Joint operation of the Tax Agency and the National Police

• The National Police and the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency have developed the so-called 'Operation Doblaje' against international marijuana trafficking from the capital of Granada to different countries of the European Union, mainly Germany.

• Six men have been arrested, including the alleged leader of the organization, and are charged with drug trafficking and related crimes of money laundering and illegal possession of weapons.

• The leader of the organization bought trucks registered in the name of the transporters, whose semi-trailers were modified with false bottoms in which the drugs were hidden. In addition, international shipments of marijuana have been discovered through legal parcel companies.

• The result of three house searches carried out in Granada and Maracena was the seizure of nearly 80 kilos of marijuana buds and more than 2,200 euros. The appraisal of the seized vehicles alone exceeds 240,000 euros

May 19, 2022.- Within the framework of the fight against drug trafficking, the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency and the National Police are carrying out 'Operation Doblaje', coordinated by the Delegate Prosecutor in Granada of the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office based in Madrid. Six men have been arrested in this operation after being investigated for crimes of international marijuana trafficking, mainly to Germany, money laundering and illegal possession of weapons.

Agents have carried out a house search in Granada and two in Maracena - one of them in a 'grow shop' that was the meeting and planning place of the members of the organisation - in which they have seized nearly 80 kilos of marijuana buds, more than 2,200 euros in cash, a firearm, various ammunition and vehicles whose value exceeds 240,000 euros. Another 12 kilos of this drug were seized in a package that was being sent through a legal parcel company. The judicial authority declared the case confidential, which has now been lifted.

Marijuana shipments in double bottoms of semi-trailer trucks and through legal parcel companies

For several months, the Organized Crime and Economic and Tax Crime Groups of the National Police and the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency have been working on this operation, coordinated by the Prosecutor Delegate in Granada of the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office based in Madrid, in which they have dismantled a criminal organization that was allegedly dedicated to international marijuana trafficking, a criminal activity related to money laundering that is also being investigated.

Investigators have discovered two methods that the organisation used to hide the drugs during their transport from Granada to various European countries, mainly Germany. One of them was by creating false bottoms in the semi-trailers of large tonnage trucks, in which they found hidden marijuana. These trucks were purchased by the leader of the organization in the name of other members in charge of carrying out the transports. The other shipping method was through legal parcel companies.

Vehicles seized with a value of over 240,000 euros

At the beginning of May, a joint operation was launched in which three coordinated searches were carried out at the homes of those under investigation, one in Granada and another in Maracena, where a 'grow shop' that had been established as a meeting point for planning and organizing the members of the criminal group was also searched. At the same time, a truck was intercepted while travelling on the A-92 in the province of Seville, which was transporting marijuana in a false bottom. The detour to this city was motivated by the fact that it was the place where the legal load was to be carried out, in this case involving century-old olive trees.

Investigators have seized nearly 80 kilos of marijuana buds, more than 2,200 euros in cash, two tractor units, two rigid trailers, two high-end vehicles, four vans, two motorcycles, a firearm with ammunition and various documents related to the events under investigation. The appraisal value of the seized vehicles alone exceeds 240,000 euros. They also seized a package containing 12 kilos of marijuana buds that was being sent via a legal courier company.

The alleged leader of the organization has been arrested along with five other members, and the drugs seized are in the possession of the latter.

The investigation is still ongoing, so further arrests cannot be ruled out. Meanwhile, the judicial authority has ordered the release of the detainees, who will later be summoned to appear in court.