Leader of Os Fanchos drug clan arrested with 1,410 kilos of cocaine in A Pobra do Caramiñal
The National Police arrested Rafael R. G. and two other men after intercepting a shipment landed by sea. The operation had support from the DEA.
Head of 'Os Fanchos' arrested again with more than 1,400 kilos of cocaine freshly arrived by sea
Rafael R. G., leader of the historic drug trafficking clan known as 'Os Fanchos', has been arrested again by the National Police, this time as coordinator of the receipt and custody of 1,410 kilos of cocaine landed by sea at A Pobra do Caramiñal, a municipality in the province of A Coruña. El Mundo reports that the drug was brought ashore at O Conchido beach in the early hours of Saturday morning aboard two vessels.
The investigation, named 'Operación Malladoira', concluded with three arrests: Rafael himself, a local resident and a Croatian national. The three appeared on Monday before the Court of First Instance in Ribeira, whose judge ordered provisional imprisonment, notified and without bail for all three. They remain under investigation for an offence against public health, according to a statement from the Supreme Court of Justice of Galicia (TSXG).
The operation was carried out in collaboration with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and began on Thursday, when officers became aware of the imminent arrival of the shipment. Initial investigations pointed to 'Os Fanchos' as responsible for the unloading and storage on land, with Rafael as main coordinator and the second detainee as one of his closest collaborators.
The third arrested, the Croatian citizen, reportedly acted as 'notary' for the recipient organisation of the shipment, a cell linked to the so-called Balkans Cartel, with the function of overseeing the delivery on behalf of the final recipients of the merchandise.
The first significant movement recorded by investigators occurred on Friday at 6.55 hours, when a vehicle stopped outside Rafael's home. Shortly after, a person left the property with a rucksack and got into the car. The occupants then carried out several counter-surveillance manoeuvres to check whether they were being followed.
The decisive moment came during the early hours of Saturday. Rafael, along with the other two suspects, made several trips between his home and a shed situated opposite the property, a short distance from O Conchido beach. Officers observed them extracting large, heavy bundles and transferring them to another property in the municipality. Based on the size and manner in which they were being handled, investigators concluded this was the cocaine they were looking for and intervened before it could be moved elsewhere. The three men were arrested and the shipment was secured at that point.
Subsequent searches carried out at the home of Rafael R. G., the shed and the third property allowed officers to locate the 1,410 kilos of cocaine, along with 100 grammes of heroin, cash and other items of interest to the investigation.
Rafael R. G.'s criminal record includes a previous arrest in 2007 in an operation against the 'Os Fanchos' clan itself, as well as a subsequent conviction for the kidnapping of a former councillor of A Illa de Arousa to collect a debt of 500,000 euros stemming from a failed drug deal. He is also cousin of José Enrique Abuín, alias 'El Chicle', convicted of the murder of young Madrileña Diana Quer, which occurred in 2016.
Source: El Mundo