The Spanish police have seized over 1,160 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a shipping container that arrived at the port of Algeciras, Cádiz, from South America. The operation led to the arrest of 10 individuals, following five residential searches in various locations across the province of Cádiz.
The cocaine was concealed using a criminal method known as “blind hook” or “rip off,” in which neither the sender nor the recipient is aware that the container contains illegal substances. This method is commonly used to disguise the illicit nature of the shipment, making it more difficult for authorities to trace the drug network.
The operation, led by the Spanish National Police, began in early 2023 when investigators identified a criminal organization believed to be involved in the international trafficking of cocaine. Surveillance operations confirmed that the group was planning to smuggle a large quantity of the drug into Spain via the port of Algeciras.
🚩Incautada más de una tonelada de cocaína en el puerto de #Algeciras oculta en un contenedor procedente de Sudamérica
— Policía Nacional (@policia) November 13, 2024
Detenidas 10 personas en cinco registros domiciliarios realizados en la provincia de #Cádiz, decretando el juez el ingreso en prisión de los cabecillas pic.twitter.com/aytLD6J2tc
According to authorities, several members of the group, based in Algeciras, acted as intermediaries between suppliers, recipients, and local distributors. The criminal network had a well-established infrastructure designed to transport, introduce, and distribute the drugs once they arrived in Spain.
The bust came after the British National Crime Agency (NCA) alerted Spanish authorities in early September about the suspicious shipment. Investigators were able to locate the container and seize the cocaine before the criminals could extract it. In the subsequent raids, police detained 10 suspects on charges of drug trafficking and belonging to a criminal organization. Five of the individuals have been ordered to remain in custody, while others are under investigation.
