A criminal organization dedicated to the international smuggling of tobacco and nitrous oxide has been dismantled in Spain

Spanish National Police officers, in a joint operation with Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, have dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to the international smuggling of tobacco and nitrous oxide. More than 2,500,000 cigarettes being transported in a semi-trailer truck and 5,200 liters of “laughing gas” were seized during a search of an industrial warehouse in Málaga. Seven people have been arrested, six in Alicante and one in Málaga, as members of the criminal organization, five of whom have been remanded in custody.

The operation began last May in collaboration with the Customs Surveillance Service, after a network composed of Eastern European and Spanish citizens was detected using an international transport company to conceal illicit goods among legal cargo

After several months of surveillance, last September, investigators intercepted a truck in the province of Alicante as several members of the network were unloading it. Inside the semi-trailer, they found 10 pallets containing 128,000 packs of contraband cigarettes, with a market value of €753,466, representing a tax fraud of more than €575,000. Six people involved in unloading and guarding the vehicle were arrested at that time

More than 5,000 liters of “laughing gas”

Simultaneously, in the province of Málaga, the main suspect, owner of the trucks used by the organization, was arrested. A search of his home and an industrial warehouse uncovered 2,592 bottles of nitrous oxide, popularly known as “laughing gas,” totaling 5,184 liters. During the operation, €2,100 in cash and €40,000 in counterfeit bills were also seized

During the investigation, it was found that the organization carried out legal transports to France and other Central European countries, which made its detection difficult. However, agents observed how, on some trips, they left gaps inside the trailers to introduce illicit goods, later covering them with regular merchandise. The movements of those under investigation were documented using surveillance devices and recording equipment provided by DAVA, thus confirming the structure and operation of the organization.

Seven arrested, five of them in pretrial detention

The seven arrested individuals were brought before the Duty Magistrates’ Courts of Alcoy and Málaga, which ordered the pretrial detention of five of them. The investigation remains open to determine the origin of the seized goods and the transport company’s connection to other illicit activities internationally.

Financed through EU financial mechanisms

Agents of the Spanish National Police have carried out this operation, aligned with the European Union’s Security Strategy, in conjunction with police officers from Croatia, Montenegro, and France within the framework of the ENFAST network. This strategy focuses on four key points: establishing a future-ready security environment, combating emerging threats, protecting European citizens from terrorism and organized crime, and forging a robust European security ecosystem