The owner of a hair salon in Ondara (Alicante, 7,085 inhabitants) decided earlier this year to diversify her business. Along with his partner, with whom he was living despite having a restraining order obtained against him, and four other people, he is said to have set up a drug retail network that covered much of the Marina Alta region on the northern edge of the province. The income grew and the plot decided to invest it in a fortified building next to his home in Beniarbeig (pop. 2,267) in the middle of the mountains, with the help of which he hoped to support his escalation in the world of drug trafficking, with great security measures and a powerful arsenal. The hairdresser, meanwhile, served to launder the money from his clandestine activity, according to Civil Guard investigations. Five of them were arrested in the Nobuki operation on July 25 and charged with public health crimes and drug trafficking. Affiliation to a criminal organization, money laundering, and illegal possession of firearms. After three days in court, all are released on charges.
The first indications of the creation of the new criminal group appeared in February this year, when the Guardia Civil officers in El Verger (population 4,986) detected a slight increase in cocaine use in various locations in the Marina Alta. The investigation quickly led to the two-story house in Beniarbeig, surrounded by a dense grove, where the hairdresser and her partner lived. Adjacent to the property, the agents confirmed that a block brick building and patio had been constructed, the permit for which was not listed in local records. The heavily protected bunker had a video surveillance service and a small window of about four inches square to allow for the safe sale of narcotics.
The drug couple’s operations center acted as a drug storage and surveillance post against rival gangs and police agents. The couple had also overcome an initial problem for their criminal business, as a court case brought against them had issued a restraining order against them. However, the alleged victim had changed his residency details in the VioGen system, so police officers were no longer at his home to monitor compliance with the court order. From there, the group’s respected leader went to her hairdresser’s every morning while her partner distributed the drug to his employees, three men and one woman, who were responsible for selling it on a small scale on the streets of the mountain towns . Alicante, which does not reach 10,000 inhabitants, with the exception of Pego (10,295) and the regional capital Dénia (43,899). According to the sources of the investigation, the beauty company had employees who were not involved in this activity.
The Nobuki operation ended on July 25 with the arrest of the ringleader, his lieutenant, and three salespeople. The other woman is under investigation. They all have a track record of running similar events, they are Spanish except for one of the vendors who is Romanian and their ages range from 27 to 59 years. In addition to the offenses related to drug trafficking, the leader’s partner faces a restraining order violation and another of the members faces a penalty violation for driving a vehicle without a license. The members of the criminal group went before the Dénia Service Court on July 28, which ordered their release with precautionary measures.
Money in the printer drawer
During the searches at the hairdresser, in the bunker and in two buildings in El Verger and Benimeli, which also included the Roca de Calp team, which specializes in crimes in rural areas, officers found small amounts of cocaine and hashish and marijuana and everything Material necessary for its processing and distribution. The money from the illegal business was hidden in a printer’s side drawer, and a total of 17,236 euros was confiscated. In addition, the gang had two sawn-off shotguns, a short firearm, another long airgun, and another simulated weapon and ammunition and a large machete, leading investigators to believe the gang was dangerous.
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