The cocaine network at the port of Malaga 'controlled' the inspection scanner for a year and a half

The businessman in the frozen food sector arrested in the operation against a cocaine trafficking network through the port of Malaga supposedly controlled for “at least a year and a half” the scanner with which the containers in which the drugs were transported were checked. stashes.

Sources consulted by El Confidencial explained that most of this inspection work was carried out in the warehouse of the company of this investigator, where the suspicious containers were transferred to be reviewed by the device..

The businessman, whom investigators place at the “top of the network”, and who maintained close relations with port staff, “gave up a scanner he owned for the detection of narcotic substances”.

This gesture was supposedly altruistic.. But in the “spring of last year,” the aforementioned sources stated, a concession was obtained and the device was moved to the port so that it could operate in its facilities..

The National Police, Civil Guard and Tax Agency confirmed this Friday that the organization had the “connivance of a Customs official” who supposedly “facilitated the entry of drug consignments”. This person is the head of the Risk Analysis Unit, as reported by this newspaper.

The fact that the inspection of the containers of a critical infrastructure has depended directly on an individual linked to drug trafficking represents a serious security hole, since in this way the entry of weapons, explosives, people… could have been possible.

To this surreal situation we must add that the scanner was manipulated by a worker of this businessman who belonged to the staff of his refrigerated food company and which is based in Mercamálaga..

The three bodies indicated in a joint note that the Farewell-Goodbye-Bragalia operation began in February 2023, after the seizure of 611 kilograms of cocaine hidden among a shipment of bananas..

The intervention took place at the facilities of a company in the refrigerated fruits and vegetables sector, whose manager collaborated with the authorities through the provision of a powerful scanner for drug detection.. In this way, “he held a privileged position that allowed him to introduce other consignments of drugs from the criminal organization to which he belonged.”.

Initially, inspections of containers suspected of containing narcotic substances were carried out at the company headquarters, where the scanner was then located.. Later, the same “collaborating” company obtained a concession in the port, moving the device to the port facilities. There he appointed one of his own employees as “customs representative” and was in charge of its control..

After a first arrest, the agents detected suspicious signs of criminality in the businessman, so they focused the investigations on him, his closest family circle and the company's employees, as well as third parties related to drug trafficking.. During the course of the investigations, the investigators also found suspicions that would incriminate the Customs official..

In mid-June, in two other new seizures, agents from the three forces seized 25 and 381 kilograms of cocaine among a shipment of pineapples. And the suspected businessman and a transporter who was transporting the shipment to the company headquarters were arrested.. Extract cocaine inside.

In August 2023, members of the Armed Institute carried out a fourth drug seizure in Santa Fe (Granada): 805 kilograms of cocaine also coming from the Malaga port. On this occasion, the drugs were hidden behind a false partition, at the bottom of a container with legal merchandise – a camouflage procedure known as mirror bottom..

Family members, employees….

After several arrests, the agents tightened their grip on the members of the network, and managed to identify the rest of the members of the criminal network who had participated in the events investigated..

Finally, in the exploitation phase of the operation, nine searches were carried out: five in Malaga capital, two in Torremolinos, one in Sierra de Yeguas and another in the Granada municipality of Guadix..

The investigation concluded with the arrest of 13 people, all of them in the province of Malaga.. Among those arrested are, in addition to the businessman, some family members and several company workers, as well as a public official..

The last of the arrests occurred on January 29, 2024, in the case of one of the ringleaders of the ring and one of those directly responsible for the seized drugs, who remained on the run until he was finally located..

They are attributed, based on the participation of each one, the commission of the crimes of drug trafficking, membership in a criminal organization, revelation of secrets, bribery and money laundering..

The agents have seized 1,822 kilos of cocaine from South America in four interventions, although the suspicion – the sources consulted indicated – that the amount of drugs that would have been put into circulation through this route would be greater.. The seized items alone have an approximate value of 63 million euros.

The investigation has been carried out by members of the UDYCO Costa del Sol of the National Police, the EDOA of the Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Service (SVA) of the Tax Agency.