A coordinated operation led by the National Police and the French Drug Enforcement Agency, known as OFAST, resulted in the arrest of eight individuals—three in Spain and five in France—linked to a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking and the conversion of weapons for use in France. The arrests highlight a transnational network that bridged supply chains across Spain and France, with the core activity centered on transporting narcotics and converting firearms to permit live-fire use. [Citation: OFAST collaboration press release]
In Spain, authorities established that the three detainees shared familial ties, belonging to a clan settled in Yuncos, a town in Toledo. The investigation uncovered a sophisticated operation that not only supplied narcotics but also manipulated and converted blank or deactivated firearms so they could be fired with live ammunition once altered. The crackdown included the dismantling of two indoor cannabis cultivation sites and a workshop dedicated to firearms processing, along with the seizure of substantial quantities of illegal goods. Investigators seized 34 kilograms of heroin, 80 kilograms of marijuana, and 1000 kilograms of marijuana in byproducts or processed forms, in addition to eight firearms and a collection of ballistic components. [Citation: local police reports]
The inquiry began in April when the French Embassy in Madrid alerted the National Police to a criminal organization primarily operating from Paris and Orléans. The network was described as importing narcotics through Spanish trafficking channels to be distributed in France. During the course of the surveillance, one member of the organization traveled to Yuncos to acquire a drug shipment for onward distribution. A subsequent convoy carrying the drugs was intercepted near Perpignan, France, resulting in four arrests and the seizure of 80 kilograms of cannabis resin. Intensive subsequent searches led to the capture of the main organizer of the convoy and the seizure of 36 kilograms of heroin. [Citation: cross-border narcotics interdiction records]
Spain-based investigations confirmed that the drug supply originated from the same family clan that had established a base of operations on the outskirts of Yuncos. Through ongoing surveillance and wiretap-like monitoring, authorities identified three more suspects and conducted a thorough search of the clan’s residence. Inside, authorities discovered two indoor cannabis crops comprising roughly 1,314 plants and 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, illustrating the scale of production linked to the network. Substances were processed to elevate their quality and market value, a tactic designed to command higher prices in illicit markets. [Citation: regional judicial archives]
A fully equipped workshop within the residence provided the tools necessary for the production and modification of firearm components. Investigators determined that the clan’s leader used this facility to restore and reconfigure deactivated, simulated, or blank weapons so that they could be used for live-fire purposes once altered. The residence also contained eight short firearms in various states of readiness, alongside a range of explosive devices, compressed air weapons, and an extensive supply of ballistic parts and ammunition in multiple calibers. These discoveries underscored the organization’s dual focus on narcotics and weapons trafficking, exposing a network capable of supplying both drugs and weaponry to the European market. [Citation: weapons operation dossier]
During the searches, authorities recovered approximately thirty thousand euros in cash and a minibus reported as stolen, both of which were attributed to the criminal activity. The combined seizures — cash, vehicles, drugs, firearms, and manufacturing equipment — illustrate a deeply entrenched operation designed to sustain illicit supply chains across national borders. The ongoing case continues to unfold as investigators pursue additional leads and potential co-conspirators linked to the clan’s network in both Spain and France. [Citation: police financial records]
This case underscores the importance of international cooperation in combating organized crime that leverages cross-border logistics to move narcotics and weapon parts across Europe. It also highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in dismantling coordinated criminal groups that operate through family ties, secret workshop spaces, and covert distribution channels. As authorities in both countries continue the follow-up work, prosecutors and investigators aim to secure convictions that reflect the gravity of the charges and the risk posed by such networks to public safety in North America and Europe alike. [Attribution: joint statement by police and prosecutorial offices]