The Civil Guard detains 32 people belonging to a criminal organization dedicated to large-scale hashish traffic in the area of Tarifa
The organization had a criminal branch specialized in the introduction of the drug through recreational boats through the Port of Tarifa, and a second branch, which used inflatable boats manned by expert divers who extracted the hashish bales previously anchored off the coast of the same location
The operation involved 2 tons of hashish, as well as three boats and 5 vehicles
The Civil Guard, within the framework of the “CASUAL” operation, has arrested 32 people belonging to a criminal organization dedicated to large-scale hashish traffic from North Africa to the coast of Tarifa. The organization was mainly based in Tarifa although people with residence in Algeciras and in the province of Córdoba have also been arrested. The operation involved 2 tons of hashish, as well as three boats and 5 vehicles.
The investigation began last January, when the Civil Guard was aware of the existence of several people based in Tarifa with a high standard of living, not consistent with their income, and that they were possibly from illegal activities of trafficking in drugs They also had some people who also developed legal activities to go unnoticed and not be linked to the world of drug trafficking.
Recreational boats
This organization had a first criminal branch specialized in the introduction of the drug through recreational boats through the Port of Tarifa, and a second branch, which used inflatable boats manned by expert divers. These divers were knowledgeable about the area of the coast of Tarifeño and had professional equipment and diving bottles to make long dives and power, in this way, free the hashish bales that had previously been thrown from boats and anchored in strategic points of the coast .
Continuing with the investigations, the agents were able to detect that the first branch of the organization had several recreational boats that docked in the marina of Tarifa, which moved towards areas that instilled suspicion of engaging in hashish traffic.
Likewise, it was found that in the previous moments of these displacements, members of the organization held meetings in the vicinity of the Port of Tarifa, where the leaders distributed telephone terminals and gave instructions to different people.
It was in one of these meetings that the agents identified a member of the crew of the Maritime Rescue vessel, which was providing coverage to the organization, warning of the possible presence of vehicles and vessels of the Civil Guard during their illegal operations of introducing hashish.
During the first phase of exploitation of the operation, the Civil Guard intercepted two hashish shelters that the organization had tried to introduce through the use of recreational boats, where 20 bundles of hashish were seized. As a result of these two apprehensions, different searches were carried out in several farms and homes in Tarifa where the leaders and members of this branch of the organization resided, proceeding to arrest them and to the intervention of abundant computer and mobile telephone equipment.
As a result of this intervention, it was possible to determine the existence of a farm located in the area of La Ahumada, which was being used by the organization as a “safe” place to hide the illicit merchandise. For this reason, the agents developed a surveillance device over this area.
As a result of this device, it was possible to observe how a vehicle was leaving the area in a hurried way, which together with the fact that the vehicle had symptoms of carrying a fairly heavy load made the agents think that it was transporting a batch of hashish from the “ nursery ”of the organization.
For this reason, the agents proceeded to intercept the vehicle, at which time it ignored and undertook an escape. Finally, he could be intercepted for what was the arrest of his driver and the apprehension of another 11 bundles of hashish. From the subsequent investigation, a second vehicle also loaded with hashish was intervened in the same way that was destined for the province of Córdoba, where the people who were going to receive this shipment were identified so that the agents proceeded to arrest him.
Method of "anchoring"
In the last phase of exploitation, it could be detected how the second branch of the organization was making preparations to introduce a hashish stash by means of the "anchoring" method. This method used only by very specialized organizations, is very difficult to detect since they use boats that throw a series of bales into the sea tied together to large weights to ensure that they remain hidden in a specific place on the seabed. These areas are geolocated so that later experienced divers extract the illicit merchandise at night time.
For this reason, the Civil Guard established a surveillance device on this criminal branch, resulting in the arrest of the crew of the vessel that made the funding of the hashish bales, that of the divers and other members of the organization that participated later to locate the anchorage and proceed to its extraction. In this last intervention it was necessary the participation of the Special Group of Underwater Activities of the 4th Civil Guard Zone (Andalusia).
