Three Indian nationals have been remanded in custody after Guardia Civil officers seized 527 kilos of Papaver somniferum, commonly known as opium poppy, in Los Alcázares, Murcia.

The men allegedly sent dried poppy capsules by post to Málaga, Ávila, Mallorca and the United States. The investigation began when four parcels containing nearly seven kilos of plant material were intercepted at Alicante-Elche Airport. Laboratory analysis confirmed the substance as opium poppy, a plant directly linked to the production of opium and its derivatives.

Officers carried out searches at several properties in Los Alcázares, where they discovered the remaining quantities. According to investigators, the suspects may also have been involved in recent thefts of legally cultivated poppy plants intended for pharmaceutical use in Albacete province.

All three men are now before the Investigating Court in Elche. The operation, codenamed Guru25, remains ongoing as Guardia Civil continues efforts to dismantle networks involved in the illegal distribution of controlled substances.