Alberto Lejarraga
A ‘Ndrangheta member who allegedly coordinated large drug shipments from the Costa del Sol to Italy has been arrested in Benalmadena (Malaga).
The arrest is one of the 132 detentions that have been made all across the globe as part of the ‘Operation Eureka’.
The arrested, an Italian with close links to Ndrangheta leaders in San Luca (Italy), was a Costa del Sol resident.
He is further believed to have maintained contacts with local criminal groups in Galicia, organising together the transportation of 500 kg of cocaine from Panama in February 2021.
The Italian is said to have also played a key role in a number of operations in which tonnes of cocaine were shipped from Brazil.
Police arrested him at his house in Benalmadena, where agents seized €4,325, 1,000 Swiss francs and 12 mobile phones.
It has been reported that he had previously been arrested for pretending to be a businessman under a fake identity in Barcelona in 2003.
Regarding the ‘Eureka Operation,’ in the early morning of May 3, law enforcement authorities in Belgium, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Romania, Brazil and Panama raided multiple locations and seized several companies.
Over 2,770 officers were involved in the action day.
In addition to Italy and Spain, ‘Ndrangheta has members in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Portugal, Australia and Colombia at least.
