Agents of the National Police, in a joint operation with officials of the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency, have seized the largest cocaine shipment in Spain to date in the Port of Algeciras.
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Almost 9.5 tons of narcotic substance have been seized in a refrigerated maritime container that, coming from Ecuador, was hidden inside banana boxes.
More than 30 different logos were detected in the illicit shipment, which correspond to the different European criminal organizations that received the cache.
The criminal organization responsible for the supply of cocaine to the most powerful networks in Europe had an extensive business network, for the shipment of maritime containers from Ecuador to Spain.
The first investigations of the operation began when the agents learned of the existence of a criminal organization responsible for supplying cocaine from South America to Europe.
The investigators detected that the network had a wide business network for the shipment of drugs from Ecuador to our country through different Spanish ports, mainly Algeciras and Vigo.
The investigators showed that the organization operated through a company dedicated to the international trade of bananas located in Machala (Ecuador).
From there they sent the merchandise in maritime containers to different companies in our country controlled by members of the criminal network itself.
After several efforts, the researchers confirmed the great logistical capacity of the network, capable of sending 40 monthly containers to Europe, discovering that some of them were contaminated with the narcotic substance.
It was from that moment on when the organization's shipments began to be controlled and a consignment of 15 containers was detected which, presumably, would enter Europe at the beginning of August.
For this reason, the mandatory device was established in the Port of Algeciras, to proceed with its inspection.
Finally, on August 23, investigators located a refrigerated container with 9,436 kilos of cocaine, which is the largest cache seized in Spain to date.
The drug was hidden inside banana boxes and had more than 30 different logos, which correspond to the different European criminal organizations that received said cache.
This operation has been an unprecedented blow to one of the most important criminal organizations worldwide in the distribution of cocaine whose recipients were the main criminal networks in Europe. ■