Two Irish arrested as police smash Ibiza drugs ring
Two Irish nationals were among a group of 25 people being held in Spain tonight after police smashed a suspected drugs ring in Ibiza.
The 14 men and 11 women arrested also included a Czech national, a Slovak and a Spaniard, along with 20 Britons who come from London, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
No further details were immediately available as to the identities of the Irish nationals.
Police said they believed they have rounded up the most active gang on the party island after a series of raids over the weekend.
The group is understood to have rented luxury villas for its ringleaders while recruiting young “public relations” people to distribute drugs in popular nightclubs.
During a major operation on the Balearic island, police seized 38,000 ecstasy tablets, 8.8lb (4kg) of cocaine, 8.8oz (250g) of ketamine, 7 pints (4l) of GHB, and 1.8oz (50g) of crystal MDMA.
About €56,000 was also recovered as part of Operation Arrow – a joint venture by the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and the Spanish National Guard.
The drugs ring is understood to have been led from the UK with two branches in Ibiza – one in charge of establishing contacts and another responsible for distributing the drugs.
These were smuggled on to the island in cars coming from the UK or in the luggage of British tourists flying to Ibiza. One young British woman is alleged to have carried 6.6lb (3kg) of cocaine through the airport before she was halted on August 8.
Alleged gang members living overseas are believed to have visited the island to supervise the operation and collect its proceeds.
While those at the top enjoyed luxurious accommodation, dealers were housed in flats and apartments in popular holiday spots.
They are believed to have kept some substances for daily distribution but most were placed in secure houses.
The police raids came after a surveillance investigation was launched in September, when the Civil Guard dismantled a British organisation involved in drug trafficking in Ibiza.
Authorities believe their suspects were trying to build the necessary infrastructure for drug distribution during the summer months.
A dozen properties were searched in San Antonio de Portmany, Santa Eulalia and San Jose de Sa Talaia during the weekend operation.
Officers also seized a hydraulic tablet press, several precision weighing balances and a number of substances used to cut drugs, along with a selection of documents.
A Spanish police statement said: “The ring used young ’public relations’ people in nightclubs to distribute drugs and ensured similar prices were charged at each point of sale, depending on the time and place.”
