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ARCHIVED - Eight foreigners arrested in Alicante as police shut down huge international drug ring
Marijuana grown in Elche and Crevillente in Alicante province was regularly shipped to Serbia and on to other European countries
A massive international drug ring operating in Alicante province cultivating marijuana which was trafficked to Serbia has been shut down and eight foreigners arrested.
In a joint operation between the National Police and Guardia Civil, the network that allegedly produed marijuana in Elche and Crevillente before distributing the drugs at an international level has been dismantled.
The drugs were first shipped to Serbia using rented vans before being trafficked to other European countries.
Of the eight arrested, including two people believed to be the ringleaders, seven are Serbian and one is Polish, and aged between 29 and 53.
One of the leaders of the gang was arrested in a previous police bust in Crevillente and was even imprisoned. But once he was able to pay bail and was released, he alledgedly "increased his criminal activities by acquiring new industrial buildings in different industrial estates in Alicante province", according to police sources.
An accidental fire at one of the warehouse in the Maitino area of Elche in May led to eight police raids at industrial premises in Elche and Crevillente, and three in homes in Alicante city.
During the searches, more than 3,300 marijuana plants in different stages of flowering were seized, as well as 30 kilos of vacuum-packed buds, three industrial generators, each valued at more than 40,000 euros, growing equipment, a large number of forged passports, three mid-range vehicles and a tanker lorry with a capacity of approximately 6,000 litres.
The total value of the items seized exceeded 600,000 euros.
All eight detainees were charged with being members of a criminal organisation, drug trafficking, falsification of public documents and electricity fraud. The two suspected ringleaders have been remanded in prison and the rest were provisionally released and banned from leaving the country.
Image: Policia Nacional/Guardia Civil
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