Investigations into Drug Tunnel and Corruption Allegations
The ongoing investigation into the second drug tunnel discovered at Tarajal has escalated to the National Court due to the expansive nature of the case and the multiple lines of inquiry opened across various provinces. Judge Piña is examining whether additional Civil Guard officers provided support, information, or protection to the criminal organization operating near the border between Ceuta and Morocco. This partially classified case includes inquiries into the organization's interactions with members of the Armed Institute and a separate line of investigation concerning money laundering through the alleged purchase of winning lottery tickets.
Internal Affairs of the Civil Guard is delving into the potential involvement of certain agents concerning Mustapha C., known as 'Brouzi', who is identified by investigators as one of the alleged leaders behind the two tunnels found between Ceuta and Morocco. The considerable scale of the operation, the amount of drugs attributed to this group, and the conversations included in the case file have led authorities to question whether the network operated with assistance from within. Central to this investigation is Ángel A., a retired Civil Guard officer currently in provisional detention. The UDYCO describes him as an alleged intermediary between Mustapha C. and hashish buyers, capable of navigating both law enforcement and drug trafficking realms.
Ángel A. vehemently denies these allegations. In his testimony before the judge, he asserted that his relationship with Mustapha C. was not linked to drug trafficking but rather constituted collaboration with the Civil Guard's Organized Crime Unit (UCO) aimed at getting close to the alleged drug lord to potentially recruit him as an informant. He claims that these contacts were re-established following the discovery of the first tunnel in Ceuta, when agents sought his assistance due to his acquaintanceship with Brouzi. During the interrogation, some striking responses emerged. In one intercepted conversation, Ángel A. mentioned having facilitated the transport of 'at least 10 trucks,' prompting the judge to inquire about their contents, to which he replied, 'Fruits.' He was also asked to clarify a statement captured in the recordings where he claimed, 'I am not corrupt; I am a trafficker,' to which he explained that these were comments made 'in the heat of the moment' during a fit of anger.
The prosecution remains skeptical of his narrative. Even if he acted as a confidant or liaison, this status would not shield him from prosecution if he engaged in criminal activities. Consequently, the judge ordered his provisional imprisonment. The investigation has gained further momentum with a police report prepared this April at the request of the judge, analyzing conversations between Ángel A. and Mustapha C. along with three Civil Guard officers. According to the police, one of those communications suggests that a UCO agent who testified in court may have been aware of Brouzi's alleged criminal behavior.
Money Laundering and Lottery Ticket Scheme
In that conversation, Ángel A. implicated a Civil Guard officer in a seizure of approximately 15 tons in Almería. The report highlights another statement from Ángel A., asserting that this UCO agent 'must know at all times when [Brouzi] enters or travels.' In another exchange, a uniformed officer responds, 'That is being saved.' Authorities regard the second tunnel as an infrastructure allegedly constructed to transport bales of hashish from Morocco to Ceuta, with subsequent distribution to the Spanish Peninsula and other European countries. Morocco has been cooperative since Spain alerted them about the situation, with their agents locating the tunnel's entrance and confirming its pathway reaching the Tarajal facility. Subsequently, the Moroccan entrance was sealed with concrete.
The tunnel's mouth was situated on a property near a Royal Gendarmerie base, an area under constant surveillance. Sources consulted believe that such a structure could hardly operate for an extended period without assistance, protection, or negligence within Moroccan territory. Meanwhile, the UDEF is investigating how many winning tickets from the fifth prize of the 2025 Christmas Lottery, distributed by the San Urbano Club in Ceuta, may have been allegedly utilized to launder drug money. In this context, a local police officer was arrested for selling a winning ticket to one of the alleged network's leaders. The officer was released with charges, facing investigation for suspected money laundering.
The San Urbano Club, a socially prominent association in Ceuta comprising local police members, distributed one of the fifth prizes on December 22, amounting to 2.1 million euros after selling 350 tickets, each worth 6,000 euros. Intercepted conversations from the Audi Q5 used by Ángel A. reveal discussions regarding ticket purchases, cash payments, and intermediaries. In one of these conversations, the price for each ticket is set at 6,600 euros, 600 euros above the official prize. 'A thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, five thousand, six thousand, six hundred,' can be heard being counted inside the vehicle. In another exchange, one of the participants explains their profit margin: 'At six thousand six hundred each, I will make two hundred euros.' Ángel A. then acknowledges the role of one of them: 'Well done, my cousin, broker Aldama.'
These recordings illustrate a quest for more winners. One participant declares his intent to 'investigate who else has tickets.' Ángel A. mentions an individual who 'has six.' In this search, Simón, Polaca, and Carlos emerge as associates linked to tickets yet to be delivered or collected. Investigators explain that purchasing winning tickets above their market value is a known method of money laundering, as the buyer is not seeking to profit from the lottery but rather to convert it into cash. Police are now working to determine which tickets allegedly ended up in the hands of the network, who sold them at inflated prices, and who ultimately collected the winnings.
As reported by elmundo.es.
