A sophisticated drug trafficking network operating a supply route between Catalonia and the Basque Country has been dismantled following a joint investigation by the regional police forces of both communities. The operation resulted in six arrests and the seizure of cocaine, cash, and equipment used by the highly organised criminal group.

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The investigation, a collaboration between the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) of the Mossos d’Esquadra and the Ertzaintza, concluded last week with coordinated arrests in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and the Basque capital, Vitoria-Gasteiz.

A Cross-Regional Investigation

The case began in May of last year when the Ertzaintza identified a key drug supplier based in Catalonia who was providing narcotics to several dealers in Vitoria. This discovery prompted the formation of a joint task force to track the group’s movements and unravel its operational structure connecting the two regions.

Investigators found the group was exceptionally cautious, employing professional counter-surveillance techniques to evade detection. The main supplier, based in L’Hospitalet and described as having extensive criminal experience, would meticulously check his surroundings and unpredictably alter his routes, schedules, and meeting points. According to a report from Metrópoli Abierta, the network also held brief meetings in crowded public places to frustrate police surveillance and moved drugs in smaller, separate quantities to minimise losses during transit.

Coordinated Takedown

The operation came to a head on Tuesday, 3rd March, when the main supplier travelled from Catalonia to Vitoria to deliver a shipment of cocaine. As the transaction took place, Ertzaintza officers moved in, arresting five individuals in the Basque Country. Those detained included the supplier, two local recipients, and two other collaborators responsible for small-scale distribution.

Simultaneously, Mossos d’Esquadra officers in L’Hospitalet arrested the supplier’s partner, a 53-year-old woman. She appeared before a judge last Thursday, while the remaining five detainees, aged between 27 and 50, faced judicial proceedings on Friday. All six individuals are charged with a crime against public health.

The successful operation is the latest in a series of police actions targeting organised crime in the Barcelona metropolitan area. It follows a similar cross-border investigation that saw a major drug ring with links to Italy dismantled in Barcelona and L’Hospitalet.

Seizures and Dismantled Points

In total, the police raid yielded significant results. Officers seized 500 grams of cocaine, approximately €33,000 in cash, a vehicle used by the network, various electronic devices, and relevant documentation. In addition to the arrests, authorities successfully dismantled a primary supply point and three storage and distribution centres in the Vitoria area, effectively shutting down the group’s infrastructure in the Basque capital.