10 arrested in nationwide police operation

TEN people (four Spaniards, three Argentinians, a Paraguayan, a Dutch person and a Briton) have been arrested in a nationwide Guardia Civil operation against drug-trafficking and money laundering.

The arrests were made in Galicia, Madrid, the Basque Country, Aragon and Cantabria, and 1,598 kilos of cocaine, 11 kilos of hashish, €21,500 in cash and various electronic items confiscated, the police force has reported.

The operation, known as Paraka, began on June 17 when officers in Zaragoza stopped a car carrying 98 kilos of cocaine. Further investigations later led to a series of searches and surveillance operations which between then and the beginning of September led to the arrests.

The group, investigators reported, was well structured and different members had different tasks. The leaders travelled frequently to Southern America to negotiate with drugs cartels and buy drugs to bring into Spain, where they were stored in rental properties before distribution.