16 arrested in international police drug operation

Cooperation between Spanish, Dutch and Belgian police

SPANISH National Police officers, together with Dutch and Belgian police, have arrested 16 people between 25 and 67 years of age during an international operation against a criminal network allegedly dedicated to drug trafficking.

The detainees were smuggling cocaine camouflaged in fruit shipments through Spanish ports; these were then distributed to different European countries, although the main destination was the Netherlands

The operation was carried out simultaneously in various towns in Spain, as well as in the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary and Slovakia, where drugs, firearms and cash were seized, along with dozens of cars.

The operation took place after an extensive and lengthy investigation and required the deployment of almost 1,000 police officers.

In Spain, searches were carried out in 17 homes and business premises or company headquarters linked to the organisation in the Málaga towns of Mijas, Benalmádena and Torremolinos, as well as Alicante city.

In the operation, officers confiscated € 70,000 in cash and jewellery worth € 400,000, in addition to 22 vehicles, three motorcycles and a boat valued at € 3,600,000. Five replica handguns, ammunition and a bulletproof vest were also seized.

The judge from the court which has been secretly investigating this case since 2017 at the request of the antidrug prosecutor’s office, has charged those arrested – the majority of them Dutch nationals – with drug trafficking and money laundering offences within a criminal organisation.

The investigation remains open and new arrests or seizures have not been ruled out.

Joint Investigation Team

This international has been

investigation possible thanks to the efforts of the Joint Investigation Team coordinated by EUROJUST, the European agency for cooperation in criminal cases.

The Netherlands has asked the Spanish and Belgian authorities to hand over the arrested suspects.