Authorities in Spain have arrested Oscar Sanchez Gil, a senior officer in Spain’s National Police force, after €20 million was found hidden in the walls and ceilings of his home near Madrid.
Sanchez Gil, who led the anti-money laundering and fraud division, was detained alongside his partner, also a police officer, in connection with Spain’s largest-ever cocaine seizure, involving 13 tonnes of the drug hidden in banana crates shipped from Ecuador.
During the raid, officers uncovered €1 million in his office, reportedly stashed in two locked cabinets. The couple now faces charges of drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption, and criminal organization membership.
The investigation linked Sanchez Gil to a Spanish importer connected to a major cocaine shipment seized in Algeciras last month, with reports suggesting he had been providing drug traffickers with insider information on port surveillance for at least five years. Despite a seemingly modest lifestyle, his hidden cash led officers to liken his residence to the infamous home of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
Sanchez Gil is suspected of laundering part of the illicit funds via cryptocurrency and by acquiring a fleet of private vehicles through a relative. Spain, a key entry point for drugs into Europe due to its ties with Latin America and proximity to North Africa, continues to combat a high influx of narcotics through its ports.
