A coordinated security operation by Spanish authorities has dismantled a major international drug trafficking network, highlighting Morocco as a crucial transit point for cocaine destined for Europe. The network utilized complex maritime routes across the Atlantic Ocean.
According to a statement from the Spanish Ministry of Interior, the operation, conducted in two phases across Andalusia and the Canary Islands, resulted in the dismantling of a dangerous criminal organization and the arrest of over 100 individuals. These individuals were allegedly responsible for smuggling approximately 57 tons of cocaine into Europe last year alone.
The operation led to the seizure of 10,400 kilograms of narcotics. Authorities also confiscated 70 vehicles, 30 vessels, real estate, firearms, multiple bank accounts, two drones, and over 800,000 euros in cash. Furthermore, 150 mobile phones and sophisticated equipment used for maritime smuggling, with an estimated total value of 2.5 million euros, were seized.
Investigations revealed that the network used high-speed boats operating from rivers in Andalusia, the Canary Islands, and Morocco. These boats would then reach the Atlantic Ocean, where shipments were transferred to larger vessels and directed towards European markets. This reinforces existing data suggesting Morocco’s emergence as a primary platform for drug transit and export, due to perceived gaps in border and port security.
The investigation further exposed the network’s sophisticated maritime infrastructure, enabling crews to remain at sea for extended periods. They employed encrypted communication channels, satellite devices, and difficult-to-trace phones to evade detection by security forces. This has effectively transformed the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean into an open arena for transnational organized crime, posing a threat to regional and international security.
Spanish police revealed that the network had established fuel storage centers and surveillance points to monitor security force movements. They also maintained a comprehensive logistical system to supply boats with provisions and fuel, ensuring the uninterrupted continuation of smuggling operations on the high seas.
Indicating the scale of the criminal organization, investigations showed that the network paid approximately 12 million euros to the family of a crew member who died during a drug shipment, allegedly in an attempt to buy their silence and prevent any connection between the death and the criminal activity. Authorities have confirmed the existence of key network coordinators in Morocco, Cadiz, and the Canary Islands. The investigation is ongoing.