Spanish authorities have dismantled a large international drug smuggling network that transported cocaine into Europe aboard merchant ships. The investigation uncovered three interconnected criminal groups linked to the Balkan Cartel. The network smuggled cocaine from Colombia by hiding it inside containers loaded onto containerships bound for Europe.
The group used multiple methods to move drugs aboard containerships, including illegal boardings at sea. A key element of the scheme was the use of so-called “monkeys” – young, strong swimmers recruited to retrieve drug shipments directly from containers in European waters before the ships reached port.
Last summer, two containerships sailing near Spain and Portugal reported intrusions by stowaways. In one incident, a vessel bound for Cadiz alerted authorities after crew members spotted intruders on deck. When police boarded the ship, at least three suspects fled, leaving behind 38 bales of cocaine that had already been removed from containers. A total of 1,355 kilograms of cocaine was seized.
In another case, a containership in Portuguese waters reported armed stowaways carrying rifles. The suspects attempted to commandeer the vessel and managed to offload several bales of cocaine hidden inside containers before escaping.
Investigators say the network also used fast boats to intercept ships, recover drugs thrown overboard, and forcibly break into containers at sea. Some individuals involved in the operation were reportedly subdued during these actions.
The operation concluded with 19 coordinated raids, 30 arrests, and the seizure of nearly 2.5 tonnes of cocaine, along with weapons, vessels, and navigation equipment. Authorities also froze real estate assets and cryptocurrency wallets linked to the network.
This operation follows another major seizure last week, when Spanish authorities intercepted nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine aboard a bulk carrier off the Canary Islands – the largest maritime cocaine seizure in Spain’s history.
