17 people arrested in a massive operation against drug money laundering and trafficking in Mallorca.
The criminal organization was dedicated to smuggling cocaine and hashish from North Africa.
PalmThe National Police and Civil Guard have arrested 17 people allegedly linked to a money laundering and drug trafficking ring operating out of Mallorca. This is the third phase of the operation, which began on August 11th. The alleged leader of the gang and leader of the United Tribuns, Stefan Milojevic, and National Police Inspector Faustino Nogales were arrested, according to sources close to the search.
During this Friday, investigators carried out seven house searches, three of them in La Soledad, Son Oliva, and Son Banya (Palma), and another four in Pont d'Inca, Sóller, Muro, and Llucmajor. In total, 17 people allegedly linked to the money laundering ring have been arrested: six during the morning searches and 11 in the operation deployed during the afternoon in Son Banya.
In the town, officers dismantled 11 drug dealing points and seized various quantities of narcotics, money, and tools used for drug trafficking.
35 arrested
The operation, dubbed 'Enroque Bal, Manso y Primo', has had several phases, and this Friday's is the third in which arrests have been made in Mallorca.
A total of 35 people allegedly linked to the plot have been arrested. Fifteen of them, including Milojevic, Nogueres, and lawyer Gonzalo Márquez, were arrested during the first phase and a large number of them were provisionally imprisoned. Last Tuesday, three more suspects who allegedly acted as front men were arrested, in addition to the 17 arrested this Friday.
The investigation, led by Palma's Investigative Court No. 7, remains under seal.
Tons of drugs from North Africa
The investigation entered the exploitation phase last Monday the 11th, when National Police and Civil Guard officers carried out 13 raids in Palma, Marratxí, Binissalem, Inca, Pollensa, Llucmajor, Sencelles, and Sóller. These raids resulted in the seizure of €1.4 million, 11.3 kilos of cocaine, around 100 marijuana plants, four firearms with a large amount of ammunition, silencers, eight cars, two motorcycles, a jet ski, six luxury watches, and four works of art.
The gang allegedly smuggles cocaine and hashish from North Africa aboard high-powered inflatable boats. They first arrange a collection point somewhere in the Mediterranean, where they transfer the drugs from the so-called "gomas" to other boats. From there, they take the merchandise to Ibiza, where they store it for a while before transporting it to the rest of the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain.
On July 9, 675 kilos of cocaine were seized in the port of Valencia. The cocaine had previously been collected in the Mediterranean and transported to the largest of the Pitiusas, where it was stored for a few days before heading to the peninsula and other European countries.
In September of last year, investigators seized a shipment of 200 kilos of hashish from Ibiza that was supposedly going to be received by members of the gang in Palma. Furthermore, the suspects are allegedly linked to the seizure of several tons of hashish.
