In a dramatic turn of events, Spanish authorities have arrested Óscar Sánchez Gil, the former head of Spain’s national police anti-money laundering and fraud division, after €20 million in cash was discovered hidden in the walls of his home. The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation into Spain’s largest-ever cocaine bust.
Sánchez Gil, who had been a prominent figure in Spain’s anti-fraud efforts, was apprehended alongside 15 other individuals, including his romantic partner, also a police officer in Madrid. Police raided the couple’s home in Alcalá de Henares, a town located around 30 kilometers northeast of Madrid, where they found the staggering sum of €20 million hidden within the walls and ceilings of their residence. In addition to the discovery at his home, investigators found €1 million stashed in Sánchez Gil’s office, hidden in two locked cupboards.
The couple now faces serious charges, including drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption, and membership in a criminal organization. Following their arrest, they appeared before a court in Madrid, where they were remanded in custody.
The arrest is linked to a massive drug bust in southern Spain, where authorities intercepted 13 tonnes of cocaine hidden inside a shipment of bananas at the port of Algeciras. The shipment, which originated in Guayaquil, Ecuador – a well-known drug trafficking hub – was intended for a Spanish importer based in Alicante. This seizure marks the largest cocaine haul in Spain’s history and one of the biggest in the world.
Spanish police launched several raids in Madrid and Alicante following the cocaine seizure, uncovering links between the importer and Sánchez Gil. Surveillance revealed that Sánchez Gil had been under suspicion for some time, with police tapping his phone and tracking his activities. Investigators believe that Sánchez Gil had been assisting drug traffickers for at least five years, providing them with vital information on container surveillance in Spanish ports, which allowed the traffickers to evade security checks.
Though Sánchez Gil’s lifestyle was not lavish, the large sums of money uncovered in his home led some officers to compare it to the notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar’s operations. It was noted that Escobar’s nephew had once found $18 million hidden in a wall, leading to uncomfortable parallels.
The money allegedly amassed by Sánchez Gil was partly laundered through cryptocurrency purchases and investments in a fleet of private hire vehicles registered in the name of one of his relatives. This case highlights the ongoing struggle in Spain, a key entry point for drugs into Europe due to its ties with Latin American drug-producing countries like Colombia and Peru, as well as its proximity to Morocco, a major cannabis producer.
This shocking arrest underscores the complex and pervasive nature of drug trafficking and money laundering operations, and it sends a clear message about the involvement of even high-ranking officials in Spain’s law enforcement agencies in such illegal activities.