SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, December 9. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Agents of the National Police have seized a ton of cocaine of the highest purity in a luxury villa in Tenerife, in what is the largest seizure in the islands made of a Spanish criminal organization, as reported today Saturday by the Corps. National Police.
Within the framework of this operation, a total of nine people have been arrested, seven of them belonging to this organization made up of Spanish citizens, in addition to the capture of an important Colombian drug trafficker who acted as a notary for the network of origin and an Italian criminal. , mafia liaison in our country, who was trying to open new markets in Spain.
In addition, eight searches have been carried out in Tenerife, Lanzarote, Malaga and Seville, in which 9 vehicles, 12,000 euros in cash, a money counting machine, frequency jammers, location devices, a drone and an arsenal of weapons have been seized. white
The operation began months ago, when the agents learned of the existence of an organization of Spanish origin dedicated to the distribution of cocaine shipments from South America, with branches in the provinces of Malaga and Seville, as well as on the islands of Lanzarote. and Tenerife.
The researchers detected an increase in the organization’s activity due to the meeting of its main members with other members who had arrived from Malaga. The latter had rented a vehicle and the agents were able to see how they accessed one of the guarded homes with it, along with a high-end car that served as counter-surveillance.
Suspicion that they could be transporting some type of narcotic substance, the agents decided to stop them, at which point the drivers decided to flee, although they were intercepted and showed great resistance to police action.
After opening the trunk of the rental vehicle, investigators found four sports bags with 100 kilograms of cocaine inside. As a result of this discovery, minutes later the leaders of the organization were arrested.
950 KILOS OF COCAINE IN A LUXURY VILLA
In parallel, the luxury chalet in which the 100 kilos of cocaine had been loaded, located in the town of Barranco Hondo, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, was searched and two members who were inside guarding 950 kilograms were arrested. of cocaine, which were seized by the agents. To enter this home, the intervention of the GOES was necessary due to the dangerousness of the criminals.
Subsequently, eight new searches were carried out on the islands of Tenerife and Lanzarote and in the provinces of Malaga and Seville, in which nine vehicles, 12,000 euros in cash, a money counting machine, frequency jammers, location devices, a drone and an arsenal of knives.
Although those investigated tried to hide from the action of justice, the arrest of the seven people who formed this organization was finally achieved. In addition, there was the arrest of an important Colombian drug trafficker, who had traveled to the island of Tenerife days before, as a notary of the organization of origin, to guarantee that the distribution of cocaine was carried out and collect the money agreed upon from the organization. sales for their bosses. Likewise, an Italian citizen was arrested, with links to the mafia of that country, who had moved to Spain to open new markets in our country.
With this operation, this organization is considered dismantled and the seizure of a historic cache in the Canary Islands has been carried out, the largest recorded to date. The nine detainees have been imprisoned.
