'The Long Arm' Stretches To Spain

Thu, 09 September 2010 Courtesy of: SOCA

20 British citizens are among 25 people arrested in Ibiza as part of Operation Flecha, a joint operation between the Guardia Civil and SOCA. Over the weekend investigators searched twelve houses on the island and recovered drugs including 38,000 ecstasy tablets, 4 kgs of cocaine as well as ketamine and other drugs.

The investigation into the British-led drug ring focused on two arms of the gang - one involved in establishing contacts on Ibiza and the other responsible for the physical distribution of the drugs.

The 13 British men and 7 British women arrested are from Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and London. Others arrested include two from Ireland, one Czech national, one Slovak and a Spaniard. Together they are believed to belong to the most active organisation on the island involved in the distribution of ecstasy tablets and other drugs near night clubs and other leisure areas.

“This joint operation has taken out every level of a gang that was responsible for supplying and distributing a vast quantity of drugs to Ibiza”

The investigation began last September after the Guardia Civil dismantled a British group involved in drug trafficking on Ibiza. Seized documents and other information obtained in the operation led them to contact SOCA who then worked with the Guardia Civil to identify the criminal organisation responsible which was being directed from the UK.

Ken Gallagher, Head of European operations for SOCA said: "This joint operation has taken out every level of a gang that was responsible for supplying and distributing a vast quantity of drugs to Ibiza.

"It represents an excellent result for our cooperation with the Spanish, and serves as a stark warning to students and others who might think they can make some easy money through the drugs trade. These arrests could have significant impact on their future, on their ability to finish their degrees and on their prospects for employment.

"It also clearly demonstrates that career criminals who seek to avoid the attention of UK law enforcement by basing themselves overseas are well within our reach."