Ibiza drug ring managed from UK, 24 arrested

(Agencies) Police have arrested a group of 20 Britons suspected of being members of a major drug ring in Ibiza  (photo) after an operation that uncovered significant quantities of narcotics. A haul of cocaine, ecstasy and other drugs were seized in a series of raids at properties in the Spanish resort of San Antonio on the west coast of the Balearic island. The 14 men and 11 women arrested are thought to be members of the most active drug gang on the island involved in the club scene. In a co-ordinated operation between the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and the Spanish Guardia, officers from the paramilitary force began the raids on Friday with the aim of debilitating the British gangs who control the island's drug scene.>

The Civil Guard said 24 people had been arrested in total, and are due to appear before a judge in Ibiza Town. Some of these are believed to be students on holiday on the island.

After weeks of surveillance by local undercover officers, a series of searches on several properties under Operation Arrow uncovered a haul of illegal substances including 38,000 ecstasy tablets, 4kg of cocaine, 250g of ketamine, seven pints of GHB, and 50g of crystal MDMA.
About €56,000 (£45,840) was also seized.
Police believe the drug ring was led from the UK and had two branches in Ibiza – one in charge of establishing contacts and another responsible for distributing the drugs.
The gang is believed to have rented luxury villas on the island for its ringleaders and flats and apartments in tourist resorts for its dealers. Young "public relations" employees in nightclubs, who tout for trade and offer promotions outside venues, were being used to distribute drugs, according to the authorities.
Those arrested include two Irish nationals, a Czech national, a Slovak and a Spaniard, along with 20 Britons who come from London, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
A spokesman for Soca said: "The ring used young public relations people in nightclubs to distribute drugs and ensured similar prices were charged at each point of sale, depending on the time and place."
Alleged gang members living overseas are believed to have visited the island to supervise the operation and collect its proceeds. While the dealers are believed to have kept some substances for daily distribution, most were placed in secure houses.
The raid comes after a crackdown began last September, when Spanish police arrested ringleaders of a drug gang originating from Liverpool. Operation Trafalgar led to the arrest of 25 people and the seizure of 23,000 doses of ecstasy as well as quantities of ketamine, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
Police also seized €100,000 (£87,000) and stolen goods, as well as several guns.
A spokesman for Soca said drugs were smuggled to the island in cars from the UK or in the luggage of British tourists flying into Ibiza.
One young British woman is alleged to have carried 3kg of cocaine through the airport before she was stopped on 8 August.
Officers working on the investigation have also seized a hydraulic tablet press, several precision scales and a number of substances used to cut drugs, along with a selection of documents.
The properties searched were in San Antonio de Portmany, Santa Eulalia and San Jose de Sa Talaia.
A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said the department was aware of the arrests and was offering consular assistance.