Featured image credit © Policia Nacional Spain , www.rtl.nl
In a high-profile drug bust just as Ibiza’s legendary club season kicks off, a 22-year-old Dutch man was arrested at the island’s airport after being caught with an estimated 163,000 ecstasy pills packed into two heavy suitcases. The arrest was made during a joint operation by the Spanish narcotics unit and Ibiza airport police, who were on high alert for smugglers as opening weekend for many major clubs approached.
The man, traveling alone and carrying unusually heavy luggage, nearly 50 kilograms total, quickly drew suspicion. Upon inspection, officers found the suitcases filled to the brim with bright pink pills in clear plastic bags, barely hidden beneath a simple fabric divider. Authorities reported that most of the pills appeared to be ecstasy, though some were stamped with logos indicating 2CB (commonly referred to as “tusi”), a synthetic hallucinogen popular in Spain’s more exclusive party circles.
The shipment, if sold on Ibiza’s streets at standard prices (€8–€18 per pill), could have generated between €1.3 and €3 million.
The man had reportedly slipped through customs in the Netherlands before being intercepted on arrival in Ibiza. Spanish law dictates a prison sentence of three to six years for drug smuggling in quantities of this scale. However, if it is proven that he was operating as part of an organized trafficking ring, the penalty rises to a minimum of six and up to nine years behind bars.
This seizure follows an even bigger bust last year, when over 1 million ecstasy pills were confiscated on the island, valued at over €25 million, alongside large quantities of ketamine, MDMA, cannabis, hashish, and pink cocaine. Authorities say it was the largest ecstasy haul in Spanish history.
As Ibiza’s nightlife scene draws clubbers from around the globe, law enforcement remains on high alert reminding everyone that the island’s party culture also comes with serious consequences when lines are crossed.
Via rtl.nl, mixmag.net
