Man from Cerrillos detained in anti-drug operation: 52 kilos of ecstasy in Belgian van
The Federal Police detained an Argentine from Cerrillos, a Mexican and a Venezuelan linked to a shipment of 52 kg of MDMA valued at 2.34 million dollars.
Operation across Mexico, Belgium and Salta yields three arrests and 52 kilos of MDMA seized
The investigation into the entry of 52 kilogrammes of maximum-purity MDMA into the country resulted in three arrests and an international warrant, according to holasalta.com. The shipment, discovered at Zárate Port Terminal, connects Mexico, Belgium, Buenos Aires and Salta in a single drug-trafficking operation.
One of those arrested is from Cerrillos, Salta Province, and resided for several years in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. He reportedly entered the country alongside a Mexican citizen linked to receipt of the shipment. The judicial authorities are still investigating what role he played within the alleged organisation.
Origin: a DEA alert in February
The case began in February based on information the Federal Police received from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The warning indicated the possible existence of a local cell that would operate in coordination with a Mexican organisation to introduce synthetic drugs into Argentina.
The investigation was placed under the direction of the National Economic Crime Prosecutor's Office No. 3, headed by prosecutor Emilio Guerberoff, and the Narco-Criminality Prosecution Office (Procunar), headed by Diego Iglesias. Specialised units from the Federal Police and the General Customs Directorate also participated.
The undercover agent and the van from Antwerp
In the first phase, an informant officer established contact with alleged members of the organisation. Once the case was formalised in court, the officer was authorised to continue as an undercover agent, to maintain communications and to participate in an in-person meeting with members of the structure.
Through those contacts, information was obtained about an Opel Combo van imported from Antwerp, Belgium, which was at Zárate port terminal. Initial estimates indicated the vehicle could contain approximately 20 kilogrammes of MDMA. When scanned, agents detected anomalous densities in various sectors.
The search confirmed 20 kilogrammes of crystalline substance inside the fuel tank. When other parts of the van were dismantled, they found 32 additional kilogrammes hidden between the chassis, seats, doors and interior panels. Laboratory analyses confirmed it was maximum-purity MDMA. According to the case file, the shipment was valued at 2.34 million dollars and would have allowed production of around one million ecstasy pills.
The controlled delivery that led to the arrests
The discovery of the drugs did not end the operation. The National Economic Crime Court No. 2 authorised, at the prosecutors' request, a controlled delivery with complete substitution of the shipment: investigators removed the MDMA, placed other material and kept the operation active to identify the vehicle's recipients. Three other informant officers were brought in to simulate negotiations and coordinate the delivery.
In this way, a Mexican citizen who had arrived in the country to take charge of the shipment was identified. A Venezuelan also emerged, identified as being in charge of making a partial payment to the undercover agent. Within that web, the Argentine born in Cerrillos was located. One investigative hypothesis holds that the van would be transported to a workshop in Villa Urquiza, in Buenos Aires, to be dismantled and the drugs extracted.
Eight raids and an international warrant
With the evidence gathered, the judicial authorities ordered eight raids in Buenos Aires City and Salta. The operations resulted in the arrests of the Argentine, the Mexican and the Venezuelan. Additionally, an international warrant was issued for another Mexican citizen identified as one of the coordinators of the operation.
Source: Google News AR — Buenos Aires