• 23 kilos of cocaine, two vehicles, a bill counting machine, equipment for packaging and distributing drugs, and cash were seized.

• Three searches have been carried out, including the "safe house" that the organization maintained in Vilagarcía de Arousa to hide the narcotic.

May 15, 2025.- Customs Surveillance officers from the Tax Agency and National Police officers have seized 23 kilos of cocaine and arrested three individuals involved in trafficking this drug using hidden vehicles. Three searches have been carried out, including the "safe house" that the organization maintained in Vilagarcía de Arousa to hide the narcotic.

The operation began in mid-2024, when the Vigo Customs Surveillance Operational Unit of the Tax Agency and the Udyco Vigo investigation unit of the National Police joined forces to track down a group that was allegedly distributing significant quantities of cocaine to different locations on the Iberian Peninsula, using specially prepared vehicles with hidden compartments.

In this way, officers from both agencies began joint and coordinated surveillance and monitoring efforts on the main suspect, which took them to different parts of the peninsula. As a result of this work, investigators were soon able to gather a significant amount of evidence clearly indicating that these movements were intended solely for the transportation of narcotics to supply smaller cocaine dealers located throughout the country.

During the investigation, and thanks to the surveillance carried out, other members of the group were identified, and a "safe house" was discovered that the organization maintained in Vilagarcía de Arousa to conceal the substance prior to its distribution.

On May 13, investigators detected a trip by the prime suspect and his partner to the town of Bergondo (A Coruña), where they were planning to deliver a shipment of cocaine. The officers proceeded to intercept the vehicle in which the suspects were traveling, locating a hidden compartment in the engine compartment where the couple was hiding three kilos of cocaine. At that time and based on that apprehension, the two subjects were arrested.

A new operation was immediately deployed, leading to the arrest of a third suspect, a Pontevedra resident with a history of this type of crime and believed to be at a higher level in the criminal organization's hierarchy.

Pontevedra Court of Instruction No. 2, which is hearing the case, issued search warrants on that date, authorizing investigators, along with the corresponding Court Clerks, to enter and search three properties in the province related to the organization.

To ensure entry into the organization's "safe house," it was necessary to intervene by the National Police's Prevention and Reaction Unit (UPR) at the Vigo National Police Station. During the search, 20 more kilos of cocaine were seized. During the searches, a banknote-counting machine, equipment used for packaging and distributing drugs, and other items were also seized, including two vehicles used by the organization for its travels and 3,500 euros in cash. The operation remains ongoing, and further arrests are not ruled out.