With its idyllic location and Mediterranean climate, Marbella aspired to be the Spanish San Tropez. It catered to the wealthy, attracting elites from the Middle East and East-Europe. But it wasn't just Marbella's stunning scenery that attracted immigrants. For years, authorities issued construction permits recklessly, allowing the anarchic building of luxury blocks. Land and apartments could be paid for in up to 50% cash - enormous sums of money that facilitated the laundering of drug money. And Marbella location, just a few miles from Morocco, placed it at one of the major crossroads of the drug trade. Jet-setters, traffickers, cash—it's an explosive cocktail. And two years ago, the Spanish police decided to clean it up.
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