Spanish National Police dismantle first cocaine laboratory installed in Spain with the same structure as those in South America

Spanish National Police officers have dismantled the first cocaine production laboratory located in Spain with a structure similar to the one used in South America, with a capacity to produce 120 kilos of drugs per week. Twelve people have been arrested in this operation, including the leader of the organization and its lieutenant, and ten records have been conducted in Malaga, Madrid and Córdoba. Due to the dangerous operation, the entry into the laboratory –in a village near Madrid – was carried out by the Special Operations Group (GEO) and inside, five cooks were found in the process of drug extraction.

In May this year, an investigation was initiated into a criminal organization that had a great operational capacity to develop its illegal activity. The leader and his lieutenant, who resided in the province of Malaga and wore a high train of life, controlled, through third parties, cement bag import companies whose shipments concealed stunning substance that would nourish the dismantled clandestine laboratory in Madrid.

From that moment on the ‘operation Silcon began to be gested. The officers managed to identify the leader of the organization, a Spanish citizen, as well as the rest of the members of it. They also found that these people were supplying with a large amount of chemicals, as well as all the materials needed to establish the laboratory. For this one, the group had a trash in Cordoba where it stored solvents for, after a few months and as a security measure, to move them to a maritime container located in a vehicle parking lot on the Costa del Sol.

As the investigation advanced, another Dominican citizen, the leader’s trusted person, who was directly responsible for overseeing the drug-processing process in the laboratory and organizing its distribution. This man personally recruited three Colombian citizens who came to Spain specifically for the extraction of the stunning substance. These people, known as ‘cooks, are normally hired for a specific operation and charge according to the number of pounds extracted, to return to their country later.

The researchers found that the organization had rented a large-sized chalet in the village of Coin, Malaga, which would be at first where the laboratory was located, albeit for safety, finally decided on its installation in the province of Madrid. For the transfer of the stunning substance, members of the group introduced it in cement bags and took major security measures, such as the use of shuttle vehicles. The destination of the bags was, in principle, a car washing machine run by members of the organization, and subsequently a large rural estate, located both points in locations near the capital. From that time on, the estate was monitored by officers who watched the ‘cooks responsible for the extraction and production of the stunning substance were moved to the site.

The same structure as the laboratories installed in South America

The development of the operation in which nine people were arrested on 6 September. In addition, ten house records were carried out, thereby fully disarming the organization, when three other members were arrested days later.

As a novel detail of this operation, which had never been seen by laboratory dismantling specialists until now in our country, it is the way to recover cocaine, as it resembles those installed in the South American jungle. On the one hand, these laboratories are normally installed inside houses, ships or chalets to avoid being controlled or draw the attention of neighbours and the Security Forces and Body. This laboratory, however, was located outside a large and under the malece estate, only protected by umbrellas and tarpauls that tried to hide their activity in the face of the performance of some air environment.

On the other hand, the method used for the extraction of the base pasta of cocaine reflected the great knowledge of the ‘cooks in this area as organizations normally resort to the use of large amounts of chemicals, many of them controlled by international agreements; however, detainees used only for this gasoline, ammonia and water process. It should also be highlighted by the strong security measures taken by the lab leaders, as they monitored the estate through the use of a drone.

85 kilos of cocaine base pasta and 250 kilograms of drug-impregnated cement

Following police action, officers intervened in the laboratory 85 kilos of base pasta in different processes of conversion to cocaine chlchlydrate, as well as all the use necessary for manipulation and transformation.

In the province of Malaga, the group leader and his lieutenant was arrested, thus dismantling the organization’s dome. In addition, six house records were conducted in Malaga, three in Madrid and one more in Córdoba and one more was seized and a vehicle with six-card card ready to use, as well as cash and documentation. A parking container also involved a large number of chemicals, both liquid and solid, which were expected to be used for extraction in future operations carried out by this organization.

A total of 85 kilograms of cocaine base pasta, 250 kilograms of cocaine-impregnated cement in cocaine, 950 litres of chemical precursors, 125 kilos of solid precursors, six vehicles and 36,000 euros have been intervened.