The Civil Guard, in the course of Operation Pizzo, has arrested 18 people as alleged members of a network dedicated to drug trafficking, home robberies and introduction and distribution in Spain of counterfeit money from Italy. One of the cells of this network was based in Lanzarote and financed the acquisition of drugs, committing robberies in homes or with counterfeit money introduced in Spain through the port of Barcelona from Italy.
The detainees are 14 Spaniards, three Italians and a Moroccan, and the operation has been carried out, in addition to Lanzarote, in Cádiz, Barcelona, Pontevedra, Seville and Málaga. The three Italian citizens, according to the Civil Guard, were residents in Lanzarote. One of them has been arrested on the island itself, while the other two have been arrested in Seville and Barcelona, respectively. The latter was arrested while carrying a vehicle "with 100 kilos of hashish", according to the Civil Guard.
Allegedly, the cell based in Lanzarote was responsible for financing the acquisition of drugs by committing robberies in homes on the island, or with counterfeit money introduced in Spain through the Port of Barcelona from Italy, with which they acquired small products taking advantage of the change or returns that the merchant gave them.
In one of the surveillances to which the organization was subjected in the Port of Barcelona, the Civil Guard intercepted a vehicle from Italy that was transporting 16,000 euros in counterfeit bills hidden inside.
With the arrest of the Canary cell, 13 robberies committed in homes in Lanzarote have so far been clarified.
Introduction of the drug
The investigations began when the agents became aware of the existence of a criminal organization that was dedicated to the introduction into the Canary Islands of hashish from Morocco and that, previously, had been disembarked on the coasts of Algeciras and Cádiz.
The investigators found that the group, led by a Galician and a Basque citizen, was perfectly organized and hierarchical, with different tasks corresponding to each of its members.
Under the supervision of the bosses, one of the cells, composed mostly of people residing in Algeciras, Ceuta and North of Morocco, was dedicated to the introduction and reception of the narcotic that was disembarked on beaches of Algeciras and Cádiz, using jet skis and zodiac-type boats in the transport.
Once the merchandise had reached the coast, and until its distribution in the Peninsula and the Canary Islands, which was carried out in vehicles equipped with double bottoms, the drug was deposited in security warehouses that the organization owned
During the operation, the Civil Guard seized 1,400 kilos of hashish, 5 vehicles, 16,000 fake euros, 20 mobile phones and various documents of interest to the investigation.
The investigations have been carried out by the Organized Crime Team (ECO) of the Central Operative Unit of the Civil Guard based in the Canary Islands, the Judicial Police Team of the Civil Guard of Costa Teguise (Lanzarote) and agents of the same Corps of Algeciras, Barcelona and Pontevedra.
