18 arrested in Spain, who is the Albanian known as 'Daci'?

A joint operation by the Spanish National Police, the General Prosecutor's Office and Europol has dismantled a suspected international drug trafficking organization, which allegedly operated from Ecuador and had links to Albanian and Polish criminal structures.

 
The operation, codenamed "Grand Phoenix 0043 - Azkaban", took place in the early hours of July 8 and led to the arrest of 18 people, including two European citizens identified as suspected leaders of the network.

According to investigations, the organization had transported around 7.5 tons of cocaine, with an estimated value of $225 million on international illicit markets. Spanish authorities suspect that the network had an organized international structure and operated through connections in several countries.

Foreign leaders of the network identified by authorities

According to information from the authorities, one of the main detainees is Tomasz, a Polish citizen who had an Interpol red notice for drug trafficking offenses. Investigations show him to be responsible for the creation and management of front companies used to hide drug shipments sent by sea to Europe. 
The second foreigner arrested is 'Daci', of Albanian nationality, who is suspected of acting as a representative and liaison for European criminal organizations in Ecuadorian territory.

According to the police, his role consisted of coordinating operations between criminal groups in South America and networks established in Europe, facilitating the expansion of illegal activities.

How did the criminal organization operate?

Investigations suggest that the organization had been operating since at least 2019 and had suspected links to Colombian armed groups and Ecuadorian criminal gangs.

The drugs were allegedly obtained in northern border areas and transported by land to provinces such as Esmeraldas, Guayas, Azuay and El Oro, where the shipments were prepared for international destinations.

The network's method involved contaminating legitimate export containers with cocaine shipments. Among the products used to hide the drugs were bananas, coffee, seafood and wood, goods that were then shipped to European countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Poland.

Authorities also indicated that the suspected members used encrypted communication systems to avoid tracking their activities.

Arrests and evidence collected

In addition to the two European citizens, 16 Ecuadorians were arrested in the raid, who, according to the investigation, would be part of the organization's logistics chain for transportation, storage and security.

During the operation, mobile phones and other electronic devices were also seized, which will be analyzed as part of the investigation.

The 18 detainees were made available to the judicial authorities for the relevant hearing session for the formulation of charges for the suspected crime of organized crime.

As the investigation progresses, authorities are seeking to determine the scope of the network and possible links to other criminal structures operating in the region.