The Guardia Civil arrested 15 people in Benicarló, in Castellón province, and is investigating them for crimes against public health and membership of a criminal organisation.[1][2][3][4][5] Officers carried out six searches in homes in Benicarló’s old town, and dozens of Guardia Civil officers took part from judicial-police, investigation, riot-control, citizen-security, dog-handling, technological-investigation, nature-protection and air units.[1][4] The clan ran a network of connected sales points from different homes in the old town, managed by members of the same family.[6][2][3][5]

The searches found cocaine, heroin, hashish, marijuana and cristal, a street name for crystal methamphetamine, along with other drug derivatives, plus precision scales and packaging for preparing and distributing the drugs.[1][2][3][4][5] Officers seized six shotguns, several bladed weapons and abundant ammunition, plus more than 10,000 euros in cash and stamped official documents valued at over 1,500 euros.[1][2][3][5] The operation also recovered jewellery, watches, mobile phones and eight vehicles, goods the sources valued together at more than 100,000 euros.[1][2][3][5]

In two of the searched properties officers found about 180 fighting cocks, 48 of them mutilated, plus several finches and more than 40 hunting dogs, most of them without identification microchips.[1][2][3][4][5] Two of the detainees are being investigated by Seprona, the Guardia Civil’s nature-protection service, over suspected animal abuse, and officers also started administrative sanction proceedings.[7][2][3]

The detainees and the seized items were placed at the disposal of the Civil and Investigating Section, Seat 3, of the Vinaròs court, the court serving Benicarló.[1][2][3][8][5]

The operation exposed what the Guardia Civil called an especially serious situation involving the keeping and condition of numerous animals found in two of the searched properties.[9] The detainees had been brought before the courts, El País reported.[8]