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Date Published: 16/04/2026

Illegal Botox clinic raided in Pilar de la Horadada as police smash cosmetic treatment network

The Costa Blanca premises was among three shut down in Spain-wide illegal Botox and filler crackdown

A clandestine cosmetic clinic and an illegal drug storage facility in Pilar de la Horadada were among the targets of a major Guardia Civil operation earlier this month as part of a crackdown on a criminal network offering unregulated Botox and filler treatments across Spain and beyond.

Operation Zlata, carried out on April 8 and 9, resulted in the dismantling of three illegal clinics in total, located in private residential properties in Pilar de la Horadada, Burjassot in Valencia and Reus in Tarragona.

A separate storage facility, also in Pilar de la Horadada, was raided at the same time. The operation saw one person arrested and three others placed under investigation on suspicion of crimes against public health and professional misconduct.

The network had been on the Guardia Civil's radar since August 2025, when investigators identified an organised group using social media and other online channels to advertise cosmetic treatments. Those carrying out the treatments had no medical qualifications and no health authorisation, and were using prescription-only medications without any medical supervision.

Officers recovered 1,248 vials of botulinum toxin, 382 pre-filled syringes of hyaluronic acid, 269 vials of hyaluronidase, 51 containers of lidocaine, nearly 700 containers of various other medical products and more than 1,000 needles and syringes, along with packaging materials, computer equipment and documents.

The network's leaders were based in Alicante, where they were sourcing the drugs illegally before distributing them to clinics across Spain and shipping supplies as far as Lithuania and the United Kingdom.

Health authorities have been keen to stress the very real dangers involved. Botox and hyaluronic acid treatments carried out outside of authorised clinical settings and without qualified medical professionals can result in serious infections, severe allergic reactions and permanent damage.

Images: Guardia Civil

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