A Guardia Civil officer has been jailed for selling cocaine from inside a police barracks in a case that has shocked Spain’s law enforcement ranks.
The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Andalucia (TSJA) has sentenced the officer – now in reserve – to four years in prison after finding he dealt drugs from within the Guardia Civil command in Melilla.
A civilian accomplice has been handed the same sentence for his role in the operation.
Drugs sold inside the barracks
According to the ruling, the pair ran a small-scale cocaine dealing operation between late 2021 and early 2022, with much of the activity centred around the barracks canteen.
The civilian contact sourced the drugs from the street and passed them to the officer, who then sold them on, including to fellow officers.
Deals were arranged via calls and messages, with handovers taking place inside the command building itself.
One of the most striking incidents took place on February 11, 2022, when the officer received cocaine and sold it just minutes later inside the canteen.
The substance weighed 0.82 grams and had a purity of over 70%.
The final known transaction occurred on March 9, 2022, near the barracks. Both men were arrested shortly afterwards with cocaine in their possession.
Authorities also seized cash, mobile phones and the vehicle used in the operation.
Sentence reduced on appeal
The case was initially heard by the Provincial Court of Malaga, which sentenced the officer to five years in prison.
However, the TSJA reduced the sentence by one year after ruling that covert camera recordings installed by the Guardia Civil inside the canteen could not be used as valid evidence.
A third officer who had also been charged was acquitted due to a lack of proof.
Prosecutors are now seeking to bring false testimony charges against officers who testified during the trial and denied purchasing cocaine from their colleague.
The investigation itself was carried out by the Guardia Civil’s own judicial police unit in Melilla, exposing a case of alleged corruption from within its own ranks.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
