A major investigation involving Spanish, Belgian and Swedish police has uncovered a drug-trafficking network that used helicopters to move drugs from Africa to southern Spain.
Authorities have arrested six people suspected of using the aircraft to smuggle large quantities of hashish from Morocco to the provinces of Malaga, Almeria and Murcia.
According to the Guardia Civil, the group carried out aerial drug shipments of between 500 and 900kg at a time, flying the cannabis resin across borders before hiding it in industrial units and rural properties and moving it onwards.
The investigation, codenamed Operation Giro, led to the seizure of 657kg of hashish, five firearms and one of the helicopters allegedly used in the smuggling operation.
Officers also confiscated cash and several vehicles during coordinated raids across the three provinces.
The case began after investigators noticed suspicious late-night journeys made by several suspects between Malaga and Almeria.
These movements raised concerns of large-scale drug trafficking and were later linked to close cooperation with other individuals organising repeated drug flights from Morocco.
Investigators established that the network used helicopters of different sizes, capable of carrying loads of up to 900kg.
After landing in Spain, the drugs were temporarily stored in warehouses and rural estates before being transported by road to other European countries.
The helicopters reportedly crossed from Morocco and landed in remote areas of Almeria province, where accomplices were waiting to unload the hashish.
The drugs were then taken by van to so-called ‘stash locations’, while the aircraft were concealed in industrial units and rural properties in Almería and Murcia, ready for future operations.
With sufficient evidence gathered, officers searched a property in Nijar, Almeria, where they discovered 25 bales of hashish weighing a total of 657kg.
Five further searches were then carried out in different locations across Malaga, Almeria and Murcia.
These resulted in the seizure of a helicopter, five long firearms, €2,900 in cash and several vehicles, among other items.
All six suspects have been arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons and belonging to a criminal organisation. They have since been brought before a court.
The operation was led by the Guardia Civil’s judicial police unit in Málaga, with support from the Regional Centre for Drug Trafficking Intelligence (CRAIN), the Central Operational Unit (UCO) and the Rapid Action Group (GAR).
International cooperation also played a role in the investigation, with assistance from Morocco’s Royal Gendarmerie, Belgium’s federal police and the Swedish police.
