In Elche, the police dismantled a criminal network operating in the Los Palmerales neighborhood, controlling the distribution and retail sale of heroin and cocaine for at least two years. Police sources report that this Sunday the main sales and consumption points, known locally as fumaderos, were taken down. Fifteen people were arrested and ten residences were searched, with a variety of materials, weapons, and ammunition seized during the operation.
The operation was developed by the Elche Police Station with air support from the Air Resources Service and several National Police special units. After a five month investigation, officers traced the group’s method of action, uncovering the precise way it functioned. They targeted the retail floors, or sinks, where cocaine and heroin were sold in small quantities around the clock to drug users who frequented these sites day and night.
Investigators learned that the smoking rooms were controlled by two separate family clans responsible for buying, storing, distributing, and selling drugs. One clan handled all cocaine entering and sold in Los Palmerales, while the other controlled heroin. Both clans shared a criminal history because all drugs were sold at the same points of sale.
A moment from the large police operation in Elche a few days ago.
Both clans used tactics to avoid large stockpiles, buying only what was needed to supply the sale points for roughly a week. When supplies ran low, they received fresh quantities to keep the illegal trade running. This illegal activity generated significant income, yet the perpetrators used third parties to hide assets and property to break the link between lifestyle and drug dealing.
As the case unfolded, investigators focused on dismantling the entire framework rather than simply seizing narcotics. They discovered that the gang ran retail drug trafficking not only in Elche but also extended into the Vega Baja region.
8,000 euros per day
The network distributed drugs through eight outlets visited by around 100 people daily, producing approximately 1,000 euros per day in cash flow. The organization had implemented high security measures, so the operation was staged in two phases. In the first phase, about 200 grams of heroin were seized and three suspects were taken into custody, later remanded without bail.
A massive second phase followed, addressing the operation’s complexity and the number of targets. The Air Resources Service helicopter supported the action, along with the Technical Responses Operation Group (GOIT), canine units, the Prevention and Response Unit, the Response Operation Group, and nearly all forensic police teams from the Elche Police Station.
Several images from the operation show the equipment and effects seized in the course of the actions.
In total, ten entries and registrations were carried out, eight of them coordinated and executed simultaneously. The effort led to the complete dismantling of the criminal group and the arrest of fifteen members. Seized items included 220 grams of cocaine packaged for retail, 6 grams of heroin, 310 grams of cannabis, and 39 cannabis plants.
Weapons were recovered as well, including two pistols, 130 cartridges of various calibers, two shotguns, 15 cartridges, and other prohibitive items such as canes and extendable defense devices with built-in tasers. Two vehicles and 16,575 euros in cash were also seized. A total of nine men and six women, aged 22 to 56, were placed at the disposal of the Elche Investigation Court, which ordered the detention of three individuals identified as ringleaders.
The operation exposed the extreme security measures taken by the detainees, notably the triple armored doors used to block entry by security forces at some of the smoking room locations. The intervention by the Technical Interventions Operational Group (GOIT) proved crucial for addressing such barriers and ensuring rapid, decisive action during the raid. The case continues to be developed by local authorities, with ongoing assessments of the organization and its broader reach.
According to authorities, this operation underscores the importance of coordinated policing across multiple units and the use of aerial and technical support to disrupt organized drug trafficking networks. Markers of the seizure and arrests point to a substantial impact on the region’s drug supply chain and a strong message to similar groups about the consequences of criminal activity. Citations are attributed to police sources and investigative records from the Elche jurisdiction.