The MSC Seaside cruise ship, a massive liner with a capacity to host more than 4,000 passengers and a crew of about 1,400, delivered a startling incident at its first stop in Valencia. Ten passengers were detained after authorities uncovered a hidden drug operation that began to surface as the ship docked. Investigators reported the discovery of 54 kilos of cocaine concealed in the luggage of travelers who had boarded in Brazil. A shipment of medicine with a purity level around 70 percent was also found, valued at more than three million euros.
Drug detection dogs from the Civil Guard dope squad, trained for narcotics work, detected the presence of narcotics after the passengers had left the ship in Valencia last weekend. All travelers passed through passport control, and their suitcases were unloaded at a screening area before a customs inspection. The ship had just left the active handling zone and was preparing to depart the port when the discovery occurred, following the ship’s journey from Santos, Brazil.
The search dogs alerted to the drugs, and a closer inspection of fifteen suitcases led investigators to a total of 54 pounds of cocaine hidden in the false bottoms of the luggage containers. In response, the Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Analysis and Investigation Office began the process of arresting ten individuals who had been involved in transporting the drugs. The group comprises four men and six women, all Brazilian nationals.
Two criminal groups
To avoid raising suspicion, those arrested traveled in pairs, presenting a picture of a harmless pleasure cruise. Authorities believe the ten detainees were linked to at least two different criminal organizations that operated independently but used a shared method and intent. The operation’s structure suggests coordinated planning aimed at smuggling and distributing narcotics across multiple European markets.
The first cluster of two couples was responsible for a shipment of 20 kilograms, while the remaining six couples carried 34 kilograms. One syndicate reportedly aimed to move the drugs to Madrid, while the other targeted Lisbon, according to ongoing investigations. In a further development, three of the couples had secured hotel reservations in Valencia to facilitate their distribution networks and the sale of narcotics to third parties.
Dogs of the Civil Guard spotted the hidden medicine in the false bottom of fifteen suitcases as they made their way ashore
The contraband was distributed across fifteen suitcases, each weighing roughly three and a half kilograms. Notably, women appeared to carry a larger share of the load, with most carrying two suitcases each, a pattern authorities observed during the check process.
Ten detainees, aged between 23 and 50, were placed in the custody of the Valencia Court of Inquiry. They were not compelled to testify, and the judge ordered that all ten be held in provisional detention on charges related to drug trafficking and association with a criminal organization.