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Dismantled an international criminal group that introduced large quantities of drugs hidden in concrete blocks

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

  • This novel modus operandi made the narcotic substance difficult to detect during port controls.
  • The organization, based in Spain and the Netherlands, and linked to the Mexican Beltrán Leyva cartel, has seized the largest amount 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 of introduction of these substances into Europe through from 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. With this operation, whose investigation has lasted three years, the largest intervention in the history of 'crystal meth' has been achieved, with the seizure of a total of 2,549 kilos of methamphetamine, 1,370 kilos of cocaine and 17,000 liters 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.

With this police intervention, the main route of introduction of these narcotic substances into Europe through the Port of Barcelona is considered dismantled. Those responsible controlled a novel way to introduce drugs, which consisted of creating hidden spaces in concrete blocks, making them 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, would be at the disposal of the Beltrán Leyva cartel, who, using prefabricated concrete thermal blocks intended for construction, hid the drugs inside. In this way, they took advantage of the infrastructure of their international trade operations, coming from South America and Central America, to corner the European market for narcotic substances.

The investigations suggested that Mexican cartels were trying to 'break' or 'flood' the European market for the famous narcotic substance known as 'crystal meth' or methamphetamine. Taking advantage of the historical cocaine routes that they dominated, they were joining a new emerging market in Europe with this new substance that they themselves produced in the jungle areas of Mexico.

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

His method of concealment was practically foolproof. To do this, they used cellular thermal concrete blocks with a hidden compartment inside, making them difficult to detect for all types of border controls given the firmness and material of the product. In this context, Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, National Police and Civil Guard joined forces to control the movements of the company responsible for these items, based in Mexico and Barcelona, and which used the port of Barcelona for its activities. commercial. 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 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 was at the service of 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 inspection. There the agents verified, after drilling holes in them, that a narcotic substance was hidden inside, finding on twelve pallets of the 36 transported a total of 834 kilos of cocaine and twelve kilos of methamphetamine.

Second stage: new container shipping

Continuing with the investigation efforts, a new shipment of maritime containers destined 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, dispatch. 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. Once an inspection of their contents was carried out, it was found that inside several of them were hidden multiple packages with narcotic substances inside, which, once weighed, yielded the amount of 536 kilos of cocaine.

This methodology of concealment inside the concrete blocks demonstrated, once again, the high technical capacity of the Mexican cartel responsible for the introduction of 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 Netherlands Police to deepen their knowledge of the Mexican people responsible for the introduction of the narcotic substance, as well as other people who could be involved. in this operation, allowing the dismantling of a narcotic substance entry route 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 records

Next, the police forces of Spain and the Netherlands began to join forces in coordination with Europol to completely dismantle the organization. The top part of the criminal organization that 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 would be motivated by the objective of hitting the criminal organization, which kept all its properties and profits intact in other countries. Agents from the National Police and the Civil Guard traveled 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 exploitation allowed the intervention and seizure 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 determine the money laundering structure that the criminal organization had in Spain, having proven the existence of numerous banking transactions originating or destined for Mexico for high amounts, which were received by the members of the Beltrán Leyva cartel. This transfer of funds was carried out through the collaboration of Spanish businessmen living in Talavera de la Reina and Valencia, who had designed a complex business network to launder the 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 in charge of disposing of those concrete blocks that did not contain a narcotic substance, contacting construction companies to do so. This task was extremely difficult for them because it was not a construction material widely used in Spanish construction.

These businessmen were also responsible for providing coverage to the organization by renting properties to store those blocks, mainly those that did not contain a narcotic substance inside. In this way, they disassociated their laundering structure from drug trafficking so that in the event that they were intervened by the State Security Forces and Bodies, their financial assets and economic flows could not be linked to the illegitimate activity carried out by the Mexican cartel.

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

On the other hand, the money laundering investigation revealed the masking of large amounts of money from the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, which were transferred to Mexico using the bank accounts of Spanish companies. These funds, which in all probability were the product of drug trafficking, were deposited into the bank accounts of the investigated companies and introduced into the Spanish financial system destined for Mexico without being able to conclude their commercial origin.

Once the investigation was concluded, the operation related to the arrest of these people was carried out and three entry and search procedures were carried out in which a large number of incriminating documents and various electronic effects were seized, as well as four long firearms. The arrest of the two investigated has been made.

Filming of operation (to download the video you must enter the following web address):

https://we.tl/t-WU5V3oiwAS