A joint operation involving national police forces and the French National Police uncovered a criminal organization involved in clandestine shipments of marijuana and other cannabis products from Spain to France. The operation, documented in a police memo, reveals a coordinated network that moved large quantities of illegal merchandise across borders using Moroccan trucks and strategically organized transport routes.
The investigation began last November after authorities collected actionable information about the group. Several subjects were linked to Benalmádena and Fuengirola, where individuals accused of smuggling drugs, particularly marijuana, were believed to coordinate shipments destined for France.
Evidence showed a pattern in the gang’s logistics. The drugs were kept secure in hidden storage spaces inside a van and a car in Seville and Málaga before departure. The vehicles were prepared to conceal the narcotics and included altered license plates to evade law enforcement during each leg of the journey, enabling the packages to be moved from storage to their intended end points at homes prior to shipment.
Investigators noted that the operation’s procedures evolved in mid-December as new movements emerged to align with the collection of narcotic substances. In response, authorities launched arrests and intensified surveillance to disrupt the group’s activities.
During a police interception, vehicles left a residence in a convoy of three, converging with a truck on a major highway. After the police maneuvered to stop the convoy, a collision with the outer guardrail occurred during the pursuit.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, investigators recovered three bags inside the cabin and four additional bags beneath the trailer bed, containing vacuum-packed marijuana buds weighing approximately 165 pounds. This discovery confirmed the scale of the operation and its capacity to move significant quantities of illegal product across borders.
Subsequent searches of associated properties revealed a cash haul totaling about 37,000 euros. Authorities also seized two geolocation detection devices, several cannabis tablets, German and French license plates, and numerous documents indicating a pattern of regular shipments of hundreds of kilos of marijuana and related products.
The police operation also uncovered that two farms used by the organization possessed electrical installations connected to indoor cannabis cultivation. The sites were active hubs for surveillance and drug activity, with trained dogs deployed and people observed monitoring narcotics throughout the process.
Following entries and searches at the farms in Seville and Malaga, authorities seized 247 kilograms of marijuana buds, smaller quantities of hashish, and around 40,000 euros in cash. A short firearm, a compact indoor marijuana plantation, and assorted documents detailing prior drug dealings were also recovered, underscoring the organization’s ongoing criminal network.
In total, seven individuals were arrested on charges including membership in a criminal organization, drug trafficking, weapon offenses, and electricity fraud tied to the illicit operations. The case illustrates how criminal networks coordinate cross-border trafficking and use domestic facilities to cultivate, store, and move illegal drugs while attempting to obscure their movements with false plate numbers and vehicle concealment.
Law enforcement officials emphasize that the investigation remains active as officers continue to dismantle the remaining links in the operation. The authorities stress the importance of international cooperation and ongoing scrutiny of supply chains used to route narcotics through regional hubs and into neighboring countries. The case serves as a reminder of the complex logistics behind drug trafficking and the persistent efforts required to disrupt such networks across borders.
Citation: Police memo from the joint operation between national and French police forces documents the full sequence of the investigation and the resulting arrests.