The Guardia Civil, as part of Operation Happy, has dismantled a criminal organisation dedicated to transporting drugs by road from Malaga to France. In addition, eight people have been arrested and three warrants have been issued for the crimes of organised crime and drug trafficking.
The investigation began after receiving information that an industrial warehouse in Villanueva del Trabuco had been suspected of being used for storing hashish and marijuana by a criminal group, the Civil Guard revealed.
Following enquiries, police identified unusual activity at the location, with individuals coming and going, while they observed the arrival of a commercial vehicle with a foreign licence plate that left escorted by two other vehicles acting as lookouts to avoid detection.
The three occupants of the vehicle were arrested, while ten bales of hashish weighing approximately 360 kilograms and another 23 kilograms of marijuana were seized.
The vehicle had a double bottom with an electronic opening system using sophisticated automation technology to securely conceal the drugs and transport them to France without detection.
Five searches
Following the initial intervention, investigations continued, leading to the identification of members of the criminal network composed of Spanish, Moroccan, and French nationals of North African origin residing in the provinces of Almeria and Malaga in Spain, and France.
The police carried out five raids at the residences of the suspects in the municipalities of Estepona, Roquetas de Mar and Almeria, resulting in the arrests of four more individuals. Another member of the network was subsequently detained in Tarifa.
This operation was carried out by members of the Organised Crime and Anti-Drugs Team (EDOA) of the Guardia Civil in Malaga.
