‘Travelling Family’ Busted At Sevilla Airport

A recent case uncovered at Sevilla Airport highlighted the extent to which smugglers will stoop to try and evade the law. 

As reported on Saturday, December 9, by the Guardia Civil, officers at Sevilla Airport unveiled a deceptive drug smuggling operation. Three adults and a child were posing as an innocent travelling family, a guise used for drug trafficking across Europe.

Operation ‘Cantero’ Reveals Smuggling Plot

The investigation, named operation ‘Cantero’, began with Guardia Civil monitoring a criminal group. This group had been frequently using airports, including Sevilla, for their suspicious travels.

Detailed investigations led to the identification of the suspects: a man, two women, and a young child. A strategic operation was then set up at Sevilla airport to intercept them following the usual airport security checks.

A routine check revealed one woman wearing a plastic belt laden with about 3,000 grams of hashish acorns. Another shocking discovery was made when she admitted to extracting 380 grams of acorns from her vagina after passing through security.

Concealed Drugs And Life-Threatening Risks

Another female suspect was found carrying approximately 300 grams of hashish acorns hidden in her shoe. On discovering this, authorities decided to subject all three adults to X-Ray examinations at a hospital.

The tests confirmed that each adult had ingested roughly 100 hashish acorns. This dangerous act, involving about 1 kilogram per person, posed serious health risks, including intestinal obstruction. Each acorn was about 4 cm in size and weighed about 10 grams.

The adults, with histories of similar offences, were hospitalised and detained. Their repetitive use of a ‘travelling family’ cover was linked to around 76 flights across various European airports over the past year.

Child Welfare And Ongoing Investigations

The child who was caught up in the illegal operation was safely handed over to a relative of one of the detainees. This act of using a child in criminal activities added a disturbing layer to the crime.

Guardia Civil’s Tax and Border Section spearheaded this operation, showcasing their commitment to combating such sophisticated drug trafficking schemes.