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NEWS

Police seize 1,200 kg of hashish hidden in sand barrels and arrest 7 people in Marbella and Elche, Spain

Updated

In the operation, in collaboration with the British National Crime Agency, searches were carried out on a property in Elche, which the organization used as a "nursery".

National Police cars.
National Police cars.EL MUNDO

he National Police have dismantled in Marbella (Málaga) and Elche (Alicante) an organization dedicated to international drug trafficking, as reported by Efe. This is an operation in which 1,200 kilos (2,645 pounds) of hashish hidden in sand barrels for construction were seized. In addition, the agents have arrested a total of seven British citizens in both locations.

In the operation, in collaboration with the British NCA, searches were carried out on a property in Elche, which the organization used as a "nursery", where the narcotic substance was located, and in three homes in Marbella and Fuengirola, where "samples" of hashish with the same logos as the drug found in the warehouse were seized.

The investigation began last April when it was learned that a group of British citizens were engaged in international drug trafficking hidden in large trucks.

In May, one of these vehicles registered in the name of the company of the arrested individuals was located.

Following this discovery, the agents found the property in Elche used as a "nursery", where the organization simulated a legal activity.

There was a continuous flow of incoming and outgoing construction material stacked on pallets such as cobblestones, barrels, polyethylene pipes, or sandbags, and intense activity by the organization members led to suspicions that they might be planning to introduce a large shipment of drugs into Spain.

An operation was initiated to search the warehouse where the agents found 1,200 kilos of hashish and arrested four members of the organization.

Simultaneously, three more people were arrested in the towns of Marbella and Fuengirola in Malaga, where three home searches were conducted, and various quantities of hashish arranged in tablets, known as "samples", were seized.

In addition, over 63,000 euros in cash, five passenger vehicles, a large truck, and electronic devices were seized. Bank accounts were blocked for an amount exceeding 40,000 euros.

All those arrested in the operation, which received funding from the European Union, have been remanded in custody.