It’s not a good year for streaming unless a Spanish series is trending worldwide, and this 2024, Netflix may be the winner among all platforms. Their new show, “Gangs of Galicia”, is topping the rankings in nearly every country.
Led by two of Spain’s most successful actors, Clara Lago and Tamar Novas, the show features a forbidden Romeo-and-Juliet-style romance where Lago plays a lawyer, and Novas portrays the son of a major drug dealer.
The trailer immediately reveals that the production is based on a true story. Here, learn the real case behind it.
All on Operation Necora
In a recent interview with Diario de Mallorca, the lead actors confirmed that “Gangs of Galicia” is based on numerous real stories from the autonomous community in Spain. However, when asked about a specific case that may be linked to the plot, they neither confirmed nor denied it, fueling speculation. One such story is Operation Necora, the largest Spanish police operation against drug traffickers ever seen in this small part of Europe.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Galicia gained notoriety for its involvement in drug trafficking, particularly as a major gateway for smuggling drugs from Latin America into Europe.
On June 12, 1990, Baltasar Garzón, the central investigating judge of the National Court, and anti-drug prosecutor Javier Zaragoza launched a significant operation against drug trafficking gangs in the aforementioned community. A contingent of hundreds of police officers arrested major tobacco smugglers turned drug traffickers in their homes.
The series draws inspiration from these events. Garzón relied on testimony from two informants known in the media as “The penitents,” one of whom was Manuel Fernández Padín, an active member of one of the clans. Interestingly, Daniel, the main character of “Gangs of Galicia”, is depicted as belonging to that exact group.
While the show uses the case as a basis to develop its storyline in different ways, the reference remains rooted in reality. Furthermore, series creator Jorge Guerricaechevarría effectively portrays the dangers of trafficking in this region of Spain, adding significant realism to the production.
