The Investigating Court of the Court of First Instance of Tortosa has sent to provisional prison, communicated and without bail four of those arrested in the operation against an alleged criminal organization linked to the Turkish mafia. The case investigates crimes of criminal organization, document forgery, against public health and arms trafficking.
This Wednesday, 15 arrested individuals have been brought before the court. The presiding judge of court 2 of the instruction section of the Court of First Instance of Tortosa has agreed for nine investigated individuals provisional release with precautionary measures. Among them are the withdrawal of the passport, the prohibition from leaving the territory, and the obligation to appear periodically before the court. The detention of two other arrested individuals has been extended until tomorrow.
An operation with more than 200 agents
The operation was deployed on Monday under the direction of the Mossos d'Esquadra and the National Police, with support from Europol. The operation mobilized more than 200 agents and resulted in a dozen entries and searches between Catalonia and Andalusia.
In total, 19 people were detained. Of them, 14 were arrested in Catalonia, in municipalities such as Lloret de Mar, Barcelona, and Sabadell. Another two detainees were located in Malaga and three more in Sofia, in Bulgaria. In addition, the investigation extends to six people under investigation in Greece.
Searches in Lloret de Mar, Barcelona and Sabadell
One of the points of the operation was in Lloret de Mar, where agents searched a home and made four arrests. During the police deployment, weapons, cash, and narcotic substances were seized.
"It is a violent criminal organization with ties to the Turkish mafia, focused mainly on marijuana trafficking and with a wide international projection" - police sources
The proceedings are no longer under judicial secrecy. The investigation remains open while the court maintains the agreed measures on the arrested individuals placed at the disposal of the court and the situation of the two detainees whose custody has been extended is resolved.