A major cocaine smuggling operation that used a network of speedboats to transport drugs from South America to the Canary Islands has been taken down, police have said.
Almost four tonnes of cocaine trafficked from Brazil and Colombia were seized and 48 suspects arrested in raids across Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.
Europol said the gang used speedboats “repeatedly, departing from strategic points in the Atlantic Ocean to a mother ship transporting the cocaine”.
The force also said it had identified a local network in the Canary Islands responsible for distributing the cocaine once it had arrived from South America.
It is not the first time police have intercepted a large amount of cocaine bound for the Canary Islands, a Spanish territory and popular tourist destination lying around 100km (62 miles) off the west African coast.
According to police, a significant cocaine smuggling operation that transported drugs from South America to the Canary Islands via a network of speedboats has been shut down.
During raids throughout Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote, 48 suspects were taken into custody and nearly four tonnes of cocaine trafficked from Brazil and Colombia were confiscated.
A complex operation that involved using an abandoned wreck at sea as a refueling platform was carried out by the gang, according to Spain’s Policia Nacional, using 11 so-called narco boats to smuggle the drugs across the Atlantic.
The raids, known as Operation Black Shadow, were planned by police forces from South America, the US, and Europe, including the UK.
The arrest of a British national was confirmed by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
Speedboats were “repeatedly, departing from strategic points in the Atlantic Ocean to a mother ship transporting the cocaine,” according to Europol.
To elude law enforcement, the gang employed “a complex encrypted communications system, including the use of satellite terminals, hard-to-trace phones, and a coded language,” according to investigators.
Police reported that the raids, which had been planned for months, involved the search of 29 properties, the seizure of 69 vehicles, including boats and jet skis, and the recovery of cash and firearms.
The raids’ specifics shed light on the intricate networks used by international drug smuggling organizations to deliver drugs into Europe, a significant market for cartels based in South America.
The operation, according to Spanish police, “dismantled one of the largest criminal organizations dedicated to cocaine trafficking.”.
“Once the cocaine arrived from South America, it was distributed by a local network in the Canary Islands,” the force added.
Spanish police released footage of the raids, which showed masked and armed officers searching multiple homes, arrested suspects, and made arrests.
Police have stopped a significant amount of cocaine headed for the Canary Islands, a Spanish territory and well-liked tourist destination located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) off the coast of west Africa, before.
A Venezuelan fishing boat was intercepted 1,000 miles out at sea, according to a December police announcement.
The ship was found to be carrying 3point 3 tonnes of cocaine; it was so run-down that it sank during the towing process to shore.
“Alongside our international partners, we are relentless in our efforts to tackle drug trafficking across borders, ensuring it is seized before it reaches the UK criminal supply chain,” an NCA spokesperson said in response to the most recent raid. “.
