• The network operated on a medium and large scale, with international ramifications.
• More than half a million euros worth of drugs and cash are estimated to have been seized
• The main detainees are three brothers who are fully dedicated to the distribution of narcotics.

March 27, 2024.- Officials of the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency and agents of the National Police have arrested three men in the town of Teulada (Alicante) who are involved in small, medium and large-scale drug trafficking. The value of the drugs and money seized in the operation, which has allowed the neutralisation of this criminal group, is estimated at more than half a million euros.

The operations began after the dismantling, in previous months, of two criminal networks in the framework of various operations against drug trafficking that had revealed connections with another organization that could be engaged in the same illegal activities.

This information led to the Alicante town of Teulada, where the alleged perpetrators of the investigation would settle. Investigations in this town began with a series of surveillance and follow-ups of the main suspects, according to information handled by the National Police agents.

During the course of these investigations, a link was established in the proceedings with the Regional Customs Surveillance Area of the Tax Agency in Valencia, which was also investigating the plot, due to information received through other channels. From that moment on, coordination of both investigations began to avoid duplications and act synergistically.

The suspects turned out to be three brothers. The leader of the group was registered as a self-employed worker in the cleaning and gardening sector, although at no point during the investigation was he observed carrying out any work related to that sector of activity. The same was true of the rest of those involved, who were dedicated solely and exclusively to drug trafficking.

These individuals were highly specialized in their illegal activities and routinely carried out counter-surveillance maneuvers to detect possible surveillance by third parties, making investigations at an operational level difficult and complex.

The suspects had links with other individuals who supplied them with narcotic substances via 'narco-boats' that landed on the Alicante coast.

Operational phase

Given the evidence of the illegal activity they were carrying out, the exploitation phase of the operation became imperative. Each and every one of the indications pointed to the involvement of those investigated in drug trafficking and their membership in a criminal group, so the procedure that would lead to the exploitation phase was carried out.

The raids and searches of the various addresses under surveillance were carried out jointly by officials from the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency, agents from Group I of Organized Crime of Alicante of the National Police and police from Greco Levante.

At the time of the house search of the ringleader, his wife, a 30-year-old Moroccan, was present and at one point she lunged at and attacked the Customs Surveillance agents, even trying to snatch a weapon from one of them. The action was thwarted by the agents and this person was arrested for the crime of attacking an agent of authority.

During the searches, the vehicle that the main suspect usually used was seized, and more than a thousand euros in cash and several doses of cocaine were found inside, ready for direct distribution, which attested to direct sales for consumption.

The total amount of cash seized amounts to 42,535 euros and the quantities of narcotics are significant (795 grams of cocaine, three kilos of marijuana and 65 kilos of hashish), with the value of the seized items estimated at around half a million euros, to which should be added the cutting substance, scales, accounting notes and knives.

Transporting drugs in a shopping cart

During the operations, investigators were surprised by one of the methods of drug transport used by the organization. A shopping cart full of narcotic substances was detected in one of the homes, which had previously been seen during surveillance when it was being transported by the suspects.

The action deactivates a criminal network of family ties dedicated mainly to medium and large-scale drug trafficking, but also to retail. The main suspect used his younger siblings to hide large quantities of drugs in their homes, using them as 'daycare centers' to avoid going to prison if he was discovered, as he had several previous criminal records for drug trafficking.

As a result of the operation, four people have been arrested, three men and one woman, aged between 39 and 22, who are charged with drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organisation. All actions have been reported and they have been brought before the Denia Court of Instruction on Duty.