THIS is the moment anti-narcotics police in Spain discovered cocaine hidden inside horse saddles.
Incredibly, drug cartels in Colombia found a way to chemically mix the drug with the stuffing of the saddles, which is made from a type of foam and white fibres.
To the naked eye, the stuffing appears to be of industry standard, but it was where the saddles were being sent from that raised the suspicion of Spanish authorities.
The shipment of six saddles from Medellin, Colombia, was headed to two sleepy towns in the province of Teruel, central Spain.
Raising eyebrows further was the fact that there are no horse riding clubs in either of the two villages (Alcañiz and Valdealgorfa). The recipients of the saddles also had no connection to horses.
This led the Guardia Civil to intercept two packages upon their arrival at Barcelona’s El-Prat airport.
The force announced on Sunday that it had discovered 26kg of cocaine stuffed inside the saddles, with a street value of €600,000.
Five Spaniards have been arrested as part of the months-long investigation, which began in November last year.
They have all been sent to jail ahead of trial, charged with various drug trafficking crimes.
How does cocaine extraction work?
Once the saddles arrived in Spain, the cocaine-laced fibres from their stuffing would have been removed and put through a ‘chemical decantation’ process.
The fibres would have been placed in a solvent that would separate the cocaine. The liquid and fibres would then be carefully drained, leaving the cocaine, which would be left to dry.
Sources close to the investigation do not rule out the possibility that cocaine dissolved in other products have entered Spain.
