Spanish police have arrested 20 Britons, including a former member of a British boyband, in a major drug bust on the island of Ibiza. The arrests were part of a coordinated operation between the UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) and the Spanish Civil Guard, targeting a drug ring believed to be one of the most active on the island.
The raids, which took place in the resort of San Antonio and other locations, uncovered a significant haul of drugs, including 38,000 ecstasy tablets, 4kg of cocaine, 250g of ketamine, seven pints of GHB, and 50g of crystal MDMA. The gang is thought to have used young 'public relations' employees in nightclubs to distribute drugs, ensuring similar prices at each point of sale.
Among those arrested is a former member of a British boyband, whose identity has not been officially confirmed. The 24 total arrests include 20 Britons from London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle, as well as two Irish nationals, a Czech, a Slovak, and a Spaniard. They are due to appear before a judge in Ibiza Town.
Police believe the drug ring was led from the UK and had two branches in Ibiza: one responsible for establishing contacts and another for distributing drugs. The gang is thought to have rented luxury villas for ringleaders and flats for dealers. Drugs were allegedly smuggled to the island in cars from the UK or in luggage of British tourists.
The operation, codenamed Operation Arrow, follows a previous crackdown last September, when Spanish police arrested 25 people and seized 23,000 doses of ecstasy, as well as other drugs and weapons. The Foreign Office has confirmed it is offering consular assistance to those arrested.
