A joint operation by the Tax Agency and the Guardia Civil

• This is the largest seizure of cocaine in Spain in more than four years, the third seizure in a single container according to CITCO records and the largest in the port of Valencia since records began.
• The actions began following various legal imports of fruit and vegetables into the national territory, taking advantage of the legal trade of this type of merchandise from the other side of the Atlantic that could be being used for the transatlantic drug trade.

November 30, 2022.- Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency and the Civil Guard, in a joint operation, have seized 5,592 kilos of cocaine camouflaged in a container from South America in the port of Valencia. This is the largest seizure of cocaine in Spain in more than four years, the third seizure in a single container, according to records from the Center for Intelligence against Terrorism and Organized Crime (CITCO) and the most important in the port of Valencia since records began.

The development of research

The actions began in 2021, following various legal imports of fruit and vegetables into the national territory, taking advantage of the legal trade of this type of merchandise from the other side of the Atlantic that could be used for the transatlantic drug trade. As a result of these investigations, a cargo containing 70 kilos of cocaine was seized in the port of Barcelona in September.

Continuing with the investigations, the agents located a container from South America in the port of Valencia that could be being used to introduce drugs. For this reason, the agents proceeded to inspect it and found more than 5.5 tons of cocaine hidden inside, along with the merchandise whose importation was legal.

Once the drugs were 'cut', those more than five tons could have reached a value on the illicit market of more than 340 million euros.

The performances continue

The investigation is currently still open, while an attempt is being made to determine, on the one hand, those responsible for the introduction of the narcotic substance and, on the other hand, the people who would later be responsible for the distribution of the drug in our country.

The action was carried out within the framework of the Risk Analysis Unit (UAR) of the Tax Agency (through the Customs Surveillance Service). The purpose of this unit is to carry out ongoing monitoring and analysis of international merchandise traffic.

Likewise, officials from the Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency of Valencia and Madrid and the Organized Crime and Anti-Drug Team of the Valencia Command of the Civil Guard have participated in the operation.