Suspected drug gang leader from Germany held in Barcelona

German and Spanish investigators have arrested the suspected head of a drug gang from Dortmund at the airport in Barcelona, reported dpa.

According to a joint statement by the police and the public prosecutor on Tuesday, the 43-year-old from the German state of Baden-Württemberg is accused of importing and trading tons of marijuana.

According to the findings, he organized drug transports to Baden-Württemberg and Hesse, where further arrests were made.

The man had already been identified as the head of the group in 2020 through the evaluation of encrypted mobile phone data.

His accomplices were arrested in October 2020 while transporting 80 kilograms of drugs. Some of them have since been sentenced.

After a Europe-wide manhunt, the alleged gang leader was arrested on May 11 at the airport with forged identity papers. He had given up his residence in Ibiza and went into hiding after the group was discovered.

Nevertheless, he continued to organize weekly transports of marijuana to Germany.

Last week, the 43-year-old was extradited from Spain to Germany. At his partner's residence, the investigators discovered lockers with about €250,000 ($268,150) in cash from drug-trafficking profits.