PALMA
A total of 25 people have been arrested as part of Operation Arrow (Operación Flecha in Spanish), a joint operation between the Guardia Civil and SOCA (Serious and Organised Crime Agency), the British Embassy in Madrid confirmed yesterday.
Twelve houses have been searched and 38'000 ecstasy tablets, 4 kilogrammes of cocaine, 250 grams of ketamine, 4 litres of GHB, 50 grams of crystal MDMA, 1 kg of M.CATS (a mix of various drugs) and 40'000 euros have been seized as part of Operation Arrow.
The drug ring, led from the UK, had two branches in Ibiza, one in charge of establishing contacts on the island and the other responsible for the distribution of the drugs.
The Civil Guard has arrested 24 people (14 men and 11 women), 20 of them British nationals, 1 Irish national, 1 Czech national, 1 Slovak and 1 Spaniard who belong to the most active organisation on the island involved in the distribution of ecstasy tablets and other drugs near night clubs and other leisure areas.
The drug ring was led from the UK
The investigation began last September following Operation Trafalgar, when the Civil Guard dismantled a British organisation involved in drug trafficking on Ibiza.
Following analysis of some seized documents and information obtained as a result of the operation, SOCA were contacted and worked together with the Guardia Civil to identify the criminal organisation operating in Ibiza, which was directed from the UK.
Earlier in the summer, the people now arrested were detected and several surveillance measures were put in place.
It was suspected that they were trying to build the necessary infrastructure for drug distribution in Ibiza during the summer months.
The investigation confirmed that a drug trafficking organisation based in the UK had established a 2-branch network in Ibiza. One of the branches was in charge of establishing a network on the island and the other of physical distribution of the drugs.
The branches were led from the UK by a group supplying the drugs. Members of the drug ring regularly visited the islands to supervise and collect the proceeds.
The organisation rented several properties on Ibiza, including luxury villas for the ringleaders and flats and apartments in tourist resorts for the dealers.
The dealers would keep various quantities of drugs for daily distribution and the bulk of the drugs in secure houses where they did not live.
The ring used young public relations' people in nightclubs to distribute drugs and ensured similar prices were charged at each point of sale, depending on the time and place.
The drugs were brought onto the island using various methods including hiding them in cars from the UK and in the luggage of British tourists coming into Ibiza airport. On 8 August, a young British woman tried to carry 3 kilos of cocaine through Ibiza airport.
Seized material
38'000 tablets of ecstasy
4'000 grams of cocaine
250 grams of ketamine
50 grams of crystal MDMA
4 litres of liquid ecstasy
1'000 grams of a new substance, M.CATS.
One hydraulic tablet press, several precision weighing balances and several substances to cut the drugs with.
40'000 euros
Various documents, currently being analysed.