Agents of the Valencia Civil Guard have arrested 11 men for allegedly belonging to a criminal organization dedicated to the trafficking of narcotics hidden in olive cans and money laundering in the Ribera Alta region. In total, 250 kg of drugs have been seized.
Operation ‘HUMANFONT’ began when the agents became aware of the existence of this organization, in which each member had a well-defined role, from the ringleader and figurehead to the lowest echelon of distributors of narcotic substances.
For this reason, the investigation was carried out in three phases on different dates, as reported by the armed institute through a statement.
Thus, the first phase began at the end of May with the arrest of a man in Carcaixent for a drug trafficking crime and the seizure of hashish.
In September, the second phase proceeded, with an entry and search of an industrial warehouse in the town of Castelló where the agents discovered inside a company dedicated to the packaging of tinned olive cans.
In addition, they found the necessary machinery to proceed with the packaging and labeling of canned cans, as well as numerous pallets of full and empty olive cans and sealing paper for olives from one brand.
Apparently, the gang’s modus operandi consisted of hiding the narcotic substances inside the cans of olives and mixing these cans with the ‘original’ ones to be transported without raising any type of suspicion.
Four large safes were also found in the warehouse, where the presence of firefighters and personnel from a company specialized in opening this type of safes was necessary to open them.
In this search, the investigative team proceeded to seize 110 kg of hashish and 130 kg of marijuana and the arrest of a man.
The third phase culminated with nine home searches in the towns of Castelló, Carcaixent and Pobla Llarga, where 2 kg of cocaine, 3.5 kg of marijuana were seized, as well as other types of drugs such as speed, pink cocaine, three firearms. , 25,000 euros in cash, 10 vehicles, five large displacement motorcycles and a boat with a trailer. All of this valued at approximately 850,000 euros.
Finally, the Civil Guard has arrested 11 men, of Armenian and Spanish nationality, aged between 27 and 58, for a crime of criminal organization, money laundering, seven for drug trafficking and two for illicit possession of weapons. .
The proceedings have been delivered to the Court of First Instance and Instruction Number 1 of Alzira, which decreed the imprisonment of five people.
