Vitoria Drug Ring Linked to €168k in Social Aid

The Ertzaintza (Basque Police) attributes the largest drug den in Vitoria to a family organization active since 2014, generating an estimated €20,000 net monthly. Three of the five detainees collected over €168,000 in Basque social aid while using two Porsche Cayennes.

The investigation lasted 18 months and concluded on Friday with five arrests; all were released with charges on Saturday. The Ertzaintza, via the Portal de Foronda police station, describes a "incivil organization" operating in Vitoria since at least 2014. At its center was an apartment in the Coronación district where, according to neighbors, "an average of 15-20 people went up daily." They sold cocaine and other narcotics.

## A Cayenne in the Buesa Arena Parking Lot

The thread connecting the case is a car. A Porsche Cayenne drew attention during the Eid al-Fitr celebration on March 20, held as usual in the Buesa Arena parking lot. Its driver, aged 44, seemed to enjoy the scrutiny. Seven months later, that same man became the fifth arrestee in the operation. According to the investigation, he is one of the group's alleged masterminds, along with his brothers, aged 57 and 50.

Until Friday, he did not appear in any police database. He has no known employment, nor do his two brothers. Of the two women arrested, only one contributes to social security for a legal profession. They moved around in two Porsche Cayennes—both seized—and a new Golf GTD still being sought, controlling at least three properties in the Alava capital.

## €56,102 for the Cayenne Driver

Their displayed vulnerability had administrative translation. All five attempted at different times to access Lanbide benefits: the Guaranteed Income Scheme (RGI) and the Complementary Housing Benefit (PCV). Three succeeded; two applications were denied. The Cayenne driver was a beneficiary "between May 2014 and July 2019," a period during which it is suspected he "was already involved in drug trafficking." He received **56,102.28 euros**: **40,218.95** from the RGI and **15,883.33** from the rental benefit. Last year, he had to repay 2,058.13 euros for overpayment.

The eldest brother began receiving the RGI in "May 2012," shortly after settling in Álava. Two years later, he appeared in police investigations for petty drug dealing that led nowhere. Since then, except for a six-month interval, he has combined the RGI with housing assistance every month. He accumulates **94,660.22 euros** from the former and **17,615.82** from the latter: **112,276.04 euros** as of September 30. Together, the two brothers exceed **168,000 euros**.

## Basque Law Allows Continued Benefits

The other woman detained, aged 42, has been part of a cohabitation unit for some time: a relative receives monthly payments, and she theoretically benefits secondarily. "And everything points to them continuing to collect," lament police sources. The Basque Government regulations limit the withdrawal of these benefits to provisional imprisonment, a prison sentence, or an arrest for fraud related to falsifying documents or hiding income or assets. None of this applies currently: the five were released with charges, passports confiscated, and required to appear periodically at court. They were represented by a "paid lawyer from Bilbao."

Raids yielded little drugs—**50 grams of cocaine**—and **8,640 euros** in a home in the Old Town, where part of the merchandise and profits were stored. It is estimated they took home a net **20,000 euros per month**. Therefore, the Ertzaintza suspects the money "goes to their country, where they would have more properties." These are ongoing proceedings and presumptions: none has been convicted.