A major drug trafficking network linked to the notorious ‘Risitas’ clan has been dismantled in a sweeping police operation across the Costa del Sol and Campo de Gibraltar.
Officers from the Guardia Civil arrested 20 people and carried out 22 raids in Algeciras, San Roque, Los Barrios, La Línea de la Concepción and Marbella.
Among those detained is the alleged leader of the organisation, who had previously managed to escape during a major 2023 crackdown that saw more than a tonne of cocaine seized.
However, a second senior figure remains on the run.
Sophisticated smuggling operation
Investigators say the gang had evolved into a highly organised and sophisticated network, using a legitimate haulage company as cover to move drugs through the Port of Algeciras – one of Europe’s busiest shipping hubs.
Their methods had also become more advanced.
Instead of hiding cocaine in truck cabins, the group built concealed compartments beneath semi-trailer, used both to smuggle in operatives and to stash drugs during extraction.
The technique allowed them to carry out so-called ‘gancho perdido’ operations – where drugs are secretly removed from shipping containers – while avoiding standard checks and minimising exposure.
Hundreds of kilos seized
The network has already been linked to the seizure of 445kg of cocaine in October 2025, when two members were caught red-handed at an industrial warehouse in Los Guijos.
Officers say the suspects believed they were operating with complete security.
Inside help at the port
Among those arrested are truck drivers and port workers accused of playing a crucial role in the operation, providing insider information and helping coordinate movements at the container terminal.
This inside access allowed the gang to operate with a high level of precision, reducing the risk of detection.
Investigation ongoing
The operation, led by the Guardia Civil’s judicial police unit in Algeciras under the supervision of a local court and anti-drug prosecutors, is still ongoing.
Authorities are now hunting for the group’s second-in-command and any remaining collaborators.
The bust marks another major blow to organised crime networks operating along the Costa del Sol, where international trafficking routes continue to intersect with local infrastructure.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
