Joint operation of the Tax Agency, National Police, Civil Guard and Europol

• This novel modus operandi made the narcotic substance difficult to detect at port controls.
• The organization, based in Spain and the Netherlands and linked to the Mexican Beltrán Leyva cartel, has been seized the largest quantity of 'crystal meth' in history in an operation carried out in the Netherlands
• The operation, carried out in Barcelona, Tarragona, Talavera de la Reina and Valencia, as well as in the Netherlands and Turkey, has concluded with the arrest of 16 people and the dismantling of the main route for introducing these substances into Europe through the port of Barcelona.

December 14, 2021.- The Tax Agency, in a joint operation with the Civil Guard, the National Police and Europol, has dismantled an international criminal organization based in Spain and the Netherlands, and linked to the Mexican Beltrán Leyva cartel, allegedly dedicated to the introduction of cocaine and methamphetamine into Europe through the port of Barcelona. This operation, which has been investigated for three years, has resulted in the largest seizure in the history of 'crystal meth', with the seizure of a total of 2,549 kilos of methamphetamine, 1,370 kilos of cocaine and 17,000 litres of chemical products for the production of narcotics. The operation, carried out in Barcelona, Tarragona, the Toledo town of Talavera de la Reina and Valencia, as well as in the Netherlands and Turkey, has concluded with the arrest of 16 people.

This police intervention dismantles the main route for introducing these narcotic substances into Europe through the Port of Barcelona. The authorities controlled a novel way of introducing the drug, which consisted of creating hidden compartments in concrete blocks, making it difficult to detect at port controls.

First phase: Research begins in 2017

The investigations began in 2017 as a result of information flows and national and international police cooperation on an export company suspected of being used by Mexican cartels to introduce huge quantities of narcotics into the European continent. In this way, the agents began to monitor a Mexican company that could be introducing significant quantities of narcotic substances into Europe through Spain.

This company, located in Mexico, is believed to be at the disposal of the Beltrán Leyva cartel, who, using prefabricated thermal concrete blocks intended for construction, hid the drugs inside. In this way, they took advantage of the infrastructure of their international trade operations, originating in South America and Central America, to corner the European market for narcotic substances.

Investigations suggested that Mexican cartels were trying to "crack" or "flood" the European market with the notorious narcotic substance known as "crystal meth" or methamphetamine. Taking advantage of the historic cocaine routes they dominated, they were entering into a new emerging market in Europe with this new substance that they themselves were producing in the jungle areas of Mexico.

As a result of the coordination of police agencies, it was learned that, in 2019, the Dutch Police seized a total of 2,537 kilos of pure methamphetamine ('crystal meth') in a warehouse in Rotterdam. Continuing the investigation, a warehouse was discovered in the town of Utrecht, where a total of 17,000 litres of chemical products for the production of narcotics were stored. These substances came from a company based in Spain and responsible for introducing the drugs on behalf of the Mexican cartel.

His method of concealment was practically foolproof. To do this, they used blocks of cellular thermal concrete with a hidden compartment inside, making them difficult to detect by any type of border control given the strength and material of the product. In this context, Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, the National Police and the Civil Guard joined forces to control the movements of the company responsible for these shipments, based in Mexico and Barcelona, and which used the port of the city for its commercial activities. All of this was coordinated by a citizen with Spanish and Mexican nationality living in Spain and who was also the main person responsible for the Mexican cartel in our country.

Once all the evidence was gathered with the support of the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office of the National Court, a detailed investigation was carried out on the importing company and its movements in Spain in order to, in coordination with the Dutch authorities, carry out a joint action that would allow the identification of all the actors involved in this international drug trafficking operation and its complete dismantling.

It was detected how the exporting company serving the Mexican drug cartels, taking advantage of the health situation caused by COVID-19, and believing that the Spanish police services dedicated to the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking would reduce their efforts, materialized the shipment of two new containers to the port of Barcelona, where the State Security Forces and Corps detected their entry and proceeded to inspect them.

Thus, after leaving the merchant port, they were subjected to discreet monitoring by the agents until they reached an industrial warehouse in the Barcelona town of Sant Boi de Llobregat, where they were subjected to an inspection. After drilling holes in the vehicles, the agents confirmed that narcotic substances were hidden inside, and a total of 834 kilos of cocaine and twelve kilos of methamphetamine were found on twelve of the 36 pallets transported.

Second stage: New container shipment

Continuing with the investigation, a new shipment of maritime containers bound for Barcelona was detected, so strict and permanent control was established over them with the aim of identifying other people or companies that could be involved in their release, customs clearance and corresponding reception.

Finally, the acting units proceeded to open the two new maritime containers in the port area, which left Mexico. Inside, the same thermal concrete blocks were found, packed with the same blue tape and the same corporate logo of the Mexican company. After an inspection of the contents, it was found that several packages containing narcotic substances were hidden inside them. Once weighed, they contained 536 kilos of cocaine.

This method of concealment inside the concrete blocks demonstrated, once again, the high technical capacity of the Mexican cartel responsible for introducing the drug into Spain, requiring this method of great complexity and sophistication to introduce the drug inside the blocks in the moments prior to their manufacture.

The conclusion of this second phase allowed Customs Surveillance, the National Police, the Civil Guard and the Dutch Police to gain deeper knowledge of those responsible for the introduction of the narcotic substance in Mexico, as well as of other people who could be involved in this operation, allowing them to dismantle a route for the entry of narcotic substances for the Mexican cartels and achieving the final seizure of 1,370 kilos of cocaine and 2,549 kilos of methamphetamine.

Third phase: internationalization of print runs and registrations

Subsequently, police forces in Spain and the Netherlands began to join forces in a coordinated manner with Europol to completely dismantle the organisation. The upper echelons of the criminal organisation, which had taken refuge in the Netherlands, where it continued to control its investments and the laundering of money from drug trafficking, remained to be dismantled.

This action was motivated by the objective of striking at the criminal organization, which kept all its properties and profits intact in other countries. Agents from the National Police and the Civil Guard travelled to the Netherlands to support the Dutch agents in the searches. Similarly, Dutch agents moved to Spain. In this way, twelve searches were carried out simultaneously in both countries, leading to the arrest of eight people, one of them in Spain and seven in the Netherlands.

The final results of this operation led to the seizure and confiscation of three luxury properties in the Netherlands, the blocking and intervention of nine bank accounts and a total of eight high-end vehicles.

Fourth phase: money laundering in Spain

It remained to be determined what money laundering structure the criminal organization had in Spain, and the existence of numerous bank transactions originating in or destined for Mexico for high amounts, which were received by members of the Beltrán Leyva cartel, had been proven. This transfer of funds was carried out through the collaboration of Spanish businessmen based in Talavera de la Reina and Valencia, who had designed a complex business network to launder funds obtained through drug trafficking.

On the one hand, the reception of thermal concrete blocks that were exported from Mexico was legitimized. Once in Spain, the companies in charge of receiving them were responsible for disposing of those concrete blocks that did not contain narcotic substances, contacting construction companies for this purpose. This task was extremely difficult for them because it was not a construction material widely used in Spanish buildings.

These businessmen were also responsible for providing cover for the organisation by renting properties in which to store these blocks, mainly those that did not contain narcotic substances inside. In this way, they disassociated their money laundering structure from drug trafficking so that in the event that they were intervened by the State Security Forces and Corps, their financial assets and economic wealth could not be linked to the illegitimate activity carried out by the Mexican cartel.

For this reason, large quantities of concrete blocks that the organisation had stored were found in Madrid and Toledo and were also inspected. These were shipments made without narcotic substances in order to create safe import channels.

On the other hand, the investigation into money laundering revealed the concealment of large amounts of money originating in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, which were transferred to Mexico using the bank accounts of Spanish companies. These funds, which were most likely the product of drug trafficking, were deposited into the bank accounts of the companies under investigation and introduced into the Spanish financial system bound for Mexico, although it has not been possible to establish their commercial origin.

Once the investigation was concluded, the operation was launched to arrest these individuals and three search and seizure procedures were carried out in which a large number of incriminating documents and various electronic devices, as well as four long firearms, were seized. The two suspects have been arrested.