Spanish police have arrested three Serbs, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina, five Spaniards, and one Dutchman in a massive operation against cocaine smuggling in Huelva.
This is the largest seizure ever in that coastal city in southern Spain. The heavily armed gang smuggled about 5,000 kilograms of the heavy drug into Spain using speedboats, according to a Spanish police statement released this weekend. The cocaine was likely intended for the Dutch market.
During raids on two drug-selling facilities, officers found Kalashnikovs and GPS jammers as well as the mega-shipment, Nezavisne reports.
How the operation unfolded
The illegal drug transport took place sometime in mid-March, but the National Police, for security reasons, announced it only now. According to the statement, the gang brought the huge shipment of cocaine into Huelva via the southwest coast.
From the coast, 5,000 kilograms were transported by vans to a warehouse in the village of Gibraleon for further distribution. Already the next morning, the police, who were monitoring and knew about the shipment, intervened at the moment the smugglers began distributing the cocaine.
A van, loaded with 35 bales (more than 1,000 kilograms) of cocaine, was intercepted on the road, and the driver and two gang members in an escort car were arrested.
Furthermore, to secure the extremely valuable cargo, the smugglers were armed with Kalashnikovs, pistols, as well as GPS jammers. According to the police, all of this indicates that the international gang was well-organized and dangerous.
High-risk raid
When they realized who they were dealing with, the police, fully armed, raided two facilities that served as warehouses. In Gibraleon, the guards tried to escape, but all five suspects, including the warehouse owner, were arrested.
In another facility in Utrera (Seville), an additional 400 kilograms were found, and the last two suspects were arrested then.
The head of the Central Narcotics Brigade of the National Police, Alberto Morales, stated during a press conference that the seized drugs were likely intended for the Netherlands and are worth more than 130 million euros. Part of the seized goods was shown to the Spanish media, including cocaine packages, weapons of war, a Glock pistol, mobile phones, vehicles, and money.
Facing decades in prison
A Spanish judge has decided that all suspects will remain in custody. They are suspected of participating in a criminal organization and are charged with drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons, and car theft.
They face prison sentences of several decades each.
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Source: Telegraf, Photo: Wikipedia