11 arrested in Spain and France for flying cannabis into Europe

The Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) and the French National Police (Police Nationale/OFAST), supported by Europol, successfully dismantled an organised crime group involved in drug trafficking and money laundering at the end of 2021. 

Overall results of the operational activities

• 7 house searches

• 11 arrests (2 in France and 9 in Spain)

Seizures include

• Drugs: 2 400 kg hashish, 112 kg marijuana

• Vehicles and petrol:  6 cars, 4 motorbikes, 2 trucks, 2 trailers, 4 helicopters modified to transport cannabis, 4 000 litres of petrol

• Armaments: 1 submachine gun, 2 guns, 1 shotgun, 2 bulletproof vests

• Electronics: 2 money counting machines, 1 frequency inhibitor, 1 frequency detector, 30 phones

• €2 355 in cash

Smuggling cannabis on helicopters across the Mediterranean 

The criminal network was involved in the trafficking of hashish and marijuana from Morocco to the South of Spain before smuggling the drugs to France. The investigators detected that the suspects used up to five false identities per person. The suspects transported the drugs from Morocco with the use of modified helicopters. The network then smuggled the drugs to France with the ‘go fast’ method (using vehicles with false number plates) or by concealing the cannabis in legal cargos transported by heavy trucks. A car chase in Spain led to the discovery of 329 kg of hashish hidden in a private vehicle. The driver reached speeds of up to 180 km/h while trying to escape the Spanish guard. Finally, he was arrested together with three other individuals. The Spanish officers discovered 266 kg of hashish at the address where the car was registered. 

The criminal organisation used the profits from the drug trafficking to enhance this technical set-up and expand their trafficking capabilities. Shell companies were used to launder the money and disguise all details related to the origin and ownership of the funds. 

Since joining this investigation in 2020, Europol has supported operational activities, facilitated the exchange of information and provided analytical support and operational coordination. Europol also supported the action days, with real-time cross-checking of operational information against Europol’s databases to provide leads to investigators in the field. 

In 2020, Europol created the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) to increase synergies between economic and financial investigations and to strengthen its ability to support law enforcement authorities in effectively combating this major criminal threat.

Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organised crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.
 

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