A joint Guardia Civil and Policía Nacional operation in Mérida led to two drivers being arrested after officers intercepted cars fitted with concealed compartments. The vehicles had false bottoms in the dashboard and boot.
Officers dismantled parts of the cars and found three packages of cocaine weighing one kilo each. They also recovered a bag containing €87,000 in €50 notes, a total confirmed by a counting machine.
The cars had been altered to create hidden storage spaces; a separate used-car report covered the resale of former patrol SUVs.
The investigation began months earlier, when the Guardia Civil’s Unidad de Policía Judicial in Mérida identified a criminal organisation based in the city. It was suspected of bringing drugs into the region for distribution. Officers detected suspicious movements by vehicles linked to the group before intercepting two cars.
Police also searched two properties in Mérida with support from the Policía Nacional and the Guardia Civil’s Grupo Cinológico, whose dogs are trained to detect narcotics. USECIC (Unidad de Seguridad Ciudadana de Comandancia) took part, as did the Grupo Operativo de Respuesta (GOR) de Mérida.
At the properties, officers found 100 grams of cocaine. They also seized 516 grams of ecstasy. The search turned up 19 grams of amphetamines, along with €3,297 in cash and precision scales. Authorities estimated that all the drugs seized could yield about 16,700 doses.
The operation was named Romanaria Glass. At the time, authorities said the investigation remained open and further arrests had not been ruled out.
