British and Spanish criminals arrested in ongoing investigation

COLLABORATION between the Guardia Civil, National Police, the British National Crime Agency (NCA) and Merseyside Police has culminated in the dismantling of a network dedicated to smuggling of vehicles and drug trafficking between Spain and the United Kingdom.

In what has been an ongoing operation, several individuals have been arrested over a period of months in the UK as well as in the provinces of Alicante, Malaga and Barcelona.  

Vehicles were stolen in the UK and driven across to Spain via the Eurotunnel to Barcelona where they were stored until it was considered that their whereabouts was no longer being sought. The bulk of these vehicles were then filled with about 100 kilos of cannabis each and driven back to the UK although on some occasions, the cars were simply sold in Italy and Portugal.

Since 2015, 22 people have been arrested of whom six were arrested in the UK and the balance in Spain, 36 vehicles have been seized (30 of those in Spain) together with large volumes of grass and hashish and more than two kilos of cocaine and 1,100 grams of amphetamine. Currency notes totalling £121,400 and €99,000 have also been found thanks to this successful joint operation between the British and Spanish crime fighters.