The Spanish Civil Guard is involved in dismantling a criminal organization responsible for transporting narcotics to Australia

The Spanish Civil Guard, in collaboration with Swedish police authorities, as part of Operation KUBERA BLANCA – SKITTLES, have arrested four people in Spain belonging to a criminal organization that operated internationally dedicated to laundering money from drug trafficking.

The investigation began in April of last year, when the Civil Guard, through its Central Operational Unit (UCO), became aware through Swedish authorities of the presence in our country of a person linked to a criminal network, which was in charge of organizing the laundering of capital from drug trafficking, carried out on a large scale internationally.

Origin of the investigation

Swedish authorities, as a result of investigative work carried out in another operation, found encrypted communications that indicated the existence, in 2023, of an international criminal organization that had created a route for the transport of narcotic substances between Sweden and Australia, by sea.

1200 kilograms of methamphetamine seized in Germany

In February of last year, German customs seized 1,200 kilograms of methamphetamine and other narcotics found in two containers at the port of Hamburg, destined for Australia.

Swedish authorities focused their efforts on locating the members of the criminal organization responsible for this transport, quickly identifying one of them, specifically the one in charge of organizing the laundering of money from drug trafficking.

This person was a financial facilitator for a major criminal organization involved in drug trafficking, which, through front men, controlled several companies in Sweden and other countries, used to launder the profits obtained from drug trafficking.

During the course of the investigation, it was confirmed that this person did not act alone, but operated internationally with other people, making payments through cryptocurrency transfers.

International police cooperation and connection with Spain

Thanks to international police cooperation and the exchange of operational information with Swedish authorities, the exact whereabouts of all members of the organization in Spain were located, specifically in the provinces of Barcelona and Mallorca.

The creation of a joint working group between all the intervening police authorities, coordinated by EUROPOL, has been key to dismantling this international criminal network with the arrest of a total of 15 people (4 in Spain, 6 in Sweden, 2 in Australia and 3 in Thailand), including several high-value police targets (HVT).

The actions carried out in Spain have been directed by the Instruction Section of the Central Court of First Instance Plaza No. 4 of Madrid and developed by the Organized Crime Teams based in Malaga and the Balearic Islands of the Central Operational Unit (UCO) and by the GOA of the Judicial Police Unit of the Catalonia Zone, all of them belonging to the Civil Guard, under the coordination of EUROPOL.