Dozens arrested and tons of drugs seized in anti-money laundering operation in Mallorca

PalmThe National Police and the Civil Guard have concluded their investigation into a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking and money laundering that operated in Mallorca, with dozens of people arrested and tons of drugs seized. The operation, dubbed Enroque Bal-Manso, began last August, and since then, successive raids have been carried out at different locations on the island. The investigation has led to the dismantling of a criminal organization allegedly dedicated to smuggling drugs into mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands through the waters off Ibiza. In total, €1.54 million, more than 687 kilos of cocaine, and nearly two and a half tons of hashish, as well as other types of narcotics, have been seized. Dozens of people have been arrested, including Stefan Milojevic, the leader of the United Tribuns and alleged ringleader of the network. Also arrested were lawyer Gonzalo Márquez, police inspector Faustino Nogales, alias 'El Vito,' considered one of the main drug traffickers in Son Banya. Many of them have been remanded in custody. Investigators will display some of the drugs and materials seized during the operation this Thursday and, once the secrecy order is lifted, will release further details. The Chief of Police in the Balearic Islands, José Luis Santafé, and Civil Guard Lieutenant Colonel José Francisco Martínez are expected to attend, along with other high-ranking officers from both forces.

Drug Importation from North Africa

The criminal organization dismantled in Mallorca was linked to other transnational groups and was involved in both money laundering and drug trafficking. According to the investigation, they smuggled several tons of hashish and hundreds of kilos of cocaine from North Africa aboard high-powered inflatable boats. They first arranged a pickup point somewhere in the Mediterranean, where they transferred the drugs from the inflatable boats to other vessels. From there, they transported the drugs to Ibiza, where they stored them for a period before moving them to the rest of the Balearic Islands and mainland Spain.