Lorraine Williamson
Methamphetamine hidden in marble is not a headline most people expect to read in Spain. Yet that, according to the Policía Nacional, was the method behind what investigators describe as one of Europe’s most powerful synthetic-drug supply networks.
In a new phase of Operation Saga, Spain’s National Police—working with the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—say they have fully dismantled a Spanish-Mexican organisation accused of moving meth into Europe. Nine people were arrested, and a judge has ordered three into prison.
A second strike after Europe’s huge “Saga” seizure
Police say the investigation began in 2023 under the direction of Investigating Court No. 6 of Spain’s Audiencia Nacional. The first major breakthrough came in May 2024, when officers seized 1,800 kilos of methamphetamine—described at the time as the second-largest meth seizure in Europe.
That earlier operation, officers said, exposed a supply structure that moved through several Spanish locations, including Tenerife, Madrid, Valencia, and Alicante.
Rebuilding the network—and a statue bound for Tenerife
After that blow, investigators believe new figures in Spain and Mexico tried to reassemble the organisation’s finances and logistics. Police say the next key moment came in July 2024, when the group allegedly sent 40 kilos of meth hidden in the base of a statue more than 1.5 metres tall, destined for Tenerife.
Officers arrested the receiver on the island. Police describe him as a long-established trafficker in Tenerife.
A “silent” suspect in Madrid and a Finnish shipment
In September, officers say they identified and located an alleged Sinaloa Cartel member hiding in a Madrid apartment. Police claim he barely left home and received €2,500 a month in exchange for staying quiet, because of his alleged role in the 2024 meth shipment and its custody.
Meanwhile, investigators also tracked a separate shipment: 38 kilos of marijuana allegedly sent to Finland. With Finnish Customs support, police say they detained the receiver, who had travelled there specifically to collect it.
Marble, money laundering—and €3 million under the floor
The detail that has grabbed the most attention is the alleged concealment route.
Police say they arrested a businessman who used a legitimate marble company to bring meth into Spain, hidden inside stones imported from Mexico. During a search of an industrial unit, officers say they found close to €3 million hidden in a bunker under the floor.
They also located what they describe as the leader of a “narcotransport” network, allegedly running operations between Dubai and Mexico and coordinating the wider group.
Searches across four regions, luxury items and ammunition seized
Police carried out searches at seven addresses: two in Valencia, three in Alicante, one in Malaga, and one in Madrid, according to the press release. Officers seized seven luxury watches, seven mobile phones, geolocation devices, and various ammunition.
All nine detainees have been handed to the courts as suspected perpetrators of drug trafficking, membership of a criminal organisation, and money laundering, the police said. (As always, allegations remain allegations until proven in court.)
Why synthetic drugs matter more now
This case lands at a time when Spanish and European authorities have warned about the growing sophistication around synthetic drugs, their production, logistics, and concealment.
In recent years, investigators and analysts have pointed to an increase in large-scale synthetic drug activity, with Spain becoming more strategically important to international networks that see Europe as a lucrative market.
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