The Court of Granada has declared the alleged leader of the so-called 'clan del Bigotes' in absentia after he failed to appear for the major trial held this Monday against him and some thirty other defendants. The alleged ringleader, a Croatian national, faces a request for 12 years in prison and a fine of 500,000 euros for a crime against public health, in addition to a 3,000 euro fine for defrauding electricity for marijuana cultivation.

The organization, based in the Granada province, was involved in acquiring large quantities of marijuana for subsequent distribution to other countries in the European Union. The prosecution had initially sought prison sentences ranging from seven to ten years for the other defendants, along with fines of half a million euros.

Ultimately, 16 of the defendants have been acquitted. The remaining defendants reached agreements with the prosecution, resulting in sentences of between two and a half and three and a half years in prison, and fines of 200,000 euros for crimes against public health, belonging to a criminal group, and in some cases, illegal possession of weapons. Fines of 900 euros for electricity fraud were also imposed on some of them.

Given that none of the individual sentences exceed two years in prison, none of the convicted individuals are expected to go to jail, provided they do not commit any further offenses in the next four years. The case included mitigating factors for undue delays and substance consumption, as well as aggravating factors for recidivism.

The organization was dismantled on September 29, 2022, as part of a Guardia Civil operation involving over 300 agents. During the operation, more than 135 kilograms of marijuana, valued at 258,685 euros on the black market, along with 21.6 kilograms of hashish and 14 firearms, were seized.