The Guardia Civil has dismantled a criminal network that was smuggling heroin into Europe from Spain, with some of the drugs intended to pass through central Catalonia. Investigations revealed that pills, expected to contain high-quality heroin, were primarily made up of caffeine with only a small amount of the illicit drug.
This operation, named "Operación Fénix" (Operation Phoenix), led to the arrest of 15 individuals. Authorities seized 50 kilogrammes of narcotics, mainly heroin and cocaine, along with €200,000 in cash. Bank accounts worth €2 million were also frozen, according to officials.
Deceptive Drug Composition
The pills were marketed as high-quality heroin, but were a mix of caffeine and other substances. This strategy aimed to deceive buyers and increase the criminal network's profits, officials said. The investigation began six months ago after an increase in drug trafficking was detected in central Catalonia.
Initial leads pointed to an international criminal organisation using the region as a transit point to introduce drugs into Europe. The Guardia Civil emphasised the operation's importance, stating it has disrupted a very active criminal network and prevented the distribution of large quantities of drugs across Europe.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine if there are other individuals involved in this scheme.
