A joint operation between the Police of Spain and France dismantled in Catalonia (northeast Spain) a branch of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), in an operation in which 2.5 tons of methamphetamine were seized and thirteen people were arrested (seven Mexicans), of whom twelve have already been imprisoned.
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The operation against this branch of the Mexican cartel also allowed dismantling one of the largest clandestine methamphetamine recovery laboratories located in Europe to date, according to official sources.
The criminal organization had introduced methamphetamine into Spain camouflaged in legal merchandise, specifically, in about 12 tons of liquid vanilla aroma packaged in plastic bottles from Mexico, used for food or cosmetic products, among others.
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This criminal branch linked to the dangerous Jalisco Cartel had a highly sophisticated laboratory in the Catalan town of Almenar, where methamphetamine was recovered through complex chemical processes of extraction, purification, and crystallization.
Investigators estimate that the gang could extract about 800 kilos of methamphetamine in just two days, at most three, once the merchandise had arrived at these facilities.
The dismantled laboratory was located on a rural estate, and its choice was not accidental, as the area is a geostrategic point due to its proximity to France and its extensive communication network, the police point out.
When the agents confirmed that the drug traffickers had already started the drug recovery process, on July 10 they deployed a device that allowed dismantling the entire logistical infrastructure of the gang and arresting its members.
The investigation began in early last June, when French authorities detected a maritime container from Mexico suspected of transporting narcotic substances destined for Spain.
Once suspicions were confirmed, a police device was initiated to track and monitor the merchandise until its final destination at the laboratory, where the drug had to be recovered for subsequent large-scale distribution.
Of the thirteen detainees, seven are Mexican: specifically, five come from the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, considered the main stronghold and operations center of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, while the other two are from the state of Sinaloa. The rest of the arrested are of Spanish and Colombian nationality.
According to the Police, it was a traveling group that had no intention of settling in Spain, although investigators do not know how long they had been operating in Catalonia.
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