The Organized Crime and Anti-Drug Team of the Guardia Civil, with collaboration from the Investigative Police in Chile, has uncovered an international criminal organization bringing cocaine into Gran Canaria in packages containing chess pieces and fridge magnets with cocaine in them.
The investigation, called Operacion QUILICURA, began as a result of the detection of a package at the Santiago International Airport in Chile destined for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria that contained, among other things, some chess pieces and decorative fridge magnets that contained, and some that were made of, base cocaine.
Once the shipment was detected, an international joint investigation was initiated that allowed the criminal organization that was behind it to be identified
From the investigations carried out, they were to define the modus operandi used by the gang that consisted of using data in the shipments that would make it difficult to identify the true members of the organization.
But finally, between December 15th and January 3rd, four people were arrested and another was investigated, as well the search of three properties in Las Palmas which led to the arrest of one more person, and searches in Chile which resulted in another arrest and 854.5 grams of cocaine being seized along with 428 grams of marijuana, 20 MDMA tablets, 4.9 grams of MDMA as well as various documents that connected the detainees with the aforementioned shipment.
Both the detainees, the drugs, and other effects seized in Spain, remain at the disposal of the corresponding Court of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
