Seven arrests in Ireland as International Drug Traffic Network Dismantled

A joint operation involving the Guardia Civil, the Spanish Tax Agency, the Irish Garda, the Italian Anti-Mafia Directorate, and Europol has dismantled a major drug trafficking network operating between Spain and Ireland. The organization, based in Castellón, Murcia, and Málaga, smuggled large quantities of drugs to Dublin using vehicles with hidden compartments.

Key Findings and Arrests:

• 20 members arrested (13 in Spain, 7 in Ireland), including Spanish, Irish, and Colombian nationals.
• Over 500 kg of drugs seized: 314 kg of cocaine and 220 kg of marijuana.
• Five property raids: Three in Castellón, one in Orihuela (Alicante), and one in Dublin.
• Seized assets worth over €1 million, including:
  • 12 vehicles, some with hidden compartments.
  • 4 trucks used for international drug transport.
  • €35,000 in cash, a firearm with ammunition, 4 computers, and 35 mobile phones.

Criminal Operations:

The network stored and packaged drugs in an industrial warehouse in Castellón, where they used vacuum-sealed containers hidden inside vehicles, including cars, trucks, and semi-trailers.

The traffickers used Irish-registered trucks to transport the drugs from Spain to Ireland. The route typically involved:

1. Transporting drugs from Murcia and Málaga to the Castellón warehouse.
2. Concealing the drugs within false compartments in vehicles.
3. Adding a legal cargo to disguise the shipment.
4. Driving to France, where the truck would be shipped to Ireland.

Final Arrests and Network Breakdown:

Authorities tracked the group’s activities since late 2023, revealing a well-organized operation with advanced security measures. The network’s leader in Ireland was among those arrested, along with an Irish delegate overseeing shipments from Spain.

Coordinated raids in Spain and Ireland led to the final arrests, with authorities linking the group to a previous shipment of 220 kg of marijuana seized in Valencia, also bound for Ireland.

The suspects face charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal firearm possession, and organized crime involvement.