The drug was hidden in two containers.

• This organization is the most active drug trafficking network at the moment in Europe and has used the 'blind hook' or 'rip off' method, which consists of contaminating drugs with legal cargo in the same container.

• The Latin American organizations that supply drugs to this cartel use the Spanish coasts and ports to introduce the drugs.

November 29, 2023.- Customs Surveillance officials of the Tax Agency, in a joint operation with agents of the National Police, have seized in Algeciras almost a ton of cocaine, hidden in containers, from the Balkan Cartel, which is currently the most active network in Europe. The method used by the organization is the 'blind hook' or 'rip off', which consists of contaminating drugs with legal cargo.

The operation began when the agents who were investigating this organisation learned that they were going to send a container that would arrive at the port of Algeciras with a significant amount of cocaine inside, and that, in addition, they were looking for a way to extract the narcotic substance.

At the same time, an alert was received from Colombia about a possible container that had left Ecuador, with a stopover in Colombia, and was going to reach the Spanish coast and that was carrying a significant amount of drugs inside. The method used by the organization is known as the 'blind hook' or 'rip off', a technique that consists of contaminating a legal shipment with drugs.

415 and 500 kilos of cocaine in two containers

Once the agents were aware of the container number, it was possible to verify that the criminal organization receiving the cargo in Spain was the organization under investigation. When the container arrived at its destination, investigators opened it and seized the 415 kilos of cocaine it was carrying.

Following several investigations, the agents obtained more information that allowed them to identify a new container that the organisation intended to introduce through the port of Algeciras. For this reason, the cocaine was inspected and 500 kilos of cocaine were seized, which had been prepared to be extracted, again, using the 'blind hook' method.

The difficulty in investigating members of these organizations lies in their mobility, as they travel thousands of kilometers to hold a meeting. The investigation continues to identify all members of the network and proceed with their arrest.