Photo: PERE VIRGILI
The police investigation centred around Barcelona’s port, which was used by a criminal gang to smuggle drugs into Europe. They hid cocaine and methamphetamine in concrete blocks, which made it undetectable to port controls. This operation resulted in the largest methamphetamine seizure in history (over 2,500 kilos), as well as over 1,370 kilos of cocaine and 17,000 litres of chemicals used to make narcotics.
Spanish Guardia Civil police confirmed that a major drug raid was underway on Tuesday morning and that one of the most wanted international criminals had been detained.
Another 14 people were detained, some in Barcelona but others in the Spanish cities of Cádiz, in the south, and Vigo, in the north-west. In the Catalan capital, the police operation took place in the Poble-Sec and Sant Antoni neighborhoods.
According to local newspaper El Periódico, the main suspect who has been arrested was wanted by several European police forces. The drug dealer was in charge of a gang that trafficked cocaine from the Americas as well as hashish from northern Africa. The group ran several other side businesses, such as an ice-cream shop, to launder money.
