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A notorious drug trafficker, nicknamed the "Queen of Ronda," has been busted in Spain with 24 lbs of cocaine.
Spanish police said they also found nearly $23,000 hidden in Maria del Mar's car after arresting the notorious trafficker during a drug deal.
Del Mar, 38, is known as the "Queen of Ronda" ("La Reina de Ronda"). She was arrested moments after receiving 24.2 lbs of cocaine during a drug bust in Madrid, Spain, the police said.
Footage shows a police officer finding two knives in the side door of the vehicle, before using one of them to open a hidden compartment located in the dashboard. Inside, the officer found two packets that reportedly contained nearly $23,000 in cash.
Del Mar is the head of an organized crime ring that uses human drug mules along with suitcases in planes to transport illegal substances and distribute them through Spain and other countries in Europe, the police said.
Zenger News obtained a statement from the Interior Ministry in Madrid (Ministerio del Interior) in Spain on August 17. It said Del Mar was arrested during the drug bust along with two other people, including a woman who police say was responsible for transporting the cocaine from Colombia to Madrid.
Police then searched a vehicle in the suspects' possession and found a secret compartment containing a large sum of money that local media reports have implied may have been intended as a final payment, along with six encrypted mobile phones.
The investigation was carried out by the National Police in Spain in collaboration with the Colombian National Police's Anti-Narcotics Directorate (DIRAN), the statement said.
The 38-year-old was dubbed the "Queen of Ronda" by Spanish media after she was arrested 10 years ago on similar charges while residing near the town of Ronda in Spain.
Her name is also said to be inspired by a book about a woman who becomes the head of an organized crime ring in Mexico called the Queen of the South (La Reina del Sur) by the Spanish novelist Arturo Pérez-Reverte. Released in 2002, the book details the story of a poor woman who rises up the ranks in a drug trafficking cartel in the south of Spain. Pérez-Reverte's book was made into a Spanish telenovela as well as an English-language TV series.
Del Mar is known for using the same modus operandi repeatedly while spending large portions of her earnings on surgical procedures that are aimed at modifying her appearance, which is considered a common practice among drug traffickers.
This story was provided to Newsweek by Zenger News.
