The Guardia Civil and the National Police have made public this Thursday new details and videos of the great operation that allowed to dismantle one of the most powerful drug trafficking networks in recent years, linked to the Albanian mafia and with Ibiza as a strategic point.
Operation Enroque Bal/Manso was carried out in six phases between July and November, after more than two years of investigation. The searches were carried out in Ibiza, Mallorca, Valencia and other areas of the Mediterranean, and involved specialized assault teams, hooded agents and aerial support, as seen in the images released by security forces.
Ibiza, entry point to the Mediterranean for drugs
The criminal organization smuggled cocaine and hashish through Ibizan waters, using high-powered inflatable boats from North Africa or South America. At sea, they arranged pick-up points with merchant ships and transshipped waterproof backpacks equipped with GPS.
The shipments were stored in Ibiza before being sent to Mallorca, the Spanish mainland and several European countries. In one of the intercepted trips, authorities seized 675 kilos of cocaine in the port of Valencia, which had previously passed through the island.
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Criminal organization that smuggled drugs into the Balearic Islands through Ibiza’s waters is busted
An arsenal, millions of euros and a transnational network
During the 71 searches carried out, the agents seized 687 kilos of cocaine, 2,500 kilos of hashish, 3 kilos of marijuana, one kilo of methamphetamine, LSD, heroin and speed, as well as 1.5 million euros in cash, 16 firearms – six real ones -, silencers, vehicles, luxury watches, works of art and electronic and tracking devices.
The investigation details that the network operated as an international criminal enterprise, with divisions dedicated to transport, storage, accounting and money laundering, and connections with Eastern European clans, lawyers, police and tourist accommodation managers.
A police inspector and a lawyer among those arrested
In total, 76 people were arrested, among them the alleged leader Stefan Milojevic, considered the executing arm of the Albanian mafia in Spain; the lawyer Gonzalo Márquez, pointed out as the financial mastermind; and the National Police inspector Faustino Nogales, accused of leaking confidential information to the network.
All three are in custody while the investigation continues to determine the extent of the network and its links in other European countries.
Videos of the operation: simultaneous searches and aerial deployment
Videos released by the Guardia Civil and the National Police show the simultaneous searches of homes in Mallorca, Ibiza and Valencia, with agents from special units breaking into the properties, drug-sniffing dogs and police vehicles guarding the streets.
The images also show maritime controls, seizures of drug packages and cash, as well as the aerial deployment of helicopters during the most intense phases of the operation.
Ibiza, at the center of a European network
With this action, the security forces confirm that Ibiza was used as an essential logistical center by the criminal organization, in charge of channeling drugs from North Africa and South America to Europe. Operation Enroque Bal/Manso uncovers one of the most complex and best organized drug trafficking structures of recent years, which managed to infiltrate even members of law enforcement and generate profits in excess of 25 million euros.
