article_detail
Date Published: 09/06/2022
ARCHIVED - Former Spanish consul of Finland arrested over Europe’s largest khat narcotics seizure
Drugs with a street value of 61 million euros were discovered in the Port of Barcelona
The Guardia Civil this week raided several premises around the Port of Barcelona and seized 3.2 tonnes of ‘khat’ or catonine with an estimated street value of 61 million euros, the largest discovery of this drug ever in Europe. So far, sources have only alluded to one arrest: that of businessman Albert Ginjaume, a former honorary consul general of Finland in Spain.
According to the alleged official sources, Ginjaume has been named as a member of the narcotics organisation which shipped khat – a drug obtained from a bush mostly found in Africa and southern Arabia – into the European Union.
Synthetic khat is a stimulant that is consumed by chewing the leaves of the plant or infused and while it is widely used in its pure form, mixing the substance with non-organic materials can be deadly. The Guardia Civil has celebrated this massive seizure of the drug as "a major blow to its supply in the rest of Europe”.
Officers arrested Ginjaume in Barcelona but the other supposed gang members are yet to be traced.
The businessman worked as consul general in Spain until February 2018 when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested his dismissal after he was found to be distributing Catalan pro-independence information.
Shortly after the news broke of his arrest, Ginjaume himself issued a statement denying that he is being detained, insisting that he has “nothing to do” with the narcotics operation.
"I reserve all actions that are appropriate by law for compensation for damages, including damage to the honour that this situation causes me or may cause me," he said, adding that he will not comment further on the matter “other than in court.”
Images: Guardia Civil
Loading
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
25% Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
Contact Spanish News Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268