Joint operation of the Tax Agency and the National Police together with the DEA of the United States and the National Police of Panama

• The seizure of the narcotic, which was travelling among legal merchandise in a container from Panama, is one of the largest in a Spanish port using the 'blind hook' system
• Perfect international cooperation has prevented drugs from reaching the market

May 19, 2022.- The Tax Agency and the National Police, in a joint operation that has had the collaboration of the DEA of the United States and the National Police of Panama, have seized some 1,500 kilos of cocaine hidden in a container in the port of Barcelona. Perfect international cooperation has prevented the drug from reaching the market.

The investigation began when the operational units detected a criminal organisation based in Panama and Colombia that was trying to transport four containers to the port of Barcelona, although only one was intended for the transport of drugs. The efforts made by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in Panama allowed the identification of the container that was transporting the narcotic and which, as legal merchandise, was declared to be made of pressed cardboard. 

The control device set up last Tuesday in the port of Barcelona made it possible to verify that, behind the first rows of legal merchandise declared in the container, around 50 bags containing the drugs were hidden. After the required count and drug tests, it turned out to be around a ton and a half of cocaine.

'Blind hook'

Investigators point out that the shipment of cocaine is one of the largest seized in a Spanish port using the 'blind hook' system used by the criminal organisations involved. In this method, the exporting and importing companies are initially unaware that their containers are being used by mafias operating within the ports for the import and recovery of cocaine in Europe.

A thorough analysis of the transportation and concealment system of this large consignment of cocaine allows investigators to confirm that, supposedly, it is an organisation with the capacity not only to extract the illicit cargo from the container in an area subject to high surveillance and control, but also for its subsequent distribution on the European black market.