Lorraine Williamson
Five people have been arrested after the Guardia Civil dismantled a Valencia-based drugs network accused of using postal services to distribute narcotics across Spain and to more than 45 countries. Investigators say the organisation made around 1,500 shipments and sent more than 172kg of drugs, while a further 172.5kg was seized in packages waiting to be dispatched.
The organisation had allegedly been operating since 2025, making international shipments every week through different parcel delivery companies. Its reach extended to almost every province in Spain and more than 45 countries around the world.
Five Spanish nationals, three men and two women aged between 18 and 44, were arrested on 9 September. Four have been remanded in prison, while the fifth remains under investigation after being released.
100-gram package in Ghana led investigators to Valencia
The investigation began when authorities in Ghana intercepted just 100 grams of MDMA that had been sent from Valencia. That relatively small package eventually led investigators to uncover what the Guardia Civil describes as an organised infrastructure that included its own drugs laboratory.
The laboratory was operating in the Valencian comarcas of La Costera and Canal de Navarrés. Investigators say customers placed orders for different drugs using encrypted messaging platforms, after which the substances were prepared and sent to buyers through postal parcel services.
172.5kg seized in packages awaiting dispatch
Officers seized 172.5kg of drugs contained in postal packages that had yet to be sent. Destinations listed by investigators included Italy, Hungary, Romania, Australia, the United States, Thailand, Taiwan and Sri Lanka, among many others.
The haul included 116.5kg of ketamine, 18.4kg of methamphetamine, 6.9kg of cocaine, 8.8kg of hashish and 1kg of heroin. Officers also seized around 20,000 doses of LSD, 20.85kg of other drugs, 25kg of cutting agents and 41kg of chemical components intended for the preparation of narcotics.
Laboratory and packing operation dismantled
The Guardia Civil carried out searches in Anna and l’Alcúdia de Crespins, in Valencia province, where officers located and dismantled both the laboratory and an area allegedly used to prepare and conceal drugs inside parcels.
Around €26,000 in cash was also seized, together with scales and equipment allegedly used in the preparation and assembly of packages. Investigators say the organisation had been active since 2025 and regularly made international shipments every week.
Around 1,500 shipments to more than 45 countries
The scale of the alleged distribution network extended well beyond the drugs recovered during the searches. The Guardia Civil says around 1,500 shipments had been made to almost every Spanish province and more than 45 countries, with more than 172kg of drugs sent in total.
The investigation was carried out by the Guardia Civil’s Organised Crime and Anti-Drug Team, EDOA, with international cooperation involving Romania and Hungary, where packages were stopped and a recipient was arrested. The Netherlands also assisted through Europol, while Correos helped investigators intercept shipments.
The five suspects are being investigated for alleged drug trafficking, membership of a criminal organisation and identity theft. The case has been handed to the Civil and Investigating Section of Court Number 2 in Xàtiva.