Seven million ecstasy tablets found in lorry

ONE ton of PMK glycidate, enough to make seven million ecstasy tablets, has been found in Barcelona port.

The shipment arrived from Shanghai, China, and was intercepted in Barcelona port from where it was bound for Maastricht in Holland.

PMK glycidate is a precursor compound used in the fabrication of MDMA (ecstasy).

So far five people have been arrested; three Dutch, one Bulgarian and one Spanish.

This is the biggest find of its sort in Spain and investigations started in August of 2013 when several international law enforcement agencies became aware of a large shipment of the controlled substance which was bound for Europe.

Inquiries were centred on finding the company responsible for the importation and this was rapidly identified as being in El Papiol in Barcelona. The representative of this company, a Dutchman, was in contact with another company in China which was producing the substance and arranging for its transportation to Europe disguised as a pigment for paints.

Police located the lorry carrying the 25 vats, weighing 40 kilos each, which was supposed to go to a company in Benalmadena, Malaga but was really going to Holland.

Police investigations are ongoing as they suspect there are more people involved in such a large shipment.

The five people arrested have all been sent to prison where they will remain on remand until their case can be heard.