Plantations in Novelda and La Romana
Alicante’s Provincial Police Judicial Brigade arrested a municipal architect from the Alicante City Council on suspicion of ties to a drug trafficking boss who was also detained in the same operation along with four other individuals. The investigation remains active, and authorities do not rule out that the number of arrests could rise toward a tenfold count.
The longtime public employee Francisco N. T., formerly with Urban Management and now serving in Planning, was detained on Tuesday morning for bribery on a public street just before reporting to work at the City Hall. The case has been pursued by the Investigations Court number 4 in Novelda for several months.
According to the inquiry, the architect is alleged to have provided favors to the individual described by police investigators as the head of a narcotics network, helping him “profit from properties bought with drug money.” The assistance reportedly included expediting urban planning procedures, such as permits and changes of land use.
The official had been an interim worker and had only recently secured a permanent position.
Two drug plantations discovered in separate warehouses within the municipalities of Novelda and La Romana point to Rafael G.M. as the principal operator. The other four detainees are believed to be personnel responsible for supplying power and maintaining the crops. Combined, the two plantations held between five hundred and one thousand plants.
Wiretaps authorized as part of this instruction linked the alleged gang leader, who has prior narcotics offenses, to the municipal architect. The interceptions reportedly revealed clear offers by the official to Rafael G.M. on matters requiring city hall processing. The two are said to have known each other since childhood, according to investigators.
In addition, the investigation shows that the gang leader and the architect shared a long-standing friendship, which may have influenced illicit dealings involving the city administration.
Arrested individuals were held in the provincial police cells as of Tuesday morning and are to be transferred to the court for judicial proceedings. Authorities did not disclose details of additional charges beyond those already stated in the official reports.
Officials emphasize the link between drug trafficking and public administration uncovered in this operation, a pattern seen in other regions but not commonly observed locally according to the statements from the investigators.
At the time of detention, no cash or weapons were found at the leader’s residence in Cabo de la Huerta, Alicante, though a high-end vehicle was seized. A preliminary assessment of the leader’s assets indicates that money laundered through real estate since 2020 could exceed two million euros, according to the early financial review.
Regarding the municipal official, investigators noted that apart from the alleged favors and a minor garment gift, there is no record of substantial compensation in return so far.
The operation underscores the ongoing tension between drug networks and public institutions in the region, a dynamic cited by several law enforcement officials as a troubling but real phenomenon observed beyond these borders, yet not commonly seen in the immediate area, as noted by those involved in the inquiry.