Dismantled in Seville a group of drug traffickers who laundered profits through cryptocurrencies

Agents of the Spanish Civil Guard and the National Police have arrested seven people living in Seville as alleged perpetrators of a crime of belonging to a criminal organization, against public health, illegal possession of weapons of war and money laundering.

This macro operation began at the beginning of last year, when investigators became aware of a large-scale drug trafficking network, which supplied cocaine to other drug traffickers in the city of Seville.

The operation called Grande-Tragadera has meant the dismantling of a sophisticated drug trafficking network that used, in turn, a network of companies dedicated to the sale of vehicles, workshops and other companies to launder the money obtained from said drug trafficking. . In addition, the income was used for the investment of capital in cryptocurrencies.

The Civil Guard and the National Police have carried out the operation in three different phases, in which  more than 20 high-end vehicles, two motorcycles, as well as weapons of war, more than 200,000 euros in cash and 20 kilograms were seized. of cocaine approx. On the other hand, car companies have been sealed and fiat and cryptocurrency accounts have been blocked.

The Big-Swallow operation in three phases

In the first phase, the agents arrested the carrier of the organization with approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine, hidden in a vehicle coming from Portugal.

The second phase concluded with the registration of several companies in the network where the weapons of war are located, more than 200,000 euros in cash and some vehicles, as well as precise documentation on said organization. 

The transport of the cocaine was hidden in “caves”, prepared by the organization with sophisticated electronic systems so as not to be detected.

Some weapons of war were ready to be used, with plenty of ammunition, including an AK-47, a Z-45 submachine gun, shotguns and a revolver.

The third phase has concluded with nine searches in companies in Seville and Cádiz, in which documentation of fiscal companies, investment accounts in cryptocurrencies and vehicle sales companies have been seized. 

The detainees have gone to judicial disposition of the Court of Instruction No. 1 of Alcalá de Guadaíra, ruling admission to prison for the carrier of the organization and the other detainees released with charges.

The investigation is still open to locate the whereabouts of the ringleader of the criminal network.