In a joint operation conducted by the National Police and the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency to dismantle a criminal network that utilised a private cannabis club as a drug distribution point, six individuals, aged 23 to 52, were apprehended. The club used online advertising to attract clients, including numerous vacationers who were in Alicante.
The investigation was initiated in response to information that suggested the potential presence of a drug dealing point in a cannabis association situated in a central area of Alicante. The inquiry was prompted by the constant influx of young individuals who arrived and departed the location in a hurried manner, causing social unrest in the surrounding area.
The investigators conducted a variety of surveillance operations in the vicinity of the premises where the sale of narcotics under a purported legal cover was suspected of occurring, and their suspicions were substantiated.
An arbitrary sell
The agents confirmed that the aforementioned club functioned as a point of sale, as evidenced by the consistent flow of individuals entering and exiting the premises after acquiring the narcotic substance. This was possible for anyone to access, purchase, and remove the substance, regardless of their membership or partnership in the association.
Additionally, the investigations disclosed a consistent pattern of criminal activity within the cannabis association under investigation, as it was the subject of a police intervention in 2020 and maintained its “modus operandi.”
The information collected was used to verify the ownership of the premises and the individuals responsible for the association, as well as to investigate the potential corresponding permits and licenses. It was determined that the requested activity was not a private smoking club and that smoking was not permitted within the establishment.
During the operational exploitation phase, the judicial authority was requested to issue a search and seizure warrant, which led to the seizure of 517 grams of marijuana, 66 grams of hashish, 75 marijuana cigarettes, and 1300 euros in currency.
The police arrested two men and a woman for narcotic trafficking and membership in a criminal organisation during the operation. Additionally, administrative citations were issued to numerous customers who were observed consuming narcotics within the establishment. Additionally, some of these individuals were not registered with or members of the organisation under investigation.
Each individual who was apprehended held a position within the organisation. One individual served as the superintendent, another administered the narcotics to clients, and the woman who was apprehended was responsible for access control.
Subsequent to the police operation, and in light of the potential criminal liability of the association’s governance board members, additional investigations resulted in the arrest of three additional individuals: a man and two women who respectively served as president, treasurer, and secretary. Additionally, they were accused of narcotic trafficking and membership in a criminal organisation. The administrative court in Alicante received the police report.
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