Joint operation between the Tax Agency, National Police and Civil Guard

• Twelve people have been arrested during an operation that has been carried out after more than a year of investigation, from whom a total of 2,065 kilos of cocaine have been seized
• The dismantled group had created a network of drug traffickers who simulated a legal business network to introduce notorious quantities of narcotic substances into Spain.
• The actions have been carried out in the provinces of Cádiz, Cuenca, Madrid, Málaga, Murcia, Seville, Tarragona and Valencia

January 18, 2021.- Customs Surveillance Officials of the Tax Agency and Agents of the National Police and the Civil Guard have dismantled a criminal organization allegedly dedicated to large-scale international cocaine trafficking. scale, from whom a total of 2,065 kilos of this narcotic have been seized. Twelve people have been arrested during an operation that has been carried out after more than a year of investigation, accused of having created a network of drug traffickers who simulated a legal business network to introduce notorious quantities of cocaine into Spain. Police actions have been carried out in the provinces of Cádiz, Cuenca, Madrid, Málaga, Murcia, Seville, Tarragona and Valencia.

Investigations into a group of individuals settled in the provinces of Murcia and Seville began at the beginning of 2020, leading to the identification of a criminal organization whose purpose was to create a business network with a legal appearance, importing charcoal between South America and Europe. to be able to introduce, without being detected, large quantities of cocaine into Spain through the main Spanish ports.

With this objective, the organization began its activity through the Port of Barcelona, introducing dozens of containers of the aforementioned coal, with the aim of creating an appearance of legitimate activity and preparing a subsequent shipment of cocaine hidden in the coal. Once the containers arrived in Barcelona, they were transferred to a ship that the organization had rented in Tarragona, where the drugs were planned to be extracted when the first shipment was finally made. After several months, as a result of logistics problems with the stored coal and the limitations derived from the coronavirus pandemic, those investigated were forced to close said entry route, having to generate all the infrastructure and logistics again in the Port of Algeciras since mid-April.

The importation of cocaine was managed from Brazil and Paraguay

During the following months, all the components of the criminal structure were fully identified, being led by two families whose main members were in Brazil and Paraguay, from where they carried out the entire cocaine importation operation. The next step was made up of individuals who created companies with the intention of simulating legal merchandise trafficking with products such as coal, rice, molasses or health products, which are in high demand in the current health crisis. The latter were based in Seville and operated in the towns of Marbella, Algeciras, Cádiz and the Andalusian capital itself. The leaders of the organization included front men in all companies in order to hide their true identity and obtain abundant benefits after the introduction of the merchandise.

The link between the top of the organization and the business branch was consolidated in Valencia with an expert in money laundering who channeled the organization's money to capitalize on the drug trafficking operation, diversifying her methods of action and concealment with the use of cryptocurrencies. This person was a guarantee of success, since many mafias from countries in Eastern Europe and South America resorted to his services due to the ease of hiding the money originated from drug trafficking, weapons or human trafficking, and giving it an outlet to continue. financing organized crime at the highest level.

Due to the high specialization of the organization, the intervention of more than one hundred telephone lines by the investigators was necessary, as well as numerous surveillance and monitoring in numerous Spanish provinces. It was also necessary to analyze almost 200 containers imported from the ports of Brazil and Paraguay to Spain.

40 tons of coal were used to hide the drugs

After an exhaustive analysis, one of the containers that the organization had imported from Paraguay to the Port of Algeciras was opened, finding inside a total of 63 bales carrying 2,065 kilos of cocaine, which were hidden among 40 tons of coal, with the clear intention of making it difficult to locate.

Finally, a total of 16 searches were carried out in homes, professional offices and establishments, proceeding to the arrest of twelve people and the investigation of another three, having also issued international arrest warrants for those now accused, and that are pending to respond to the competent judicial authority. 

Filming of operation (to download the video you must enter the following web address): https://we.tl/t-sjc0XHEulz