The DJ, who has played at Amnesia and Pacha Ibiza, faces a nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence and a €3 million fine for his role in the operation.
DJ Hugo Bianco has been arrested for his alleged role in an international drug trafficking network.
The Argentina-born DJ, who has previously played at prominent Ibiza clubs including Amnesia, Pacha Ibiza and Destino, was named as the alleged “mastermind” of the organisation, and is now facing a nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence. The arrest forms part of Operation Pertinax, a joint investigation between Spain’s Guardia Civil and US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Bianco has also been handed a €3 million fine and ordered to repay the affected electricity company €21,068. He can still appeal the ruling at the Spanish Supreme Court.
Bianco’s near-decade sentence was initially handed down by the Provincial Court and later upheld in a ruling by the High Court of Justice of the Balearic Islands. His charges include drug trafficking, membership of a criminal organisation, and electricity fraud
According to Diario de Ibiza, Bianco was allegedly a key figurehead in a network that operated between Ibiza, Barcelona, and Miami. The court alleged that he provided “logistical support”, assisting drug couriers moving between the U.S and Europe, arranging accommodation, cash and luggage for them as well as helping to store and transport drugs including MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, and cannabis.
21 suspects were arrested in 2020 across Ibiza, Barcelona, and Girona, including at Bianco’s residence in Jesús, Santa Eulària des Riu, Ibiza. During the searches, authorities seized 38kg of cannabis, 4,500 cannabis plants, 8kg of synthetic drugs, and €45,000 in cash.
In Miami, authorities arrested three individuals and seized 15kg of MDMA pills and 14kg of liquid ketamine. While carrying out arrests in Barcelona and Palma, authorities found an additional 32kg of MDMA pills.
Bianco is currently believed to be residing in Miami and has been declared a fugitive from justice, together with two co-defendants who have failed to respond to court summons.
