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

• 22 people have been arrested and 27 searches have been carried out
• The organization had highly specialized personnel, both for the manufacture, as well as for the custody and completion of these vessels.

April 19, 2022.- Within the framework of the joint operation 'Munari–Cundinamarca-Tulipán', carried out by the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency, the Civil Guard and The National Police Corps has arrested the members of a criminal organization based throughout Spain, dedicated to the manufacture and subsequent development of high-speed boats, which were used for the introduction of large quantities of narcotic substances by sea.

The organization, based in the province of Pontevedra, had infrastructure in other provinces, such as A Coruña, Salamanca, Madrid, Barcelona and even in the neighboring country, Portugal.

In a coordinated joint device, 22 of the members of the criminal organization were arrested, and a total of 27 homes and security locations used by those investigated were entered. The records were carried out in the provinces of Pontevedra, A Coruña, Madrid, Salamanca and Barcelona. Two searches have also been carried out in the northern part of Portugal (localities of Viana do Castelo and Valença do Miño), with the participation of the Portuguese Judiciary Police.

The investigations carried out made it possible to identify and structure the functions of the members of the criminal organization, who were manufacturing high-speed boats, which are considered a prohibited type, in different places in the province of Pontevedra. In addition, they had another series of enclaves in the Portuguese country, where the boats ended. Finally, the boats were equipped with the necessary equipment for use by drug traffickers in other cities. 

It should be noted that the organization had highly specialized members, both for the manufacturing, custody and completion of these vessels. Once they were ready, the members of this criminal network launched them in different parts of the country, and they were later used to transport narcotics in the southern part of Spain.

As a result of these actions, a large number of effects related to the investigation were seized. Likewise, more than 20 high-speed vessels have been located, in various states of completion, with six of them ready to be launched imminently and used to carry out important transportation of narcotics.

The operation has been developed by the Customs Surveillance Service in Galicia of the Tax Agency, the EDOA of Pontevedra, ECO Galicia, GRECO Galicia and has been directed by the Court of 1 Instance and Instruction number four of Cambados (Pontevedra) and by the Special Anti-Drug Delegate Prosecutor of the province of Pontevedra, with the participation of EUROJUST. 

During the development of the device established for the practice of arrests and searches, there has been the support of a large number of Units of said Corps, among which the Citizen Security Unit (USECIC) of the Civil Guard Command stands out. of Pontevedra, the GRS number seven of Pontevedra, the Police Intervention Unit (UIP), the Technical Resources Unit of the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency in Galicia, the Helicopter Service of the Civil Guard and the Aerial Media Service of the National Police.

Film of the operation (go to the following website to download the video):
https://we.tl/t-LzAcF6leOk