Walter Finch
A TYRE shop in Algeciras has been busted for running an ‘ingenious’ drug trafficking hub where the merchandise was hidden inside truck wheels crossing from Morocco into Spain.
The gang used heavy goods vehicles to transport hash across the Strait of Gibraltar, with the tire shop providing cover for their activities.
Some 20 people have been arrested in the major police operation that spanned across Andalucia and Murcia.
Their activities have been described as one of the most active hash trafficking operations in the Campo de Gibraltar.
They were swept up when police raided the tire workshop that served as the gang’s key logistics base in La Menacha industrial estate on the outskirts of the city.
In total, 150 Guardia Civil officers carried out raids at 15 different locations on Tuesday, initially leading to 16 arrests, with more following as investigations continued.
Raids were conducted across multiple locations including Algeciras, San Roque, Los Barrios, Roquetas de Mar in Almeria, Mollina in Malaga, and Cartagena in Murcia.
The bust comes following an investigation that began at the start of this year, when officers first identified the group’s activities in the region.
Authorities seized a ‘significant quantity of drugs’ that had been concealed inside truck wheels during the raids, further uncovering the sophisticated methods employed by the smugglers.
