Simon Hunter
THE BOSS in Europe of the notorious Zetas Mexican drug gang has been arrested in Madrid, in an operation that netted the authorities 400 kilos of cocaine and €220,000 in cash.
A total of five people were detained in the raids, which the National Police described as a second blow to criminal organisations from Mexico that will prevent them from setting up operations in Spain.
The National Police were working in conjunction with the Colombian authorities in order to bust the organisation.
The authorities focussed their attention on the head of the Zetas in Europe, a drug trafficker who was resident in Madrid but was known for his nomadic lifestyle. His travelling from country to country made the work of investigators more difficult.
The chief of the organisation also held regular meetings with a range of different figures, making it more difficult for police to determine which of these was an important person within the organisation.
A recent spike in the number of meetings he was holding tipped off the authorities to the possibility that a large shipment of cocaine could be about to arrive in Spain.
As well as seizing the drugs and the money, police also secured two vehicles, 10 mobile phones and documents of interest for their investigations.
Read more:
- Cocaine cowboys: Three day search of animal cargo ship fails to find drugs
- Dangerous and violent drugs gang brought down in Mar Menor area of Spain
- Police arrest 22 in bust of Benidorm-based ring dealing drugs and ripping off rivals
