TWO Benidorm police officers have been arrested for being part of a Costa Blanca gang of international drug traffickers.
The Policia Nacional detained a total of six people in Alicante province after an operation conducted in association with their Moroccan counterparts.
Authorities said that a Benidorm Policia Local officer and his son- a probationary member of the Policia Nacional- were part of the criminal crew.
The Benidorm officer has been jailed and also officially suspended from his job by Benidorm City Council.
His son was based in Madrid and was due to become a fully-fledged Policia Nacional officer within days.
Another of those arrested is believed to be his girlfriend.
Raids in Malaga in early 2023 uncovered the existence of an international organisation that imported large consignments of drugs from Morocco.
One of the gang members was in charge of transporting the drugs to Spain and made several trips to the North African enclave of Melilla and to neighbouring Morocco to meet with drug suppliers.
Once he struck a deal, the gang started importing the narcotics by using a van to go to Morocco and bring back the consignment.
A large hole was bored out to create a double bottom in which to hide the supplies from the prying eyes of a police inspection.
In December, one of the gang travelled to Melilla in the van and parked it up, before returning to Alicante province.
A month later, confirmation came from the suppliers that the shipment was ready, and another gang member travelled to Melilla to drive the vehicle to Morocco to had it over to another member of the organisation in charge of loading up the drugs.
After a few more weeks, the drugs were transported with the van on a ferry from Nador(Morocco) to Almeria, but the Policia Nacional were waiting for it in Spain.
They followed the vehicle to l’Alfaz del Pi – north of Benidorm- where the driver was arrested and 250 kilos of hashish seized.
Five other arrests were subsequently made, including the two Benidorm police officers.
Four house searches were executed with a pistol and a revolver removed as well as a large quantity of ammunition.
