Estepona cocaine traffickers arrested

FOUR people have been arrested and nearly 700 kilos of cocaine seized in Estepona. 

National Police say the detained men were part of a criminal organisation that smuggled the drug from North Africa into Spain and then throughout Europe, mainly the Netherlands. 

The investigation began last May when an off-duty officer in Estepona spotted people suspected to be members of an international cocaine trafficking gang. 

 After several efforts, the agents positively identified them as members of the organisation and located a flat that, allegedly, could be used as a store for the drug before it was distributed internationally. 

Officers kept a watch on the men and saw that they used the maritime routes between Morocco and Spain to allegedly introduce large quantities of cocaine into this country as a gateway to Europe. 

In the final phase of the investigation, the agents were able to locate and arrest four alleged members of the organisation – two Moroccans, a Spaniard and a Dutchman. 

The officers also searched the flat and found 689 kilograms of cocaine. In addition, investigators seized four vehicles and about €40,000.