Putin's 'seal', a scared police inspector and the two-year operation against the Mallorca drugs organisation

The two-year Guardia Civil-National Police operation to take down one of the most significant drugs organisations ever known in Mallorca netted 687 kilos of cocaine, 2,500 kilos of hashish, 1.5 million euros cash and sixteen weapons. Seventy-six people have been arrested; more than half of them are in pre-trial detention. With the court secrecy order having been lifted, plenty of detail has been emerging. One curiosity is that the most prized cocaine bore the 'seal' of Vladimir Putin. A photo of Putin was on certain packages. Cocaine package with the image of Vladimir Putin. Much of the evidence against the leaders of the organisation - lawyer Gonzalo Márquez and the head of the United Tribuns bikers, Stefan Milojevic - has come from intercepted phone conversations. These conversations include various references to Faustino Nogales, the former National Police chief of one the force's narcotics squads. Like Márquez and Milojevic, he was arrested on August 11 in what turned out to be just one of a series of police actions, the most recent of which was last week. The relationship with Nogales is revealed in these conversations. On May 21 this year, Márquez told Milojevic: "The other guy is scared stiff." He then added: "Faustino, I don't know to what extent he's been a good recruit. He didn't want to be a group leader of anything, but he's not leaving either." Nogales also cropped up in a conversation in which Milojevic discussed the possibility that a tracking device could have been placed in his car - Milojevic had in fact taken the car to a trusted mechanic to check for devices; none were found. This was at the end of March this year, and the pair regretted the fact that Nogales was no longer a member of the narcotics squad. Milojevic said: "Do you know what I told him? I told him, Faus, isn't there a single guy who ...? With how corrupt you all are, I told him, isn't there anyone who can be paid off?" Márquez replied: "They're a bunch of criminals, and he's the first one." He added that he couldn't stand Nogales and that he disliked him more every day. To this, and in reference to the inspector's previous unit, Milojevic responded: "The problem is that when he was there, he was useful." Milojevic knew that he was being investigated, as was his brother. That information was allegedly supplied by Nogales and was given just ahead of the August 11 raids. Milojevic intended to get off the island and drive to Austria. He knew he was being investigated but was unsure about members of the organisation. Palma Port police officer Ángel L., one of his most trusted associates, was aware of the role Nogales played in the organisation and asked Milojevic if Nogales had informed him of "any news". In a different conversation, Márquez referred to a Vox deputy mayor being "a very good friend" of his. The conversation does not specify anything further about who this deputy mayor was. For the organisation's drugs activities, there was what amounted to a catalogue of different drugs, their prices and their quality. This was where the cocaine with the Putin seal fitted in; it was the best. Staggering quantities of drugs were sold. Ramón Orta of the Orta clan was arrested last week. His clan purchased 194 kilos of cocaine worth approximately four million euros.