Criminal networks focused their activities in Galicia, establishing a foothold to move large shipments of narcotics into the country. They employed detection-resistant methods to conceal drugs and their vessels. One operation reportedly intercepted in the Canary Islands involved a cargo of 3,300 kilos of cocaine, supposedly hidden within fishing campaigns in the Atlantic waters near the African coast. The cargo fate remains tied to Galicia, where multiple suspects were taken into custody on a pathway leading inland.
According to the Civil Guard, certain members of the organization traveled to Senegal to personally coordinate and arrange the cocaine shipment. Responsibilities included securing the ship, hiring the crew, and identifying the vessels that would meet the main ship as it approached its destination, with the plan carefully mapped out in advance.
Once the roles of each participant were set, it became clear how the operation unfolded. The group intensified activities aimed at launching a major cocaine shipment on or near the Galician coast.
Investigators also uncovered how the network operated. They used sophisticated techniques to move drugs through various Spanish provinces, avoiding reliance on other service vehicles that could reveal police checks. They relied on hydraulic false bottoms to hide contraband and encrypted messaging between members in the vehicles used for transport.
The investigation began at the start of the year
The probe began in early 2022 after officers detected targeted activity against certain police objectives linked to Galician fishing grounds in African waters.
On December 18, special response unit officers and Civil Guard maritime personnel boarded a ship chartered by the Galician network in the northern Canary Islands after being spotted by a Civil Guard aerial unit and tracked for hours.
During that operation, three crew members were arrested, and the 3,300 kilograms of cocaine were seized. The cargo was to be unloaded at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife after the vessel was intercepted.
Arrests in Galicia
Following these events, the operation expanded rapidly, culminating in thirteen arrests across Pontevedra, Ourense, and A Coruña. Authorities also seized a kilogram of heroin, 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 20,000 euros in cash, and a wide array of high-end electronics, encrypted devices, and a large volume of documents and evidence crucial to the case.
The operation, named “Candy Brown,” was coordinated by the Vigo No. 1 Investigative Court and the Pontevedra Anti-Drug Prosecutor’s Office. It was led by the Organized Crime Team and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Unit based in Galicia, with participation from the Pontevedra UOPJ and several other units under the same command.
This international drug trafficking network has solidified as one of the most frequently used routes by major criminal organizations. It demonstrates how traffickers seek the most secure pathways and the strongest likelihood of success.
Notably, the Civil Guard has been detecting for some time that certain Galician groups have been expanding their infrastructure to transport narcotics through this route, underscoring a persistent challenge in regional security and cross-border crime prevention.