How a British gang based in Estepona trafficked cocaine and hashish to Europe by hiding the drugs in furniture deliveries- all while living in a hotel complex

A BRITISH man has been arrested for being part of a gang distributing drugs from the Costa del Sol across Europe via parcel delivery companies.

The Guardia Civil have also detained a Swedish and a Thai national, while three others of undisclosed nationalities are still being investigated.

All of those arrested have been jailed.

Operation Carpenter began last summer when the Guardia became aware of the gang distributing drugs- mainly hashish- in parcels.

After surveillance work, investigators found out that the gang used a child daycare centre to store the narcotics.

They were then packaged up in containers with furniture.

Officers intercepted a van that deposited several large boxes at a parcel company.

A search revealed 20 perfectly-packaged boxes with furnishings among the hashish consignment.

Inside the boxes were 389 kilograms of hashish and officers also found 23 grams of marijuana, 17 grams of MDMA and 20 grams of cocaine.

Members of the criminal group were monitored by the Guardia Civil as they based themselves in an Estepona hotel complex.