Anti-drug operation in Ibiza results in 27 arrests and 70 properties blocked
Spain's National Police and Civil Guard dismantled a money-laundering network linked to drug trafficking, resulting in 27 arrests in Spain and the Dominican Republic.
Cocaine money-laundering network dismantled in Ibiza after three years of investigation
A major anti-drug operation coordinated by Europol culminated in 27 arrests in Spain and the Dominican Republic, including four arrested in Ibiza, according to moncloa.com. Officers seized more than 1.3 million USDT in cryptocurrencies, blocked 70 properties and 16 luxury villas, and confiscated six firearms, including a military weapon.
Spain's National Police and Civil Guard executed the operation simultaneously. The arrests were distributed among Ibiza, Madrid, Málaga, Pontevedra, Almería and León, plus one arrest in the Dominican Republic. The operation was directed by the National Court and the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office, with the participation of the UDEF and the UCO.
The four detainees in the Balearic island are under investigation for their alleged involvement in the network's financial structure. None of them has been convicted. Eight of the 38 simultaneous raids executed in Spain and the Dominican Republic took place in Ibiza.
Cocaine routes from Colombia and Panama
The organisation established routes between 2020 and 2021 to introduce cocaine from Colombia and Panama through maritime containers. It employed techniques such as the "blind hook", the "rip off" and the "pregnancy", methods that allow drugs to be concealed within legal cargo to subsequently supply organisations operating in Spain.
The investigation, initiated in September 2023 following analysis of encrypted messaging platforms, linked the organisation to four cocaine seizures in Panama that totalled more than 1,500 kilogrammes.
Luxury real estate as a money-laundering channel
The core of the network was the high-end real estate sector. The organisation channelled millions of euros through commercial companies dedicated to property development, housing developments and luxury homes, particularly in Ibiza, Marbella and Madrid. The aim was to conceal the true ownership of the properties and mix drug-trafficking proceeds with funds from other criminal groups.
Investigators also documented that the network offered its financial services to third-party criminal networks, under the model known as "crime as a service", charging commissions for channelling money from drug trafficking.
Balance of the operation
During the raids, officers seized €271,521 in cash, 76,425 dirhams, 1,175 dollars and more than 1.3 million USDT in cryptocurrencies. Agents also confiscated six firearms—including a military weapon and a silencer—prohibited weapons and more than 800 cartridges.
In terms of assets, 40 high-end vehicles and two vessels were seized. In addition, 26 bank accounts and more than one hundred legal entities linked to the network were blocked. The disposal prohibition affects 70 properties and 16 luxury villas.
Investigation still ongoing
The UDEF, the National Police's specialist unit for economic crimes and money-laundering, traced the flow of money over three years using encrypted messaging platforms. The UCO, the Civil Guard's elite unit for complex investigations, worked jointly with officers deployed in the Balearic Islands and with Dominican authorities.
Five international arrest warrants have been issued and authorities do not rule out further arrests in the coming months. The case now falls to the National Court, which must assess the volume of assets blocked in an operation that has required the simultaneous coordination of two police forces, a European agency and the judicial institutions of two countries.
Source: Google News DO — Crime