Spanish Civil Guard dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to international marijuana trafficking that operated from a mechanical workshop
Agents of the Civil Guard, the Mossos d’Esquadra and the National Police carried out the operation “Delos” on the 15th, completely dismantling a criminal organization established in Catalonia and dedicated to international marijuana trafficking. The police operation ended with the arrest of fifteen people as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organization.
The investigation began in April of last year when there were suspicions that in an industrial warehouse in Sant Andreu de la Barca (Barcelona), activities related to drug trafficking were being carried out.
The three police forces had coincident information about the criminal activity that could be taking place in that industrial warehouse, so the information was merged, joining forces and forming a joint work team.
Modus operandi
The criminal organization had its headquarters in a mechanical workshop in Sant Andreu de la Barca in order to appear normal and divert attention from its criminal activities.
This establishment also served as a warehouse for the drug already processed, as well as a weighing center, a cargo terminal and concealment on board trucks. From there they went to other European countries, especially France, Germany and Poland, for delivery to buyers of the merchandise.
This organization was divided into three subgroups, two of them made up of German and Dutch people of Arab origin who were in charge of contacting marijuana suppliers in different areas such as San Cosme, La Mina, Gavà, Viladecans and Tarragona, with whom they negotiated and They checked the quality of the drugs they acquired, which were stored and later shipped by truck to Germany and the Netherlands.
The third group was made up of Spaniards and Moroccans, dedicated to the cultivation of marijuana plantations, intermediation with suppliers and the administration of the mechanical workshop in Sant Andreu de la Barca, where they vacuum-packed drugs for transport and distribution.
Phases of exploitation
In the month of December 2020, a transport of the organization destined abroad was intercepted in La Junquera, a truck that hid 146 kg of processed marijuana inside. Already in March of this year, another 112 kilos of drugs were seized in two shipments of 76 kg and 36 kg, one in Manlleu and the other in Sant Cugat del Vallès, which were transported in separate trucks to France.
These interceptions allowed the first four arrests of the operation to take place, the drivers of the transports, three of them entered prison.
During the complex investigation, the necessary information was obtained to detect the supply points and the entire logistics network that this criminal network -with great operational capacity-, had deployed in Catalonia, mainly cultivation points, drug ‘nurseries’ and homes of the members of the organization.
Finally and in order to achieve all the objectives of the operation, from the early hours of the morning of Thursday 15th a police operation was carried out, supervised by the Court of Instruction number 6 of Martorell, in which eleven searches were carried out. in different locations in Barcelona, Sant Andreu de la Barca, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Vicenç dels Horts, Gelida, Esparraguera, Castellbisbal and Blanes.
The searches concluded with the intervention of 200 kg of processed marijuana, 1,000 plants in different stages of growth, 85 of hashish, 106,000 euros, eight cars, three trucks, a BB gun that pretended to be a real firearm, scales, utensils for the manipulation and packaging of drugs, documentation and electronic devices and with the arrest of eleven people for the alleged commission of drug trafficking crimes and belonging to a criminal organization.
Operation result
Operation “Delos” concludes with the complete dismantling of this important criminal organization dedicated to the manufacture and trafficking of drugs.
Fifteen people of Spanish, Moroccan, Iranian, Polish and Bulgarian nationalities have been arrested for the alleged commission of the crimes of drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organization and one investigated, among which are the leaders, the drug suppliers and carriers. As a whole, they are neighbors of Barcelona, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Esparraguera, Castellbisbal, Sant Vicenç dels Horts and Blanes.
The operation has been carried out by agents of the Judicial Police Unit of the Civil Guard Zone of Catalonia, of the Criminal Investigation Division and of the ABP of Martorell dels Mossos d’Esquadra, and of the Provincial Brigade of Barcelona Judicial Police and UDYCO Central National Police.