Hidden in banana crates
Record find: Spanish police present 13 tons of cocaine
In Algeciras, Spain, the national police discovered an astonishing 13 tons of cocaine in a banana shipment in mid-October. Now the officials are presenting the record find.
The Spanish police say they have confiscated 13 tons of cocaine – making it the largest cocaine find in Spain to date. Police and customs investigators intercepted the drug shipment in the port of Algeciras in mid-October, the police said. The cocaine was found on a container ship from Ecuador’s largest city, Guayaquil, an important hub for the international drug trade.
According to the information, there were boxes of bananas on the ship behind which the containers of cocaine were hidden. Spanish police uncovered the smuggling after receiving a tip from police in Ecuador. A suspected business partner of the banana importing company was arrested in the city of Toledo, police said. Two other suspects are on the run.
Spain: gateway for cocaine from South America
According to a report in the newspaper “El País”, the previous record for the amount of cocaine confiscated at once in Spain came from the summer of 2023 and amounted to 9.5 tons. This seizure also took place in the port of Algeciras at the time.
Last year, a total of 14 tons of cocaine was seized in Algeciras and a total of 64 tons of cocaine was seized in all Spanish ports. This highlights the significance of the latest seizure, they said. According to official information, the drugs, which are usually brought in ships from South America to the Iberian Peninsula, are then distributed throughout Europe, including Germany. Spain is considered one of the most important gateways for South American cocaine and, because of its proximity to Morocco, also for hashish into Europe.
AFP · DPA
mth
Source: Stern
