Spanish police have seized 1,410 kilograms of cocaine and arrested three people during an anti-drug operation in the area of A Pobra do Caramiñal, in the province of A Coruña.
Among those arrested is the alleged leader of the historic "Fanchos" gang, which is suspected of being involved in the unloading and temporary concealment of the drug shipment. The US Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA, has also participated in the investigation.
Foreign media reports that the operation began on August 20, after authorities received information about the arrival of a large quantity of cocaine by sea. According to investigators, two ships are suspected of transporting the cargo to the coast of A Pobra do Caramiñal, where it was to be picked up by members of the criminal group.
Police monitored the suspects' movements and on August 21, they spotted a vehicle approaching the suspected driver's residence. A person carrying a backpack exited the residence and got into the vehicle. Investigators suspect that the occupants of the vehicle took special security measures to avoid being followed and to determine if they were being monitored.
In the early hours of August 22, the alleged ringleader of the group was seen with two other men moving between his apartment and a barn on the property, near O Conchido beach. The three men began moving heavy packages from the barn to another apartment.
The movements and the way the packages were transported reinforced investigators' suspicions that it was a drug shipment. Police intervened and arrested the three people, and then conducted searches in the main suspect's apartment, in the barn, and in another apartment where it was suspected that part of the shipment had been sent.
During the operation, a total of 1,410 kilograms of cocaine, about 100 grams of heroin, cash and other items that are being analyzed as part of the investigation were seized. The three arrested have been made available to judicial authorities and are suspected of participating in a criminal organization and drug trafficking.
