The investigations of the Civil Guard began a year ago, when it became known that a drug trafficking network was operating from the Island of Lanzarote.
From then on, through the Operational Units of the Judicial Police of Tías and Costa Teguise, the Yaiza Investigation Group together with the Organized Crime Team of the Civil Guard (E.C.O. Canarias) launched the so-called Operation Salema, developing a series of exhaustive investigations and surveillance around a group of suspicious people with the aim of gathering evidence and indications that would link them to the network.
Last March it was discovered that a ship was expected to arrive in Lanzarote transporting an important drug shipment. Once the route was known, knowing that the sailboat named Evasion with a Venezuelan flag would set sail from the Island of Santa Lucia (Eastern Caribbean), the French authorities were alerted and on March 21 a French Customs ship proceeded to board it in waters south of the Island of Martinique.
After the assault, it was verified that the sailboat had its real name erased and was listed as Philadelphia and with a United States flag. Inside, 453 kilos of cocaine were seized and its two crew members were arrested, the male F.T.R. 45 years old of German nationality together with the Venezuelan woman A.C.J. 46 years old.
Once the transport of the drug was aborted, last week four house searches were carried out in Lanzarote, three in Playa Blanca (Yaiza) and one in Arrecife, with five people arrested, the men J.M.R. 46 years old from Córdoba (alias "Chimo" and main ringleader), J.R.M.M. 37 years old from Yaiza (alias "el Breñas"), J.C.C.H. 34 years old from Tías (alias "el Chino") together with the women F.M. 37 years old Moroccan (wife of the ringleader) and A.H.O. 39 years old from Colombia. After being brought to judicial disposition, the three men were admitted to the Tahiche Penitentiary Center while the two women were released on charges with a bail of 24,000 euros.
In addition, the E.C.O. of Galicia arrested the male C.R.M. in Cambados (Pontevedra) for being a member of this criminal organization and it has also been verified that the male F.M.B. inmate serving a sentence in the Picassent Penitentiary Center (Valencia) is another member of this network, as are two other Spaniards along with a Maghrebi who are wanted, although it is suspected that they may have left the national territory.
Given the nature of the crime and the importance of the operation, the proceedings were declared secret, remaining under seal until April 7.
In the searches carried out in Lanzarote, the agents have seized abundant documentation that is being analyzed together with various computer material, cash and an air pistol.
ACN Press
