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Date Published: 07/04/2021
ARCHIVED - 29 arrested as Alicante marijuana macroplantation dismantled
The criminal group was smuggling marijuana out of the region of Valencia to the north of Germany
Officers from the Policía Nacional from several parts of Spain, including Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Ciudad Real and Barcelona, have detained 29 people in connection to a large-scale drug trafficking ring that was operating out of the region of Valencia.
The criminal organization, of Hispanic-Bulgarian origin, was operating at an international level and was regularly transporting large quantities of marijuana and hashish from Valencia to the north of Germany, specifically Hannover and Hamburg, using large goods vehicles.
The drugs were hidden amongst shipments of fruits and vegetables to be smuggled across the border.
In addition, the organization had recently acquired a large tonnage tractor-truck type vehicle, as well as all the necessary licenses to set up a “shell” company which gave the appearance of completely legal activity.
During the investigation, named operation “Datil”, officers carried out several raids and seized around 100 kilos of pre-packaged marijuana buds, as well as three high-end vehicles, a tractor-truck type vehicle and different quantities of cash.
The officers also discovered a large indoor marijuana production laboratory with more than 4,700 plants located on an industrial estate in the municipality of Tomelloso in Castilla-La Mancha
Operation “Datil” resulted in the arrest of 29 people for crimes against public health: 14 in the province of Alicante, 10 in Ciudad Real, 4 in Palma de Mallorca and 1 in Barcelona.
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