Guardia Civil operation into Moraira restaurant yields €200,000 of marijuana and 5 Brits arrested

Guardia Civil have arrested 5 British citizens between 23-49 years old as part of operation ‘Mosra’.

The Guardia Civil operation linked to a British restaurant gastro pub/ restaurant in Moraira is gathering momentum after three massive marijuana plantations were found.

The restaurant was searched last 19th November along with three other residences, leading to nine arrests. All the establishments are located in Teulada-Moraira.

The plantations had an estimated value of €200,000, which was set for distribution to the UK and other parts of Alicante.

The bust reportedly happened after a source informed Guardia Civil that a restaurant in Moraira was a ‘front’ for a massive marijuana operation downstairs.

The operation was dubbed ‘Mosra’ and carried out by the Área de Investigación de San Vicente del Raspeig and the Equipo de Policía Judicial de Calpe.

The owner of the restaurant is a principal objective of the operation – he is reported to have lived in a mansion close to the restaurant and had a ‘luxury lifestyle’, according to Calp Digital.

At least one of the workers at the restaurant reportedly was employed to cultivate the illicit drugs downstairs.

Once harvested, the drugs were taken by van to another house owned by the leader of the group – effectively a warehouse. Here, the marijuana was dried and packaged.

Guardia Civil sources said the group reached a peak in activity in mid-November, leading to a police raid that included four units and sniffer dogs.

Each of the four establishments raided were home to interior marijuana plantations described as ‘profesional’ by Calp Digital.

The electricity supplies were illegally bypassed to allow for large-scale cultivation.

Agents found a tunnel beneath the restaurant – 3m long – that went under the road and facilitated the illegal tapping of electricity.

The leader of the group reportedly fled police via a window. Agents found €11,000 cash at his home, two shotguns and a further €26,000 in wads of notes.

The mansion is reportedly worth €4 million.

Haul

In all, agents found 1,600 marijuana plants, 5kg of dried marijuana, €41,000 in cash, 2 shotguns, 6 vehicles and various mobile phones.

The loss brought upon the electricity company is estimated at €60,000.

In total nine have been arrested: five Brits, 2 Argentinians, 1 Colombian and a Moroccan national.

They are charged with drug trafficking offences, belonging to a criminal organisation, money laundering, electricity fraud and illegal possession of firearms.

They have each appeared before a Denia judge. Three are in prison, with the rest on bail awaiting trial.

Written by BayRadio