The Spanish police seized 11 tons of cocaine and arrested 20 individuals, including Albanian citizens, who belonged to two criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking. The large quantity of cocaine originated from South America and was intended to be distributed throughout Europe by traffickers through two Spanish ports. The Albanian police have not provided details about the involvement of Albanians in the two powerful drug trafficking organizations.
On Tuesday, the Spanish police announced that they seized 11 tons of cocaine and arrested 20 individuals, among them Albanian citizens, who belonged to two criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking.
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| Packages of cocaine seized by the Policia National, source: Spanish Police |
Through an official statement, the Spanish police stated that 7.5 tons of cocaine coming from South America were seized at the northwestern port of Vigo. It was concealed inside containers with tons of frozen fish and was intended to be distributed across Europe, as local media reports.
Another quantity of 3.5 tons of cocaine was seized at the eastern port of Valencia, hidden in transport containers.
The Spanish police described the operations as a "major blow" to one of the most powerful Balkan networks involved in distributing cocaine in Europe.
The head of the Spanish Central Narcotics Brigade, Antonio Martinez, confirmed in a media briefing that among those arrested, some were Albanian citizens.
According to the Spanish police, the drug network had established an import company to trade frozen fish and invest in non-traceable assets to cover the activities related to large quantities of drugs coming from South America and later penetrating other European countries.
According to the Spanish police, alongside Albanian citizens, individuals with Spanish, Colombian, and Dominican nationalities were also arrested.
According to the central Spanish press, since 2017, criminal networks from Eastern Europe, consisting of Albanians, Serbs, and Croats, have posed a global threat and a headache for anti-drug units in Spain, a strategic point for the arrival and distribution of cocaine in the European market.
As of the preparation of this chronicle, the Albanian police have not responded to the interest of Voice of America regarding details about the involvement of Albanian citizens in this powerful network transporting cocaine from South America to Europe, already targeted by the Spanish police.