Eight detainees were involved in a murder, a cocaine production operation, and a drug distribution network. This wasn’t the plot of a TV crime thriller. The events unfolded in Elche, in the El Altet district, where the victim owned the home. As the money was about to change hands, the victim discreetly left the apartment to handle another matter, while the production of the drugs remained hidden inside and the distribution spread to Alicante and Murcia.
The police completed the case today after conducting six searches in apartments used as drug markets in Alicante and Elche and arresting the suspected killer’s partner, who took on a leadership role in the conspiracy. The operation uncovered cocaine as well as marijuana, hashish, and ecstasy, illustrating a diverse and expansive pharmaceutical market that supplied multiple cities.
There are no further details about the individuals involved at this moment. The case continues to unfold as investigators piece together the network that supported the drug trade.
Why did the killing occur? It is believed to be tied to rent arrears, though law enforcement offered no additional information. The deceased was an electrician with a family who mourned the loss a month later. He did not know who was renting the apartment to a Colombian drug trafficker, a detail that underscored the complexity of the case.
During the searches, authorities found a drug laboratory inside the residence of the person under investigation. They seized 763 grams of cocaine and a substantial quantity of cutting agents and precursors used to manufacture and adulterate narcotics, including substances such as acetone, ephedrine, mannitol, leucine, and caffeine. Police also removed steel plates used to press and package drugs, among other processing tools.
The investigation turned the case toward a laboratory setting where the controlled substances were prepared. A rapid investigation led to the alleged perpetrator being detained and transferred to a penal facility on the same day, while researchers continued to trace the materials found in the home to reveal the full scope of the network. The Narcotics Group of the Alicante UDYCO led the inquiry after months of surveillance, including six entries and searches in Alicante and Elche, resulting in the detention of eight people who formed the criminal organization, consisting of four men and four women, ranging in age from 19 to 38, with nationalities including Spanish and Colombian.
Investigators noted that the registered properties functioned as points for sale and distribution of several drugs, including marijuana, hashish, and ecstasy, but with a primary focus on cocaine distribution carried out by members of this organization.
In fact, the police stated that the group had already been under scrutiny before the leader allegedly killed another man in El Altet. The group not only manufactured the drugs but also procured the cutting agents used to finalize the product before distributing it to street-level locations in Alicante and Elche where it reached third parties. The leader is now in custody, while other members continue to operate under new leadership within the organization.
Authorities described the operation as a clear case of organized crime, with the leadership temporarily shifted to the partner who was arrested in this operation. The partner assumed higher responsibilities, including acquiring new shipments and collecting old debts, echoing a twist seen in crime dramas but rooted in real events. The police later focused on the partner and a female associate, who maintained the distribution network until the last operation, guided by judicially authorized records and a growing body of evidence.
The money laundering angle emerged in the course of the investigation. Six houses were searched—one in Elche and another in Alicante—where quantities of cannabis, hashish, cocaine, and ecstasy were found, totaling roughly 400 pills. Cash totaling 6,435 euros was seized along with tools used to process and sell narcotics. Investigators also recovered documents relating to ten vehicles, several motorcycles, and a collection of valuable items, including a large television and multiple mobile devices. The gathered evidence linked detainees to a money-laundering scheme designed to legitimize profits from drug sales through the purchase of property and vehicles and other high-value assets. The operation culminated with the arrest of two others in recent days, including a 28-year-old man and a 38-year-old Colombian woman linked to the network, with a total of 858 grams of cocaine seized during the operation. (Source: National Police Narcotics Group Alicante UDYCO)