The Civil Guard conducted a coordinated operation across multiple cities in Vega Baja and the Region of Murcia, targeting a nine-member international drug trafficking network responsible for distributing packages to numerous European countries and operating an illegal marijuana club. The operation, overseen by the Instruction Court No. 2 of Elche, involved investigations in Orihuela Costa, Torrevieja, San Miguel de Salinas, Crevillente, Agost, Miranda de Ebro (Cartagena), and Balsicas (Torre Pacheco), with the latter two areas located in the Region of Murcia. Three principal figures connected to the network were brought before the court in Orihuela and subsequently jailed.
During the operation, authorities seized cannabis plants, hashish, marijuana buds, THC oil typically used in electronic cigarettes, cocaine, MDMA, and other controlled substances. Cash amounts exceeding 70,000 euros were recovered, along with firearms, a stun device, edged weapons, vehicles, and a jet ski. The searches also uncovered forged identity documents, mobile devices, and various papers.
Cargo seized at the airport
The operation, named Hermar, began in January 2022. Law enforcement officers from the Office of Tax Analysis and Investigation identified cannabis shipments being intercepted at Alicante-Elche airport, with two packages containing more than 2,200 kilograms of cannabis bound for France.
The Pilar de la Horadada Forensic Police District Team opened an inquiry into the drug dealers, revealing two 28-year-old French nationals as the main suspects. Investigators found that the individuals used falsified documents and engaged in repeat offenses, with shipments of parcels to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Boats with different types of marijuana at illegal club in Orihuela Costa.
The investigators traced the operation to a residence in Orihuela Costa and uncovered a hidden cannabis association linked to it. The club was controlled by a 26-year-old Russian man who worked with those under investigation in the buying and selling of marijuana.
While the case was being examined, authorities arrested suspects in connection with the organization. In Valencia airport, two new parcels containing more than two kilograms of marijuana were discovered, with the Netherlands as the intended destination. When those shipments failed to arrive, the network altered its method of operation and started using ordinary post offices for drug dispatch.
If the Civil Guards encounter no obstruction from security forces in intercepting illegal goods headed abroad, the network faced another setback when a drug shipment was stolen, resulting in losses exceeding 70,000 euros.
The network responded by increasing security measures, relocating to more secure premises, and equipping members with a variety of self-defense weapons.
A little boy dispensed medicine on a scooter
In a new phase of the operation, information from United Kingdom authorities helped identify a supplier of the drugs. The individual, a 30-year-old British national living in Orihuela Costa, was connected with a broader ring involved in five marijuana plantations across the Alicante province. This alleged trafficker, based in San Miguel de Salinas, also retailed drugs locally and did not hesitate to use his own young child to assist in distribution, including delivering drugs on an electric scooter.
Record of one of the drug package senders.
Most arrests and searches were carried out on a September 28 sweep across secret cannabis outlets in Orihuela Costa, Torrevieja, San Miguel de Salinas, Crevillente, Agost, Miranda-Cartagena, Balsicas-Torre Pacheco, and Orihuela Costa. The operation involved the Citizen Security Units of Alicante, Torrevieja, and Murcia (Usecic), canine units, and the security components of the Alicante and Murcia Civil Guard commands.
In addition to the previously detained British minor, eight people aged 23 to 50 were arrested on the day of the searches. Nationalities included French, British, Russian, Bolivian, Colombian, and Spanish. The following day, two more suspects, aged 27 and 38 and of Bulgarian and Colombian nationality, were investigated for the same incidents. Those taken into custody faced charges including participation in a criminal organization, drug trafficking, falsification of public documents, and possession of illegal weapons.