Murcia to Ireland drug trafficking network busted in joint operation
Twenty arrests were made in Ireland, Castellón, Malaga and the Region of Murcia
A joint operation between Spanish and Irish law enforcement agencies has dismantled a major drug trafficking network that was shipping huge quantities of narcotics from Murcia to Ireland. The operation, dubbed ‘Pereira’, has resulted in the arrest of 20 individuals, including five in the Region of Murcia, and the seizure of more than 200 kilos of marijuana and 300 kilos of cocaine.
While the leader of the gang was based in Ireland, the highly sophisticated network was also spread through Murcia, Castellón and Malaga. It is believed to have been in operation for years, smuggling drugs to Dublin in hidden compartments of different types of vehicles.
In all, it took a coordinated effort between the Guardia Civil, the Spanish Tax Agency, the Irish Gardaí, the Italian authorities and Europol to bring the criminals down.
The gang had two primary bases – an industrial warehouse in Castellón de la Plana and its main headquarters in Dublin. The narcotics were packaged and vacuum sealed in Castellón before being stashed in clever double bottoms of cars, trucks and trailers. A tractor pulling a heavy-duty trailer with Irish number plates was also used.
Even more craftily, the vehicles, only half filled with drugs, made a stop at a genuine company in the Valencian Community to pack up with legal goods.
After this final load, the journey to France began, from where it was shipped to Ireland.
As well as the confiscated narcotics, police also seized property valued at more than €1 million which included 12 luxury cars, some of them equipped with hidden lockers, four international transport trucks, €35,000 in cash, a pistol with ammunition, four computers and 35 mobile phones.
Five searches were carried out in the operation: three in Castellón de la Plana, one in Orihuela, Alicante, and another in Dublin. The 20 detainees—thirteen in Spain and seven in Ireland—have Spanish, Irish and Colombian nationality and range in age from 30 to 50.
Of the Spaniards arrested, one was in Malaga, five in the Region of Murcia and seven in Castellón.
All of the suspects are facing charges of belonging to a criminal organisation, drug trafficking, money laundering and illegal possession of weapons.
Images: Guardia Civil
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