Spanish authorities have dismantled a major cocaine trafficking operation utilizing a fleet of speedboats to transport narcotics from South America to the Canary Islands.
The operation, codenamed Operation Black Shadow, resulted in the seizure of nearly four tonnes of cocaine and the arrest of 48 suspects across Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote. The cocaine originated from Brazil and Colombia.
Spain’s Policia Nacional revealed the gang employed 11 high-speed vessels, strategically utilizing an abandoned shipwreck as a refueling point during their transatlantic voyages.
International collaboration was key, with law enforcement agencies from Europe, the UK, South America, and the US participating in the meticulously planned raids.
Europol reports the gang used a sophisticated method, repeatedly deploying speedboats from strategic Atlantic locations to rendezvous with a mother ship carrying the cocaine.
Investigators uncovered a complex encrypted communication system, including satellite terminals, untraceable phones, and coded language, employed by the cartel to evade detection.
Months of planning culminated in raids encompassing 29 property searches, the seizure of 69 vehicles (including boats and jet skis), and the recovery of cash and firearms.
This operation highlights the intricate networks employed by international drug smuggling gangs to infiltrate European markets, a significant target for South American cartels.
Spanish police declared the operation a significant success, dismantling “one of the largest criminal organizations dedicated to cocaine trafficking”.
Furthermore, a local distribution network within the Canary Islands, responsible for distributing the cocaine upon arrival, has been identified and disrupted.
Footage released by Spanish police depicts armed officers executing raids, making arrests, and conducting thorough searches.
This is not an isolated incident; the Canary Islands, a popular tourist destination, have previously been targeted by drug trafficking organizations.
In December, police intercepted a dilapidated Venezuelan fishing vessel 1,000 miles offshore carrying 3.3 tonnes of cocaine; the vessel subsequently sank while under tow.
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