19/10/2013 00:00
TW
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By Humphrey Carter

PHOTO: NATIONAL POLICE
THE National Police yesterday reported that it has recently smashed the Palma branch of a major international cocaine smuggling and trafficking cartel. “Operation Tizon” was mounted by the National Police Organised Crime Branch and was launched at the beginning of this year and, according to the police yesterday, has been closed with the result of three Nigerian men and a woman being arrested in the Palma neighbourhood of Son Gotleu.

According to National Police chiefs, the four Nigerian suspects, aged between 30 and 41, were caught in the possession of 2.6 kilos of cocaine, 18'000 euros in cash and a substantial amount of documents which are still to be examined by police forensics.

The police invested hundreds of hours in the investigation which, although it was first mounted earlier this year, did not bear fruit until August when the first arrest was made.

COCAINE “DATES” IN INTESTINES
The first arrest was made on August 11 when another Nigerian was arrested in the Port of Palma after having sailed across from Barcelona. He had swallowed 85 date-shapped packets of cocaine weighing a total of 1'545 grams. They were discovered in his intestines.

The following month on September 17, another Nigerian was detained at Palma's Son San Joan airport with a further 1'100 grams of cocaine in 59 date-shapped packages in his intestines.

Following the arrest of the two “camels” the police eventually made two more arrests, including that of the head of the Palma branch of the international gang entrusted with smuggling and distributing cocaine in Majorca. The police also raided two properties and this is where the cocaine, cash, stolen goods and documents were seized.

National Police sources also revealed yesterday that simultaneously to the Palma raids, a wave of arrests were made of suspected “camels” across Europe and Africa.

According to the police, the Palma suspects were part of one of the largest organised drug smuggling operations in the world.

SOUTH AMERICA
Apparently, the drugs, in particular the cocaine, originated from South America.
From there, it was flown to Nigeria and a large network of “camels” then smuggled the drugs into various points of Europe via Cameroon.
The drugs bound for Majorca were then smuggled into the island by sea and air.
According to the police, the gang operated at such a rapid rate that it could have been smuggling as much as 12 kilos per week of cocaine into Palma.
The investigation is still “live” in various other parts of Europe and the police involved in the cross-border operation have also established that the international gang has recently opened up new air routes in order to smuggle cocaine into Asia from different locations in Africa.

Here in Majorca, however, National Police chief sources said yesterday that they are confident that they have managed to shut down the gang's Palma operation.