Corruption Infiltrates Spanish Customs: Guardia Civil Agents Linked to Drug Trafficking
Three veteran officers implicated in drug smuggling operations in Ceuta as investigations uncover a narcotunnel linking Morocco and Spain.
On December 8, conversations outside a fast-food restaurant in Ceuta revealed troubling insights into drug trafficking operations.
Ahmed M., an identified leader of a trafficking organization transporting significant quantities of hashish from Morocco into Spain, detailed how his group navigated police controls at the port by allegedly colluding with three Civil Guard agents stationed in the Fiscal and Border Company.
These officers were reportedly soliciting bribes to help smuggle contraband through security checks, initially demanding €150,000, later negotiating down to €120,000.
Ahmed characterized these agents as "old crocodiles"—a term used for seasoned operatives, emphasizing their long-standing presence and established relationships with traffickers.
Following extensive investigations, including Operation Hades led by the Internal Affairs Service (SAI) of the Guardia Civil, two of these agents, Rubén G. and Agustín A., were arrested.
The third officer, Rubén C., is under investigation.
Collectively, the agents had a total of 58 years of service in Ceuta, and their roles allowed them to manipulate the timing and conditions favorably for traffickers.
Investigators discovered that the agents formed an independent network, dividing bribes equally regardless of their specific duties on the day of trafficking.
Reports indicated that they facilitated drug transportation through direct actions or by ignoring illicit activities.
Evidence from wiretaps indicated that payments made to the agents varied depending on the size of the shipments, with some suggesting amounts between €70,000 and €100,000.
A transaction of €100,000 was revealed to have occurred in a parking lot in Malaga, reportedly involving one of the officers.
Additional evidence suggested that they could charge up to €10,000 for 'security tests', where drug-free vehicles were used to assess potential smuggling routes.
Thus far, the agents have been linked to three shipments intercepted by the Guardia Civil between June 2023 and January 2025, totaling 6,511 kilograms of hashish valued at nearly €13 million.
In tandem with the officers' arrests, 15 other individuals from two criminal organizations have been apprehended, with equal numbers under investigation.
Two suspects remain at large with arrest warrants issued.
The investigation traces back to March 2023 when SAI received a tip from the Regional Center for Analysis and Intelligence Against Drug Trafficking (CRAIN) indicating possible involvement of Civil Guard agents in a smuggling operation utilizing a facility in Mairena de Alcor, near Sevilla.
Following a truck transporting legal goods to Ceuta, officials observed suspicious behavior as individuals loaded items into the truck, which subsequently proceeded to the port.
Upon inspection, despite the agents’ conclusions, contraband was located in a hidden compartment after the truck was later intercepted in Marbella.
In another attempt to conceal drugs, traffickers attempted to hide hashish among a shipment of deceased animals bound for Zaragoza but were again intercepted by the Guardia Civil.
Delayed communications revealed that an implicated officer may have forewarned traffickers of the interception.
Difficulties in establishing the full extent of the officers’ complicity necessitated extended surveillance measures, including monitoring a different group allegedly tied to Mohamed Alí Duas, a prison officer and assemblyman.
Efforts included tracking further shipments, yielding additional connections to corrupt practices involving two more Civil Guard officers.
The culmination of the investigation led to the discovery of the first narcotunnel found in Spain, connecting Morocco and Ceuta.
Hidden within a dormant workshop close to the border, the tunnel was unearthed during searches for underground drug storage areas.
Prior intelligence confirmed suspicions about the existence of routes used by drug traffickers, underlining the operational challenges investigators faced in addressing this corruption within law enforcement.
The revelations surrounding these three 'crocodile' officers stand as a significant moment in ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and corruption in Spain.
Ahmed M., an identified leader of a trafficking organization transporting significant quantities of hashish from Morocco into Spain, detailed how his group navigated police controls at the port by allegedly colluding with three Civil Guard agents stationed in the Fiscal and Border Company.
These officers were reportedly soliciting bribes to help smuggle contraband through security checks, initially demanding €150,000, later negotiating down to €120,000.
Ahmed characterized these agents as "old crocodiles"—a term used for seasoned operatives, emphasizing their long-standing presence and established relationships with traffickers.
Following extensive investigations, including Operation Hades led by the Internal Affairs Service (SAI) of the Guardia Civil, two of these agents, Rubén G. and Agustín A., were arrested.
The third officer, Rubén C., is under investigation.
Collectively, the agents had a total of 58 years of service in Ceuta, and their roles allowed them to manipulate the timing and conditions favorably for traffickers.
Investigators discovered that the agents formed an independent network, dividing bribes equally regardless of their specific duties on the day of trafficking.
Reports indicated that they facilitated drug transportation through direct actions or by ignoring illicit activities.
Evidence from wiretaps indicated that payments made to the agents varied depending on the size of the shipments, with some suggesting amounts between €70,000 and €100,000.
A transaction of €100,000 was revealed to have occurred in a parking lot in Malaga, reportedly involving one of the officers.
Additional evidence suggested that they could charge up to €10,000 for 'security tests', where drug-free vehicles were used to assess potential smuggling routes.
Thus far, the agents have been linked to three shipments intercepted by the Guardia Civil between June 2023 and January 2025, totaling 6,511 kilograms of hashish valued at nearly €13 million.
In tandem with the officers' arrests, 15 other individuals from two criminal organizations have been apprehended, with equal numbers under investigation.
Two suspects remain at large with arrest warrants issued.
The investigation traces back to March 2023 when SAI received a tip from the Regional Center for Analysis and Intelligence Against Drug Trafficking (CRAIN) indicating possible involvement of Civil Guard agents in a smuggling operation utilizing a facility in Mairena de Alcor, near Sevilla.
Following a truck transporting legal goods to Ceuta, officials observed suspicious behavior as individuals loaded items into the truck, which subsequently proceeded to the port.
Upon inspection, despite the agents’ conclusions, contraband was located in a hidden compartment after the truck was later intercepted in Marbella.
In another attempt to conceal drugs, traffickers attempted to hide hashish among a shipment of deceased animals bound for Zaragoza but were again intercepted by the Guardia Civil.
Delayed communications revealed that an implicated officer may have forewarned traffickers of the interception.
Difficulties in establishing the full extent of the officers’ complicity necessitated extended surveillance measures, including monitoring a different group allegedly tied to Mohamed Alí Duas, a prison officer and assemblyman.
Efforts included tracking further shipments, yielding additional connections to corrupt practices involving two more Civil Guard officers.
The culmination of the investigation led to the discovery of the first narcotunnel found in Spain, connecting Morocco and Ceuta.
Hidden within a dormant workshop close to the border, the tunnel was unearthed during searches for underground drug storage areas.
Prior intelligence confirmed suspicions about the existence of routes used by drug traffickers, underlining the operational challenges investigators faced in addressing this corruption within law enforcement.
The revelations surrounding these three 'crocodile' officers stand as a significant moment in ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking and corruption in Spain.
Translation:
Translated by AI
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