Joint investigation by the Tax Agency and the National Police

• In the operation 'Caravan', 15 people have been arrested and 1,200 kilos of hashish have been seized, in a 12-meter-long semi-rigid boat, a trailer truck, various electronic maritime navigation equipment and waterproof clothing for piloting drug boats.
• The investigation began after a 'stolen' of 870 kilos of hashish that occurred due to disagreements between the members of the organization

 

 December 19, 2019 .- Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency and the National Police have dismantled, in a joint investigation, a drug trafficking organization based in the province of Malaga dedicated to trafficking large quantities of hashish.

In Operation Caravan, 1,200 kilos of hashish, a 12-metre-long semi-rigid boat with three engines, a trailer truck, electronic maritime navigation equipment and waterproof clothing for piloting drug boats, among other items, were seized, and 15 people of Spanish and Arab origin were arrested for their alleged involvement in the plot.

 

A 'turnaround' among the members of the organization

The investigation began following a robbery with violence – 'overturn' in operational jargon – that occurred in May in the Puerto de la Torre neighbourhood, in the capital of Málaga, during the transport of narcotic substances that the criminal organisation was transporting to be hidden in Almogía (Málaga).

The agents managed to intercept the road transport and seize 870 kilos of hashish, thus initiating investigations by the acting police units. The investigations led to the arrest of several people, and it was determined that the 'reversal' occurred as a result of disagreements between one of the members of the organization and the rest of the group.

 

Two phases of exploitation

This research has been exploited in two phases. In the first instance, it was possible to determine the presence of two members of the organisation dedicated to the transport and custody of narcotics in the vicinity of the Guadalhorce Industrial Estate, with the suspects adopting extensive security measures.

Continuing with the investigation, at the beginning of October, a van was detected being driven with the escort of two other vehicles towards La Línea de la Concepción (Cádiz) transporting 330 kilos of hashish distributed in 11 bales. On the return trip to Malaga the van was intercepted and its driver and another member who was driving one of the escort cars were arrested.

The second support vehicle, called a 'shuttle', began a flight that took it from the Estepona-Guadiaro toll booth on the AP7 motorway in Manilva to the Plaza de Toros Vieja area in the capital of Malaga. During the chase, the two occupants of this car ignored the instructions of the patrols and even rammed and damaged three police vehicles until they were finally stopped.

At the end of November, investigators detected how members of the network were preparing to transport a semi-rigid boat, known as a 'narco-boat', in order to use it to transport narcotic substances.

In this way, a trailer truck carrying a canvas semi-trailer was located in Cártama (Málaga), whose owner was one of the people that the leaders of the organization used as a 'straw man' to put various properties in their name. The trailer truck was intercepted near the Guadalquivir River, as it passes through the municipality of Lebrija (Seville) and, taking advantage of the moment when they were preparing to hand over the boat for its launch into the waters of the river, the agents arrested three people and seized the 'narco-boat' of about 12 meters in length and three engines - with a total power of 1050 hp.

 

Seized waterproof suits

Finally, at the beginning of December, in coordination with the First Court of Instruction of Malaga, five members of the criminal organization were arrested, including its top leaders. During the operation, three house searches were carried out in which 44,000 euros in cash, a large amount of electronic maritime navigation equipment and eight waterproof suits intended for the crew members of the 'narco-boats' were seized.

One of the houses was used by one of the leaders as a meeting point for the crews of the 'narco-boats'. Two so-called 'samples' of hashish and two accounting books were also found in this property, as well as four sealed containers with still-fresh food, intended for crew members who are at sea waiting to load the narcotic substance they are trying to unload on the coast.

Operation 'Caravan' dismantles one of the most active criminal organisations in the province of Malaga.

  

Filming (to download the video, enter the following web address):

https://we.tl/t-SbBTBGGOtr