The National Police have dismantled an international drug trafficking organisation operating within the province of Alicante. The gang, which shipped narcotics using parcel post, was primarily made up of Turkish nationals, though it also involved Albanian and Spanish branches collaborating in the alleged illicit activities. During the operation, carried out last week, eleven individuals of Turkish, German, Albanian, and Spanish origin were arrested. The National Police conducted twelve house searches in Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Ciudad Quesada in Rojales, Alicante, Finestrat, and Alguazas in the Region of Murcia.
During one of the raids, officers seized chemical precursors and equipment for a synthetic cannabinoid laboratory, along with a “recipe” written in Turkish detailing instructions on how to manufacture the drug. They also confiscated more than 25,000 euro in cash, vehicles—one of which had been stolen in Madrid—watches, and other items whose value could reach hundreds of thousands of euro, according to police sources.
Of the eleven detainees, assisted by lawyers Juan Antonio Espinosa Vaño, Natalia Montilla Ibarra, Francisco Miguel Galiana Botella, and Moisés Candela Sabater, seven were released on bail after appearing at police headquarters. The remaining four were also released after appearing before Judge Number 2 of the Torrevieja Court of First Instance. Furthermore, the alleged ringleader, who evaded arrest during the operation because he was not present at a residence in Finestrat raided by agents of the Special Operations Group (GEO), appeared via videoconference. The magistrate in charge of the investigation subsequently ordered his release and lifted the police arrest warrant.
The investigation has been conducted by the UDYCO (Drugs and Organised Crime Unit) of Benidorm, Alicante and Torremolinos-Benalmádena, in the province of Málaga, alongside the Greco Levante (Special Response Group against Organised Crime) and the UDEV of Benidorm.
In addition to the clandestine laboratory, investigators seized a package containing approximately 20 kilos of MDMB-INACA, a synthetic cannabinoid. Police have identified nearly 100 shipments—88 in total—linked to the group over a two-year period. One shipment destined for Murcia was intercepted in Madrid and not delivered, following a tip-off from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The investigation originally began in a court in Torrevieja, the municipality where the suspects lived, following the arrest of two Turkish men carrying firearms at a police checkpoint in Benidorm last August. This arrest occurred just a few days after the shooting death in Torrevieja of a leader of a Turkish mafia clan known as Los Daltons, with whom some of the suspects had ties, according to investigators.
Police maintain that an open war is raging in Spain between rival Turkish mafia clans and have warned of an escalation of violence, including murders and shootings in public places. The group dismantled in the Vega Baja region was also under investigation for arms trafficking, although the raids only uncovered a loaded pistol with 11 rounds and a pellet gun.
Investigators also carried out searches at a real estate agency and a restaurant in Torrevieja used as logistical cover or a meeting point. Police believe the real estate agency provided accommodation to members of the group, who frequently changed addresses to hinder police tracking. The Turkish network also had a house in Javea that may have been used as a drug stash house, but it was abandoned after local police arrested two suspects during a routine check, discovering they were subject to European arrest warrants.
The Albanian branch appears in the investigation as a strategic partner to the Turkish organisation. During a search in Ciudad Quesada, officers found bags containing marijuana residue, vacuum-sealing bags, marijuana strain labels, precision scales, a vacuum sealer, two luxury watches, and 9,000 euro. Police interpret these findings as evidence of a storage, safekeeping, or distribution point for narcotics.
As for the Spanish branch, based in Alguazas, police attribute security, operational support, and protection functions to it. Investigators link this branch to debt collection, armed protection, drug custody, and drug rip-offs from rival groups. In Alguazas, officers located 250 marijuana plants, official Guardia Civil uniforms, and tools that could be used to carry out drug robberies from other traffickers.
