National Police agents, in a joint operation with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and police authorities in the Netherlands, dismantled the “office” of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel -CJNG- in Spain. 20 people have been arrested allegedly involved in the introduction of large shipments of cocaine and methamphetamine from South America for later distribution in Spain and other European countries, the National Police Corps reported.
The operation was managed by the Central Court of Education No. 2 of the National Court and the Office of the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor.
Drug exports hidden in industrial machinery The investigation began this year when it was confirmed that cocaine had been brought into Spain hidden in large-tonnage industrial machines, taking advantage of the business network of one of the main Spanish targets in the service of the cartel.
Once they arrived on national territory, they were stored in farms located in the mountains of Madrid and Avila, areas that provide privacy and security for keeping drugs.
The national distribution was coordinated from a farm near La Adrada (Avila) with branches in Bilbao and Valencia, using vehicles with hidden compartments to transport the drugs.
For international transportation, the organization had other farms in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) where industrial machines with hidden drugs were received and sent to Italy.
Last September, the first shipment of cocaine to the trans-Alpine country was revealed through a Camorra leader in Naples belonging to the Amato Pagano clan. The person responsible for providing support in Spain for the entire structure of product delivery, storage and distribution was a Spanish businessman responsible for the logistics of the network, through several business companies he owned. In this way, in addition to providing logistics services, it allowed the economic gains obtained to be introduced into the legal flow.
DEA priority goals
The operational phase of the investigation was carried out in two phases – one aimed at arresting the core of the operations and the second against the main distribution points in the provinces of Valencia and the Basque Country.
In total, 20 people were arrested in Madrid, Avila, Bilbao, Valencia and Toledo – and 15 were put in temporary prison – including two priority targets for the US Drug Enforcement Agency for years.
At the time of the exploitation, and in coordination with the Dutch authorities, a drug shipment coming from Costa Rica hidden in the industrial machinery of a sea container was intercepted.
In total, 1,870 kilograms of cocaine, 375 kilograms of amphetamine, €275,000 in cash, cryptocurrencies worth US$15,000, 3 short firearms, 15 vehicles, and 14 kilograms of silver were seized.
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