A top Spanish police officer, Óscar Sánchez Gil, has been arrested after €20 million in cash was discovered hidden in the walls of his home. Sánchez Gil, who was the head of the fraud and anti-money laundering division of Spain’s national police in Madrid, was detained as part of a broader investigation into the country’s largest-ever cocaine bust.
The arrest, which took place last week, also involved 15 other individuals, including Sánchez Gil’s romantic partner, who is also a police officer in the Madrid region. Authorities raided their home in Alcalá de Henares, a town located just outside Madrid, and found the €20 million stashed inside the walls and ceilings. Additionally, €1 million was discovered in his office, hidden in locked cupboards.
Both Sánchez Gil and his partner have been charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption, and being part of a criminal organization. They appeared before a Madrid court and were remanded in custody. The arrests are reportedly linked to the recent seizure of 13 tonnes of cocaine in Spain, which was hidden in a shipment of bananas that arrived at the southern port of Algeciras from Guayaquil, Ecuador a known drug trafficking hub. The cocaine haul, which authorities have described as one of the largest in the world, was destined for a Spanish importer based in Alicante.
Following the bust, Spanish police conducted several raids across Madrid and Alicante, revealing connections between the cocaine operation and Sánchez Gil. The officer had been under suspicion for some time, with his phone tapped by his colleagues. Investigators believe he had been working with drug traffickers for at least five years, allegedly providing them with sensitive information on container inspections at Spanish ports.
Although Sánchez Gil’s lifestyle was not overtly extravagant, the discovery of large sums of money in his home led officers to draw comparisons between his property and that of infamous drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Authorities suspect that some of the illicit funds were laundered through cryptocurrency purchases and the acquisition of a fleet of private hire vehicles registered under a relative’s name.
Spain’s strategic position as a major entry point for drugs into Europe, combined with its historical connections to Latin American countries like Colombia and Peru, has made it a key player in global drug trafficking. The country remains on the frontlines of efforts to combat the flow of narcotics into Europe.
