Nine people have been arrested in Andalucia including two elite Ukrainian pilots who are experts in nighttime and low-altitude flights, and who were paid at least €150,000 per trip.
Both helicopters – worth €900,000 each on the black market – have been seized along with 795 kilos of hashish.
Operation Torcal 469 Tornado began in mid-2023 after authorities discovered that the gang was looking for pilots to carry out drug flights on the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco.
After several months of investigations, Guardia officers found two helicopters hidden on farms in Sevilla and Cadiz, with the properties leased by the gang leader.
In the early hours of January 15, investigators detected a narco-flight in Cadiz province heading south from the organisation’s farm.
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