Spain's leading anti-fraud officer discovered with €20 million following narcotics operation
The former leader of Spain’s economic crimes unit has been arrested on suspicion of assisting cocaine traffickers in evading surveillance for an extended period. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The former police chief responsible for Spain’s economic crimes unit has been arrested following the discovery of €20 million hidden within the walls of his residence. This arrest is reportedly connected to Spain’s largest cocaine bust to date, as local media outlets have indicated.
Oscar Sanchez Gil was taken into custody last week along with 15 other individuals, according to an AFP report on Wednesday that cited Spanish news sources. These arrests occurred a month after authorities uncovered 13 tons of cocaine concealed in a container of bananas at the southern port of Algeciras. This seizure, which originated from Ecuador, marks the largest drug shipment ever confiscated in Spain and the second-largest within the European Union, as announced earlier this month by Spain's National Police.
Investigators examining the shipment quickly identified connections between Sanchez Gil and the importers, prompting a search of his home near Madrid. In addition to the €20 million discovered hidden within the property's walls, another €1 million was located in his office, according to AFP.
Among the other 15 individuals arrested was Sanchez Gil's romantic partner, who is also employed as a police officer. The group is facing charges related to drug trafficking, bribery, money laundering, corruption, and involvement in a criminal organization, as reported by police sources.
Gil had previously worked in the narcotics division of the national police before taking the lead of its anti-fraud and money-laundering unit. El Mundo suggests that he utilized his former position to establish connections with transnational criminal organizations, subsequently aiding them in avoiding detection at Spanish ports. The cash found in his residence is believed to be linked to this involvement rather than the recent drug seizure, according to the Spanish newspaper.
A police source indicated that Sanchez Gil has likely been collaborating with narcotics traffickers for “at least five years.”
Before his arrest, the high-ranking officer had been under suspicion from his peers, leading to the interception of his phone communications, as reported by sources from El Mundo.
The European Union has become a highly profitable market for cocaine traffickers, with a record quantity of the drug being seized at the bloc's borders for six consecutive years, according to a report from the European Union Drugs Agency. In 2022, Spanish authorities intercepted 100 tonnes of cocaine, which is more than double the amount seized the previous year, as noted by AFP.
The largest drug seizure in EU history occurred in June, when German police confiscated 35.5 tons of cocaine in Hamburg and the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
Oscar Sanchez Gil was taken into custody last week along with 15 other individuals, according to an AFP report on Wednesday that cited Spanish news sources. These arrests occurred a month after authorities uncovered 13 tons of cocaine concealed in a container of bananas at the southern port of Algeciras. This seizure, which originated from Ecuador, marks the largest drug shipment ever confiscated in Spain and the second-largest within the European Union, as announced earlier this month by Spain's National Police.
Investigators examining the shipment quickly identified connections between Sanchez Gil and the importers, prompting a search of his home near Madrid. In addition to the €20 million discovered hidden within the property's walls, another €1 million was located in his office, according to AFP.
Among the other 15 individuals arrested was Sanchez Gil's romantic partner, who is also employed as a police officer. The group is facing charges related to drug trafficking, bribery, money laundering, corruption, and involvement in a criminal organization, as reported by police sources.
Gil had previously worked in the narcotics division of the national police before taking the lead of its anti-fraud and money-laundering unit. El Mundo suggests that he utilized his former position to establish connections with transnational criminal organizations, subsequently aiding them in avoiding detection at Spanish ports. The cash found in his residence is believed to be linked to this involvement rather than the recent drug seizure, according to the Spanish newspaper.
A police source indicated that Sanchez Gil has likely been collaborating with narcotics traffickers for “at least five years.”
Before his arrest, the high-ranking officer had been under suspicion from his peers, leading to the interception of his phone communications, as reported by sources from El Mundo.
The European Union has become a highly profitable market for cocaine traffickers, with a record quantity of the drug being seized at the bloc's borders for six consecutive years, according to a report from the European Union Drugs Agency. In 2022, Spanish authorities intercepted 100 tonnes of cocaine, which is more than double the amount seized the previous year, as noted by AFP.
The largest drug seizure in EU history occurred in June, when German police confiscated 35.5 tons of cocaine in Hamburg and the Dutch port city of Rotterdam.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
