DrugsNews

Dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to the manufacture of high-speed boats used for drug trafficking

Within the framework of a joint operation “Munari-Cundinamarca-Tulipán”, carried out by the Civil Guard, the National Police Corps and the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency, the members of a criminal organization based throughout Spanish geography, dedicated to the manufacture and subsequent fine-tuning of high-speed boats, which were used for the introduction of large quantities of narcotic substances, by sea.The organization, based in the province of Pontevedra, had infrastructure in other provinces, such as A Coruña, Salamanca, Madrid, Barcelona and even in the neighboring country, Portugal. 

In a joint coordinated device, the arrests of 22 of the components of the criminal organization were carried out, carrying out the entry into a total of 27 homes and security locations used by those investigated. The records were made in the provinces of Pontevedra, A Coruña, Madrid, Salamanca and Barcelona. Similarly, two searches were carried out in the northern part of Portugal (towns of Viana do Castelo and Valenca do Miño), with the participation of the Portuguese Judicial Police. 

The investigations carried out made it possible to identify and structure the functions of the members of the criminal organization, who would be manufacturing high-speed boats, which are considered prohibited, in different places in the province of Pontevedra. They also had another series of enclaves in the Portuguese country, in which the boats culminated. Finally, the boats were equipped with the necessary equipment for use by drug traffickers in other cities.   It should be noted that the organization had members with a high specialization, both for the manufacture, as well as the custody and completion of these vessels. 

Once they had been set up, the members of this criminal network carried out their launching in different parts of the national geography, later being used for the transport of narcotics in the southern part of Spain.  As a result of these actions, a large number of effects related to the investigation were intervened. Likewise, more than 20 high-speed vessels have been located, in various states of completion, with 6 of them ready to be launched imminently and used to carry out important drug transports. 

The operation has been carried out by the EDOA of Pontevedra, ECO Galicia, GRECO Galicia and the Customs Surveillance Service in Galicia of the Tax Agency and has been directed by the Court of 1st Instance and Instruction number 4 of Cambados (Pontevedra) and by the Special Anti-Drug Delegate Prosecutor of the province of Pontevedra, with the participation of EUROJUST. 

During the development of the device established for the practice of arrests and searches, it has had the support of a large number of Units of said Bodies, among which the Citizen Security Unit (USECIC) of the Guard Command Civil Guard of Pontevedra, the GRS number 7 of Pontevedra, the Police Intervention Unit (UIP), the Helicopter Service of the Civil Guard and the Aerial Means Service of the National Police and the Technical Means Unit of the Customs Surveillance Service in Galicia.