The Spanish police recently announced that they had dismantled a gang involved in the production and distribution of illicit drugs in the country, and two people have been arrested and six others are under investigation.
Spanish police launched an operation, code-named Holly, in January 2021 to investigate a gang suspected of illicit drugs in the western Spanish city of Caceres.
According to Spanish media outlet EFE, the core of the investigation is a local university professor in Cáceres named Marcos Maynar, who was arrested in May on suspicion of illegal drug distribution, among other charges. In addition, the Spanish police investigated and dismantled the gang, including providing illegal drugs, (drug) stress testing and pharmacological testing services to athletes.
City in western Spain: Cáceres
According to Spanish media outlet EFE, the banned drug gang used chemicals to make illegal drugs, including Menotropin, an illegal drug used to treat fertility disorders, as well as Actovegin, DCA and Teofilina. The gang offers a range of services to "high-level athletes" for up to 3,000 euros.
The Spanish police also described how the group's production of products and users, as well as communication, manufacturing, transportation and other different links, were separated to avoid judicial crackdowns.
Vicente Belda, a former professional driver and sporting director of former Spanish professional team Kelme, was investigated during the 2006 Puerto Rico operation but found not guilty eight years later
In the operation to dismantle the gang, Vicente Belda, sporting director of the former Spanish professional team Kelme, and his eponymous son Vicente Jr., who is working for the Astana team, were also suspected and investigated.
Kelme, a former Spanish professional team, was founded in 1980 and was active until 2006, and its name was changed to Comunidad Valenciana in the last years - Spanish superstar Valverde, who retired at the end of this season, also played for this team in 2002~2004 early in his career. The team won the Tour de la West in 2000 and 2002, but was the focus of suspicion and investigation in the famous Puerto Rico anti-drug crackdown in 2006, and the team was disbanded due to intense public pressure.
Vicente, the sporting director of former Spanish professional team Kelme, also known as Vicente Sr., was investigated in 2006 during the famous Puerto Rico doping crackdown, but was acquitted eight years later; His son, Vicente Jr., is now working as a team doctor at the Astana team. There is no clear evidence that Vicente Jr., and the Astana convoy, have direct links to the gang – only suspicions and investigations are being carried out for now.
The main force of the operation: the Spanish National Guard
Because Vicente Jr. is currently working for the Astana team, it is suspected that the Astana team has become a "sub-close".
Miguel Ángel López, a prominent Colombian athlete who was briefly detained by Spanish police on suspicion of the case when he returned to Europe this summer, posted on social media on November 24 that he had nothing to do with the case and that any suspicion that he was related to his illegal activities was "completely false."
Lopez wrote on social media, "Several news outlets have reported that I am under investigation for a case involving the drug industry chain. But I am not currently in any investigation or trial. My team of lawyers will be ready to take any necessary legal action. ”
López's announcement statement
Spanish police also issued a notice on November 24, claiming that the anti-drug gang provided them with the "services" of a well-known sports doctor through various people with close ties to professional athletes; And one of these customers is even underage.
"These services include training preparation programs, supply programs, compliance and illicit drug use programs, and so on. During the investigation, we have identified how the renowned biologist and his assistant were contacted, and how pharmacological stress tests and other analyses were subsequently performed. The tests were analyzed at the University of Extremadura, and the core keywords of the survey were teaching, manufacturing, formulating, and storing relevant drugs. ”
According to Spanish media outlet EFE, the investigation is still ongoing, mainly targeting the Portuguese and Spanish areas involved in the gang.
Editor: Liu Jianpu