The Civil Guard dismantles an organization dedicated to drug trafficking bound for Europe using large tonnage trucks
24 people have been arrested and 1,467 kilos of hashish have been seized, 600 kilos of marijuana buds vacuum packed and ready for export, as well as two “indoor” marijuana plantations and more than 870,000 euros in cash
The network grew its own marijuana, although the volume of shipments to Europe was such that they had to buy it from other suppliers to accumulate it before completing the shipments
The trucks were loaded into an industrial warehouse that they had rented and left for the European countries of destination, camouflaging the drug between consignments of tubers and vegetables.
To give security to the shipments, the trucks were preceded by shuttle vehicles, which alerted of possible controls
The Civil Guard, within the framework of the “EUROTRUCK” operation, has dismantled an organization dedicated to transporting marijuana and hashish from the province of Cádiz to European countries such as Germany, France and the Netherlands. For this they used large tonnage trucks to which they made double funds to hide the drug, or they camouflaged it among the declared cargo, mainly tubers and vegetables.
24 people have been arrested for the alleged crimes of drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organization. During the 14 searches carried out, 1,467 kilos of hashish, 600 kilos of marijuana buds vacuum packed and ready for export have been seized, as well as two “indoor” marijuana plantations and more than 870,000 euros in cash.
The operation began last April when the agents of the Judicial Police team of Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz) detected the existence of a drug trafficking organization that extended its activities to countries such as Germany, France and the Netherlands.
The network made use of large tonnage trucks, which made international routes, having as a declared legal load horticultural products grown at the mouth of the Guadalquivir.
The vehicles were prepared and loaded with the narcotic substance in a warehouse located on the outskirts of Jerez, which they had rented to prepare the drug shipments and where the trailers remained "asleep" until the transaction was formalized and the displacement was made. , which was preceded by a tourism that served as a shuttle vehicle.
Genetically altered marijuana to increase its price in the market
One of the leaders of the organization was a well-known businessman from Jerez who combined his business activities with indoor marijuana cultivation. Marijuana was genetically altered to increase its THC levels in order to increase its market price, while making it more attractive to its international market. The demand was so high that they had to resort to buying buds of this substance from other suppliers, from whom they bought the crops in advance to ensure product to export.
To accumulate the genre that was bought and cultivated, they used the facilities of the leader's event company, in order to go unnoticed, while preserving the ship from possible police interventions or robberies by other organizations.
The first shipment that is seized from them occurs in the province of Granada, near Motril, when the Granada Citizen Security Unit intercepts the truck, at the request of the investigators and 1,037 kilos of cargo are seized in various compartments of the vehicle. hashish and 865,000 euros in banknotes of 20 and 50 euros, stopping the driver of the vehicle.
After analyzing the evidence obtained from this first arrest, contacts were initiated with the French and German authorities, resulting in a second arrest carried out in June in France. The Poitiers Customs Brigade intercepted a truck owned by the organization, which was bringing potatoes as legal cargo, although after an exhaustive inspection, with the instructions provided by the civil guards, they allowed the seizure of 252 kilos of vacuum-packed marijuana buds and stop the driver.
After these interventions, a new shipment was intercepted in the month of September in Villa del Rio (Córdoba) where 91 kilos of buds were seized, and the truck driver was arrested. Likewise, in October, another truck carrying 55 kilos of marijuana buds and 420 kilos of hashish pollen was intercepted in Bailen (Jaén), for which the driver was also arrested. Lastly, in November, another truck was intercepted in the Girona town of La Junquera, transporting 117 kilos of marijuana buds, detaining the two occupants of the same.
Searches and detainees
After this intense investigation work, the Civil Guards identified the leaders of the organization, as well as the rest of the members and the roles that each of them had in this perfectly hierarchical structure and with a clear permanence in time. For all this, 14 domiciliary searches were made, authorized by the head of the Court of Instruction number 2 of Jerez de la Frontera, being carried out 6 in Jerez, 2 in Sanlúcar, 1 in Arcos, 1 in Puerto de Santa María, 3 in Lebrija and 1 in Dos Hermanas, arresting 18 people. To carry them out simultaneously, more than 200 civil guards from the Cádiz and Seville commanders participated, as well as the GAR, GRS, the Algeciras Cynological Service and OCON-SUR, with the support of the Jerez Local Police.
In the exploitation phase, carried out on the 13th, 2 indoor marijuana plantations with 819 plants were dismantled and 74 kilos of marijuana buds vacuum packed ready for shipment were seized, 5,800 euros in cash, maintenance equipment to favor the growth of indoor plantations, 5 vehicles, a multitude of telephones and documentation of interest.
For more information, you can contact the Communication Office of the Cádiz Civil Guard Command, telephone 636.472.330.
