The Spanish National Police dismantles a criminal organization dedicated to marijuana and cocaine trafficking

Agents of the National Police have carried out the “Navajo” operation that has allowed the dismantling of a criminal organization dedicated to the trafficking of marijuana and cocaine. The organization had its nerve center in the city of Albacete and also operated in the Spanish Levante area, from where it was supplied with narcotic substances. Ten members of the group have been arrested and 140 kilograms of marijuana and one kilo of cocaine have been seized.

The police investigation began in the summer of 2021 and focused on an individual who had already been arrested in 2014 for drug trafficking and who led an organization dedicated to the distribution of cocaine in the province of Albacete, seizing on that occasion more 7 kilograms of this substance. The first information received indicated that the man, after his release from prison, had resumed criminal activities perfecting and diversifying his way of working with different types of narcotic substances. 

Meetings in a mechanical workshop

As soon as the surveillance of the investigated began, it was found that he had the close collaboration of another individual for the development of his criminal activities, a man of Spanish nationality living in Albacete. This man, lieutenant of the organization, ran a mechanical workshop in this capital of La Mancha, this being the place where the meetings of interest between the members of the organization were held.

As the investigation progressed, it was found that the investigated group had two different areas of action, the cultivation and export of marijuana to other countries of the European Union and the distribution of cocaine in different locations in the city of Albacete. 

They had a fleet of trucks in which they transported marijuana

The agents also found out that the organization had recently acquired a commercial company dedicated to the transport of goods by road. This company had a fleet of trucks and trailers with which the investigated transported the narcotic substances simulating intra-community export operations. To give cover and anonymity to their illicit operations, they had a “front man”, an individual resident in the town of Pozohondo (Albacete), who had been placed as administrator of the company, in order to hide the identity of the main members. of the organization in the hypothetical case that a police or judicial investigation focuses on the activities of the transport company. 

After several steps, the agents managed to identify two other members of the organization, residents of the city of Albacete and the municipalities of Sangonera la Verde and Orihuela. Another of the identified traffickers was in charge of obtaining marijuana buds in the Murcia area, to package them and transport them to other European countries, where the price of said narcotic substance can be multiplied by six. A fundamental piece in this export activity was a man of Swedish nationality and of Iranian origin, resident in the town of Orihuela Costa, who was in charge of obtaining clients in other European countries, such as Sweden, Lithuania or Turkey. 

Marijuana hidden in a load of eggplants

With the components of the criminal organization identified and the “modus operandi” used in the development of the illicit activity being clear, last October a marijuana loading and transport operation was detected, carried out in the town of Sangonera la Verde ( Murcia) by a truck driver from the organization, based in the city of Albacete. 

Said trucker pretended to be transporting aubergines from Almería to Sweden when he was surprised in the town of La Junquera (Girona) at a police checkpoint, the result of which was the location of 138 kilograms of marijuana buds hidden in the load of vegetables he was transporting. 

Later, in January, another five members of the organization were arrested and three marijuana plantations were dismantled in the towns of Librilla, Sangonera la Verde and Albacete. Cash and other effects linked to the activity of cultivation and distribution of marijuana were intervened in the records. 

Distribution of cocaine in the province of Albacete

In parallel to the marijuana export business, the organization was also dedicated to distributing cocaine to other traffickers in the province of Albacete. In relation to this activity, several “lightning trips” made by “couriers” of the organization to the Spanish Levante area were detected, where the supply points were located. The cocaine was transported to Albacete in “caleteados” vehicles, that is, hidden in hidden compartments. Once in Albacete, the drug was dosed and supplied to various points of sale located both in the capital and in towns in the province. 

In the month of December, days before Christmas, a new provisioning was detected, carried out this time in person by the leader of the organization. After arriving in Albacete, this man was arrested carrying 880 grams of cocaine, which according to the investigators he intended to sell later to a trafficker in the town of Las Navas de Jorquera. 

After the arrest, several searches were carried out at two drug distribution points in Albacete, another 100 grams of cocaine, 394 grams of hashish, cash and effects for the dosage and distribution of the narcotic substance. 

Based in Albacete with branches in Murcia and Alicante

The result of this police operation has been the dismantling of a criminal organization based in the town of Albacete and with branches in Murcia and Alicante, dedicated to the export of marijuana in quantities of notorious importance and the distribution of cocaine in the province of Albacete. In total, 140 kilograms of marijuana, 1 kilogram of cocaine, 394 grams of hashish, 162 marijuana plants, 16,500 euros in cash, three vehicles and a handgun, in addition to other effects related to criminal activity, have been seized.

The investigation has been supervised by the Investigating Court number 3 of Albacete, who decreed the entry into provisional prison of three of the ten detainees, imposing precautionary measures for the rest.