Spanish security forces have dismantled three interlinked criminal organisations involved in smuggling large quantities of cocaine from Colombia into Spain by violently assaulting container ships at sea.
The complex operation, carried out jointly by the Guardia Civil, Policia Nacional and the Spanish Tax Agency, has resulted in 30 arrests, 19 property searches and the seizure of more than 2.4 tonnes of cocaine, along with cash, luxury assets and military-grade weapons.
According to investigators, the criminal structure functioned as a coordinated network made up of three separate but interconnected groups.
One of them was linked to the Balkan Cartel and acted as the owner of the cocaine, while a second organisation – made up primarily of Colombian nationals – operated both in Colombia and Spain.
A third group, based in the Campo de Gibraltar, provided the maritime and logistical infrastructure needed to retrieve the drugs.
The investigation began in October 2024, following the seizure of 88kg of cocaine hidden inside a vehicle in Mijas on the Costa del Sol.
From that point, officers uncovered a highly organised operation specialising in the maritime extraction of cocaine concealed inside shipping containers.
Attacks on container ships at sea
The organisations relied on a trafficking method known as ‘micos’, which involves using young, strong swimmers – often from impoverished backgrounds – to attach cocaine shipments to container vessels while they are still at sea.
Members of the network would then travel to Spain to intercept the ships before they reached the Strait of Gibraltar, using boats supplied by the Campo de Gibraltar-based cell.
One attempted recovery was thwarted earlier this year when the crew of a container ship bound for Cadiz alerted Maritime Rescue after spotting stowaways on deck.
Authorities seized 1.35 tonnes of cocaine hidden inside a container, while three suspects assigned to retrieve the drugs fled Spain shortly afterwards.
In a separate incident, a container ship passing through Portuguese waters reported that armed stowaways had taken control of the vessel. In that case, the attackers managed to recover several cocaine packages before authorities intervened.
Military-style tactics and ‘drop off’ method
As the investigation progressed, police detected further recoveries using the ‘drop off’ technique. This involves throwing drug packages overboard from large merchant vessels so they can be collected by smaller, high-speed boats near the destination country.
Investigators say these operations involved military-style tactics, the use of assault weapons, and the intimidation of ship crews in order to access containers at sea.
The cocaine was later hidden in coastal locations around the Gulf of Cadiz before being transported by road to other European countries.
Large-scale seizures and asset freezes
During the final phase of the operation, officers identified several stash houses used to store the drugs. A total of 19 raids led to the seizure of:
- 2.475 tonnes of cocaine
- €166,000 in cash
- Jewellery and luxury watches worth €100,000
- Eight high-end vehicles
- Military-grade weapons
- 215 fuel canisters
- Nautical equipment, ladders and GPS tracking devices
In addition, authorities have frozen real estate assets worth nearly €5 million and blocked four cryptocurrency wallets linked to the network.
Those arrested face charges including drug trafficking, violent robbery, membership of a criminal organisation, vehicle theft and receiving stolen goods. The investigation remains ongoing.
Read more Costa del Crime news at the Spanish Eye.
