Galician mafia
| Founding location | Spain |
|---|---|
| Territory | Spain, Portugal, France, United Kingdom |
| Ethnicity | Galician |
| Criminal activities | Drug trafficking, Cigarette smuggling, Assassination, Bank fraud, Bankruptcy, Blackmailing, Bribery, Contract killing, Infiltration of Politics, Money laundering, Murder, Police corruption, Political corruption, Witness intimidation, Witness tampering. |
| Allies | Colombian cartels, British crime firms, French Milieu, Martinez Familia Sangero |
Galician mafia (Galician: Mafia Galega) is a general term for the clan-based smuggling groups in the Spanish region of Galicia. Due to the activities of the organized criminal clans, Galicia is often cited as being the main European entry point for Colombian cocaine.[1]
Contents
Activities
Galicia is one of Spain's more impoverished regions. Traditionally the region made its money from the fishing industry, to which the coastal geography of the region lent itself. Following the crippling of the fishing industry, local fishermen began smuggling tobacco to keep their business alive. The successfulness of these tobacco smuggling activities led to the creation of clan-based groups who made their entire living off smuggling.[2]
Galician smuggling networks nowadays not solely concentrate on tobacco. It was when local criminal clans began making contacts in Colombia and Morocco that the illegal smuggling business began to thrive. Using their Colombian and Moroccan contacts, Galician organized crime groups traffic cocaine and hashish, aside from illegal tobacco, into the Spanish mainland. From Galicia it is distributed to major cities in Spain via other Galician contacts or via criminal groups consisting of Colombian expatriates.[3] Drugs are frequently trafficked to the neighbouring regions of Portugal as well. Aside from Portugal, British organized crime groups have set up contacts in Galicia, often working together with Galician criminal clans to bring in narcotics which the British gangs in turn smuggle into and distribute in the United Kingdom.[4]
Criminal clans in the region have frequently been hostile to each other in recent years. While the Galician smuggling business in the beginning was very local, the internationalising of the organized criminal activities have led to crime-related clan feuds where murder, kidnapping and torture is occasionally committed by criminal Galician clan-members or Colombian contacts and contract killers.[5]
Some clans have or had a very violent conduct. One of the most famous act of violence related to the "narco" was the massacre of "O Hostal da Ría", in Vilanova de Arousa (26-1-1997), where a narco killed 5 people to avoid having witnesses of his involvement in heroin trafficking.[6]
Allegations of political corruption
Allegations of political corruption arose when pictures were found of Galician premier Alberto Núñez Feijóo vacationing with convicted smuggler Marcial Dorado.[7] This had led to local belief that certain Galician crime clans have infiltrated local politics.
The People's Party of Galicia has been accused of being financed with narco money.[8][9]
Some local politicians have also been arrested due to their relation with organized crime, like Alfredo Bea Gondar (mayor of O Grove from 1983 to 1991) or José Ramón Barral Martínez "Nené" (mayor of Ribadumia from 1983 to 2001).[10]
Known Galician crime families
Charlin clan
Led by Manuel Charlin Gama they are probably the most notable organized crime clan operating in the region. Their main areas of income are drug trafficking and cigarette smuggling. They've also been involved in murder and witness intimidation. Their main areas of activity are Spain and Portugal.[11]
Os Caneos
Active in the same branch as the Charlin clan, the clan founded by Manuel Baulo are said to have the best contacts with British crime groups. They are involved in a feud with the Charlin clan.[12]
Castiñeira clan
Owners of several brothels, between Ferrol and Lugo, the Castiñeira clan has been managing a multimillionaire empire of fine prostitutes. The group founder, Ishmail Castiñeira, has evaded the Spanish justice. He currently lives in an non-disclosed town in Scandinavia.
Oubiña clan
One of the most powerful clans in the 1980s, then under the leadership of Laureano Oubiña, based in Vilagarcía de Arousa. David Pérez is their current leader.[13] There have been claims that the People's Party was financed by them.[14]
Os Romas
Group based in Cambados, led by a local businessman that was arrested in 2007[15]
Os Lulús
Clan based in Muxía that control cocaine traffic in A Costa da Morte region. Is currently considered the most powerful clan.[16]
Os Piturros
Familiar clan of Vilanova de Arousa.[17]
Os do Barbanza
Not a clan, but an association of various small leaders from O Barbanza, the majority are now missing.[18]
Os Pulgós
Small clan of Boiro that normally works for bigger clans.[19]
Neaño clan
Based in the area of Bergantiños, and led by Elisa González Botana (arrested in 2014).[20]
References
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- ↑ Muerte y dogras en la Ría.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Los amos de Galicia: vínculos entre el narco y el PP. Diagonal, 12/11/15. Martín Cúneo.
- ↑ As relacións entre narcos, contrabandistas e altos cargos do PP. GaliciaConfidencial. Xurxo Salgado | Compostela | 01/04/2014 |
- ↑ El fiscal solicita 8 años de cárcel para José Ramón Barral por dos delitos fiscales.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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- ↑ Estos son los narcos que controlan hoy la coca en Galicia.
- ↑ Oubiña: "Yo financié los partidos de Fraga y Suárez".
- ↑ Estos son los narcos que controlan hoy la coca en Galicia.
- ↑ Estos son los narcos que controlan hoy la coca en Galicia.
- ↑ Estos son los narcos que controlan hoy la coca en Galicia.
- ↑ Estos son los narcos que controlan hoy la coca en Galicia.
- ↑ Estos son los narcos que controlan hoy la coca en Galicia.
- ↑ Narcotraficante 78 anos recibe revolver da man da Garda Civil
