• Authorities have seized 568 kilos of shredded tobacco and machinery used for shredding, mixing and packaging tobacco, as well as a marijuana plantation in the towns of Écija and Marinaleda.

• Nine people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the events

November 26, 2025. The Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency together with the Civil Guard and the National Police, within the framework of the joint operation 'Fraypanes/Vega', have dismantled a criminal organization based in the towns of Écija and Marinaleda (Seville) and have arrested nine people allegedly dedicated to tobacco smuggling and drug trafficking.

The investigation began last June, when it became known that shipments of tobacco pieces were being sent to different points across the country, originating in Seville. This led to the formation of a joint working team between the different bodies, which has resulted in the dismantling of a criminal organization dedicated to the cutting, distribution and sale of tobacco and drug trafficking. 

As a result of the investigation, one of the members of the organization was located, the person in charge of transporting the sting for distribution to different points of the national geography.

The investigators discovered that the criminal organization adopted rigorous security measures, which did not prevent them from identifying all of its members.

Once all the evidence had been gathered, several raids and searches were carried out in various locations in the province of Seville, dismantling the center where the tobacco leaf was chopped, the chopped tobacco was packaged and both products were distributed, as well as the place where marijuana was being cultivated for later sale to the public.

Among the seized items were the machinery used to carry out the criminal activities and 568 kilos of loose tobacco. All of this would have an approximate market value of 96,560 euros.

In addition, during the searches a plantation with 100 marijuana plants in an advanced state of flowering was found and nine people were arrested for their alleged involvement in the events.

The operation involved the Operational Unit of Córdoba of the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency, the Fiscal and Border Analysis and Investigation Unit (Udaiff) of the Civil Guard of the port of Seville, the Local Operational Group of Judicial Police of the National Police of Écija (Seville), Usecic of the Command of the Civil Guard of Seville and Upr of the National Police.