A high-profile trial has concluded in Castellón against members of a stable drug clan operating in Valencia and Castellón. The court sentenced six individuals to varying prison terms—ranging from two months to six and a half years—for cocaine trafficking and participation in a criminal group. The decision came into effect after the parties reached a plea agreement.
Arrest on the highway and case details
The investigation culminated in an operation on December 18, 2024: one of the convicted was stopped by police on the AP-7 highway between Valencia and Castellón. Seven kilograms of cocaine were found in the trunk of his car, hidden in a regular supermarket bag. According to the court, the drugs had been loaded into the car by two leaders of the group, who were arrested the same day.
During searches of rented apartments in l’Eliana and Valencia, police discovered additional batches of cocaine, as well as packaging equipment and 26,000 euros in cash. According to the court, the seized drugs could have fetched over 726,000 euros on the black market.
Sentences and deportation
Two main defendants — citizens of Albania — were sentenced to 6.5 years in prison and fined one million euros each. After two years in prison, they will be deported from Spain. The Spanish national responsible for transportation was sentenced to three years and eleven months, and must pay 400,000 euros. Two other participants who rented apartments to store drugs received six months in prison each. The sister of one of them was found to be an accomplice and sentenced to two months for assisting with rent payments.
The role of each participant
The court established that each of those convicted had a clearly defined role: management, procurement and transportation of cocaine, renting and servicing apartments for storage and preparation for sale. All assets connected to the criminal activity — cars, cash, phones — have been confiscated and will be used to combat drug crime in accordance with Law 17/2023.
Context and other high-profile cases
In recent years, Spanish courts have toughened their stance on organized drug groups, especially in regions with developed logistics. Notably, in other high-profile cases — for example, that of a fugitive detained in Tenerife for 40 criminal episodes — sentences reach hundreds of years in prison. More about similar operations can be found in the report on the arrest of a dangerous criminal in Arona: details on the capture of a fugitive facing dozens of charges.
