New cartel bust peels back curtain on sophisticated logistics empire of warehouses used to smuggle drugs from Spain to Eastern Europe
A MAJOR police operation on the Costa del Sol and in Granada has uncovered what officers describe as a sophisticated logistics empire of warehouses and transport firms used to funnel drugs from southern Spain to eastern Europe.
The investigation, led by the Policía Nacional with support from Europol, dismantled a network accused of stockpiling narcotics in Spain before distributing them to markets in eastern European countries.
Police say the organisation, largely made up of Lithuanian nationals, specialised in moving large shipments overland to destinations in the east of the continent.
Officers believe Spain served as a key supply location, with drugs stored in commercial warehouses in Andalucía before being hidden among legitimate cargo.
From there, heavy goods vehicles transported the concealed loads across several EU borders towards eastern Europe, where demand for hash and cocaine remains strong.
In the first phase of the operation, police seized 1,837 kilos of hash in Granada that was allegedly destined for export eastwards.
Three suspects were arrested at the time.
Months later, investigators detected a second shipment involving cocaine that was being transported through France en route to eastern Europe.
French authorities intercepted the vehicle and discovered 22 kilos of cocaine hidden in a secret compartment.
Follow-up searches in Spain led to the arrest of three more suspects, including the alleged ringleader, and the seizure of an additional 29 kilos of cocaine bearing the same identifying mark.
In total, seven people were arrested and remanded in custody.
Police say the case highlights how organised crime groups are turning Spain into a strategic gateway for supplying eastern European drug markets using seemingly legitimate logistics chains.
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