• Thirteen people arrested, including a Customs official and a businessman in the refrigerated food sector who collaborated with the port authority by providing a sophisticated scanner he owned for the detection of narcotics.
• The judicial authority has ordered the imprisonment of six of the suspects

February 2, 2024.- Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, the Civil Guard and the National Police, in a joint operation, have seized 1,822 kilos of cocaine hidden in several containers that arrived at the country by sea, through the port of Malaga, from South America. The investigation has allowed the dismantling of a criminal organization that had the connivance of a Customs official, dedicated to the inspection of containers and arrested for allegedly facilitating the departure of drugs from the port. In addition, there are 12 others arrested, including a businessman in the refrigerated food sector, who collaborated with the port authority until it was confirmed that he was at the top of the network, through the transfer of a scanner he owned for the detection of narcotic substances. The competent judicial authority has ordered the provisional detention of six of the suspects.

The two most investigated, the businessman and the public official, had created a strong infrastructure, in the opinion of the investigators, to introduce 1,822 kilos of cocaine, seized in four actions by the Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, the UDYCO Costa. del Sol of the National Police and the EDOA of the Civil Guard, in Malaga.

A first apprehension, among bananas

The 'Farewell-Goodbye-Bragalia' operation began in February 2023, after the seizure of 611 kilos of cocaine hidden among a shipment of bananas. The intervention took place at the facilities of a company in the refrigerated fruit and vegetable sector, with headquarters in Malaga, whose manager collaborated with the authorities through the provision of a powerful scanner for drug detection, thus boasting a privileged position that allowed him to introduce other consignments of drugs from the criminal organization to which he belonged.

Initially, inspections of containers suspected of containing narcotic substances were carried out at the headquarters of the company where the scanner was physically located.

Later, the same 'collaborating' company obtained a concession at the port, moving the scanner to the port facilities and appointing one of its own employees as 'customs representative', in charge of controlling the technological device.

After a first arrest, the agents detected suspicious signs of criminality in the businessman, focusing the investigations on him, his closest family circle and the company's employees, as well as on third parties related to drug trafficking. During the course of the investigations, investigators also found suspicions that would incriminate a Customs official.

In mid-June, in two other new seizures, agents from the three forces seized 25 and 381 kilos of cocaine among a shipment of pineapples, and the suspected businessman and a transporter who transported the drugs to the company's headquarters, in the who tried to manipulate and extract the cocaine.

A fourth drug seizure was carried out in August 2023, by the Civil Guard, in Santa Fe (Granada), with another 805 kilos of cocaine seized, also coming from the port of Malaga. On this occasion, the drugs were hidden behind a false partition, at the bottom of a container with legal merchandise - this procedure to camouflage the drugs is known in police jargon as 'mirror background'.

After several arrests, the agents tightened their grip on the members of the network, managing to identify the rest of the members of the criminal organization who had participated in the events investigated.

Nine entries and records in the provinces of Malaga and Granada

Finally, in the exploitation phase of the operation, nine searches were carried out: five in Málaga, two in Torremolinos (Málaga), one in Sierra de Yeguas (Málaga) and another in Guadix (Granada).

The investigation concluded with the arrest of 13 people, all of them in the province of Malaga. Among those arrested are, in addition to the businessman, some family members and several company workers, as well as a public official.

The last of the arrests occurred on January 29, 2024, in the case of one of the ringleaders of the ring and one of those directly responsible for the seized drugs, who remained on the run until he was finally located.

They are attributed, based on the participation of each one, the commission of the crimes of drug trafficking, membership in a criminal organization, revelation of secrets, bribery and money laundering. The Investigative Court number 14 of Malaga is aware of the facts, having ordered the provisional imprisonment of six of the detainees.