Irish man arrested in Orihuela Costa on suspicion of international drug trafficking
The 57-year-old was arrested while dumping rubbish near his Pilar de la Horadada home
A 57-year-old Irish man, wanted by the authorities in the Czech Republic for his alleged involvement in a massive international drug trafficking operation, was arrested by the Guardia Civil in Orihuela Costa on November 6.
The suspect, who was the subject of a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by the Prague District Court, was caught off guard while throwing out rubbish outside his home.
The operation began on November 5, when sharp-eyed officers from the Territorial Team of the Judicial Police of Pilar de la Horadada spotted a suspicious car with a Spanish license plate and right-hand drive cruising through an Orihuela Costa residential area. The vehicle's unusual features raised suspicions, and the officers immediately ran the license plate through police databases.
Although officers quickly determined that the vehicle wasn’t stolen, they discovered that the car's owner, the 57-year-old Irish citizen, had an active EAW issued in September.
The warrant revealed that the suspect was part of a vast international crime syndicate operating in multiple countries, including the Czech Republic, Spain, the US, Ireland, the UK and Australia.
With the suspect's address in hand, the police hatched a plan to apprehend him. The following morning, they caught him in the act of throwing out garbage outside his home, and he was swiftly taken into custody.
The detainee, wanted for drug trafficking and membership of an organised criminal group, appeared before an Orihuela court, which released him on bail pending further investigation.
Meanwhile, the National Police has arrested seven British citizens for their part in a large-scale drug trafficking operation that spanned Marbella and Elche. The international trafficking gang was caught with 1,200 kilos of hashish secretly hidden in drums of sand that were intended for construction work.
Image: Guardia Civil
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