The Spanish Civil Guard has dismantled a network that distributes marijuana throughout Europe, the Civil Guard announced in a statement.
In the drugs bust, Spanish police seized more than five tonnes of hashish (resin) and 230 kilos of marijuana (weed).
During the raids across southern Spain and France, Spanish authorities discovered that the gang, known as Monparlet, transported the drugs using the Guadalquivir river, then hid the drugs in fruit trucks to take them to France.
Footage of drugs being smuggled from Morocco to Spain, say Spanish police. Photo: Spanish Civil Guard"One branch of the organisation launched the boats on the Guadalquivir river, another sent the drugs to Europe in trucks from a warehouse located in Dos Hermanas and a third one refuelled the boats from marinas located between La Línea and Manilva," the Civil Guard statement added.
The drug ring was also found to supply other criminal organisations with boats, fuel, food and crews.
In the raids, police seized a taser gun, as well as five vehicles, including two trucks, navigation systems, computer and communication equipment.
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Agents found out that the drug ring was also launching boats between the Sevillian towns of Isla Mayor and Puebla del Río, an area of marshland and therefore difficult to access from land.
Police described the illegal organisation as a "powerful infrastructure" in which they carried out drug runs "all along the coasts of Andalusia".
Drugs were disguised in fruit trucks to facilitate transport through Spain. Photo: Spanish Civil GuardIn addition, authorities discovered several warehouses on the outskirts of Seville, which served as a boat repair and maintenance station, ensuring boats were always ready to go.
With the support of French Customs, 105 kilograms of marijuana were seized in Dax. In Spain, two more trucks were seized: one in Badajoz, where they found 300 kilos of hashish and police confiscated a further 125 kilos of marijuana in Irun (Guipuzcoa).
READ ALSO: ‘Europe’s marijuana orchard’: How Spain is feeding the continent’s drug habit
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