The Civil Guard has arrested 10 people, of Spanish nationality, belonging to a "violent criminal organization", specialized in the introduction and distribution of narcotic substances in the Canary Islands Archipelago. The arrests have occurred within the framework of Operation Corraliza, which has taken place on the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote, and the investigation is being led by the Court of Instruction Number 2 of Arrecife. The detainees are charged with crimes against public health, illegal detention, money laundering and criminal organization. Several of them reside in Lanzarote.
During this operation, the agents carried out 9 house searches, in which they seized 370 kilograms of hashish, a truck equipped with a false bottom to hide the narcotic in its transfers, a high-end car, three boats, cash and various computer, telephone and audiovisual material related to the illicit activities of the organization, the Civil Guard explained.
The detainees, all residents of the islands of Tenerife and Lanzarote, "formed a perfectly structured and hierarchical organization, dedicated to the acquisition, introduction and trade of narcotics in the illicit market of the Canary archipelago, laundering their profits in franchises related to the hotel industry", the Benemérita reports.
Kidnapping of a member who stole 800 kilos of hashish from them
In the course of the investigation, the agents found out that the "ringleader" of the organization, together with some of his men, had kidnapped and assaulted another member of the network for having appropriated 800 kilos of hashish belonging to the organization. "Later, this person managed to escape from his captors", reports the Civil Guard.
The police force also points out that the agents were able to verify that in "near dates" these people intended to introduce an "important quantity" of hashish into the Canary Islands, using a boat from Morocco.
As the Benemérita explains in its statement, it was decided to start this operation because the "boss of the organization, having not yet recovered the stolen drug, was planning to kidnap and torture the previous victim again, in order to recover all the missing drug".
The investigation, led by the Court of Instruction number two of Arrecife, has been carried out by agents of the Organized Crime Team (E.C.O.) of the Central Operative Unit of the Civil Guard based in the Canary Islands, supported by units of this body in Lanzarote.
