Almost 9 tons of cocaine in a container from Colombia

• A tracking device on the container led to the arrest in Malaga of three people related to the importing company and the subsequent arrest in France of two other members of the organization.
• This is the largest cocaine shipment in Spain and the largest container shipment in all of Europe.
• The cocaine was hidden among some of the 1,080 boxes of bananas that were carried by the container that came from a Colombian company and that had been loaded in the port of Turbo (Colombia)nica de declarations, the two new ways that complement the presentation from the Agency's page through 'RENTA WEB'

April 25, 2018 .- Officials from the Customs and Excise Department of the Tax Agency and agents from the National Police-Central Narcotics Brigade have carried out in the port of Algeciras the largest seizure of cocaine ever made in Spain and the largest in a container in all of Europe, having seized a total of 8,740 kilograms of this narcotic, which was hidden in a container of bananas from Colombia and that was traveling on the ship 'Lucie Schulte'.

Investigators from the Tax Agency and the National Police had been monitoring the operations of the company that shipped the goods in Colombia and the importing company in Spain. As a result of these joint investigations, and through international collaboration, we became aware of a shipment suspected of transporting narcotic substances destined for the port of Algeciras.

The suspicious shipment consisted of three containers, which were finally inspected discreetly last Sunday, April 22, in the port of Algeciras. The operation was carried out by Customs Surveillance officers from the Special Delegation of the Tax Agency in Andalusia and agents of the National Police, and as a result of it 8,740 kilograms of cocaine were seized under a first layer of bananas.

The cocaine was hidden among several of the 1,080 boxes of bananas that were in the container, which came from a Colombian company and had been loaded at the port of Turbo (Colombia).

Container tracking

Once the drugs were unloaded, immediately after the arrest, the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office was asked for authorization for the controlled delivery of the container, in order to identify those responsible for the operation, and establishing in parallel surveillance at the container's foreseeable destination.

Finally, the tracking of the container led investigators to the intended destination, an industrial warehouse in Malaga capital, where three people of Spanish nationality related to the importing company were arrested.

Two other businessmen who were members of the organisation and had fled have also been arrested. These are two people of French nationality and residents of Malaga whose arrest has been made possible thanks to a European arrest warrant and the efforts of French Customs and the OCN of Sirene Spain.

This operation is the result of excellent coordination and collaboration between the institutions involved in the repression of drug trafficking at national and international level. The investigations have been coordinated by the Special Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office and the 14th Court of Instruction of Malaga. The investigation is still ongoing and new arrests are not ruled out.

A historic seizure

The seizure carried out in Algeciras is the largest in the history of drug trafficking in our country in all means of transport and also represents the largest amount seized in a container in all of Europe, exceeding the result of the boarding of the vessel 'Tammsare' carried out on the high seas in 1999 (7.6 tonnes) by Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency and the National Police.

Note: Photographic appendix included.