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Europol, in cooperation with the Spanish Civil Guard (Garda Civile), has intercepted a sailboat about 500 miles northwest of the Gran Canaria island carrying 700 kilograms of cocaine. The international criminal organization behind this operation aimed to deliver the drugs to the archipelago, a consolidated geostrategic point for maritime drug trafficking, Spanish media reports.
The Spanish Civil Guard seized the sailboat around 500 miles northwest of the Gran Canaria island, carrying 700 kilograms of cocaine. This was an attempt by an international criminal organization to transport the drugs to the archipelago, which is a well-established strategic location for maritime drug trafficking.
According to the General Directorate of the Spanish Civil Guard, four individuals have been arrested in the operation. Two crew members of the sailboat, who hold Italian nationality and have connections with the Calabrian 'Ndrangheta mafia, were arrested in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A Serbian citizen and a Croatian citizen, both associated with the paramilitary group of the Balkan Lindor Cartel, were also apprehended.
In a joint operation between Europol and the Spanish Civil Guard, 700 kilograms of cocaine were seized, and a Serbian and a Croatian national were arrested.
On this occasion, a criminal organization involved in smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South America to the EU via the Canary Islands has been dismantled, as stated by Europol in a press release.
Law enforcement agencies from Croatia, Italy, and Serbia participated in this international operation, which was pivotal for tracking the suspects and halting their criminal activities.
The investigation, initiated in March 2022, focused on a vessel flying the Polish flag with a temporary base situated in the Canary Islands, suspected to be used for cocaine transportation.
Since then, law enforcement authorities have been monitoring the crew's activities and have concluded that one of the individuals, an Italian citizen, was linked to the Italian criminal organization 'Ndrangheta,' while the other, a Croatian citizen, had connections to the so-called Balkan Cartel.