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A criminal organization that used horse transport vehicles to traffic drugs from Melilla to Europe has been dismantled

The Civil Guard has arrested and investigated 16 people for trafficking drugs in double funds of vehicles from Melilla to Europe. In the operation, 1,162 kilos of hashish were seized and assets valued at more than four million euros were blocked.

Operation ‘Tocayo’ began last year, when the Civil Guard detected the existence of an organized group that, in concert, planned the transportation of drugs from Melilla to the Peninsula, through double funds in vehicles.

Continuing with the investigations, the agents were able to verify that the leader of the organization was based in Malaga and was in charge of financing, supervising and coordinating the operations, contacting the drug suppliers in Morocco. Also with the people who would be in charge of handling the vehicles and carrying out the double funds, conditioning the vehicles in the provinces of Jaén and Ciudad Real, to avoid being detected at police checkpoints.

When the vehicles arrived in Melilla they were transformed, fitting them with sophisticated double bottoms to hide large quantities of drugs.

Once the double bottoms were made in the trucks and loaded with the drugs, they were shipped to the Peninsula. When they were in the Peninsula, the drugs were transported hidden in horse transport vehicles for distribution throughout Europe.


Intervened Material

In total, assets valued at more than four million euros have been blocked, with the intervention of 1,162 kilos of hashish, 84 vehicles, 17 homes and six garages, a plot of land and a piece of agricultural property, nine weapons, 145 bank accounts and a large amount of latest generation mobile phones and electronic equipment.

The operation has been developed by the Organic Judicial Police Unit of the Melilla Civil Guard with the support of the Commands of Málaga, Jaén, Ciudad Real and Girona and directed by the Investigative Court No. 5 of Melilla.