Also, the UCO has the duty to realize investigations ordered by ajudge, acourt or aprosecutor.

• Commander of the Unit (aCivil GuardColonel).
  • Department of Technical and Operational Support.
  • Department of Criminal Investigation specialized in General Delinquency.
  • Department of Criminal Investigation specialized inEconomic and Technological Delinquency.
  • Department of Criminal Investigation specialized inDrug Trafficking andSmuggling.
  • Unit attached to the Anti-Drug Special Attorney's Office.
  • Unit attached to the Anti-Corruption Special Attorney's Office.
  • Teams Against Organized Crime (ECO), six teams through the country.

• February 27, 1994.Release of Maria Àngels Feliu after 492 days kidnapped.
• July 23, 2007. Arrest ofJaime Giménez Arbe (known as "The Loner") inFigueira da Foz,Portugal.
• October 27, 2009. The dismantling of acorruption plot in themetropolitan area of Barcelona, in the so-called "Pretoria Case", in which the mayor ofSanta Coloma de Gramenet and other former public officials were arrested.
• October 27, 2014. The dismantling of acorruption plot called "Púnica Case".^[3]
• July 18, 2017. The dismantling of acorruption plot in theRoyal Spanish Football Federation.^[4]

• General Commissariat of Judiciary Police
• Spanish Intelligence Community
• National Police Corps

• National law enforcement agencies of Spain
• Government agencies of Spain
• Civil Guard (Spain)

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing Spanish-language text