The Customs Inspection Tax Office and the Civil Guard were taken into custody in a joint operation conducted with Europol. Fourteen members of a criminal network transported large quantities of cannabis from Spain to several European Union nations.
The investigation began in September 2021, centering on the town of Écija in Seville. Investigators from the Seville Customs Surveillance Operations Unit and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement team of the Seville Civil Guard identified a group alleged to be behind international drug trafficking, according to an official press release.
As the inquiry progressed, authorities confirmed that another branch of the organization operated from the Malaga province. This branch purchased narcotics in the area, organized transport to Ayamonte in Huelva and to the Malaga hub, and then coordinated delivery from Écija in Seville. The Seville branch was responsible for processing the narcotics and sending them to various European destinations.
In February 2022 the first truck shipment bound for France, hidden among legitimate cargo, was intercepted in Granada, revealing a seizure of 950 kilograms of cannabis. Following that arrest, members of the network enhanced security and altered their usual operating methods.
Later in October that year, authorities seized 1,000 kilograms of marijuana hidden in the cargo of another truck stopped in La Carolina, Jaén. The investigation then focused on the Malaga branch, leading to the interception of two vans loaded with marijuana in January 2023. One vehicle was stopped on the A-92 highway near Puebla de Cazalla in Seville with approximately 600 kilograms, while the other was seized near Pizarra in Málaga with just over 900 kilograms.
Records and seizures
After identifying all organization members, the operation proceeded on February 21 with 16 house searches authorized by the Écija Court of First Instance and Instruction in case number 2. The searches yielded significant cash and assets, underscoring the scale of the operation.
During the searches, investigators recovered more than one and a half million euros in cash. A portion of this sum, 1,085,000 euros, was found hidden in a vehicle rented in Écija by one of the organization’s leaders. That same morning, authorities detained a key member on a road near Málaga, where a hidden floor containing 136,000 euros was discovered inside the detainee’s vehicle.
Additionally, officers seized three firearms, two of which were long guns, and a pistol equipped with a silencer. They also recovered 14 vehicles, many of which were top-of-the-line, along with a large collection of documents from companies used to cover the drug shipments. The operation resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals on charges including crimes against public health, membership in a criminal organization, and money laundering. The presiding judge ordered the detention of 12 of those individuals as part of the ongoing investigation. The reporting on these events has been attributed to official sources including Europol and the regional police services.