• An entry and search was carried out at the point of sale, a grocery store in a neighborhood of the municipality of La Laguna.

• More than 11,000 euros in cash, a kilo of heroin, other narcotics and sexual enhancers seized

January 24, 2025.- Customs Surveillance Officers of the Tax Agency, together with Civil Guard agents belonging to the Tax and Border Section of the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (UDAIFF), have arrested five people accused of a crime against public health, as well as trafficking in narcotic substances, and sexual enhancers for illegal sale in our country.

The operation began in the summer of 2022, after it was discovered that several people had usurped the civil status of a third party to benefit from the resident discount and controls on passengers were intensified in order to prevent this type of crime. As a result of these checks, and after identifying a person who made the officers suspicious due to his nervousness, they proceeded to search his belongings, finding among them a cylindrical sphere containing 365.8 grams of heroin, for which he was arrested at that time.

Following this arrest and the evidence gathered, an investigation was launched, and two new individuals related to the previous ones were detected, who were carrying 508 grams of heroin, and who were also arrested.

Based on the information gathered and the investigations carried out, it was possible to verify that there was an organized group that used people to transport narcotic substances by sea between the islands of Tenerife and Gran Canaria, which they then sold in a small shop in a neighborhood of La Laguna that was dedicated to the sale of food products.

Searches and arrests

In September of this year, a raid and search was carried out at a premises in a neighborhood of San Cristóbal de la Laguna. During the search, two people were arrested and 41.43 grams of heroin, 12.97 grams of cocaine prepared in packages presumably for sale, 288.65 grams of cutting substance and 20 male sexual enhancers with the active ingredient sildenafil, which are illegally sold in our country, in tablet and sachet format, were seized.

11,341 euros in cash, precision scales, mixing appliances for cutting substances, various mobile devices, portable radio transmitters and receivers for short-distance communications, which were used to give warning in case of police presence in the area, were also found.

With the arrest of these five people, two during the searches and three at the beginning of the investigation, the criminal group is considered to be dismantled, as well as the point of sale of narcotic substances and other substances. 

The detainees, along with the proceedings carried out, were sent to the Investigative Court No. 4 of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The seized substances were sent to the Foreign Health Department for analysis, and the sexual enhancement products were sent to the National Institute of Toxicology to determine their composition.