Why a lack of resources caused a €5m fall in value of a drug trafficker’s assets

A court investigator in Galicia has concluded that the value of assets seized from drug trafficker José Antonio Pouso Rivas has depreciated by five million euros since they were taken into the custody of the authorities. A report by the legal expert has just been delivered to the public prosecutor in Pontevedra, ahead of the imminent sale of the assets. The loss of value was anticipated by the judges and prosecutors in the case, due to the lack of resources at their disposal to stop the seized items from falling into disrepair.

The seven-year preliminary investigation to build a case against Pouso Rivas -- also known as "Pelopincho" -- was complicated further when, in April 2011, the convict absconded. Police are still searching for Pouso Rivas after his escape, the second during the former waiter's long career as a drug trafficker.

When he was arrested in 2005, investigation chiefs called for urgent measures to be taken in order to preserve the value of the assets that had been seized, which included a real estate portfolio of eight villas and 23 apartments -- for which the court never managed to take control of the keys -- and 21 vehicles, which ran the risk of ending up as heaps of rusty metal.

At the time, the 130 separate assets seized by the authorities were valued at 15.5 million euros, consisting mostly of buildings, apartments, commercial properties, restaurants and hotels in the provinces of Pontevedra and A Coruña. But eight years on, and the same assets are now valued at 10.6 million euros.

The report -- which was carried out by a solitary legal expert due to budgetary constraints -- details that the current value of 12 of the 21 vehicles seized is now zero, compared to initial valuations of between 18,000 and 36,000 euros. Accompanying photos show that these cars have ended up as scrap metal, riddled with rust.

The reason for this devaluation is due to the lack of legal means and resources at the disposal of the justice system. Prosecutors in charge of drug trafficking and money laundering cases have long been calling for more resources and powers to avoid such losses, which run into the millions of euros. They want to see the costly and complex administration of assets that is currently the responsibility of overloaded courts dealt with in a coordinated manner by the chief prosecutor's office in Galicia.

As well as a central warehouse for storing perishable items, the heads of these investigations have for years been calling for the National Drugs Plan body to take responsibility for assets seized in such cases. They argue that it has the economic resources to do so, and would be able to reinvest the funds in social programs for drug addicts.