Palma.Nearly 190 armed members of the Guardia Civil yesterday mounted one of its biggest anti-drugs operations to date in Majorca.
The targets were the Son Banya shanty town on the outskirts of Palma and a series of known drug dens in the capital.
Yesterday's operation, part of a much larger operation called Benazir, was mounted at first light with armed officers backed by aerial support sweeping into Son Banya while simultaneous raids were carried out on properties in Son Gotleu, La Soledat, Gomila and Son Cladera.
According to sources close to the operation, the properties raided in Palma were drugs dens used for peddling narcotics in the capital.
The Guardia Civil's serious crime and drugs squad have apparently spent the past few months investigating and monitoring the activities of two known gypsy clans; the Forritos and family members of the infamous drug cartel boss La Paca. Operation Benazir was first launched back in April when a kilo of heroin was intercepted in the Port of Palma.
The operation was actually named after the North African caught in possession of the drugs and the drugs squad managed to eventually make the connection between the drugs and the Son Banya drug gangs. Slowly, but surely, the Guardia Civil managed to piece together what was going down from counter surveillance and tapping phones.
On Tuesday afternoon, senior members of the Guardia Civil and the drugs squad held a top level meeting to discuss just how much evidence they had in their possession and yesterday morning at 7am, the order was given for the serious crime and anti-drugs squads to make their move in a carefully planned operation.
During yesterday's raids, substantial amounts of various drugs were seized along with weapons and cash.
In one of the Palma properties, a marijuana laboratory was discovered and dismantled. The operation lasted throughout the day and further arrests are not being ruled out.
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