The Spanish Guardia Civil, in cooperation with the British Police, dismantles a criminal network dedicated to drug trafficking in recreational boats

The Spanish Civil Guard, within the framework of the “Eulalia” operation in collaboration with the British NCA, has dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to the introduction of large quantities of cocaine from South America into the province of Malaga and the United Kingdom. Nine members of this network have been arrested, all of them British nationals, and an international arrest warrant has been requested from the United Kingdom for the crimes of drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organization.

During the different phases of the operation, different searches have been carried out in the towns of Mijas Costa and Benalmádena in the province of Malaga, as well as in the United Kingdom, in which 3,754 kg of cocaine have been seized, two luxury recreational boats, a vehicle and a large number of mobile phones.

Start of operation

The operation began as a result of a fiscal control carried out in Puerto Marina (Benalmádena) in which they observed a boat that raised the suspicions of the agents, proceeding to its identification and inspection of the anchoring of the boat.

At first, 18 cocaine pills weighing 1 kg each with a black plastic wrapper were found inside a plastic chest located on the deck, for which the narcotic substance was seized and arrested. of two British subjects.

After requesting the judicial authority to search the cabins of the boat, another 166 cocaine pills were seized, identical to the previous ones.

After an exchange of information with agents of the British NCA, it was learned that these same people were being investigated in the United Kingdom, the place of origin of the members of this criminal group, beginning a joint operation between both bodies.

This organization, which was in charge of managing the logistics and distribution of the drug, used two luxury recreational boats with which they sailed to a previously agreed point where merchant ships from Brazil dumped watertight bags containing cocaine into the sea. The members of this network collected them from the sea and transported them to marinas on the Malaga coast. The drug was kept in secure homes for its subsequent transport and distribution in the United Kingdom.

In the proceedings carried out in the United Kingdom, 2.37 tons of cocaine and 1.2 tons of the same substance were seized, as well as the arrest of seven other British subjects who were members of this investigated criminal group.

The investigation has been directed by the Investigating Court No. 4 of Torremolinos (Málaga) carried out by the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard Command of Malaga and the British NCA.