A man described as the ‘tax adviser’ (gestor) to drug traffickers has been arrested in Marbella.
The suspect, who police say was recommended between different crime gangs, is accused of creating companies and financial structures to disguise illicit profits.
His arrest came as part of Operation Diemel, a Policia Nacional investigation led by its specialist UDYCO organised crime unit into a network of Dutch drug traffickers based in Marbella.
According to investigators, the adviser worked with mafias operating in Marbella and neighbouring Estepona, helping them move and conceal their money.
The sophisticated structures are said to have included companies based in Dubai and loans made between different businesses.
The arrest was first reported by El Pais and is not the first time the suspect has been detained over alleged links to international drug trafficking.
He was previously arrested during Operation Pampa in 2024, an investigation into a major cocaine trafficking organisation using European ports, including Algeciras, to import drugs from South America.
That operation resulted in 32 arrests and investigators attributed the importation of 200kg of cocaine through Algeciras port to the network.
The gang allegedly used fruit import and export companies to disguise cocaine shipments inside containers sent from South America.
Investigators said the drugs principally originated in Colombia and Ecuador and were shipped from Guayaquil to different European ports.
The organisation allegedly had collaborators in Algeciras responsible for extracting the cocaine after its arrival.
Police also determined that the network had an agreement with Colombian suppliers that could have provided it with up to four tonnes of cocaine per month.
The financial adviser was accused of performing a similar role in that investigation, allegedly helping facilitate the laundering of criminal proceeds.
His latest arrest forms part of a new investigation which has led authorities to freeze properties valued at around €4million.
Investigators also discovered that the alleged Dutch trafficking network was preparing to move approximately one tonne of cocaine, according to reports.
Raids were carried out in Spain and the Netherlands on June 29, during which police seized five firearms, 40 mobile phones, €170,000 worth of jewellery and three high-end vehicles.
The investigation is continuing into the wider network.
