The Prosecutor’s Office requested significant penalties for 69 defendants in a case involving a Mediterranean-based criminal network. The charges include drug trafficking, bribery, and disclosure of secrets, with sentences potentially totaling 751 years in prison. The indictment outlines that more than 3,500 kilograms of cocaine were seized in multiple operations conducted in Spain and Romania during 2018 and 2019. Among those charged is a former head of a specialized police unit, Francisco Javier M., Chief Inspector of the National Police Against Drugs and Organized Crime (UDYCO) in Alicante. The prosecutors seek 15 years for certain crimes, alongside a broader array of penalties, and demand fines of 217 million euros for each defendant as part of the case presented this week.
Alicante’s former anti-drug chief appears among more than 80 individuals detained in a sweep named Operation Beautiful. The operation, executed in September 2019 by the Special Response Group of the National Police against Organized Crime, is linked to the Drug Enforcement Unit in the region. The prosecution contends that the officer aided the drug network by providing information and guidance on how to operate, facilitating the network’s criminal activities.
Another branch of the same case involves a separate money laundering trial involving 35 additional defendants. The proceedings center on a luxury car business in Dénia used to launder funds and move drugs. The defendants linked to this matter allegedly managed three and a half million euros derived from drug trafficking.
four branches
According to the public accusation, the organization was organized into four major factions that coordinated from different territories, including Alicante and Dénia. The Prosecutor’s Office identifies four ringleaders, aiming to punish the main branch residents in Alicante, Galicia, Barcelona, and Valencia with lengthy prison terms, including 18 years for drug trafficking.
The indictment calls for 12 years in prison for 11 defendants and 10 years for 54 defendants. In the overarching charges, the case seeks a 10-year sentence for drug trafficking, plus two years for bribery and three years for revealing secrets. In addition, a separate investigator faces a two-year term for illegal possession of weapons.
One individual deemed a key leader is Alicante businessman Juan Andrés CP, who is also awaiting trial in a separate case involving the largest tax fraud case linked to luxury cars in Alicante. Other alleged leaders include Galician José Constante PB, Swede Jonas SF, and Sergio FJ, reported as the network’s president in Valencia. The Public Ministry states that these four individuals organized, financed, and directed large-scale cocaine shipments, bringing cocaine from South America into Spain and European markets.
The organization also included a second branch with eight defendants focused on import negotiations with cocaine dealers in South America.
Transactions
A third branch, consisting of four defendants, carried out drug transaction operations that enabled the organization to move narcotics into Spain. A fourth branch, under investigation, supported the earlier groups and carried out a range of other criminal activities. The second branch provided direction to subgroups focused on drug distribution on a smaller scale, with roles in negotiations, transportation, logistics, intermediation, and financing.
The 152-page indictment details the involvement of each defendant in the network’s activities and describes the former anti-drug police chief in Alicante as maintaining ties with leading figures in the organization, including the principal ringleaders. The document notes the police officer’s ability to obtain information about ongoing investigations and to offer advice on how to proceed, leveraging his influential position within the force to facilitate operations.
The Chief Inspector, who led the Drug and Organized Crime Unit (UDYCO) in Alicante, allegedly maintained close contact with Juan Andrés C. and other leaders after their trips. The prosecution contends that the defendant used his privileged status to monitor investigations and to guide actions, playing a central role in planning and executing operations.
In addition to the main case, the indictment mentions nearly fifty identified drug dealing and money delivery cases uncovered during the police investigation, along with seven incidents in which a total of just over 3,500 kilograms of cocaine were seized.