pending trial
Law enforcement authorities, including the Civil Guard, National Police, and customs officials, carried out operations yesterday in the provinces of Alicante and Valencia. Six individuals suspected of leading a cannabis trafficking ring were arrested. The operation reportedly targeted the organization involved in promoting several tons of cannabis by sea and distributing the drug. In addition to arrests, several searches of residences yielded drugs and other items linked to the case.
One of those detained in the Torrevieja Education Court No. 1 operation, nicknamed The Torch, was identified as a longtime associate of security forces. Researchers placed this person at the top of the network, asserting that he directed the criminal group from a central position.
Reduced by GOES
Three years earlier, the same individual was arrested along with 22 others in another joint operation by the National Police and the Civil Guard and remains awaiting trial for those offenses. At that time, authorities reported about 3,000 cannabis plants cultivated in several indoor facilities, some of which were located in underground structures. The marijuana produced as part of that network was then shipped to other countries where it fetched prices up to five times higher than in Spain.
The afternoon’s actions included a substantial seizure of marijuana as investigators confirmed the flow of the drug toward international markets. The search also led to the discovery of illicit consignments connected to the broader trafficking scheme, illustrating a pattern of operation that spans both land and maritime routes.
A large security operation was conducted at a chalet in the Cañada del Fenollar area, where authorities noted a visible police presence. The operation involved the Special Security Task Force, GOES, with officers traveling from Valencia to dismantle the target’s network and capture the suspect.
Following the arrest, GOES specialists, along with agents from other agencies and customs officers, entered the property and conducted a meticulous search. The proceedings included the presence of a lawyer from the Justice Administration and the detainee, who was moved to a police station for processing after the search, which began just before ten in the morning.
During the registry, officials observed large bags that appeared to contain marijuana from the exterior of the property. Civil Guard Seprona agents also visited the residence to address related items, including an intriguing note about exotic turtles linked to the operation and the person known as The Torch.
In addition to the material seized, neighbors’ attention was drawn to the extensive police deployment around the Cañada del Fenollar area. The coordinated efforts by the Civil Guard and the National Police included five arrests and multiple searches in Alicante and other parts of the Valencia region.
The chalet at the center of this operation had been the site of past police activity as well. In the summer of 2021, during a period when COVID-19 sanitary measures were in force, Alicante Local Police, with support from the National Police and Generalitat Police, dispersed an illegal party. The event drew more than a hundred attendees, who purchased tickets despite the owner’s removal, all under the premise that it was a birthday celebration.
anti-covid measures
Participants from cities including Elche, Valencia, Murcia, Santander, Totana, Agost, and Alcantarilla did not comply with anti-COVID rules during the police intervention. They were observed dancing, smoking, without masks, and without maintaining the required social distance as officers entered the venue.
The organizer faced accusations of a serious crime for coordinating a private gathering that violated public health measures. City authorities indicated that penalties for the organizer could reach up to 600,000 euros depending on the assessment of the violations and applicable regulations.