Tenerife Cult Leader Jailed Over Santería Rituals

The leader of a harmful cult, which practiced Santería rituals and was broken up last week in Tenerife, has been sent to jail while awaiting trial.

Police arrested five people connected to the group. Four were caught in Tenerife and one in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. They are accused of crimes including illegal association, animal cruelty, fraud, causing injury, endangering public health, and faking documents.

These arrested individuals are believed to have led a group that aimed to get rich illegally. They pretended to practice Santería, an Afro-American religion, to control their followers. These followers were often vulnerable people who were manipulated through lies and fear, sometimes spiritual fear.

The group, run by the detainees, performed secret rituals, claiming they were spiritual. They charged large sums of money, promising personal benefits, protection from evil spirits, or even cures for illnesses.

During these rituals, animals were sacrificed. People also consumed dangerous substances like jimsonweed, popper, or cocaine, which are harmful to health.

The leader's psychological control was so strong that several followers needed psychiatric help after leaving the harmful group.

The arrested individuals appeared before a judge last Thursday. The cult leader was ordered to be held in jail, while the others arrested were given other precautionary measures.

The police specialists handling these investigations have an email address, sectasdestructivas@policia.es, where anyone can report similar incidents. They promise to keep all reports anonymous and confidential.

Police are warning the public about the dangers of such groups. They often pretend to offer spiritual activities, but they use lies and force to control followers, committing illegal acts in exchange for large sums of money.