Agents of the National Police have dismantled in the province of Valencia one of the most active criminal organizations of Albanian origin allegedly dedicated to international cocaine trafficking in eastern Spain.
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More than 820 kilograms of cocaine have been seized and 17 people arrested, including the leader of the group known to agents because of his contacts in Latin America, Europe and Dubai.
In the eight entries and searches carried out, 226,500 euros in cash, three GPS electronic device detection devices, 13 vehicles (five with double bottoms) and two jammers, among other effects, have also been seized. The investigation has had the collaboration of the HSI (Homeland Security Investigations).
The Alianza-Colaborazione operation has been developed for twelve months and three execution phases have been carried out.
The investigation began at the beginning of 2023 after learning of the existence of a criminal organization that, led by Albanian citizens living in Valencia, was dedicated to large-scale cocaine trafficking as well as money laundering.
At first, the leader of the organization was fully identified, who managed several companies with headquarters in our country using high-end vehicles for their travel.
The investigators identified the other members of the criminal network, which allowed them to specify its structure as well as the detection of several high-end homes and industrial warehouses in various parts of Valencia that the organization had at its disposal.
They also located a car wash that was used by the criminal network as a nerve center since the main meetings were held there to distribute functions and give instructions to the members of the group.
In July of last year, investigators detected two vehicles belonging to the organization in the Valencian town of L'Eliana.
After leaving the area, both vehicles were intercepted and it was found that they were carrying "caletas" that contained a total of 100 packages of cocaine inside.
The agents arrested the two drivers who, with influence in the area of the Region of Murcia, performed the function of "couriers" to make trips and deliver the narcotic substance to other drug trafficking groups.
In September of last year, another vehicle belonging to the criminal group was intercepted after fleeing at high speed and running over the agents, and was located a few kilometers away where it had been abandoned with 50 kilograms of cocaine inside.
The police action caused the organization to paralyze illicit activities as a security measure to carry out restructuring.
Last January, in the town of Benicassim, the agents detected a van and a vehicle in a suspicious attitude linked to the investigated organization. The agents began monitoring and decided to intercept both vehicles, with the van fleeing on the outskirts of the municipality of Denia, putting road users at serious risk.
After the chase, the agents arrested the driver of the van when he tried to run away and 320 kilograms of cocaine were located hidden in cardboard boxes inside.
At the same time, the two occupants of the other car that was being used as a shuttle were also arrested. At the same time, the agents went to Benicassim to arrest the two members of the organization who had delivered the seized drugs.
In the final exploitation of the operation, eight searches were carried out in the homes and places used by the members of the network, highlighting the seizure in one of the homes of another 350 kilograms of the narcotic substance as well as more than 200,000 euros in cash in another of the records.
Likewise, a sign of the high level of sophistication of the dismantled criminal organization, various electronic devices available to its members were seized, such as advanced GPS and microphone jammers to avoid tracking and listening devices.
The detainees were brought to judicial custody who ordered the imprisonment of all of them. In addition, investigators also arrested members of the organization in charge of providing the logistics and infrastructure necessary for the development of the illicit activity, managing the rental contracts of the different controlled properties.
The operation has dealt a hard blow to the eastern organizations established in our country, achieving the complete dismantling of the group with the arrest of its 17 members for alleged crimes of belonging to a criminal organization, drug trafficking, money laundering and attacks on agents. of authority. ■
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