National Police operations in Spain culminated in a sweeping seizure of cocaine exceeding 11 tons, recovered from sea containers arriving from Latin America and stored in the ports of Galicia and Valencia. It stands as the largest cocaine interception in Spanish history and delivers a significant setback to Albanian criminal networks that have become the strongest trafficking groups in Europe, according to authorities.
On a recent Tuesday, officers from the Drug and Organized Crime Unit, coordinated with Tax Office detectives, presented the outcomes of two parallel investigations that began in late November and extended into the first week of December. The two cases, though investigated separately, share a tight web of connections that point to a single, dominant network operating at a continental scale.
Operation Tonara marked Galicia as the scene of the biggest cocaine seizure in the region, with 7.5 tonnes uncovered inside frozen tuna shipments. The operation led to the arrest of five individuals involved in the distribution chain. The concealment technique—stowing the drug within perishable goods—highlights the sophistication of the smugglers and the constant adaptation of concealment methods to dodge routine inspections at European ports.
In a second effort, dubbed Operation Flare, authorities reported 15 arrests tied to a separate shipment that had lain in port since November, destined for Valencia. This operation culminated in the seizure of 3.5 tonnes of cocaine, illustrating the scale of the organized effort and the extended timelines smugglers sometimes rely on to move large quantities through European logistics hubs.
Antonio Duarte, chief commissioner of the Central Narcotics Brigade, underscored an important throughline: these are not isolated incidents but two linked probes that reveal a broader pattern. He stated that Albanian trafficking networks dominate European sea routes, employing double-bottom container configurations to transport narcotics. The comment reflects a strategic understanding of how these networks operate across multiple entry points and how authorities are adapting to disrupt them at several nodes along the supply chain. The investigations also demonstrate close collaboration among national police units and governmental agencies, reinforcing a holistic approach to countering maritime drug trafficking. (Source attribution: National Police communications desk, December briefings)