Spanish authorities dismantle international drug-smuggling network

• 36 suspects from 10 nations were arrested, including the suspected leader, a Turkish man living in Spain.
• The group aimed to export large amounts of marijuana and heroin to Germany and other Eastern European nations.
• Over 400 officers from French, Spanish, and Turkish law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.

On Tuesday, Spanish police announced that they had dismantled an international network led by Turkish nationals suspected of smuggling “large amounts” of marijuana and heroin from Spain to other European nations.

Earlier this month, Spain’s Guardia Civil police force conducted raids in 28 locations in the southern cities of Granada, Malaga, and Seville, seizing caches of money and weapons. They also confiscated 10 luxury vehicles and over two tons of marijuana.

As part of the operation, officers arrested 36 suspects from 10 nations, including the suspected leader of the network, a man of Turkish origin who lived in Spain. He was the target of an international arrest warrant issued by Turkey.

The group “was focused on exporting large amounts of marijuana and heroin from our country to Germany and other nations in eastern Europe,” police said.

The arrested suspects also comprised nationals from Argentina, Austria, Germany, Montenegro, Romania, Spain, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela.

Europol, the European Union police force that coordinated the investigation, stated that over 400 officers from French, Spanish, and Turkish law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.

Given its close ties with Latin America and proximity to Morocco, Spain serves as one of the primary entry points for drugs into Europe.

Latin America supplies the main source of cocaine, while Morocco serves as a key source of hashish, a sticky brown substance derived from the resin of the cannabis plant.

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