MORE than two tonnes of cocaine were seized and five people arrested as raids on Costa del Sol brought down a criminal network trafficking drugs across Europe, including to the UK.
The gang, made up of Spanish, Moroccan and Polish nationals, smuggled cocaine in hidden compartments inside lorries, transporting the drugs by road from its base in Fuengirola to other Spanish cities – as well as to the Netherlands and France.
The joint operation by the National Police and the Guardia Civil began in March, when officers intercepted an 800-kilogram shipment of cocaine in a lorry travelling through France.
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A few days later, a further half-tonne was seized in Barcelona.
In a dramatic confrontation in May, traffickers set fire to one of their hideouts in Mijas as police moved in.
Officers doused the flames before arresting two injured gang members, while others managed to flee.
The full scale of the gang’s operations only became clear in the months that followed.
Police intercepted a 200-kilogram shipment bound for the UK before raiding one of the group’s stash houses on British soil.
Investigators also established that part of the cocaine was being brought in by speedboats landing along the coast near Marbella.
In August, a series of raids in Fuengirola, Mijas and Marbella led to the complete dismantling of the network.
Those arrested now face charges of drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons and membership of a criminal organisation, authorities said.
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