• The operation culminated in 21 arrests and the seizure of nearly 303 kilos of cocaine, 20 kilos of hashish, 400,000 euros in cash, 22 high-end vehicles and three firearms.

July 23, 2026. Customs Surveillance officials from the Tax Agency in Palma de Mallorca and Catalonia and the Civil Guard, through the Organized Crime and Anti-Drug Team (EDOA) of the Balearic Islands Command, in collaboration with the EDOA of Barcelona, ​​have dismantled a criminal organization specializing in cocaine trafficking between Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, within the framework of the so-called 'Joker'/'Yayo' operation.

The investigation began on January 21, 2026, after the interception, in the port of Palma, of a vehicle driven by a septuagenarian from Barcelona who was transporting 44 kilos of cocaine hidden in a false bottom. From this operation, the investigators were able to identify those responsible for the organization and reconstruct the workings of a criminal network dedicated to supplying drugs in Mallorca.

The investigation revealed that the organization was made up of two perfectly coordinated structures. From Catalonia, the acquisition of cocaine was managed, its concealment in specially modified vehicles, and its transport by sea. In Mallorca, another group was responsible for receiving the narcotic substance and distributing it among different points of sale on the island.

To hinder police action, the organization used sophisticated hidden compartments installed in vehicles and adopted strict security and counter-surveillance measures during travel between the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.

During the six-month investigation, carried out between January and July 2026, the agents made several interventions that prevented the distribution of large quantities of drugs. Among them, the seizure of 225 kilos of cocaine in Badalona stands out, and almost 66 kilos in the port of Palma, amounts that, together with the seizures in the homes, raise the final balance of the operation to about 303 kilos of cocaine and 20 kilos of hashish seized.

Also seized were approximately 400,000 euros in cash, allegedly from the illicit activity carried out by the organization.

The final phase of the operation took place in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, with the arrest of 21 people and searches of homes in Palma and Alcudia.

During the searches, agents located 22 high-end vehicles, three firearms, electric shock devices, hyper-realistic silicone masks, police tape, balaclavas, cash, and various documents of interest to the investigation. Investigators believe that some of this material was intended for the commission of 'rip-offs', thefts of drugs and money from other organizations dedicated to drug trafficking.

The detainees have been placed at the disposal of the judicial authority. The investigation remains open and further actions related to the activities of the dismantled organization are not ruled out.