Officers from the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard of Castellón, with the collaboration of the Deputy Directorate of Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, have dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking that operated in national territory.
The operation, called Tablajero, resulted in 17 arrests in different Spanish provinces and the seizure of 1,400 kilos of high-purity cocaine, along with 5 kilos in total of other types of drugs such as marijuana, hashish, pink cocaine and MDMA pills, as well as twelve vehicles, plus 100,000 euros in cash, a revolver, as well as works of art and jewelry. Assets belonging to the organization have also been located, such as real estate investments in Spain, Dubai and Colombia, and several wallets with cryptocurrencies that have been seized, although their value has not been disclosed.
The operation began in 2022, after becoming aware of drug trafficking by individuals in several towns in the province of Castellón, including Nules, Burriana and the capital of La Plana. As the investigations progressed, the agents confirmed the existence of “a completely structured criminal network” that included “not only retail sellers, but also intermediaries, fixers and suppliers,” the security force reported.
The investigation was thus extended to provinces such as Valencia, Almería, Málaga, Cádiz and Madrid, and it was also noted that those now detained “had movements and international relations in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Dubai and the Netherlands,” the same sources said.
In addition to drug trafficking as the main criminal activity, the existence of a complex network of companies facilitating the laundering of money obtained by the alleged criminals has been proven, hidden in many cases by the use of various types of cryptocurrencies hosted on various international exchange platforms.
The operation, which began in May, has lasted three months. Eighteen searches have been carried out, seven of them in towns in the province of Castellón, four in Valencia and one in Málaga, as well as the inspection of four containers in various national and international ports and airports, resulting in the arrest of the 17 ringleaders of the plot, who have now been brought before the courts, thus dismantling “the criminal network in its entirety”, the Civil Guard added.
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