The authorities dismantled what officers described as a major laboratory dedicated to processing cocaine paste at a chalet in Cotobade, Pontevedra, during a coordinated operation last March. The National Police in Pontevedra led the action, in collaboration with Portuguese and Colombian authorities, under the oversight of Spain’s National Court. The facility reportedly operated around the clock and had the capacity to produce large quantities of the drug, supported by two Spaniards stationed in the Canary Islands for logistical assistance.
Described by officials as Europe’s largest facility of its kind, the operation exposed a sophisticated network involved in converting paste into finished product. Antonio Martínez Duarte, chief commissioner of the Central Narcotics Brigade, characterized the discovery as a clear sign of how Colombian and Mexican criminal groups have shifted some production activities into European territories, including Spain, to optimize supply chains. The Canillas Complex in Madrid was cited as part of the broader network linked to these activities (Source: National Court).
On March 23, the National Court announced 18 detainees would be remanded in custody. Among those held were eight individuals identified as cooks who worked under harsh, semi‑enslaved conditions at the Cotobade chalet, where the laboratory was located.
A Stone Crusher, a Hidden Compartment, and Hidden Labor
Inside the facility investigators found a stone chipper used to strip paste from equipment, as well as a concealed hatch leading to a hidden space where processed drugs were stored and prepared for distribution (Source: National Court).
The operation’s commander noted that the network relied on two Spanish nationals in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to manage laundering activities, while the core masterminds were believed to be Colombian and Mexican operatives based in a South American country. Those two Spaniards were integral to the money‑moving side of the operation, helping to route funds through the Canary Islands and fund ongoing logistics (Source: National Court).
The police also reported no direct links to Galician drug cartels, indicating a broader, international scope of the operation. The seizure also had environmental implications, with drug extraction and processing tied to pollutants that affected a nearby river near the chalet, underscoring the environmental harms tied to illicit production (Source: National Court).
GEO, the Police Special Operations Group, led the intervention at the Pontevedra chalet. Eight cooks, six Colombians and two Mexicans, did not resist arrest. In total, authorities conducted 14 searches that yielded about 1,300 kilograms of cocaine‑based paste, assets valued at roughly €1.7 million, and 37 financial instruments seized in relation to the case (Source: National Court).