The National Police desupplies the synthetic drug stores on the northern axis of Spain

• 150,000 ecstasy tablets, 135 kilograms of speed, 25 kilos of ketamine, four of pink cocaine, 900 vials of anabolic agents and more than 10,000 liters of precursors have been intervened in the 11 registers carried out in the provinces of Barcelona, Burgos, Cantabria and Madrid • 13 people have been arrested among which is the leader of the organization, “the chemist” in charge of the transformation of synthetic products and the rest of the criminal structure that was dedicated to the distribution of the drug in the north of Spain, south of France, Barcelona, Ibiza and Madrid.

June 21, 2023.- Agents of the National Police, in a joint operation with the Police Nationale of France coordinated by the Court of Instruction number 1 of Alcalá de Henares, have dismantled one of the largest international criminal organizations dedicated to the trafficking of synthetic drugs after desupplying the warehouses on the northern axis of Spain. In the 11 registries that have been carried out - Barcelona, Burgos, Cantabria and Madrid - 150,000 ecstasy tablets, 135 kilograms of speed, 25 kilograms of ketamine, four of pink cocaine, 900 vials of anabolic agents and more than 10,000 liters of precursors have been intervened. A total of 13 people have been arrested, including the leader of the organization, the person in charge of the transformation of synthetic products and the rest of the criminal structure that distributed the drug in northern Spain, southern France, Barcelona, Ibiza and Madrid. In addition, a complex laboratory for speed processing and another for the production and distribution of anabolic agents has been dismantled.

The investigation was initiated by the Spanish National Police and the French National Police when they learned of the existence of an organization dedicated to the trafficking of synthetic drugs that were distributed in the northern part of Spain and in the southern part of France. The progress of the investigations allowed us to find out that the criminal structure lacked geographical limits in its activity, detecting that it operated in Cantabria and Burgos as well as in the province of Barcelona, Ibiza and Madrid.

Organization led by “the Boss”

The agents detected that at the head of the organization there was a Spaniard known as “the Chief,” who was allegedly responsible for transporting the drug from the Netherlands to our country. From his home in Barcelona, he allegedly coordinated all the activities necessary for the import, transformation and distribution of amphetamine sulfate. For this, the criminal network had a storage place, known as a “nursery”, where they concealed and “cooled” the drug under the supervision of another person responsible for the structure that was responsible for the concealment known as “caletero”.

The investigations revealed that, once the drug was received in Barcelona, it was transferred to the Madrid town of Alcalá de Henares, where a laboratory was detected run by a person known by the rest as the “chemist” who was allegedly responsible for the transformation of synthetic products into amphetamine sulfate (speed). The narcotic substance, produced in that locality, was distributed in the north of the national territory, detecting three important distribution branches. This “chemical”, according to the agents, carried out at the same time a parallel business in Barcelona with his mother, who in addition to helping distribute part of the product he produced, assisted him in the manufacture and distribution of anabolic substances.

Distribution branch of Burgos and Cantabria

The investigations into the criminal structure of the organization detected the existence of a drug distribution branch in Burgos and Cantabria. In Burgos, the drug distributor used two more members of the group to cover the trips to move the drug. They used shuttle vehicles with tight compartments, known as “caletas”, where they hid the drug for transport even in the vehicle’s engine.

Once there, she was handed over to a third person alien to the criminal world so as not to draw attention by moving the drug in shopping bags in order not to draw attention. This branch of the organization operated in the northern region of the country, with special incidence in the Basque Country and moved the drug to a “nursery” located in a small Cantabrian municipality using extreme security measures.

Simultaneous registrations in four provinces

Once the investigators established the different roles of the members of the criminal structure, they established a device simultaneously to carry out a total of 11 records simultaneously in the provinces of Burgos (3), Cantabria (1), Barcelona (5) and Madrid (2).

In the town of Burgos, three home searches were carried out in which numerous quantities and variety of drugs were used for the medium and small traffic – cocaine, MDMA, ecstasy, hashish and marijuana. In one of the homes, used as a “nursery”, the agents intervened about 22 bags, with one kilogram each, vacuum packed with amphetamine sulfate and various tools intended precisely for the distribution of the same, such as scales, packaging machine and bags among others.

In the case of Cantabria, the network was allegedly led by a male supported by three women, two of them family members and in charge of the distribution of the narcotic drugs that they transported from Alcalá de Henares. In this community, a registry was carried out in which 30 bags packed under vacuum, weighing one kilogram each, containing amphetamine sulfate together with various supplies intended for the distribution of the drug were located. In addition, five short weapons of various calibres, a long weapon, an electronic immobilizer, more than 200 cartridges, magazines and white weapons were involved.

In Barcelona, 28 bags containing 150,000 ecstasy tablets are intervened, as well as other narcotic substances, among which are 25 kilograms of ketamine, four of pink cocaine and various tools to be able to vacuum pack and distribute this type of substance.

A laboratory of anabolic agents

Also in the province of Barcelona, a registry was carried out in the home of the mother of the so-called “chemist” who, in parallel, allegedly ran a laboratory of anabolic agents in which a significant amount of doping substances were involved, as well as cutting substances such as lidocaine, boric acid and caffeine among others.

Finally, in the home of the leader of the organization, various weapons were intervened, such as two electronic immobilizers, two extendable defenses, cardboard of various calibres and a rubber ammunition launcher.

A laboratory with capacity to manufacture 100 kilos of speed per month

In the laboratory, located in the Madrid town of Alcalá de Henares, nine bags of one kilogram each with speed and a drum with speed oil of 25 liters were intervened. During the registration of the ship, 8,000 liters of chemicals and drums of up to 1,000 liters of capacity were located, which according to the researchers would allow the criminal organization to manufacture 100 kilos of speed per month.

This clandestine laboratory required procedures of complexity and specific knowledge of chemistry to carry out the transformation of speed oil into speed. With the chemical reactor available to the organization and according to its dimensions, it could have produced about 72 kilograms per week, since they would not have to depend on the import of oil, being able to manufacture it themselves.

During the searches carried out, a total of 12 vehicles have been intervened, some of them with hidden rooms, type “caleta” specially designed for the transport of narcotics and money, as well as a total of 39,750 euros in cash.