Operation Kiken: A Large-Scale Cocaine Network Busted at the Port of Algeciras
Civil guards, in cooperation with Europol, dismantled a criminal organization known as the Giggles gang, which specialized in trafficking cocaine from South America through the Port of Algeciras. In total, investigators arrested 30 individuals, seized more than 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, and searched 23 homes across Cadiz, including the port towns of Algeciras, San Roque, and Los Barrios. The operation exposed a tightly organized operation built around port access, logistics, and a fleet of vehicles used to move drugs in and out of the terminal. The scale of the seizure and the breadth of the arrests highlighted a sophisticated network operating at a major Spanish gateway to Europe.
The authorities stated that 10 vehicles were intercepted, €172,000 in cash recovered, 40 kilograms of cocaine seized, a submachine gun and two short firearms found among the items, as well as jewelry and high-value watches. The investigators also recovered tools used to bypass security measures in sea containers and uniforms designed to camouflage port workers inside the terminals. This evidence illuminated a plan that blended legitimate freight operations with criminal activity, allowing the gang to blend into routine port traffic while trafficking large quantities of cocaine.
The operation began in September 2022, when investigators identified a group of truckers connected to a single Algeciras freight forwarding company. The group allegedly used its access to the port terminal to retrieve cocaine concealed inside shipping containers, exploiting legitimate business activities as cover for illicit undertakings.
The investigation intensified when a major seizure occurred in December 2022. A port terminal exit saw 500 kilograms of cocaine found in nine suitcases concealed inside the cab of a truck. The arrest took place in tandem with the capture of a truck driver and five other individuals traveling in a second truck that entered the port terminal simultaneously. Their shared duty was to extract the suitcases and transfer the bags to the first truck, a move that underscored the organized nature of the operation and its reliance on coordinated teamwork at the port.
From that moment, investigators expanded their search for remaining members of the organization, including the alleged leader. The inquiry revealed that the operation was controlled by a well-known Spanish drug smuggler, who had previously been detained in Valencia. The investigation also identified two lieutenants responsible for the operational and logistical arms of the network, including the main handler who directed drug extraction operations and benefited from trusted associates.
The second lieutenant oversaw the shipping company based in Algeciras and was in charge of recruiting truckers for the scheme, facilitating access to the terminal by leveraging the company’s credentials. The modus operandi remained consistent: two trucks appeared to conduct legitimate business as they entered the Algeciras Port terminal. One truck carried “colla” in the yard, which would open a container inside the terminal to remove the cocaine-filled bags. The bags were then transferred to the second truck and exited the port, with members inside the organization coordinating any police response.
Investigators also traced the drug distribution chain, revealing a division of labor for splitting the merchandise and distributing it at lower levels. As the network evolved, the team established a pattern to create new stash points. The operation managed to intercept two trucks with 500 kilograms of cocaine, one of which was hidden inside the cabin along with the “colla,” while another attempt to leave the port was blocked by the research unit.
Even as the leader remained detained, one of his aides reportedly traveled from Algeciras to Valencia’s prison complex days before these events to coordinate operational details, illustrating ongoing planning and coordination across locations. In total, 23 houses were searched, 23 individuals were arrested, and the criminal proceedings proceeded through the investigation phase.
The Organic Unit of the Judicial Police led the inquiry, with cooperation from Algeciras’ 5th Investigation Court and the Campo de Gibraltar Drug Enforcement Prosecutor’s Office. The operation also involved the Civil Guards Central Operations Unit and Europol, reflecting a regional and international effort to dismantle a highly organized drug trafficking network that exploited port infrastructure to move contraband.