FORMER head of Spain’s UDEF anti-money laundering unit helped a criminal network smuggle at least 58,000 kilos of cocaine into Spain, making more than €30 million in the process, police say.
A new Internal Affairs report claims Oscar Sanchez Gil abused his senior role in the Policia Nacional to guarantee safe passage for drug shipments arriving from South America.
The 235-page report, seen by Spanish media outlet ABC, estimates the cocaine had a street value of more than €2 billion.
Investigators say Sanchez Gil helped move at least 37 maritime containers packed with cocaine through Spanish ports.
In return, the former chief inspector allegedly received more than €30 million in bribes.
Part of the cash was hidden inside the walls of his home, police said.
Sanchez Gil was arrested in 2024 after officers discovered €20 million concealed in walls, ceilings and cupboards at his property in Alcala de Henares, near Madrid.
A further €1 million was found hidden in locked cupboards at his police office.
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According to ABC, Sanchez Gil kept detailed tables on his mobile phone tracking containers, drug quantities and payments received.
Police say he regularly passed confidential intelligence to the criminal organisation, allowing shipments to avoid inspection.
The report states he used police databases and contacts in customs surveillance to warn traffickers if containers were at risk of being searched.
The criminal network was led by Ignacio Toran, known as Bugati, who coordinated cocaine imports disguised as fruit shipments.
Toran worked with major traffickers including Alejandro Salgado, known as El Tigre, and Daniel Yuste, known as Pumuki, both of whom remain at large.
One of the largest seizures linked to the case came in October 2024, when more than 13,000 kilos of cocaine were intercepted at the port of Algeciras.
Police believe the group is the most powerful drug trafficking network ever dismantled in Spain.
Sanchez Gil is accused of being embedded in the operation since at least 2019.
He faces charges including drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering and membership of a criminal organisation.
The investigation highlights Spain’s role as a key gateway for cocaine entering Europe.
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