SPANISH authorities have disrupted two significant cocaine smuggling operations in what is considered one of the largest drug seizures in the country's history, effectively disrupting the cocaine flow into Europe, reports Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.
Although believed to be separate groups, both operations utilised import companies suspected by the police as fronts, using a substantial number of containers arriving from South America to conceal their illicit activities.
The police, announcing the interception of 11 tons of cocaine and the apprehension of 20 individuals of 'Balkan origin,' declared it a significant operation within Europe.
The first operation involved seizing 7,500 kilos of cocaine at the port of Vigo, concealed between frozen tuna, marking the largest seizure ever in the Galicia region.
The second operation, centred around Valencia, confiscated 3,400 kilos hidden in a secret double-bottom within a shipping container.
Spain's National Police and Tax Agency collaborated over several months to dismantle the complex business network and sophisticated efforts by the cartels to conceal smuggling within a 'voluminous flow of containers.'
Containers departing South America are sometimes transshipped through ports like Algeciras before reaching the Port of Vigo.
Even upon arrival on the Iberian Peninsula, elaborate measures were taken to hide their activities.
An import company based in A Coruna was suspected of fronting for one of the operations.
The company allegedly used various companies of origin for container shipments, with only a few actually smuggling narcotics.
Despite months of tracking the company's import containers, previous inspections had not uncovered drugs.
However, during a recent inspection, the company, supposedly importing frozen fish and seafood, was found to be concealing an unprecedented quantity of drugs in Galicia.
Simultaneously, the parallel investigation focused on a group in the Valencian town of Xirivella.
The police suspected that the strategy involved making it appear as though the containers had been abandoned before the smugglers reclaimed the drugs.
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Although believed to be separate groups, both operations utilised import companies suspected by the police as fronts, using a substantial number of containers arriving from South America to conceal their illicit activities.
The police, announcing the interception of 11 tons of cocaine and the apprehension of 20 individuals of 'Balkan origin,' declared it a significant operation within Europe.
The first operation involved seizing 7,500 kilos of cocaine at the port of Vigo, concealed between frozen tuna, marking the largest seizure ever in the Galicia region.
The second operation, centred around Valencia, confiscated 3,400 kilos hidden in a secret double-bottom within a shipping container.
Spain's National Police and Tax Agency collaborated over several months to dismantle the complex business network and sophisticated efforts by the cartels to conceal smuggling within a 'voluminous flow of containers.'
Containers departing South America are sometimes transshipped through ports like Algeciras before reaching the Port of Vigo.
Even upon arrival on the Iberian Peninsula, elaborate measures were taken to hide their activities.
An import company based in A Coruna was suspected of fronting for one of the operations.
The company allegedly used various companies of origin for container shipments, with only a few actually smuggling narcotics.
Despite months of tracking the company's import containers, previous inspections had not uncovered drugs.
However, during a recent inspection, the company, supposedly importing frozen fish and seafood, was found to be concealing an unprecedented quantity of drugs in Galicia.
Simultaneously, the parallel investigation focused on a group in the Valencian town of Xirivella.
The police suspected that the strategy involved making it appear as though the containers had been abandoned before the smugglers reclaimed the drugs.
SeaNews Turkey
