Civil Guard, so-called Masias operationHe cracked down on a Castellón-based criminal organization and arrested 31 alleged perpetrators in Spain. criminal organisation, crimes against public health and electricity smuggling. The group is said to be dedicated to the so-called cultivation of marijuana, as reported by the armed institute in a statement on Monday.
Arrests were made 17 in Castellón, nine in Tarragona, two in Valencia, two in Navarra and one in Barcelona. Agents searched 21 homes, 15 in Castellón, five in Tarragona and one in Valencia, where 10,676 plants and 69 kilos of cannabis buds were found. More than 5,000 euros were also seized, including a pistol, related documents, state-of-the-art gadgets, and electronic and mass storage devices.
It is estimated that the market value of the cannabis smuggled by this criminal organization only in the period under review is 100,000,000 TL. 1,000,000 Euros. Likewise, the defrauded value of electricity supply is estimated to be 750 thousand euros.
The investigation began in 2022 with the identification of the settlement of a group of Albanians suspected of forming a criminal network in the town. Oropesa del Mar (Castellón).
Representatives confirmed that none of the Albanians were engaged in any business activity and that the organization was assisted by a Spanish real estate agent whose work was de facto dedicated to the organisation. He later assisted him with real estate logistics, which began to adapt to criminal needs by manipulating electricity meters to defraud electricity, thereby turning them into suitable facilities for illegal marijuana cultivation.
Investigators identified more than 31 members of the criminal organization. Address of an Albanian coupleThe plantations functioned in an organized and hierarchical manner in different roles such as recruiters, intermediaries, plumbers, managers and watchmen.
After the members settled down, they carried out the installation and started planting cannabis. In potentially malicious and exploitative conditions, keeping doors and windows closed, often unable to go out, they recruited new members to monitor and protect the fields. also dependent on third parties for their foodin an extremely small interior and surrounded by cannabis plants.
To date, the police investigation has allowed the competent judicial authorities to present a wealth of indications and evidence about the possibility of committing crimes against criminal organization, public health – drug trafficking – and electricity fraud, although the execution is quite complex. the the endogamous nature of the criminal organization, the mobility of its members in their change of residence and the concealment of the places reserved for the plantation and counter surveillance measures taken to prevent their activities from being detected.
The investigation carried out by the Presidency 6 Education Court of Castellón, It remains open and new arrests are not ignored.
The Masías operation was carried out by the Castellón Information Group with the support of the Information Office, which participated in the actions. Valencia Region Information Division, Information Group of the Commands of Navarra and Tarragona, GRS Barcelona and Zaragoza, USECIC, Grupo Cinológico and Citizen Security components of the Judicial Police and Castellón Command.