Alex Trelinski
A BRITISH man involved with a Torrevieja cannabis club has been arrested by the Guardia Civil after it sold drugs to foreign tourists.
The club was shut down in early April but reopened illegally with two Columbians being arrested on May 2.
Cannabis clubs are legal in Spain for the consumption of marijuana on premises by members only.
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The selling of drugs is banned and the Guardia Civil has closed down 20 clubs in Torrevieja since 2019.
Investigations into an association started in February following complaints that it was selling drugs to foreign tourists.
It was discovered that it operated under the guise of being a non-profit group as a front for drug trafficking.
Multiple infraction orders were issued to non-Spaniards leaving the building for the possession of hashish and marijuana on public streets.
On April 3, a search was carried out at the association’s premises, where various quantities of drugs were seized and a 37-year-old British man was arrested for selling narcotics.
A court order closed down the club on a temporary basis while investigations continued.
On May 2, the Guardia Civil discovered the association had reopened in breach of the court ruling and two Columbians, aged 22 and 27, were arrested for drug trafficking and a charge of serious disobedience to authority.
Club official- namely the president, secretary, and treasurer- have also been investigated over drug trafficking and other offences, including belonging to a criminal group.
Guardia officers seized 4,840 kilos of marijuana, 966 grams of hashish, joints, and cash.
The Torrevieja court has now ordered that the club be closed down for five years.
