The Guardia Civil has dismantled a drug trafficking operation operating under the guise of a vehicle wash in a town in El Comtat, detaining the owner, a 37-year-old Spaniard with no prior criminal record. Authorities found nearly a kilogram of marijuana, three grams of cocaine, weapons, and cash during searches conducted at the site.
The crackdown began last April when the Muro de Alcoy substation was alerted to suspected illicit activity at the car wash in the Comtat region. The case was promptly handed over to the Roc Team from the Ibi Company, and investigators conducted weeks of discreet, ongoing surveillance that steadily increased the level of suspicion.
Officers observed an unusual flow of people and vehicles entering and exiting the facility without using the car wash services, a red flag that prompted deeper scrutiny.
Two targeted searches
The Guardia Civil gathered evidence to obtain judicial authorization, and on May 10 two searches were carried out under the order of the Investigating Court No. 4 of Alcoy. One raid covered the car wash premises, and the other targeted the owner’s residence, where the suspect was arrested on charges of drug trafficking.
The investigators seized 720 grams of marijuana, three grams of cocaine, equipment used to weigh, cut, and manipulate the drugs, 5,300 euros in cash, and several prohibited weapons and detonators. During the operation, two workers at the car wash were identified; they claimed no knowledge of the illicit activities carried out by their employer.
The detained individual had no prior similar offenses and was released conditionally with precautionary measures after presenting himself before Investigating Court No. 4 of Alcoy.
[Citation: Guardia Civil, Alcoy division, May 2024].