Civil Guard dismantles British drug-trafficking network in Estepona with seizure of one tonne of cocaine
The Civil Guard has dismantled a British criminal organisation that was transporting cocaine from the Costa del Sol to the United Kingdom. They seized one tonne of drugs, weapons, and arrested a British national.
Operation against cocaine-trafficking network
According to The Olive Press, the Civil Guard has broken up a drug-trafficking network run by British nationals that was distributing cocaine from the Costa del Sol to the United Kingdom. During Operation Miscellaneous, officers seized one tonne of narcotics and an arsenal of weapons used to protect supply routes.
One British national has been arrested, whilst five members of the organisation have fled Spain, with international arrest warrants issued against them.
Operating base in Estepona
Investigators established that the criminals were operating from a property in Estepona that they used as a cocaine storage centre. From that location, the drug was transported to various Spanish ports using high-capacity vehicles and cargo vans, before being subsequently loaded onto ships and sent by sea to Great Britain.
Key interceptions
The investigation began following the stopping of a van in Talavera la Real (Badajoz). Officers found seventeen sports bags containing 423 kilos of cocaine. The driver managed to flee, but records revealed that the vehicle had come from Estepona, which led to a surveillance operation at several properties.
A second intervention had taken place a few days earlier. In an industrial estate in Baza (Granada), the Civil Guard detected a suspicious vehicle. The British driver was arrested after 326 kilos of cocaine were found concealed in several suitcases. The judge ordered his remand in custody.
Findings at the Estepona property
Following the operation in Baza, the other five members of the gang abandoned Spain before officers gained access to their base in Estepona. At the property, an additional 265 kilos of cocaine were located, together with material for packaging and sealing drugs.
An arsenal of weapons was also seized: a rifle, a sub-machine gun, a semi-automatic pistol, and a large quantity of ammunition.
Source: The Olive Press