Robert Firth
Hundreds of kilograms of hashish have been seized in a police take-down of one of Spain’s largest drug gangs.
3,000 litres of petrol, twelve cars and two motorcycles have also been seized during the sting.
550kg of hash, €100,000 and three guns were found by police during the huge operation that led to the arrests of 27 people.
The Policia Nacional has described the gang as one of the ‘largest organisations’ in the country and said it possessed the ‘latest technology’ in order to avoid detection.
The criminal network stretched from Morocco, where the hashish was grown, to the north of Spain where it was delivered.
Smugglers brought the drugs into Spain via the Strait of Gibraltar and stored them in various spots along the Costa del Sol, before transporting them to Madrid. From the Spanish capital, the hashish was distributed to towns across northern Spain.
Police say the smuggling operation was so meticulously organised that many of those involved had no idea of the identity of other members.
When transporting the drugs, the gang used an escort car which travelled in front of the vehicle carrying the drugs and alerted the smugglers of any police ahead.
The 27 suspects are accused of a mix of drug trafficking offences, membership of a criminal organisation, money laundering and possession of illegal weapons.
