Seized more than two tons of hashish that were going to be sent to other European countries

The Spanish Civil Guard with the support of Europol, within the framework of the “Macadamia” operation, has dismantled an international criminal organization dedicated to introducing large batches of hashish into the Peninsula for subsequent shipment to other European countries. More than two tons of drugs have been seized in the operation and 20 people have been arrested.

The operation began in October 2021, when the Civil Guard detected a shipment of hashish that was hidden in a truck, inside pallets of onions, for which the two truckers were arrested and 468 kilograms of hashish were seized.Subsequently, in May 2022, another shipment of another drug consignment was detected, hidden in the legal cargo of a truck headed to La Carolina (Jaén), for which the agents arrested the truck driver and seized 194 kilograms of hashish and 30 kilos of hashish. of marijuana.

That same month, the agents again intercepted a boat that the organization had chartered on the high seas, seizing 1,800 kilograms of hashish and arresting its three occupants.Meanwhile, the investigators were able to learn about the organization’s framework and find out that those responsible were two Italian citizens who had a European arrest and surrender warrant for four years.

They were also able to verify that the ringleaders resided in towns between Seville and Malaga and that to avoid detection they adopted numerous security measures, among them: carrying false identities, changing their address every four months and traveling in a well-known passenger transport company with driver over the internet.

It was also known that the destination of the drug was France and Italy, so the agents established contacts with the police of these countries coordinated by Europol.  Once the entire framework and the role played by all the members in the organization were known, six entries and searches were made in the towns of Seville and Carmona. In these searches, more than 33 kilograms of hashish, 16 kilograms of marijuana, 34 mobile phones, falsified documentation, cash and a large marijuana plantation were seized.