The Civil Guard dismantles a criminal organization dedicated to the trafficking of drugs and stolen vehicles internationally

The Organic Judicial Police Unit of Bizkaia together with the Territorial Team of Castro Urdiales (Cantabria) have dismantled within the framework of Operation Bizcast a criminal organization dedicated to drug trafficking and illicit traffic in vehicles at international level.

The results of Operation Bizcast were presented this morning in the quartering of La Salve (Bilbao) by the government delegate in the Basque Country, Denis Itxaso, and the government delegate in Cantabria, Ainoa Quiñones.

Denis Itxaso has highlighted the success resulting from the cooperation between various police forces such as the agents of the Civil Guard of Bizkaia, Cantabria, Segovia and Madrid, Europol, judicial and forensic specialists and police authorities of Austria and Italy. “We must congratulate the Civil Guard for this new success in the dismantling of this band and its international ramifications and highlight that the cooperation and collaboration between police has taken suspected criminals off the streets for the good of society.”

For her part, Ainhoa Quiñones has highlighted “the great work carried out by the Civil Guard troops to combat organized crime and deal with any type of crime that affects citizen security, a job well done by which they are one of the institutions best valued by the citizens of our country.”

Antonio Bayona, captain of the Organic Unit of the Judicial Police of Bizkaia, was in charge of detailing the characteristics of the Operation itself. Bayona has explained that the investigations began when it became known that one of the members of the organization bought cutting substance that he used to adulterate and make drugs. During the development of the research, it was possible to form the structure of the organization that, although initially dedicated to drug trafficking, had specialized in the illicit trafficking of high-end vehicles.

During his speech, Denis Itxaso revealed that “the criminal plot had a corporate network of at least 10 companies that mixed instrumental companies, some of them located in the United Kingdom and Belgium, together with companies with apparent real activity, which hindered the patrimonial investigation.”

In addition, the government delegate in the Basque Country has specified that “the business structure was used for the laundering of money from drug trafficking, used front office, false invoicing, transfers of amounts less than those subject to surveillance, assiduous changes of managers in companies, irregular real estate operations, payment of goods and services with accounts located abroad and use of false documentation.”

It operated in Bizkaia, Cantabria, Segovia and Madrid, had a perfectly defined structure and had a coordinated distribution of tasks. The management step directly supervised the commercial structure designed to launder capital, while the lower steps distributed the narcotic substance and dealt with the illicit traffic in vehicles in all its aspects: theft, modification of frames, documentation and transportation. The organization used encrypted messaging for its communications to make it difficult to intercept it by police forces and, in addition, frequently changed mobile terminals.

Twelve entries and searches have been made in the provinces of Bizkaia, Cantabria and Segovia, and nine arrests have been made. During the searches, more than 13,700 euros were apprehended in cash, 37 mobile phones, a multitude of vacuum packaging machines, two cannabis sativa plantations, a laboratory with tools and chemical substances necessary for the production of speed, 120 gr. methamphetamine, 100 gr. cocaine, vacuum-packed marijuana bags ready for distribution, stolen license plates and two small arms with ammunition.

In addition, three Maserati Levante, an Alfa Romeo Stelvio, a Toyota Rav4 and a Toyota C-HR were seized and modified to be introduced with a legal appearance in the market.

30 current accounts, 3 properties and 8 high-end vehicles have been blocked. Two of the vehicles used by the criminal organization presented ‘caletas’, sophisticated artisanal hidden systems for the transport of narcotic substance.

The criminal group is blamed for crimes against public health, money laundering, fraud, disclosure of secrets, robbery with force, reception, misappropriation, documentary falsehood, electrical fluid fraud, social security crimes, illegal possession of weapons and criminal organization.

The operation has been supported by Europol for the coordination of international cooperation with the police authorities of Austria and Italy and with the technical team of forensic specialists for the dumping and analysis of computer devices and the Section for Illicit Traffic in Vehicles of the Technical Unit of the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard as well as various specialties of the Corps.

There is graphic material available to the media.

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