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Three Brits arrested for trafficking cannabis from the Costa Blanca to Ireland by post
The arrests were made in Orihuela Costa and San Miguel de Salinas in the Vega Baja region of Alicante province
Three British men and a Romanian woman have been arrested for trafficking cannabis from the Vega Baja region of Alicante province to Ireland in posted packages.
Police first became aware of one of the Brits, the alleged ring leader, after he made a run for it on foot from a petrol station in the Madrid municipality of Rivas Vaciamadrid, suspecting he was going ot be collared by police.
In his attempt to flee, he left behind four suitcases containing 54 kilos of marijuana.
In addition to exporting drugs to Ireland, the gang also allegedly sold marijuana locally in Orihuela Costa and San Miguel de Salinas where they were finally cuffed.
The 'ringleader' is the only one of the four detainees imprisoned after being handed over to the Court of Instruction in Torrevieja.
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So-called 'Operation Topila' was launched in February following the seizure of more than two kilos of marijuana at Madrid's Barajas airport. The stash was discovered inside two postal packages sent from Orihuela Costa and San Miguel de Salinas.
The Tax Analysis and Investigation and Air Cargo Border Unit confirmed the suspicious packages were destined for Ireland and Judicial Police teams in Pilar de la Horadada and Torrevieja began investigations to identify those responsible for the shipments.
As the investigations progressed, another shipment of drugs was intercepted at the airport and the main culprit, a British male, along with a Romanian woman who was "helping him" from Orihuela Costa, were soon identified.
Both had previous police records for other crimes, according to the Guardia Civil.
The 'ring leader' became a prime suspect after the Madrid petrol station incident in March. A Guardia Civil patrol was about to caution him for talking on a mobile phone on the forecourt. However, obviously aware he had a huge quantity of drugs in his car, he fled and jumped over several access fences to nearby high-speed train tracks before disappearing.Investigators discovered the fugitive was hiding in a house in San Miguel de Salinas, along with two other "accomplices". The house was heavily protected, "with security cameras and three dogs classified as potentially dangerous," according to a police statement.
The operation culminated on May 18 and 22 with two house searches in San Miguel de Salinas and Orihuela Costa and the arrest of all the gang members, aged between 23 and 33.
Depending on their degree of involvement, they have been charged with crimes against public health for drug trafficking, disobedience towards law enforcement officers and membership of a criminal group.
Images: Guardia Civil
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