A drug trafficker wanted by the Italian authorities for his role in a transnational criminal organisation that trafficked notoriously “poor quality” cocaine to Malta and elsewhere was arrested in the resort town of Maspalomas in the Canary Islands, the Spanish National Police said in a statement on Thursday, The Malta Independent reports.
In addition to the previous narcotics trafficking for which he was wanted, the organisation the suspect was leading was also, according to the Spanish National Police, “assembling the necessary infrastructure to distribute drugs throughout Europe, mainly through the Netherlands, Spain and Malta”.
The statement of the Spanish Police said the arrested was one of the most active members of a criminal organization that distributed poor quality cocaine and that, in addition, was assembling the necessary infrastructure to distribute drugs, hidden in packages of coffee seeds, throughout Europe. The detention is part of an anti-mafia operation, carried out by the Guardia Di Finanza of Messina (Sicily), which has developed simultaneously in Italy, Spain and South America and has allowed the dismantling of the organization, and the detention of 11 people.
The National Police received a request for support from the Italian authorities, in order to locate in Spain one of the most active members of a criminal organization related to drug trafficking. This organization, formed by people close to a well-known Italian mafia clan, was assembling the necessary infrastructure to distribute drugs throughout Europe, mainly through the Netherlands, Spain and Malta. To do this, they had prepared shipments of hidden drugs in packages of coffee seeds.
The Italian authorities created a device, in 2017, to follow the steps of drug delivery. This allowed them to discover who were the true recipients of it and its connections with South America, Germany, Holland and Malta. Also, as explained by the Italian judicial authorities, the investigated ones maintained direct relations with the suppliers in South America, being a dangerous organization that, in addition, distributed cocaine of poor quality.
When the Italian authorities gave the order to make all the arrests, simultaneously, the agents arrested the fugitive in the Colorado Golf de Maspalomas Urbanization. The latter had a European Detention and Delivery Order (OEDE) filed by the Italian authorities for crimes of criminal organization and drug trafficking. This detention is part of an operation that has culminated in the complete disarticulation of the organization and the detention of 11 people.
Via The Malta Independent, Spanish National Police Video / Photo Spanish Police
