It was reported on 24th May 2014 that agents of the Spanish National Police in cooperation with the tax authorities have broken up an organization dedicated to drug trafficking which involved more than 276 kilos of cocaine. The group, based in Valencia, used different trafficking methods including hiding the drugs in container ships, inside passenger baggage on overseas flights or in vehicles.
In addition to the narcotics a total of 254,000 euros, five vehicles, hydraulic presses, a pistol and a revolver were seized. During the operation 11 people were arrested as alleged perpetrators of crimes against public health.
The investigation began in 2013 when agents learned of the existence of a criminal organization based in Valencia, composed of Colombians and Spaniards.
The first result of the investigation took place in May 2013 with the arrest in Valencia of six members of the group in which 11.5 kilograms of cocaine, 251,000 euros, three vehicles and a revolver were seized. Having learned of the arrests, the supplier of the narcotic substance and head of the organization quickly left the country.
The officers continued investigations primarily responsible for the organization and found that the leader was planning his return to Spain to continue the importation of cocaine.
With existing police cooperation between Portugal and Spain, the Portuguese police, with the data provided by the Spanish agents arrested a man of Spanish nationality who had 4,650 grams of cocaine hidden in her luggage upon arrival at the neighboring country from South America .
In early February this year, the officers, in collaboration with the Inland Revenue, seized in the port of Bilbao 220 kilograms of cocaine that were hidden inside a container ship had left the harbor Rotterdam ( Netherlands), in the form of “blind hook” which consists of introducing the drug between the load without any connivance on the part of the owner of the shipment.
Later researchers discovered that the transfer of the narcotic substance had provided vehicles double bottoms or “caches”. After knowing this, the agents found that the organization was planning to move a consignment of cocaine hidden in a false bottom of a vehicle from the city of Malaga to Valencia. In March the agents had suspicions that one of these cars could contain narcotics. Subsequently 40 kilograms of cocaine were located and seized.
Finally, the operation culminated with the location and arrest of the head of the organization, who was hiding in a house in a suburb of San Antonio de Benagéber (Valencia).