Alex Trelinski
A drugs gang including British citizens who took suitcases of narcotics to the UK and across Europe, has been arrested by the Policia Nacional.
Police said consignments were destined for national and international drug traffickers.
In a major coordinated swoop, over 250 officers simultaneously raided 30 addresses in Spain on May 17, but details were only disclosed on Tuesday.
The criminals were based in Alicante Province, Almeria, and the Murcia region.
43 people, including British, Irish, Spanish and South American nationals, have been arrested.
14 gang members were jailed after court appearances.
Organisation leaders created a major network where people worked for them in shifts to ensure that drugs could always be ready for immediate distribution.
The crew recruited UK citizens as ‘mules’ to travel from Spain with suitcases stuffed with drugs in vacuum packs.
Police prevented two shipments of 30 kilos of marijuana from being flown to the UK on two occasions.
Over €500,000 split between cash and bank accounts was impounded in the May 17 raids.
Seized drugs included 100 kilos of marijuana; two kilos of hashish; a kilo of methamphetamines; and 500 grams of cocaine.
11 indoor marijuana farms were dismantled and police also took away a range of firearms.
200 lamps, 150 transformers, 67 fans, and 37 filters associated with the farms were also removed.
The marijuana farms were staggered in their development so that supplies never ran out.
Other seizures included 26 cars belonging to gang members.
READ MORE:
- Dog sniffs out British woman with large suitcase of marijuana at Spain’s Valencia airport flying to London
- British gang grew marijuana and ran drugs mail-order service from Costa Blanca area of Spain
- British man arrested as Costa Blanca marijuana gang shipped drugs from Spain to UK and Dutch customers
