Alex Trelinski
CUSTOMS officers at the port of Valencia have intercepted cocaine weighing 170 kilos inside catalytic converters imported from Brazil.
Authorities said the narcotics had a market value of over €5 million.
The shipment was destined for Callosa de Segura in southern Alicante province where a drugs gang used warehouses as narcotic distribution centres.
READ MORE:
- Watch: ‘Narco submarine’ en route to Spain’s Andalucia is busted with 6.6 tonnes of cocaine
- Drug smuggling returns to Spain’s Costa del Sol: Seven narcos arrested unloading cocaine onto a Manilva beach
- Police in Spain find 300kg of cocaine hidden in pineapples: At least two arrested
They set up a business as a front for the criminal organisation with its chief based in South America.
Two men have been arrested in Callosa and charged with smuggling and public health offences.
The Tax Agency started investigations over two years ago over suspicious catalytic converter imports going to the Callosa firm with its economic activity described by officials ‘inconsistent’.
Gang members were identified over a period of time as officers patiently waited for their opportunity to pounce.
They were rewarded last month when a shipment of converters arrived in Valencia which bore a strong similarity to previous consignments.
A random check was carried out on April 23 and the inside of the converters accessed with large amounts of cocaine discovered.
Besides the two arrests, 1,115 catalytic converters, several electronic devices and various documents were seized.
