Sinister Drug Lynchpin “The Professor” Arrested
Spanish National Police have taken part in a massive international operation to break up a worldwide drug trafficking ring arresting 50 suspects following a year-long investigation after a EUR-45-million haul of cocaine was seized in the Caribbean.
Justice officials say police in the UK, Spain, Poland and Norway headed by US DEA officers have staged dozens of arrests since police confiscated the haul from a luxury yacht in 2023.
Europol video footage emerged in Spanish media on 19th July showing how customs officials in the Caribbean seized sports bags with 1.6 tonnes of cocaine from the yacht.
Officers around the world were able to use data captured from traffickers’ phones and devices to trace where the shipment had come from and who it was going to.
Later footage shows a series of raids by Spanish police on 24th June this year where 26 suspects were arrested.
The clip shows police searching multiple addresses and confiscating wads of 50 EURO banknotes, guns, ammunition and notebooks, believed to contain drug shipment records.
Two dozen further arrests were made in the UK, Norway, Bulgaria, Colombia, Panama, Portugal and Trinidad and Tobago, reports US media.
The network’s mastermind, identified only by his nickname ‘The Professor’, was seized in Norway and is described by police as a “high value” target.
Despite the sophisticated global trafficking network, reports US media, each shipment was blessed by a witch doctor to guarantee its safe arrival.
A statement from Europol obtained by Newsflash said: “Thirty-nine individuals were arrested on 24th June in Spain, Norway, Poland and UK after cocaine worth an estimated EUR 45 million was seized from a vessel at sea in 2023.
“The crew of eight people were also arrested during that initial interception.
“Simultaneously, a total of 47 house searches were carried out in Bulgaria, Colombia, Norway, Panama, Portugal, Spain and Trinidad and Tobago.
“Subsequent weeks saw three other individuals detained, bringing the total number of arrests to 50.
“Europol has supported this investigation since August 2023.
“On 20th December 2023, authorities intercepted a sailboat in international waters off the coast of Martinique with 1,500 kilos of cocaine on board.
“Eight individuals, including the crew members and some involved through other means, were arrested that same day.
“Following this operation, in the framework of intelligence activities underway with its operational counterparts, Europol has been able to develop actionable intelligence regarding the drug trafficking activities of this organised crime group.
“This led to further investigations and operational activities involving ten countries.”
The statement continued: “The suspects were arrested as part of an international operation against drug trafficking led by the Spanish National Police.
“The Spanish authorities worked closely with the Norwegian Police, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration in the framework of an Operational Taskforce set up at Europol.
“The purpose of the taskforce was to target a drug trafficking organisation with links to the Western Balkan region which authorities suspected of shipping large amounts of cocaine to Europe.”
Europol said ten cocaine vessels operating between South America and the EU were identified.
They said: “During the investigation, the agents identified a total of ten vessels used by the organisation along the ‘drug routes’ and that the criminals had different bases of operations in Spain and South America. In Spain, they used Valencia, Alicante, Almeria, Malaga and the Canary Islands as logistics points before setting sail to South America.
“In South America they used Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Barbados or Panama, to keep the sailboats ready to sail with the drugs.
“This system meant shipments could move as soon as the orders from the leader of the criminal network and his lieutenant were received.
“The cocaine would then be picked off the coast of the Caribbean islands by sailboats which would shortly after set sail towards Spain, from where the cocaine was distributed onwards to different EU countries by overland transport.
“The crew for the sailboats had been recruited in Norway by one of the leaders of the drug trafficking organisation, who Europol had designated as a High Value Target. This individual was among those arrested in Norway on 24th June.”
The statement continued: “This operation was the culmination of many months of meticulous planning in preparation of the final phase of the action.
“The partners have been working closely together in the framework of a Europol Operational Taskforce to establish a joint strategy and to organise the extensive exchange of information.
“Europol provided continuous intelligence development to map out the targets and their criminal activity. The Agency also financed an operational meeting off-site in Madrid.
“During the action day, one Europol expert was deployed to Marbella to assist with the swift analysis of data as it was been collected, helping adjust the operational strategy as required.
“In addition, Europol funded the exchange of Spanish and Norwegian police officers for the action day.”