First it was a shipment intercepted in France hidden among the bags of aggregates that a truck was transporting. . Later, one that was on the way to the United Kingdom also by road. Until the investigators detected that the cocaine they were intercepting was arriving on the coast of Marbella in drug boats and they found the nursery where it was stored. Then the drug traffickers set it on fire to make the remaining drugs disappear, but without success. Finally, five people have been arrested in a joint operation in which, in addition to a weapon of war, 2.2 tons of cocaine destined for different European countries have been seized. All have been brought to justice accused of the crimes of drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons and membership in a criminal organization.
corresponding to the year 2024, already warned as a “serious alert factor” that the same organizations already established on the Costa del Sol that until a few years ago were dedicated only to trafficking hashish, now also do so with cocaine, using the same routes and the same means. “”, reported the prosecution, has become “common” during 2024, stated the document, which also stressed that the shipments are . The description of the organization fits perfectly with what was detected by the police who participated in this operation, called Persian-Levi-Lobera and that began to take shape in the spring of this year.
In the month of March, agents from both police forces detected that there was a group of people who were preparing a drug shipment from Fuengirola to the Netherlands. As they had the same objective, the National Police and the Civil Guard then created a joint working group, made up of members of the and the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard Command of Malaga. Together they found out that the criminal organization’s idea was to use a heavy truck to hide the bales among other merchandise and double funds.
They checked its route and, in April, they notified the customs authorities of France, the country through which the vehicle was going to travel. Shortly after, they intercepted him on French soil with 826 kilos of cocaine hidden inside bags of aggregate and arrested the driver. A short distance from this trailer, the agents detained another, sent by the same gang and who, still in the province of Barcelona, before crossing the border, was located. Inside there were 500 kilos of the same drug. The truck driver was also arrested. In May, the organization attempted to make another shipment, this time to the United Kingdom. The investigators also located its destination, a warehouse to store the drugs in British territory, where 180 more kilos were found.
Headquarters in Mijas
That same month it was proven that the cocaine came from the high seas and that it arrived in drug boats to the beaches of , where it was stored. From there, it was moved to a house in , which served as a nursery and where the merchandise was hidden before distribution. When the agents came to search the home, its two occupants—who were later arrested—set it on fire to destroy the drugs “and make them disappear,” as reported by the National Police this Friday in a statement. After putting out the flames, 520 kilos of drugs, several stolen vehicles and an MP15 assault submachine gun were found along with numerous ammunition.
Finally, the operation ended in the month of August with several searches carried out in the city of Mijas, where the criminals settled. The joint police work ended with five people arrested – of Spanish, Moroccan and Polish nationality – and the intervention of 2,280 kilos of cocaine, in addition to trucks with double bottoms, three stolen vehicles and the weapon of war. All were brought to justice for the alleged commission of the crimes of drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons and membership in a criminal organization.
