National Police forces detained twenty-one individuals linked to a drug trafficking organization, and one person identified by the alias El Alemán faced arrest as part of a parallel sub-operation. Police reports indicate that the drug trade in Seville has intensified, with Seville city center emerging as a key hub for heroin and cocaine distribution within the capital region.
The operation targeted the organized group at its leadership point. The principal figure, known by the moniker El Alemán, managed to elude capture during the initial phase. After months of pursuit, investigators located him in Carmona, inside a luxurious villa where he was meeting with several subordinates. The residence housed multiple panic rooms and reinforced security features, including armored sections concealed beneath the floor and behind a false wall.
As part of the wide-ranging sweep, authorities conducted sixteen house visits across Seville and Carmona. The seizures were substantial: over five kilograms of narcotics and precursor chemicals used to cut drugs, 126 cartridges of various calibers, and approximately 40,000 euros in cash. In addition, several other items related to the drug operation were recovered, underscoring the breadth of the network’s logistical framework.
Seven of the searches took place within the same residential block, which had been converted into a makeshift pharmaceutical complex. The buildings within that block were under the control of the organization led by El Alemán, and investigators uncovered a marijuana cultivation site, a dedicated facility for cocaine and heroin preparation, and a separate property used for money storage. Numerous cash-filled backpacks were found and seized.
The organization employed what could be described as a rudimentary but effective money-management system, designed to handle sales, renewals, and storage of illicit profits. The facilities featured specially fortified doors with crossbars intended to deter break-ins, along with video surveillance systems to detect police activity and to monitor internal movement.
The operation unfolded in two waves. The first phase occurred last October when twenty individuals were arrested, but the chief suspect escaped during that initial crackdown. On December 20, after months of investigative work, authorities tracked the group to an urbanization project in Carmona, where the leader had sought refuge in a luxurious chalet.
While the detainees faced legal proceedings, authorities also recovered more than five kilograms of narcotics and cutting agents, 126 firearms cartridges, and close to 40,000 euros in cash. Additional items included multiple knives and weapons, three banknote counting machines, two coin-counting machines, a professional counting and packaging device, and a ballistic vest. The array of equipment points to a well-organized operation with a multi-layered approach to distribution, inventory control, and security.