Spain busts record 9.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in banana shipment from Ecuador

Spanish authorities have made a record cocaine seizure of 9.5 tonnes concealed within boxes of bananas in a shipping container from Ecuador at the southern port of Algeciras, police officials said on Friday.

This enormous cache marks the largest single-container cocaine seizure in Spain‘s history, according to a statement released by the police.

“This operation was an unprecedented blow to one of the world’s most important criminal organisations in cocaine distribution, targeting major criminal networks in Europe,” a police statement said.

The boxes containing the illicit cargo bore more than 30 distinct logos, corresponding to various European criminal rings intended to receive the cocaine shipments. However, the police did not disclose the specific names of the organisation or the criminal networks operating in Europe.

The refrigerated container housing the drugs was discovered on August 23. José Carlos Arobes, a senior official from the Spanish tax agency responsible for customs inspections, revealed that the drugs were hidden within a shipment purported to contain 1,080 boxes of bananas. The illicit stash was located at the southwestern port of Algeciras.

Ecuadorian criminal organisation used port cities in Spain to distribute drugs in Europe

The Ecuadorian criminal organisation behind the shipment had established an extensive network for transporting drugs to Spain, primarily through the ports of Algeciras and Vigo. This network operated through an international banana trading company based in Ecuador’s principal banana port, Machala.

The organisation managed to transport up to 40 containers per month, some of which contained illicit drugs. The group also used the northwestern port of Vigo as part of their operations.

The investigation was initiated in July following intelligence regarding an impending shipment of Colombian cocaine through Ecuador in August. The criminal organisation orchestrating the operation was associated with a banana exporting company located in Machala, Ecuador.

The cocaine-laden cargo was allegedly destined for delivery in Portugal, with the intention of subsequent distribution across Europe.