Record cocaine seizure made by Spanish police off coast of Western Sahara
A union said the haul could reach 40 tonnes, as officers arrested about 20 people and kept the probe under legal secrecy.
- On Friday, the Spanish Civil Guard intercepted a 295-foot freighter in international waters off the Canary Islands, discovering a potentially historic haul of up to 40 tons of cocaine aboard the vessel.
- Registered in the Comoros Islands, the ship had departed Freetown, Sierra Leone, bound for Benghazi, Libya, with AUGC sources suggesting the cargo was intended for European distribution via smaller vessels.
- Some 23 people, including Filipino, Angolan, and Dutch nationals, were arrested during the operation. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters the seizure "was one of the biggest, not only nationally but internationally."
- Spain, long a gateway for Latin American cocaine and Moroccan cannabis into Europe, has logged a series of major maritime busts, including 13 tons in 2024 and 10 tons in January.
- The investigation is currently proceeding under legal secrecy in the Canary Islands, and the Civil Guard has not yet officially confirmed all details of the operation.
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Between 35 and 40 tons of cocaine were in the holds of the intercepted cargo ship on Friday, May 1. While some 20 people were arrested, several sources claim that the ship, which reportedly departed from Freetown, Sierra Leone, was destined for Benghazi, Libya.
Spanish police have intercepted a ship sailing in the Atlantic Ocean and seized what is believed to be a record amount of cocaine.
Spain’s biggest-ever cocaine bust
Spain has carried out one of the largest drug seizures in its history after intercepting a vessel in the Atlantic Ocean carrying a huge quantity of cocaine, authorities have confirmed. The operation, led by the Guardia Civil, saw between 30,000 and 45,000 kilograms of cocaine discovered on board a cargo ship in international waters near the Canary Islands. Officials say the haul could mark a… Source
It is one of the largest quantities ever detected internationally.
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