The Sixth Section of the Provincial Court of Las Palmas will try on February 25th and 26th in Arrecife about a dozen people of Guinean nationality accused of crimes against public health for trafficking drugs and belonging to a criminal group.
Between April and December 2022, the Narcotics Group of the National Police of Arrecife learned that these people allegedly were dedicated to introducing and distributing heroin and cocaine on the island, obtaining "a significant" economic benefit.
According to the indictment of the Public Prosecutor's Office, the accused agreed among themselves and with other unidentified individuals to plan the transportation of the drugs between Brazil and Portugal to Lanzarote, using "human couriers or mules."
The Prosecutor's Office places the accused Suleimane B., known as Pagal, and Maudo E., at the head of the plot. Thus, it indicates that they allegedly were in charge of planning the purchase of the drugs, their transportation, and their distribution on the island. In addition, "being the main recipients" of the income from their sale.
For this, the Ministry points out that the "outstanding assistance and direct collaboration" of people of their "utmost confidence" was necessary. Among them, C.B., alias Mamma Barca, and M.S.D., alias Pepe. In this sense, it attributes to them the tasks of "reception and distribution" of both substances among the sellers and the use of their homes as a "warehouse or nursery" for the drugs.
To allegedly distribute cocaine and heroin throughout Lanzarote, the Prosecutor's Office assures that they had the support of another six defendants U.G., J.L.B.D., T.B., B.B., D.B., and S.E.
To one of them, D.B., it adds the role of transporting "outside the Spanish territory" the money received from the illegal drug trafficking. On November 5, 2022, he was intercepted by the Portuguese police at Lisbon Airport with 28,120 euros in cash, "hidden among his belongings."
"Human couriers" for drug trafficking
The Public Prosecutor's Office attributes to the alleged heads of the plot, Suleimane B., known as Pagal, and Maudo E., the authorship of the idea to transport the drugs to Lanzarote, through human couriers.
Specifically, the Prosecutor's Office points out that on November 13, 2022, the accused M.B. arrived at the César Manrique Airport, coming from Gran Canaria on a Binter flight, with 100 capsules of cocaine, worth more than 93,700 euros in the illicit market. This person was convicted by the Sixth Section of the Provincial Court.
Searches in several homes
The Investigating Court number 2 of Arrecife agreed to several searches in different properties in the capital of Lanzarote. Among them, homes were searched in León y Castillo, Andalucía, Igualdad, Sevilla, Ruiz de Alarcón, Muyay, San Juan de la Cruz, Malagueña, and Equatorial Guinea streets.
In the police operation, different amounts of cocaine and heroin, televisions, a camera, two laptops, a tablet, dozens of mobile phones, several passports, a car, and more than 55,000 euros in cash were found.
Crimes
The Public Prosecutor's Office in its indictment states that although the accused were part of "a criminal group" dedicated to trafficking drugs, in a "stable" manner and with "distributions of specific functions," it did not have the degree of complexity of "a criminal organization."
For these facts, five of the ten accused have been in provisional, communicated, and without bail prison since December 2022.
In addition, for three of them, J.L.B.D., M.S.D., and T.B., there is the aggravating circumstance of recidivism, as well as for D.B. and B.B., that of multiple recidivism.
For those accused of being heads of the plot Suleimane B., known as Pagal, and Maudo E., it asks for nine years in prison for a crime against public health and two for belonging to a criminal group. To these, eleven years in prison adds a fine of 626,644.96 euros for each.
While for those accused of being necessary accomplices to commit these crimes, C.B., alias Mamma Barca, and M.S.D., alias Pepe, it asks for nine years in prison for trafficking drugs and one year and nine months each for allegedly being part of a criminal group. To the ten years and nine months in prison, it adds a fine of 626,644.96 euros for each.
For the rest of the accused, it asks for six years in prison for a crime against public health, plus one and a half for belonging to a criminal group. To this are added different economic fines depending on the narcotic substance found in their homes during their searches. So that some of those accused of distributing the drugs on the island will have to pay fines of 280 euros, while others can reach 91,614.
The Public Prosecutor's Office requested in its writing the confiscation of the drugs, money, vehicles, and other seized effects. While, it urged to destroy the drugs, only leaving "sufficient sample" for later analysis. In addition, it asked that all the accused fully comply with the sentence, as expulsion is not appropriate, as they are sentences of more than five years in prison.