Narco gangs in the Strait of Gibraltar are luring in ‘younger and younger’ recruits: Spanish authorities vow to ‘eliminate’ social foundations of trafficking

MORE and more young people are being drawn into the highly-organised drug trafficking networks that operate in the Strait of Gibraltar region.

The warning came from Pedro Fernandez, the Spanish Government Delegate in Andalucia, during a meeting in Sevilla designed to tackle regional societal threats.

“We are seeing individuals increasingly younger joining these criminal structures,” Fernández told regional security chiefs.

“We must eliminate the social foundation that normalises these criminal activities.”

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Drug trafficking gangs are becoming more sophisticated, employing increasingly complex systems to bring in drugs and introducing legal activities to mask their criminal operations. 

The geographical focus has also shifted, Fernandez noted, with criminal activities moving away from the Campo de Gibraltar.

Now, they concentrate in eastern and western parts of Andalucia, including Almería, Huelva, and along the Guadalquivir River.

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The statistics underscore the severity of the problem facing southern Spain.

Since August 2018, law enforcement has made substantial inroads against these networks, arresting 28,445 people and seizing 2,344 tonnes of drugs – including significant quantities of hashish, cocaine, and marijuana –  alongside over 2,300 weapons.

The region’s Special Security Plan aims for a comprehensive approach to dismantling drug trafficking networks by combining police action with social measures to provide viable alternatives for local populations, thereby reducing the allure of drug-related activities, according to Fernandez.

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However, he warned of escalating challenges. 

Narco gangs are increasingly using sophisticated methods, such as offering specialised services like distribution, transportation, packaging, and money laundering. 

Violence and aggression have intensified, while legal activities are being used to conceal illicit operations. 

This year, the government is investing €37 million into the Campo de Gibraltar’s Special Security Plan, with €17.5 million dedicated to staffing and €19.5 million for technical resources and intelligence.

International cooperation is also ramping up, with Spanish law enforcement increasingly integrated into European and global anti-drug intelligence networks.