A major operation led by the Civil Guard targeted a network involved in cannabis trafficking across Spain and into other European countries. The coordinated action resulted in the detention of 30 individuals inside Spain and two more in France, with the intention of distributing the narcotics to various European destinations, including Alicante, Tarragona, Barcelona, Murcia, and the Balearic Islands. Authorities recovered five drug boats valued at around 900,000 euros, including one vessel that ran aground near Cabo de las Huertas. In total, more than 5,700 kilograms of cannabis were seized, with an estimated street value surpassing 19 million euros. Investigators also linked this operation to earlier seizures amounting to roughly four tons of cannabis conducted in Vinaròs and in France.
Within the group identified as part of the operation, which the authorities nicknamed Operation Drift, one individual is considered the principal figure responsible for cannabis smuggling in Catalonia for the previous year. The Civil Guard reported that the organization purchased boats in Galicia and Portugal before transporting them to Catalonia for drug shipments.
Evidence also pointed to a self-contained drug workshop based in Cambrils, staffed by a marine technician who specialized in modifying vessels to carry narcotics toward North Africa. This expert was responsible for preparing the narcotic boats to reach their intended maritime routes.
Investigators found that the network operated its own narco-boats while also providing services to other groups that bought its capabilities. The same inquiry revealed several caches where cannabis was hidden or stored, and these caches were dismantled in the course of the operation: two in Tarragona, one in Alicante, and one in Ibiza. In Alicante, authorities intervened on January 31, when it became clear the network planned to use a coastal route to move drugs aboard a pleasure vessel at sea. About two tons of marijuana were recovered at that site, and three suspects were detained.
The seizures and the network’s activities were part of a broader pattern of seizures related to this case, illustrating how the trafficking organization distributed narcotics across multiple fronts and via several routes managed by the group. The Civil Guard highlighted that the operation involved a distribution scheme with links to other criminal groups, underscoring the complexity of the drug trade in the region.
During the course of the investigations, occasional clashes with other ongoing inquiries emerged, underscoring the overlapping nature of efforts to dismantle organized crime. The operation’s activities were carried out in cooperation with national law enforcement bodies, including Customs Surveillance, and were integrated through the Intelligence Center for Combating Terrorism and Organized Crime, CITCO. The coordination aimed to disrupt the network’s supply chain and to sever key transport and logistics nodes that supported the illicit operation.
The case proceeded under the oversight of the Reus Criminal Court of Peace No. 2, with investigators continuing to document the network’s structure and the extent of its reach. The investigation demonstrated how the network exploited maritime routes to move cannabis from production or staging areas toward coastal ports and into inland markets across the region, highlighting the persistent challenges posed by narco-bootleg operations and their ability to adapt to evolving enforcement tactics.
Overall, authorities described the operation as a significant blow to the smuggling network, illustrating a sustained commitment to curbing cannabis trafficking that extends beyond national borders and into the broader European landscape. The case continues to be monitored as prosecutors review additional material and potential spillover effects that may require further action across jurisdictions.