Alex Trelinski
A FAMILY gang selling cocaine laundered their proceeds by buying Christmas Lottery tickets with the hopes of scooping a bigger return from their criminal activities.
Two women and a man- all Spaniards- have been arrested by the Policia Nacional in the Patilla district of Elche for running drugs sales out of their homes.
197 tickets for the annual El Gordo Christmas Lottery were seized by the police- purchased by the gang from cocaine sales.
The Policia Nacional said their investigation lasted for ‘several months’.
Three adjoining terraced properties were all connected internally, with one of them used to sell cocaine to buyers and the two others to store drugs and money.
The amounts of narcotics and cash kept in the homes was comparatively small, with items taken elsewhere in case of a police raid.
When officers swooped after getting complaints from neighbours about the constant comings and goings of drug addicts in their street, 16 grams of cocaine- ready for sale- as well as €6,320 in cash was seized.
The home searches also uncovered large quantity of cosmetics, bottles of alcoholic spirits and bottles of olive oil with their original seals.
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