Spanish police have seized 30 tonnes of cocaine from a ship off the Canary Islands in what is being called Europe’s largest-ever drug bust. The Comoros Island-flagged Arconian, intercepted by the Guardia Civil on May 1, carried a cargo valued at more than €812 million ($956 million), according to The High Court.
Key Takeaways
Spanish police seized 30 tons of cocaine from a ship off the Canary Islands, marking Europe's largest-ever drug bust. The Comoros Island-flagged Arconian was intercepted on May 1 with a cargo valued at over €812 million.
- Spanish authorities detained all 23 crew members without bail
- Seizure surpasses previous European record of 25 tons in Hamburg last year
- Crew included nationals from the Philippines, Netherlands, and Suriname
- Firearms and ammunition were found on board
- Cocaine was likely destined for mainland Spain via high-speed boats
The seizure dwarfs the previous European record of 25 tonnes recovered in Hamburg last June and is more than twice Spain’s own record of 13 tonnes found in a shipment of Ecuadorean bananas at Algeciras last year. The operation, conducted with US and Dutch authorities, involved boarding a 90-meter-long ship, where officers discovered the cocaine along with firearms and ammunition.
Investigators believe the cocaine was intended to be transferred to smaller high-speed boats for smuggling into mainland Spain. Six crew members were found hiding on board, while seventeen others were from the Philippines. The court ordered all 23 crew members held without bail, citing the gravity of the alleged offences and flight risk.
The Arconian left Freetown, Sierra Leone, on April 22 before being intercepted in the North Atlantic between Africa and the Canary Islands. Spanish police released pictures of the haul and weapons found on board, providing visual evidence of the record seizure. The operation highlights international cooperation in combating drug trafficking.
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