DRUG NETWORK DISBANDED

News

Mark Nolan / 2011-01-16 12:28:10

The detainee was approached in the arrivals hall by a Colombian, responsible for organizing the trip, who was also arrested.

A total of eight people have been arrested, of both Spanish and Colombian nationality, by officers from the National Police who broke up a drug trafficking organization based in the town of Roquetas de Mar.

Officers from Almería seized 4.2 kilograms of cocaine, a handgun, ammunition, anabolic steroids, two cars, a night vision monitor, 3,000 euro in cash, fifteen mobile phones and a collection of documents and materials believed to have been used by the criminal gang.

The investigation, which began several months ago, focused initially on the ring leaders of the organization based in Almería, who would provide drugs to smaller time dealers who then sold the drugs directly to the public.

As part of the investigation, officers were able to identify two people who were at the very top of the supply chain, with contacts in Madrid, who in turn fed drugs to similar networks across Spain.

During the course of the investigation it was determined that the organization used so called “mules”, people posing as tourists who would travel to South America by air, to then return to Spain carrying the drugs.

On Christmas Eve, the gang attempted to smuggle 2.5 kilograms of cocaine into the country by this method, believing that there would be fewer checks by law enforcement agents. Officers based at Madrid-Barajas Airport intercepted the courier and arrested a Spanish citizen on a flight from Colombia, via Frankfurt, in which they seized the drugs, which were hidden in bags coated with tracing paper and foam and hidden inside a suitcase.

Before the arrest, the detainee had been approached in the arrivals hall by a Colombian citizen, responsible for organizing the trip, who was also arrested.

A few days after the first arrests in Madrid, the investigation led officers towards Almería, where it was believed that a shipment of drugs had already been made. A surveillance operation was launched in the village of Tabernas, in which the suspect vehicle was detected and followed by the officers to a petrol filling station in Roquetas de Mar, at which point they intercepted the vehicle.

The officers proceeded to arrest the driver, who was accompanied by his 13 year old grandson, and located three packets of cocaine weighing 1.5 kilograms hidden inside the vehicle.

That arrest resulted in further investigations, which triggered the arrest of other members of the organization, resulting in a total of eight arrests being made in the town of Roquetas de Mar.

The operation was conducted by officers of the Drugs Unit and Organized Crime (UDYCO) from Almeria, in collaboration with the Narcotics Group of Madrid-Barajas Airport.