Customs Surveillance officials from the Tax Agency, in a joint operation with agents from the National Police, Civil Guard and the Judicial Police of Portugal, have dismantled the largest network of drug transporters in the Strait. The operation, carried out simultaneously in Spain and Portugal, and coordinated by the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor’s Office of Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz), has ended with the arrest of 19 people, plus another 12 who were already in prison.

In addition, as indicated in a note, 24 home searches have been carried out and up to four operations of the organization have been aborted and three short weapons, 1.4 million euros in cash, 19 high-quality vehicles have been seized. range, communication systems, computer equipment, two ‘narco-boats’ in the Portuguese country and three other boats in Spain. 250 agents participated in the operation.

As explained, the operations center was located in a luxurious residential area in Lisbon, from where a historic drug trafficker directed and coordinated all naval operations. They also had infrastructure and a wide network of collaborators in the Cadiz town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, where the ringleaders of the network originated.

The organization had an average of between eight and ten EAV boats – High Speed ??Vessels -, known as ‘narcolanchas’, which were in the water at all times with their respective crews, as well as a large network of small boats that he used to provide the previous ones with everything they needed, such as food or gasoline.

The investigation began in May of last year, when agents detected that the criminal organization tried to collect a shipment of 6,000 kilos of cocaine from a ‘narco-submarine’ coming from South America. However, the mechanical problems that the boat suffered during the voyage caused it to sink, which thwarted the criminal action. From that moment on, police investigations revolved around the functioning of the organization’s structure, proving that its leaders were based in the Cádiz towns of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Chipiona and El Cuervo (Seville).

As explained by the Tax Agency and the State Security Forces and Bodies, given the great economic potential of the organization, its members had strict security and self-protection measures. Thus, they had the most advanced means to transmit information both individually and in naval communications.

However, thanks to the close collaboration of the Portuguese Judicial Police, the agents located the operations center of the network, which was located in a luxurious urbanization on the outskirts of Lisbon, run by a historic drug trafficker, on the run from Spanish justice. which was responsible for directing and coordinating all naval operations.

In addition, it was equipped with the highest technology at the communications level, which allowed them absolute control of all their vessels, as well as total surveillance of the air and maritime means of the Security Forces and Bodies operating in the Strait.

In this way, every time there was an operation, the leaders of the organization traveled from Spain to coordinate the necessary infrastructure that would allow it to be carried out, in turn establishing direct contact with those responsible for the narcotic merchandise.

The network had an average of between eight and ten EAV vessels that were in the water at all times, with their respective crews, to carry out the different transportation of merchandise from other national or international organizations that requested their services.

In addition, it had a large network of small boats, including fishing boats, through which it provided the EAVs with gasoline, food or any other material necessary to carry out the transportation.

The investigation confirmed that the leaders of the organization, originally from Sanlúcar de Barrameda, used this Cadiz city as a base of operations in Spain, due to the perfect knowledge they had of the area and its orography, as well as the large network of collaborators that they had in said municipality.

This operation has allowed up to four operations of the criminal organization to be aborted, as well as the seizure of two drug boats in Portugal and three other vessels in Spain. On the other hand, the investigation has proven that the dismantled network was behind recent seizures of 4,000 kilos of hashish and 627 kilos of cocaine.

The final exploitation of the operation, carried out simultaneously in Spain and Portugal, has ended with the arrest of 31 members of the organization and the carrying out of 24 home searches.