Spain: A network of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel that trafficked methamphetamine diluted with vanilla has been dismantled

Spanish authorities dismantled a network of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) that was involved in trafficking methamphetamine diluted with vanilla.

During the operation , 13 people were arrested; 12 of them have already been imprisoned.

In a statement, the Spanish National Police reported that the operation was carried out in the cities of Barcelona, Lérida and Tarragona, all located in the region of Catalonia, in the northeast of the country. They received cooperation from French authorities.

"National Police officers, in a joint operation with the French Anti-Narcotics Office (OFAST), have dismantled a branch of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) allegedly involved in international methamphetamine trafficking and have dismantled its entire logistical infrastructure in Spain, including a clandestine laboratory where they recovered the drug, which had been previously dissolved in legal merchandise to make detection more difficult," reported Spanish law enforcement agencies.

"The organization is believed to have smuggled more than 2.5 metric tons of methamphetamine concealed in approximately 12 metric tons of liquid vanilla flavoring originating from Mexico, making this one of the largest seizures ever made in Spain and Europe," they added.

Regarding the clandestine laboratory where this CJNG network operated, the National Police indicated that it was located near the city of Barcelona. There, "the merchandise was stored" before being transferred to another warehouse, from which it was shipped to a farm located near the city of Lleida for its subsequent preparation and distribution.

"Investigations confirmed that this latter location had been set up as a sophisticated clandestine laboratory where members of the organization recovered the methamphetamine dissolved in liquid vanilla flavoring through complex chemical processes of extraction, purification and crystallization. "Through this procedure, they sought to recover the narcotic substance concealed within the apparently legitimate merchandise and obtain crystallized methamphetamine for subsequent distribution," the Spanish authorities explained.

Of those arrested, five were in Lleida, four in Barcelona and another four in Tarragona. In addition, authorities seized "2,400 kilos of methamphetamine, of which 1,600 kilos were concealed in liquid vanilla, six vehicles, nearly 4,500 euros, a large quantity of chemical and industrial equipment, various products and reagents, and numerous electronic devices."