• Eight members of an Albanian clan dedicated to maritime drug trafficking via container ships have been arrested, and 20,000 euros have been seized.

• The leader of this criminal network, a lieutenant of the deceased notorious drug trafficker known as 'the Wikipedia drug lord', had the collaboration of a Galician organization to try to establish himself in this autonomous community.

• This shipment, thwarted by investigators, was the organization's first attempt to smuggle drugs through the port of Vigo.

January 23, 2026. Customs Surveillance officials from the Tax Agency, in a joint operation with agents of the National Police, have dismantled a criminal organization dedicated to introducing cocaine into Europe through container ships. 200 kilos have been seized in the port of Vigo and eight people have been arrested, five of whom have been imprisoned as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of belonging to a criminal organization and drug trafficking.

The investigation began in 2024 thanks to collaboration between the Tax Agency and the National Police aimed at thwarting attempts by international organizations to take advantage of new direct routes from Latin America to the port of Vigo.

As a result of the initial investigations, it was determined that there was an Albanian clan using the technique known as 'rip off' or 'blind hook'. This procedure consists of introducing the narcotic into a container on board ships dedicated to the transport of goods in order to extract it once these vessels arrive at the port of destination.

Caught eating at a restaurant in Vigo

After carrying out various investigative tasks and establishing a police operation, on the 12th all members of the criminal network were identified and five of its members were arrested. They had arrived in Vigo the day before the container ship docked to try to take charge of the drugs. Two of them were located in a rented house in the city of Vigo and the other three were caught eating in a restaurant in the same city.

On the 20th, a second operation was carried out in A Coruña, Lugo, Madrid and the O Salnés region, where three more people were arrested, the rest of the members of the organization.

Trusted man of the 'Wikipedia drug lord'

The leader of this network was a lieutenant of the deceased historical drug trafficker known as 'the Wikipedia drug lord', and he had the collaboration of a Galician organization to try to establish himself in this autonomous community. The investigators verified that he had an outstanding court order for his imprisonment for a drug trafficking offense.

Finally, the operation culminated in the seizure at the port of Vigo of 200 kilos of cocaine, distributed in four bales, which had been transported in a container from Latin America. In addition, 20,000 euros have been seized. This shipment, thwarted by investigators, was the organization's first attempt to introduce drugs through the port of Vigo.

The eight detainees were brought before the judicial authorities as alleged perpetrators of the crimes of belonging to a criminal organization and drug trafficking, with five of them being imprisoned.