Three people have been remanded in custody after police dismantled an alleged drug trafficking network in Gran Canaria that distributed hashish across the Canary Islands. Officers seized 350 kilograms of the drug, which had been hidden among crates of sweetcorn cobs ready for transport between the islands.
The investigation was led by the Drug and Organised Crime Unit (UDYCO) in Las Palmas and began earlier this year after officers uncovered what they describe as a well-organised logistics network. According to police, the group received shipments of hashish from Morocco before preparing and disguising them for onward distribution using legitimate freight companies operating in the Canary Islands.
Investigators say the organisation relied on different transporters to collect and deliver the drugs under pre-arranged instructions. The suspects also regularly used hired vans in an attempt to make police surveillance more difficult and reduce the traceability of their movements.
One of the network's methods involved concealing packages of hashish among agricultural produce to avoid detection during inter-island transport. When officers carried out the operation, they found the 350kg haul hidden among sweetcorn cobs packed for distribution.
The operation ended with the arrest of three alleged members of the criminal network. Police also seized several vans believed to have been used in the operation and estimate the group has suffered financial losses of around €700,000 as a result of the investigation.
All three suspects appeared before the court and have been remanded in custody while the investigation continues.
Police say enquiries remain ongoing and further arrests have not been ruled out as officers work to identify any additional members of the alleged trafficking network.
