Drug -expert investigators at the Benidorm National Police Police Station had been behind some who suspected that they had passed to the synthetic drug business. Mdma, ecstasy, glass, pink cocaine … They reach the consumer in multiple formats and colors, even impregnated in chucheías or paper. They are very addictive and also very juicy for the economy of drug traffickers.
The police aspired to find the headquarters of this organized group. Everything rushed one night in January 2024, when the agents arrested two of its members. That night they arrived at the laboratory where they made the drug and distributed it wholesale. The researchers were surprised when they reached a house that fell into pieces in the middle of nowhere in Swedish (Valencia). His appearance confused: inside was one of the most complete laboratories, with sophisticated machinery and with the greatest manufacturing potential dismantled to date in Spain. 1,600 kilos of methamphetamine prepared for distribution. This translates into 2,185 kilos of pills in the streets and revenues of 105 million euros for drug traffickers. The rickety house gave its name to the operation: Chamizo.
Since then, operations against chemical drug production have been happening as never before in the national territory. This trend reveals that Spain is gaining positions in the elaboration of synthetic narcotics and that now the number of laboratories begins to be so remarkable that police forces dismantle one every two months. In 2024 alone, nine infrastructure of this type were dismantled, most of them in Levante, which add to two others from the end of 2023. Before that date, organizations dedicated to the elaboration of synthetic drugs had not been identified. Spain was mere importer or place of passage of the substance already manufactured and packaged.
The reasons are several, as inspector J. of the Central Narcotics Brigade of the National Police points out. “Spain is a large country for population density that we have, which makes many places conducive to establish a laboratory, which smells and leaves waste, and that it works for years without anyone noticing. In addition, we are the way of entry of the Mexican narco, specialized for years in synthetic drugs and finally organizations look for new places of implementation,” he explains.
These characteristics were those that sought an organization composed of Colombian citizens, Venezuelans and a Mexican in the province of Toledo. Only they were not discreet enough, because a neighbor gave the alarm via the mail of anonymous complaints of the police.
In October, narcotics agents entered two farms from the band and found a methamphetamine laboratory. There, Inspector J. was able to exchange a few words with one of the fundamental pieces of these organizations: the chemist. On this occasion it was a Mexican citizen brought to Spain especially for this work, who departed with the police about the method of preparing the substance he used. “It was noted that he controlled, that someone had taught him and that they had trained him for a while to know how to manage all that,” says the police. The so -called chemicals are quoted figures, that drug traffickers are already raffled those who never lack a job offer. That operation was called Eldeleanu in honor of the Romanian scientist who first synthesized the amphetamine.
The range of synthetic drugs is huge and also the organizations play with the so -called new psychoactive substances – constantly evolving products that the organizations themselves believe in the laboratory. The national numbers are far from those of the Netherlands, mecca par excellence of this type of laboratories, where they are dismantled about 130 per year. However, the police have already raised their ears in this trend and has intensified the investigation and fight against these organizations. Proof of this is the exponential increase in operations against them in 2024.
These new findings have led to the National Police to work in a protocol so that all its agents know how to proceed when such a infrastructure is, and thus avoid risks. It is not uncommon for the police to suffer dizziness or discomfort when they access them without adequate protection, something that happened in the case of the Chamizo operation, for example. “First the Tedax access to ensure the atmosphere, but in addition, there are endless products that cannot be manipulated, that they are cold, for example and that you have to open little by little,” says the inspector.
Accidents and fires are common in these laboratories, in fact, some of them are discovered by these claims. In April 2024, coinciding with the days of Fair, a fire ravaged an industrial ship in Morón de la Frontera (Seville). When firefighters entered to suffocate it, they found a scenario they did not expect. That was clearly a drug laboratory and the worker at the service of the organization that was responsible for elaborating it had been injured.
“The investment made in the equipment could be around 500,000 euros,” says the inspector of the Central Narcotics Brigade. Among other elements, the agents found a double -aid reactor, a machine that is used to make cold producer reactions and that can cost 50,000 euros. There was also a rotavapor, which serves to eliminate solvents and exceeds 25,000 euros. “On many occasions, organizations are financed with the benefits they obtain from cannabis and marijuana traffic,” explains the inspector. All the material of the Morón ship was later donated to the University of Seville. In the Netherlands, around 90% of the laboratories that are dismantled are discovered by an accident in drug manipulation.
Spain is not the only country in which the manufacture of amphetamines and methamphetamines is on the rise. Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic have also seen how the number of spaces in which these narcotics are made are increased. “Synthetic drug production and trafficking have increased in recent years and this threat is expected to continue growing. The EU is an important source of synthetic drugs distributed worldwide. Production in the region is characterized by continuous innovation and expansion,” says Europol in the report in the report Changing DNA of organized crimepublished this year and in which it analyzes the current criminal trends of Europe. This document, based on intelligence and operations of all police officers, confirms the continent as a producer of chemical narcotics, and not only as a consumer. “The consumer is not the same as before, they look for new experiences, rare things and have it within reach in messaging groups,” says Inspector J.
Even the historical bosses of drug trafficking have passed to synthetic. Shortly before last Christmas, the Irish gangsted chief John Gilligan was arrested at his own home, while sleeping, for making pink cocaine in one of the rooms of his Orihuela villa (Alicante). While waiting for the National Police agents to register the house, the capo recommended that they see the series dedicated to their criminal career available on a platform.
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