On one side of the table, the Irishman Daniel Kinahan; on the other, the Bosnian-born Dutchman Edin Gaçanin, alias Tito; opposite, the Moroccan Ridouan Taghi, and at one end, the Italian Raffaele Imperiale. They are conversing in a private room with sea views of the luxurious Burj Al Arab in Dubai. The pandemic has not yet arrived. They control the most important cocaine cartel in the world and feel untouchable. Impunity. Each one fulfills their role. The Irish manage the routes and distribution across various European countries. Gaçanin is the broker, the logistics and financing of the operations. Imperiale transports cocaine to the Italian Camorra. Taghi, the visible face of the Mocro Maffia, supervises the entry of drugs through Dutch and Belgian ports. Power in capital letters. The drug business was decided in Dubai.

Its symbol is that of a lion. They were born in the 90s on the streets of Glasgow. First, they engaged in petty crime, local delinquency, but they entered the world of drug trafficking and evolved. So much so that they left Scotland and became a transnational drug cartel, with branches in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. They call themselves the Lyons and a Guardia Civil operation has decapitated their presence in Catalonia, Spain, and the world.

Every year, more than 3 million containers pass through the port of Algeciras. Hundreds of thousands of trucks also pass through. The person in charge of controlling all this material is Lisardo Capote, head of the Customs Surveillance Service (SVA) in the Campo de Gibraltar. He leads the fight against drug trafficking and money laundering in southern Spain: the African coast is only 14 kilometers from the Iberian Peninsula. How is the drug trafficking issue right now?

The violent waves crash against the jetty. It is pitch black. A rainy and cold winter night. At Chechu's Bar, at the entrance to the port of Barbate, young and old alike defy the storm, smoking and finishing their beer. Most no longer live off the sea, but the sea calls to them. A Civil Guard car drives slowly past the bar. Looks of distrust from one and the other. A few hours later, at dawn, the police will return to the port area. A narcolancha has taken refuge there for a while to avoid the furious thrashing of the water. The traffickers' gomones seek refuge in the ports of the area while they wait for their moment.

A team from l'ARA has traveled to southern Spain to gain an in-depth understanding of how the mafias that control the hashish and cocaine circuits entering the Peninsula operate, using the AP-7 to transport the drugs to Europe.

A jury has unanimously found the defendant guilty of killing a man to whom he owed money related to drug trafficking. The crime occurred in Sant Andreu de la Barca (Baix Llobregat) in May 2020, and the victim's body has not been found. Following the jury's verdict, the Barcelona Provincial Court ordered the defendant, Lluís B., to remain in pretrial detention, while the prosecution maintained its request for a 15-year prison sentence for homicide. The events that the jury unanimously found proven took place on May 11, 2020, during the height of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. That day, the victim, Diego Vargas, called the accused in a fit of anger and demanded a meeting to collect payment of a debt related to marijuana trafficking, a matter of contention they had been having since 2019. Vargas, as usual, called the accused to ask him to open the door. This was the last activity recorded on Vargas's phone; although he continued to receive messages, he did not reply to any of them. As AHORA explained, the lack of the body —and, therefore, of all the evidence that could be derived from the victim— meant that the prosecution and the plaintiff had to work hard during the trial to highlight all the indications that pointed to the accused and try to prove the sequence of events.

The death of Nemesio Oseguera CervantesThe leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), known as El Mencho, has unleashed a wave of violence in Mexico that has left roads blocked, buildings burned, and at least 55 dead. The Mexican government confirmed that at least 25 members of the Mexican National Guard and about 30 members of the CJNG died in the unrest. In addition, some 70 cartel members were arrested in states such as Jalisco and Michoacán (in the west), according to Mexico's Secretary of Security, Omar García Harfuch. Authorities say they have restored calm after road blockades, vehicle fires, and coordinated attacks were reported Sunday night (Monday in Catalonia) in several locations in Jalisco and neighboring states. "Today there is more peace and quiet, and there is a government, there are armed forces. There is a security cabinet and a great deal of coordination. So, you can rest assured that peace, security, and normalcy are being protected in the country," said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum at a press conference this Monday.

Mexican federal authorities reported on Sunday the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho, in a special operation in southwestern Jalisco, on Mexico's west coast. According to security sources, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNG) was killed by the Mexican army following a coordinated operation between the armed forces, the National Guard, and intelligence units, which had been tracking his movements for weeks. El Mencho was considered the world's most wanted and dangerous drug trafficker and was a top priority target for the United States. His death represents the biggest blow to drug trafficking in Mexico's recent history. The operation was reportedly carried out early Sunday morning, Mexican time, when an armored convoy blocked access to a rural area used as a refuge for drug traffickers. Authorities explained that agents from various agencies deployed an operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, to arrest the criminal, who had repeatedly escaped capture, thanks to intelligence gathered by various agencies and "supplementary information" provided by the United States. During the operation, the military was attacked, and in retaliation, they killed four criminals. Three others, who were seriously wounded, were airlifted to Mexico City. They died during the transfer. Among the latter was El Mencho, who was around 60 years old. Official sources emphasize that the objective was to capture him alive, but that armed resistance made the outcome inevitable. Born in Michoacán, Oseguera Cervantes rose through the ranks of organized crime to become the undisputed leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of the most powerful and violent organizations in the country. Under his leadership, the group diversified its businesses—synthetic drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, and smuggling—and expanded across much of Mexican territory. The United States offered a multimillion-dollar reward for any information leading to his capture, and Interpol considered him one of the main drivers of regional instability. The figure of El Mencho symbolized the power of the JNG and its ability to confront the state. He survived arrest attempts and military offensives, consolidating a leadership based on fear and internal discipline. Several analysts point out that his downfall could trigger a struggle for control of the cartel among rival factions, with the risk of fragmentation and increased violence in the short term. Under his leadership, the JNG was characterized by a strategy of extreme violence against rivals and security forces, as well as by a significant logistical capacity for trafficking synthetic drugs (such as fentanyl and methamphetamine), cocaine, and heroin into the United States.

The Barcelona Court has acquitted the two Mossos d'Esquadra officers accused of collaborating with a drug trafficking plot The prosecution had requested 18 years and 9 months in prison for the two officers for planting drugs and weapons in the car of a dockworker at the port of Barcelona, ​​Carlos L. However, the court acquitted them because it did not consider it sufficiently proven that they participated in planting the drugs. Furthermore, the court annulled the wiretaps, finding that there was insufficient evidence to justify such measures and that the suspicions regarding their involvement in the scheme had weak supporting evidence. The Fifth Section of the Barcelona Provincial Court, as reported by EFE, also acquitted the other two defendants in the trial held in November: a former Desokupa employee and martial arts instructor, and his nephew, both mechanics. According to the prosecution's theory, both officers were the ones who planted the drugs and weapons in the dockworker's vehicle in June 2016. However, the two officers provided information about Carlos L. after consulting the Mossos d'Esquadra database. The officers, a corporal with over three decades of experience and a former port police officer, had been suspended without pay for four years, but were now back on active duty. The mastermind of the plot

According to the document, both officers, who faced four charges – drug trafficking, illegal possession of weapons, unlawful detention, and disclosure of secrets – bear "no responsibility" in the plot orchestrated against Carlos L., who during the trial He explained that behind this maneuver was David Caballero, the dockworker known as Bubito, who was murdered in November 2014 in Montgat, in the Maresme region, in a drug-related revenge killing. Carlos L. defended the theory that he was a "drug lord" who controlled the port and that he devised the plan against him because he had previously refused to work for him. The prosecutor maintained at the trial that, in accordance with a "preconceived plan," the two Mossos d'Esquadra officers—who were then assigned to the Sant Martí police station in Barcelona—provided "essential" information that they obtained on the afternoon of March 18, 2016, by consulting databases. Based on this information, according to the prosecution, the other two defendants surveilled Carlos L. to learn his routines, until June 15, 2016, when they carried out the operation to plant the drugs and weapons, taking advantage of the fact that he had parked his car in front of a gym in Barcelona. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) suspected that the whole thing was a planned operation. On the day of Carlos L.'s arrest, a man who identified himself as Alberto called the Sant Martí police station and asked to speak with an officer named "Trini," a policeman known for having informants. Alberto reported that there was a car, a Volkswagen Golf, with drugs and weapons inside in the Francesc Macià area. This call, which was not the usual way informants contacted the officer, and the fact that they referred to him by his first name, raised suspicions within the Catalan police force.

]]>

A court in Pamplona has remanded four of the five people arrested in custody for allegedly belonging to a group that impersonated police officers to rob trucks transporting drugs. The investigation began in late April following two robberies of truck drivers in Arazuri (Navarra) and Celrà (Girona). The Catalan Police (Mossos d'Esquadra) and the Navarra Regional Police (Policía Foral de Navarra) were involved in the case. Investigators describe the arrested individuals as a "highly specialized and violent" group that focused on detecting trucks from North Africa carrying drugs hidden among their cargo. To impersonate police officers, the suspects displayed firearms and police badges to the truck drivers. They also handcuffed the drivers, who were unaware that they were transporting hidden drugs and were themselves victims of organizations that took advantage of the situation by concealing the drugs in their vehicles. In the case of Navarre, the victim was assaulted and kidnapped and taken to Catalonia, where he was eventually released. In a joint operation, both police forces arrested the suspects between October 13 and 15. During the press conference held this Wednesday to detail the investigation, the chief commissioner of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Navarre Police, Miguel Ruiz, explained that the first robbery attributed to the detainees took place in an industrial park in Arazuri (Navarre). In that case, the victim had just parked a truck from Morocco that was transporting electrical components for vehicles. As soon as he parked, two cars appeared, and several people got out, impersonating police officers. They assaulted the truck driver, handcuffed him, and forced him into one of the vehicles. Then one of the assailants took the wheel of the truck and drove him to Catalonia. During the journey, the truck driver was assaulted several times while the now-detained individuals questioned him about whether he was carrying hashish hidden in the truck. They eventually abandoned him at a designated spot between Cunit and Cubelles, next to the truck's cab. The driver was able to recover the semi-trailer two days later, near the location where he had been released. While some of the cargo was missing, some of it was damaged, and the truck's bodywork was also damaged. Upon returning to Navarre, he reported the incident to the Foral Police.

]]>

The joint operation by civilian and military forces in the state of Rio de Janeiro, which took place this Tuesday in the city's capital, has resulted in at least 121 deaths – four of them police officers – according to official figures. However, the O Globo network is already reporting 134. The number of fatalities has at least doubled compared to the official figures provided yesterday by the authorities, after more than seventy bodies were lined up this Wednesday in a square in the Penha favela neighborhood, one of the two areas where more than 20 members of the security forces were killed. Despite the brutality of the intervention, considered the deadliest in the city's history due to the enormous cost in human lives, the state governor, Cláudio Castro, has called the mega-operation in Penha and Alemão, the other favela complex where security forces also engaged in bloodshed, a "success." According to Castro, the clashes occurred in wooded areas, which—he argued—proves that there were no civilians among the victims. What the governor has not clarified is why the initially announced death toll of 64 has not been modified, at least for the moment, nor has he commented on the more than 70 bodies that residents have piled up in Penha. Castro has defended his handling of the victim count and stated that only bodies arriving at the Institute of Legal Medicine are considered official victims. This avoids "a war of numbers," he said. In fact, the exact number of victims will take time to be known, which explains the difference between the official figures (121) and those reported by the media.

]]>

US President Donald Trump announced this Sunday that he will freeze financial aid to Colombia due to its alleged inaction in the fight against drug trafficking, and accused his Colombian counterpart, Gustavo Petro, of being "a drug trafficking leader." He warned that if he does not close "these extermination camps immediately," the United States will shut them down.

]]>

The Prosecutor's Office is calling for the "alarming" increase in drug trafficking in the Barcelona area. Last year, there were 71.49% more drug trafficking cases than in 2023, and those related to hard drugs grew the most. The number of legal proceedings rose from 4,234 in 2023 to 7,261 in 2024, a figure that places Barcelona as the province with the most cases in the entire state and almost double that of Madrid, which accumulated 3,891 last year.

]]>

The Civil Guard has arrested 31 people, with no criminal record or apparent relationship between them, accused of checking in 866 kilos of marijuana on flights from Thailand to El Prat airport (Baix Llobregat), in what amounts to a new international route of this substance.

]]>

One year after the murder of two prison guards in an ambush to free a drug trafficker During a transfer, France is about to inaugurate the first maximum security prison where it will transfer its 100 most dangerous drug traffickers this summer. The prison will not only be full of surveillance cameras and all kinds of technology to prevent the entry of cell phones and weapons or the flying of drones, but the prisoners will also be subjected to much harsher conditions than in any other French penitentiary. Paris has been inspired by the Italian anti-mafia model.

]]>

The Civil Guard arrested this Sunday the fourth and final crew member of the drug boat that rammed a Civil Guard vessel in the port of Barbate (Cádiz) on February 9 of last year. and caused the death of two guardsAccording to a police statement, this latest arrest complements the other arrests made in November in the same case. The now detained man went missing after the crime and had an international arrest warrant. Finally, officers located him in the province of Cádiz. This action concludes months of investigation. The man will be brought before a court tomorrow, Monday, according to the statement. The Andalusian Mail.

]]>

Fires, graffiti, and even shootings. Since Sunday, French prisons have suffered a series of coordinated attacks, particularly serious on the night of Monday into Tuesday, which have baffled authorities. At this point, it is unknown who may be behind the events and what their motivation might be. An uprising in support of prisoners? An action by drug trafficking gangs? For now, the Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) has opened an investigation to uncover the framework of the events, which occurred mainly in Île-de-France and the southern half of the country.

]]>

Fires, graffiti, and even shootings. Since Sunday, French prisons have suffered a series of coordinated attacks, particularly serious on the night of Monday into Tuesday, which have baffled authorities. At this point, it is unknown who may be behind the events and what their motivation might be. An uprising in support of prisoners? An action by drug trafficking gangs? For now, the Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) has opened an investigation to uncover the framework of the events, which occurred mainly in Île-de-France and the southern half of the country.

]]>

A hole in the middle of a barred door or a pair of holes in a slightly raised air conditioner are some of the scars that still remain in the Mina neighborhood of Sant Adrià de Besòs, a reminder of what happened 70 days ago. It was the night of January 7th when a roar of gunfire was heard.: More than 150 shots were fired in five minutes. Some bullets hit cars, others hit facades, and one ricocheted through a window and lightly injured an elderly woman who was peacefully at home. In the world of drugs and clans, displays of force to mark territory are important. Displaying weapons to prove you have them and firing into the air to show you have the courage to pull the trigger. The shooting at La Mina was a show of force, and this Monday the Mossos d'Esquadra responded in kind.

]]>

The Dutch journalist Peter R. de Vries has been in a struggle between life-and-death since he was shot five times, including once in the head, on a street in central Amsterdam on Tuesday afternoon. Police are holding two suspects (including the perpetrator of the attack), but have not yet released their identities. In any case, all eyes are on the Mocro Maffia, a group of criminal organizations that base their business on drug trafficking (especially cocaine) and that in recent years had been the target of De Vries' journalistic investigations. These gangs, mainly made up of people of Moroccan origin, have their epicentre in the port of Rotterdam (through which they import the substances that they then distribute in Europe) and operate above all in the Netherlands and Belgium, but their tentacles reach Latin America and also the Costa del Sol, one of the traditional entry points for drugs in Europe.

]]>