Operation against drug trafficking in Alicante and Murcia led to the disruption of an affiliated criminal network tied to the Albanian and Moldovan communities. The group aimed to finance its major illicit activity, human trafficking, through profits from cultivating and distributing cannabis. Authorities arrested five individuals with Albanian and Moldovan backgrounds in Busot, Orihuela Costa, and Murcia. The two leading suspects were charged with drug trafficking and document falsification, signaling a well-organized operation with international reach.
The dismantled network had clear plans to establish long-term presence in the two provinces. To that end, it rented residences using forged papers and set up living spaces to support ongoing cannabis production. Investigators uncovered two properties in Busot and Orihuela Costa dedicated to indoor cultivation of cannabis sativa. In one location, a plantation was found to be near full capacity, while at the second site authorities observed preparations for a substantial crop expansion.
Police reports indicate the Alicante-based group sought to extend its operations into the Murcia Region, and a prominent female member connected to a business center in Murcia was identified. She was coordinating the rental agreements with real estate agents to secure houses along the coastal areas of both communities, effectively accelerating the network’s operational phase.
wrong documents
The criminal organization systematically sought large houses and villas, supplying forged documents such as payroll statements, employment contracts, and identity papers to support their schemes and mask the true nature of the activities involved.
Their stated objective was to establish sprawling marijuana plantations, with the aim of producing multiple crops each year. The drugs produced were intended for international distribution, generating substantial profits that were funneled back into the network to fund human trafficking and sexual exploitation, a core element of the organization’s criminal portfolio.
Law enforcement notes that the detainees operated in a coordinated, hierarchical manner, assigning clear roles and specialized tasks. The group included drivers, buyers of spaces, field liaisons in remote areas, security personnel, technicians responsible for installation, and on-call security operators who acted as the network’s disciplined “military” component.