John Culatto
MORE police raids have taken place on addresses in the Gibraltar Campo, Estepona and Villarobledo leading to 11 arrests.
Over 150 Guardia Civil agents took part in the operation which they linked ‘directly or indirectly’ to the Gibraltarian Gareth Mauro.
However, the mother of Gareth Mauro told The Olive Press that her son did not have anything to do with this operation.
The raids are the second part of Operation Koala which saw searches at ten homes and companies around Spain.
Police sources indicate that those arrested were Mauro’s family members and friends which were used to recycle smuggling profits.
Gareth Mauro himself is on the run from the law, presumably in Morocco.
The raids saw the freezing of bank accounts, closure of businesses and seizure of luxury boats and vehicles with a value of
Guardia Civil investigators believe the is a number of front companies used to launder cash from hash smuggling.
One of those is a motor-racing association which has been linked to the Mauro clan.
In the Gibraltar Campo alone three searches were carried out in Campamento as well as others in Puente Mayorga, Algeciras, La Linea and Los Barrios.
The raids saw the assistance of the GAR rapid-action group in coordination with the OCON and CCON drug trafficking units.
This latest police action follows the massive raid on the Narcoville complex in La Linea’s El Zabal where around 70 people were arrested.
Gibraltar police forces took part in the operation seizing a luxury yacht in Ocean Village.
Three attacks on police vehicles followed only last weekend, further heightening the tension in the area.
In one of them, a policeman was seriously wounded as his vehicle was barged by a stolen BMW loaded with hashish.
However, other policemen were able to stop the vehicle and three people have now been charged for attempted murder.
