This is the moment police in the Canary Islands busted a Latin American heroin gang that was allegedly planning to smuggle 21kg of the drug to mainland Spain.
Two couples of South American origin were arrested as part of Operation Corcel after being caught during the handover of the shipment in Gran Canaria, the Policia Nacional said.
The suspects had travelled from Toledo to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on the same flight, but investigators claim they took a series of precautions designed to conceal their links to one another.
Despite travelling together, the four allegedly booked separate seats and stayed at different hotels in distant parts of the island, while avoiding visible contact.
Police believe the two couples also had distinctly different roles within the organisation.
One pair was responsible for receiving the heroin in Gran Canaria, while the other was tasked with taking possession of it and transporting it onwards to mainland Spain, reportedly using rental vehicles.
The Policia Nacional believes the operation could reveal a new trafficking route being used to move heroin towards the Iberian Peninsula, which investigators are continuing to analyse.
Caught during alleged hotel handover
After identifying the four suspects, officers launched a surveillance operation in July.
Police eventually tracked all four to the cafeteria of a hotel in the Santa Catalina-Puerto area of Las Palmas, where they were carrying out the drug transaction in broad daylight.
Officers moved in and arrested the suspects, discovering a suitcase containing 21kg of heroin packed inside supermarket plastic bags.
The seizure prevented the shipment from continuing on its journey towards mainland Spain, according to investigators.
Police carried out two searches at properties in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria as part of the investigation.
All four suspects were brought before a judge, who ordered them remanded in custody while they are investigated for alleged membership of a criminal organisation and offences against public health.
