Spain seizes a record 13 tons of cocaine hidden in a banana container

Spain’s National Police and customs officers have seized 13 tons of cocaine in the Spanish port of Algeciras (Cádiz) camouflaged among a shipment of bananas, according to sources familiar with the investigation. The cocaine was hidden in a container that had arrived from Ecuador, one of the major platforms for the export of cocaine in recent years, and its destination was a fruit company based in Alicante province. The investigation has been declared under seal, the same sources added. These 13 tons represent a new record for a cocaine shipment seized on Spanish soil, as they exceed the 9.5 tons seized in the summer of 2023, also in Algeciras. Last year, 64 tons of cocaine were seized in Spanish ports.

Today, one of the hottest spots for drug trafficking on a global scale is Ecuador, which is experiencing a serious security crisis. “The Albanians saw a great business opportunity: instead of fighting with the cartels in the traditional coca leaf producing countries (Colombia, Bolivia and Peru), they chose to buy the drug directly from them and send it to Europe from the port closest to the border: Guayaquil,” explains Antonio Martínez Duarte, head of the Drugs and Organized Crime Unit of Spain’s National Police (UDYCO). “They acquired large banana and fruit export companies as a cover to ship tons of cocaine throughout Europe,” he adds. Spain — specifically the cities of Valencia, Barcelona and Algeciras, where members of the so-called Balkan Clan have settled — is currently a major gateway for drugs.

One arrest has been made in connection with this latest haul, but more suspects are being sought. The fruit company involved, located in the municipality of El Campello, had already been investigated for previous seizures of drug caches, the same sources added. There were police raids on this and other premises on Thursday, the regional daily Información reported.

To date, the record for cocaine seizures was held by the 9.5 tons seized in August 2023. On that occasion, investigators traced a trail of at least 30 European criminal organizations that had joined forces to ship this merchandise from Ecuador. The Tax Agency defined it as the “most important operation in the history of Spain in the fight against cocaine.” The drug was hidden among a shipment of bananas. Investigators confirmed the great logistical capacity of the network, with a capacity to send 40 containers per month to Europe.

Almost 70% of drug seizures by customs authorities in Europe occur in ports, according to the 2023 European Drug Report. In addition to Spain, major ports in Belgium and the Netherlands are regularly used by drug trafficking organizations. The report also warned that concerns about the operations of these networks had spread to smaller ports elsewhere in Europe.

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