A Guardia Civil officer is accused of working for a drug trafficking gang after being found with €200,000 cash hidden in his home.
The officer, known by the nickname ‘Cobe Bryant’, a reference to the late NBA player, was found to have the money hidden in a storage room.
Investigators believe he provided protection and logistical support to the trafficking network, helping to facilitate the entry of drug shipments. He is currently being held in custody.
The arrest came amid the investigation into three organised crime groups who were working together across Colombia, the Campo de Gibraltar and Costa del Sol, one of them linked to the Balkan Cartel.
The groups are suspected of acting in coordination to raid container ships transporting cocaine.
Among the 30 people arrested is the Guardia Civil officer assigned to the Maritime Service in a particularly sensitive area, covering the Strait of Gibraltar and the mouth of the Guadalquivir River.
This was confirmed by the head of the Central Anti-Drugs Brigade of the Policia Nacional, which forms part of the Drugs and Organised Crime Unit (Udyco).
Police believe the officer was part of a structure based in the Campo de Gibraltar, a key area for maritime drug trafficking.
According to investigators, his alleged collaboration gave the criminal organisation a significant strategic advantage.
During the operation, officers seized almost 2.5 tonnes of cocaine.
One of the groups was allegedly led by a well-known trafficker known as ‘El Marquesito’, described by investigators as a specialist in fast-boat logistics. His network allegedly relied on the support of the arrested officer, who is suspected of supplying information and resources to ensure the drugs entered Spain ‘safely’.
The officer was stationed with the Maritime Service in Cadiz, a unit whose area of operations is believed to have been used for some of the cocaine smuggling manoeuvres. A search of his home led to the discovery of the €200,000 cash stash.
The investigation began in October 2024 following the seizure of 88kg of cocaine in Mijas.
This initial operation exposed the existence of three interconnected organisations: one linked to the Balkan Cartel and believed to own the drugs, a second of Colombian origin, and a third based in the Campo de Gibraltar responsible for maritime logistics.
Read more Costa del Crime news at the Spanish Eye.
