By Matthew Roscoe • Updated: 11 Dec 2022 • 16:47 • <1 minute read
BREAKING UPDATE: Identity of most active Spanish drug trafficker "El Tigre" revealed. Image: Guardia Civil/Official
UPDATE 4.42 pm (December 11) – Spanish news outlet El Pais has revealed the name of Spanish drug trafficker “El Tigre” following an earlier report from Spain’s Guardia Civil that revealed they had dismantled the top tier of his criminal gang.
The media outlet said that 44-year-old Alejandro Salgado Vega, from Madrid, is allegedly the infamous El Tigre, who was arrested at the end of last August in Dubai for drug use, where he currently awaits his extradition to Spain in a Dubai prison.
Spain’s Guardia Civil had been investigating the possible criminal activity of El Tigre for several years, exchanging information with the Dubai Police to try to find his whereabouts, as well as to alert the authorities of that city-emirate of the potential and dangerousness of this person and his organisation.
Guardia Civil also arrested Salgado’s lieutenant, Rubén Panadero Gil, alias Pana.
ORIGINAL 2.52 pm (December 11) – Spain’s Guardia Civil has dismantled part of the criminal organisation led by “El Tigre”, the most active Spanish drug trafficker known internationally for cocaine trafficking, as reported on Sunday, December 11.
The Guardia Civil of Spain infiltrated the top of the criminal organisation led by El Tigre, the most internationally active Spanish drug trafficker in cocaine trafficking, for whom there is an international arrest warrant.
According to Spain’s top police force, under Operation Atalaya-III, seven people were arrested in nine simultaneous searches carried out in different Spanish provinces in November.
In addition to these arrests, three international arrest warrants were also issued.
A report from the Guardia Civil said that those arrested were linked to the” introduction of 2,000 kilograms of cocaine through the port of Algeciras two years ago,” noting that that delivery arrived in “a container coming from Paraguay.”
“The investigation, led by the Court of Instruction number 1 of Algeciras together with the Special Anti-drug Prosecutor’s Office of Campo de Gibraltar, has corroborated that El Tigre resided in Dubai, from where, through encrypted communication systems, he controlled a global cocaine trafficking network with presence in the five continents, controlling in detail the drug consignments from their origin in South America mainly, until their recovery in ports spread all over the world,” the reported added.
According to the investigation, El Tigre lives a ‘life of luxury’ in Dubai, while ‘going unnoticed among the rest of the population’.
However, Dubai Police reportedly arrested him as a result of an internal investigation at the end of August last year and alerted the Guardia Civil.
The news comes after a notorious drug dealer known as “El Matador”, who has been on Spain’s wanted list for over 10 years, was finally arrested as part of a huge operation, as reported on Wednesday, December 7.
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Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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