IRISHMAN HELD FOR DRUGS BY POST RAP
THIS is the moment Spanish cops arrested an Irishman — on suspicion of playing a key role in an international drugs racket.
The man, who is 36, was arrested near Alicante by officers from the Guardia Civil — in a probe into a gang that was sending hundreds of thousands of euro worth of cannabis from there to Ireland by post.
Elite officers have been investigating the British-led gang for more than a year — but only made their move against the Irish suspect in recent days.
He was a key suspect of Operation Topila — the Spanish crackdown on the gang that has been running since February 2023.
Officers suspect the Irishman, who has not been named, was acting as security for the gang, which was heavily involved in sending drugs to Ireland by post.
Four alleged members were arrested in June last year — but cops have now turned their attention to the Irish suspect.
Spanish cops say he was arrested as part of the long running probe in which detectives analysed CCTV and other records and established the suspect’s identity.
Shuttle
They tracked him down to Rojales, near Alicante, and arrested him for driving a car connected to that gang.
He is believed to have been a shuttle driver — used to move drugs as well as to scout the area of a shipment to make sure no cops are around.
He is now being held on suspicion of drugs trafficking — and also using false documentation.
Officers suspect the gang, led by a British man, was sending cannabis to Ireland from the towns of San Miguel de Salinas and Orihuela Costa — both of which are near Alicante.
The cops began their probe in February 2023 when officials seized €40,000 worth of cannabis inside a bag at Madrid’s Barajas Airport that was being sent on a flight to Ireland.