Three Dutch people have been arrested after the dismantling of what Spanish police call ‘one of the largest ecstasy labs in the country’. Two of our compatriots are said to have played a crucial role as chemists at a pill factory that was located in a very remote area.
The Spanish police reported this during a press conference on Wednesday. ‘Operation Chamizo’ was preceded by months of preparation before the police arrested all suspects on ‘blow day’ and demolished the production facility. A photo of the national police shows numerous attributes that are crucial in the production of ecstasy.
1,900 liters of MDMA (the main active ingredient of ecstasy) were seized, as well as liquid ecstasy that would be turned into solid ecstasy through a chemical process for distribution. Furthermore, 1,000 liters of precursors (substances that become drugs in a chemical reaction) and another 1,000 liters of chemical waste were found. It would lead to almost 2200 kilos of pure ecstasy.
Crimes against public health
During the operation, the national police arrested twelve people, including three Dutch, eight Moroccans and a Spaniard, according to the medium OK Diario. Two Dutch people and two Moroccans are, according to the police, in custody with no chance of being released on bail for the time being. The detainees are accused of crimes against public health, membership of a criminal organization and dumping waste that causes serious damage to the environment.
The drugs found are said to have a value of 105 million euros and are mainly intended for the Dutch, but also the Spanish domestic market. The mega drug laboratory was located in Sueca, near Valencia.
Remote area
It is a remote wooded and mountainous area, which is only accessible via poor and narrow access roads. The organization had strategically chosen the location to remain unnoticed. In order not to be noticed by the police, several vehicles of different brands and colors were used. What was striking is that the people walking in and out usually had a mouth mask on. There were more locations where the gang was active, such as Altea, near Alicante, about 100 kilometers from Sueca.
The investigation was launched at the end of last year – partly after reports of a strong odor of chemicals – by officers from the narcotics brigade of the police in Benidorm, after they became aware of a criminal network in the so-called Levante area, which was allegedly was involved in the production of synthetic drugs.
After intensive investigative work, the identities of two members of the criminal gang were identified. The police soon managed to map out the clear division of tasks between the various members of the criminal network. Two of the arrested Dutchmen were strictly involved in the chemical process.
‘Daycare centers’
Another member was responsible for transporting others involved to the laboratory. This person also arranged the transport of the drugs from the lab to the warehouses, which were formally ‘daycare centers’, the Larazon medium reports, among others. The ecstasy had to be further distributed through there.
Yet another member of the organization was charged with guarding the drugs to prevent the ecstasy from being stolen by other criminal networks, and someone had been appointed to rent the premises used. The two Moroccans who are still in custody alongside the two Dutchmen are said to have been in charge of the entire crime group.