The Provincial Court of Las Palmas will begin proceedings this Tuesday against four people accused of illegally occupying a house in Telde and converting it into a den for selling drugs.
This was the second significant operation by the National Police to dismantle drug dens in the San Gregorio area during 2024.
The suspects, identified as A. A. S. H., A. J. S. S., C. J. A. O., and A. M. S., allegedly occupied the property at 35 Calle Los Faycanes, near Parque Arnao, turning it into a drugs den. During a raid conducted in January 2024, police discovered small quantities of cocaine, heroin, hashish, and monoacetylmorphine (a heroin derivative) within the property, which had been divided into two separate dwellings.
Prosecutors have charged the defendants with crimes against public health under the "serious harm" category, requesting sentences of four and a half years in prison for each person. Despite the relatively small quantities of drugs seized, only valued at approximately €500 in the black market, the prosecution argues that the organised nature of the operation justifies the charges.
Wider Issues of Squatting and Drug Trafficking
This case is not an isolated incident in Telde. In April 2024, another drug distribution network operating from an illegally occupied house in San Gregorio was dismantled. During that raid, police seized 45 grams of cocaine, 35 grams of crack, various dangerous weapons (including a katana, an axe, and a machete), precision scales, and equipment used to prepare drugs for distribution.
In December 2024, authorities uncovered another drug operation in Jinámar, Telde. This raid involved two "family apartments" where police found 60 fentanyl patches, a synthetic opioid 100 times stronger than morphine. Fentanyl has been at the centre of a public health crisis in the United States, leading to widespread addiction and fatalities.
The discovery in Jinámar marks the first known case of illicit fentanyl trafficking in the Canary Islands, highlighting a troubling trend in the region. The drug, though legally used as a painkiller, poses significant risks when sold on the black market, exacerbating public health challenges.
