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ARCHIVED - 29 arrested in massive drug bust in Malaga
The police operation has dismantled seven marijuana greenhouses in Vélez-Málaga, Algarrobo, Arenas, Almogía and Villanueva de la Concepción
The Policía Nacional have dealt a new blow to drug trafficking in Malaga after officers arrested 29 people in the province for their alleged involvement in a criminal network, led by three businessmen from Axarquia and dedicated to drug trafficking and money laundering.
In addition to those arrested, seven huge marijuana growing centres have been dismantled in the towns of Vélez-Málaga, Algarrobo, Arenas, Almogía and Villanueva de la Concepción.
As for the detainees, as reported by the National Police this Thursday in a statement, twelve of them have already been remanded in custody.
In this macro-operation, searches were carried out in several properties across the province of Malaga. In these, the police seized 7,000 marijuana plants, 120 kilos of cannabis buds, seventeen kilos of hashish, seven firearms, 92,645 euros in cash and five vehicles.
Likewise, in a parallel asset investigation, 21 motor vehicles, 16 properties and 40 bank accounts linked to the suspects were seized.
The operation, christened ‘Rabbit/Lapin’, began in the middle of last year, following information that pointed to the existence of a marijuana cultivation centre in Almogía. It has been carried out by agents attached to the Drugs and Organised Crime Unit (Udyco), in Malaga and Velez-Malaga, as well as by the Property Investigation and Asset Tracking Group of the Provincial Police Station.
At the top of the criminal structure were three businessmen based in the Axarquia region, under whose leadership a large group of workers were employed, with very different functions. Thus, the network included day labourers dedicated to the cultivation of marijuana, harvesters, drug guardians and other people dedicated to the specific branch of money laundering.
During the course of the investigations, the National Police intercepted a shipment of 500 grams of marijuana destined for Germany that was to be sent via a parcel delivery company.
In a second phase of the operation, with 17 searches carried out in different homes, rural estates and a hotel establishment, mostly in the Axarquía region, the agents arrested a further 20 people for their alleged responsibility in the crimes of belonging to a criminal organisation, drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal possession of weapons and electricity fraud.
At the same time, they carried out an investigation into assets and money laundering, as a result of which they managed to intercept all the assets that the organisation had generated through drug trafficking, and to uncover numerous money laundering operations, many of which were carried out by a specific money laundering branch through a restaurant on the Axarquia coast.
Image: Policía Nacional
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