The Civil Guard has arrested 38 people belonging to an international criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking from Spain and North Africa to European countries. Following investigations, the agents have confirmed shipments of over 5.5 tons of marijuana and hashish to 11 European countries.
This operation, named ‘Varita’, was detailed in a press conference on Tuesday by the Government delegate in the region, Milagros Tolón, accompanied by the Government sub-delegate in the province, Carlos Ángel Devia, and the head of the Civil Guard Command in Toledo, Colonel José María Gil Armario.
The detainees were mainly Spanish and ranged in age from 18 to 70 years old.
During various raids, 346 kilos of marijuana and hashish ready for sale were seized, and six high-performance indoor plantations were dismantled, all located in the province of Toledo.
Additionally, two firearms, cartridges, two simulated short firearms, two bladed weapons, nearly 33,000 euros in cash, a vehicle, high-end watches, beacons, and cell phones were seized.
The detainees are facing charges of criminal organization, drug trafficking, money laundering, electricity theft, cultivation and production of narcotics, and home invasion.
A total of 394 international shipments were quantified, with 21 seizures at the national level and additional seizures in Poland and Germany at the international level.
The investigation was carried out by the Civil Guard of the Toledo Command (specifically, the Organized Crime and Drug Unit of the Judicial Police Organic Unit and the Fiscal and Borders Detachment) with the support of the Technical Unit of the Madrid Judicial Police, which facilitated international police cooperation.
Various Civil Guard units collaborated in the three phases of the operation, including the Madrid Reserve and Security Group; Citizen Security Units from Madrid, Albacete, Ciudad Real, and Guadalajara; and the K-9 Service and Citizen Security of Toledo.
The operation began several months ago when the Civil Guard detected shipments of illicit substances through courier companies, some within Spain but mostly to European countries.
Continuing with the investigations, it was established that there was an international organization behind the shipments, with branches in numerous countries where the drugs were destined.
At the first level of the organization, individuals were responsible for delivering drug packages to various transport companies. Agents were able to track the vehicles used by these individuals to locate where the packages were prepared. The second level involved disguising the drugs in packages using sophisticated vacuum sealing systems to eliminate odors.
Furthermore, higher-ranking members within the organization were identified as responsible for collecting payments for drug shipments in various European countries. They made frequent lightning trips, traveling to these countries from various Spanish airports.
During these trips, they collected cash amounts ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 euros, which they carried in their hand luggage.
One of the main drug trafficking leaders was identified, a person who enjoyed a high standard of living and ran a grow shop (a store dedicated to the legal sale of cannabis-related products) in a town in Toledo, alongside their partner, as a cover for their criminal activities.
Through international collaboration with European police forces, numerous shipments to European countries such as Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia, Italy, Greece, Sweden, and France were detected. Additionally, drug seizures were carried out in Poland and Germany, with one arrest in Germany following the delivery of a suspicious package containing marijuana.
In Spain, several drug seizures were conducted in Barcelona and Toledo during the course of the investigation.
The first phase of the operation took place in October in Numancia de la Sagra, Carranque, Yuncos, and Yuncler, where seven raids were conducted in homes and an industrial warehouse resulting in the arrest of 15 people. Thirteen more individuals were arrested in subsequent days.
The second phase occurred in mid-November with six people arrested in Huecas, Illescas, and Parla. Notably, one man considered a key figure in the criminal organization, responsible for collecting money in the countries where the drugs were sent, was apprehended.
The third phase, carried out at the end of February in the Madrid towns of El Pardo and Villaverde, and in Yeles and Numancia de la Sagra in the province of Toledo, involved four raids and three arrests. One of the detainees was responsible for drug shipments to several countries, including Sweden.
Milagros Tolón congratulated the agents who made the province, region, and country «safer through the dismantling of this criminal network.»
She also emphasized that «the success of this operation is based on the professionalism of the Civil Guard and the collaboration between units and international cooperation, as these investigations were conducted with the participation of Europol.»
«For the Government of Spain, security is a priority that is reflected in Castilla-La Mancha with an increase in resources and staffing. Since 2018, the increase in Civil Guard staffing in Castilla-La Mancha has been 7 percent, and in the coming months, we expect the incorporation of more agents as a result of the public employment offer that includes over 2,700 Civil Guard positions for the entire country,» Tolón asserted.
FUENTE