Spanish police seize over 8.5 tonnes of cocaine in two container cases

Officials from Spain's Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency have successfully seized a staggering 8,000 kilograms of cocaine concealed within a container at the port of Algeciras.

This seizure ranks among the largest in recent years in Spain and represents a significant accomplishment despite the fact that the criminal organization implemented a concealment system, designed to evade scanner scrutiny.

The container's complex transportation route added to the challenge, originating from the port of Paramaribo in Suriname, making a stop in Algeciras, intended for Portugal, and then rerouting back to Spain by road.

The individual slated to receive the illicit merchandise has been apprehended, and two others are currently under investigation. The General Subdirectorate of Operations of the Customs and Excise Department of the Tax Agency played a pivotal role, alerting authorities to the potential contamination of the container while it was en route to the port of Algeciras. Subsequently, all necessary operations were coordinated for the container's opening on 5 February.

This marks the second recent cocaine seizure in Spanish ports. Collaborating with Colombian authorities, Spain's Customs Surveillance officials of the Tax Agency intercepted 620 kilograms of cocaine in Madrid, hidden in a container originating from Colombia and unloaded in the port of Barcelona. Seven individuals, including the administrator of the importing company, have already been arrested.

The operation unfolded following intelligence that a container bound for the port of Barcelona might contain cocaine intricately mixed with the cargo—mineral salt for animal feed, a blend not easily detectable by conventional field reagents. On 8 January, the Barcelona Customs Surveillance Operational Unit identified a container arriving from Colombia, declaring a cargo of 1,000 bags of salt. The importing company, based in Sant Cugat del Vallés, Spain came under scrutiny.

Upon inspection at that time, samples were extracted from various bags for analysis by the Barcelona Customs Laboratory, revealing the presence of cocaine in some of them. These bags prompted a comprehensive examination, leading to the discovery of 34 bags, all bearing the same brand, each containing a mixture of cocaine and salt.

In response, a court order facilitated the interception of the administrator's phone number from the importing company. Wiretaps revealed crucial information, indicating that the shipment was scheduled to be moved to a logistics warehouse in Madrid on 11 January. The intention was to store the merchandise temporarily while awaiting further instructions for unloading.