A corrupt prison official is the clue that uncovers a major cocaine cartel in Catalonia.

BarcelonaSomeone was smuggling cell phones, chargers, SIM cards, and also drugs, from cocaine to heroin, into Mas de Enric prison in Tarragona. The Mossos d'Esquadra investigation led to a prison officer. He obtained all the merchandise outside of working hours and then distributed it. He put it in bags or pockets. Meanwhile, he was depositing cash into his bank account. Up to 400 euros for a cell phone (he deposited dozens), adding up to 70,000 a year and a half. He was an experienced officer, familiar with the security mechanisms, and working for two inmates who were demanding the substances. The case would be serious enough on its own, but it turned out to be the smallest part of a much larger scheme:The joint investigation by the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Civil Guard has resulted in fifteen arrests, four investigations and two organisations dedicated to cocaine trafficking dismantled.

The two police forces made the investigation public this Friday, although it began in July 2023. The officer did the dirty work (and took a large tip), but the gang was led by an inmate, convicted of murder and drug trafficking. He was locked up in Mas d'Enric, but continued to head an organization that had a major drug sales point in Viella. Cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA, hashish... came in. The officer acted as an intermediary, especially between those in prison and those in the territory.

And the surveillance of this officer began to yield more results. In his free time, he attended clandestine meetings with other drug traffickers. The location of the meeting was not known until the last minute, and it was never the same. There were security guards everywhere. Of all the people who attended these meetings, the police focused their attention particularly on a 44-year-old Spanish man, who made them discover that, until now, they had only seen the tip of the iceberg. From Salou, he led a cocaine distribution network throughout Spain: Catalonia, La Rioja, Zaragoza, Valencia, Castellón, Teruel... and at a frenetic pace: he could distribute 100 kilograms of cocaine each month. By the end of the year, he could earn €25 million. The cocaine was purchased from other, larger organizations.

This man also had marijuana plantations in the Vallès Oriental region and a network of front men who bought cars and businesses in his name. All to hide the profits and launder them, also buying apartments in Dubai. "But they led normal lives and had no criminal record," said Commander Héctor Muñoz, operational chief of the Civil Guard in Tarragona. Among those arrested were also restaurant and nightlife entrepreneurs in Tarragona, who were involved in logistics and transportation tasks.

Encrypted Bluetooth and mobile phones

Sergeant Xavier Tenorio, of the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) of the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police) in Tarragona, said they were "surprised" by this group's ability to move large quantities of drugs in a short time. But they were also surprised by their professionalism in doing so. They used double-bottomed vehicles (normal ones, so as not to attract attention), which opened with hydraulic systems activated only via Bluetooth. Furthermore, they could only be activated from an encrypted mobile phone. To achieve this, they needed specialists. The investigation led to an IT expert and a mechanic's shop that constantly checked the cars for any tracking devices or microphones installed by the police. They rented some vehicles and collaborated with a company that provided the cars without registering any occupants.

The arrests in the case have been carried out in several phases. Arrests were made in March 2024, a vehicle carrying €200,000 in cash was seized in January 2025, and a month later, a car containing 15 kilograms of high-purity cocaine in a hidden compartment was found. This led to the arrest of the leader and the courier, and a search of their homes. €342,000 in cash, a revolver loaded with seven bullets, firearm ammunition, a primer pistol, and drugs were found.

Operating balance

On April 14, a new police operation was carried out to dismantle the remaining members of the first criminal organization. A total of four members of the initial organization were arrested during this operation, including the prison officer and two inmates. Finally, on May 6, the second organization was completely dismantled, with seven entries and searches, five of them in the Tarragona area (Salou, El Catllar, Seguro de Calafell, and Cambrils) and two in the towns of Burriana (Castellón) and Montserrat (Valencia). These searches also revealed a firearm, a National Police reflective vest, a pistol, and aairsoft, a money counting machine, 13,300 euros in cash, several mobile phone terminals, small quantities of narcotic substances and a cultivation indoor of marijuana with 111 plants.

The total number of arrests has reached fifteen—most of them nationals—and seven have already been sent to prison. During these two years of investigation, nearly 600,000 euros in cash, more than 15 kg of high-purity cocaine, 4 kg of hashish, and synthetic drugs (MDMA and ecstasy) have been seized.