Balearics caught in global ecstasy smash

Police have broken up a global ecstasy smuggling ring based in Barcelona and including the party island of Ibiza. Twenty three people have been arrested around the world in a culmination of a year long international investigation. Since May, authorities in Spain, the United States, Holland, Canada and Australia have seized a quarter of a million ecstasy pills linked to the ring. This week, the authorities have rounded up the people suspected of running the operation, including 11 Israelis, six Spaniards and two Moroccans. The island of Ibiza was highlighted as having links with the drug supplying operation and has long had a reputation of being a haven for those enjoying all night parties and house music, both going hand in hand with the MDMA based drug. The investigation, called “Operation Israel” was launched about a year ago after Barcelona police noticed a group of Iraelis with no obvious sources of income living extravagantly in local resorts. When alleged ringleader Oded Twito was arrested in May on a U.S. extradition warrant, he provided information that led to the new arrests. From Barcelona, the group directed the production of pills at clandestine labs in the Netherlands for shipment to users in the United States, Australia and Israel, police said. Profits were funneled back to Israel, where they were laundered in real estate purchases.