ARCHIVED - Eight people arrested smuggling five tons of marijuana between Almeria and the UK

Eight people arrested attempting to transport more than five and a half tonnes of marijuana from Almeria in the Andalusia region of Spain, to the UK

In a major coup against illegal cannabis operations in Spain, the Guardia Civil in the Almeria town of La Mojonera have intercepted more than 5,000 kilos of marijuana buds destined for the UK market. Eight people were arrested as part of the operation and, along with the 5,674 kilos of narcotics, several weapons, €6,775 in cash, nine vehicles and vacuum packing equipment were seized.

According to a statement for the Armed Institute, the drug smugglers were caught red-handed loading bags of the drugs into the back of three trucks in an agricultural warehouse, which was masquerading as a legal hemp business. As part of a nationwide crackdown against illegal drug production and trafficking, Operation Unplanned has led to the largest seizure of packaged marijuana buds ever in Spain.

The effort is coordinated between the Malaga Guardia Civil, the Coordination Body Against Drug Trafficking Ocon-Sur and the Regional Centre for Analysis and Intelligence against Drug Trafficking (Crain).

Those arrested belong to a criminal gang operating in the provinces of Malaga and Almeria, according to sources from the Guardia Civil and the eight have been accused of crimes against public health.

Since 2018, the Ministry of the Anterior in Andalucía has been redoubling efforts against narcos along Spain’s southern coast. The Carteia plan has to date led to 5,553 arrests and the seizure of more than 260 tonnes of drugs.

According to María Gámez, the general director of the force: “The Guardia Civil is attacking the heart of the criminal organisations which, in order to survive, are changing their modus operandi and their area of action to try to escape police pressure.”