Operation of the Tax Agency, Civil Guard and National Police

• It operated 24 hours a day with 'cooks' brought expressly from Colombia and had sophisticated and complete equipment, with up to 3.5 tons of precursors.

• Thirteen people have been arrested in five Spanish provinces who formed an international criminal network trafficking drugs between America and Europe.

• Throughout the investigation, one ton of cocaine and nearly eight tons of corn flour impregnated with cocaine, which was extracted in the laboratory, have been seized.

April 16, 2026. Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, the Civil Guard and the National Police have arrested 13 people who formed an international criminal organization dedicated to trafficking cocaine from South America to Europe. A 'macrolaboratory' for the extraction and processing of cocaine hydrochloride has been dismantled in an industrial building in the town of Gerindote (Toledo). Four more searches have also been carried out in different locations in the Community of Madrid, with the seizure of 100,000 euros in cash, five firearms and bulletproof vests, in addition to interventions in Malaga, La Rioja and Bizkaia, in our country, and in Cartagena (Colombia).

The investigations for this operation, named 'Sircan', date back to 2022, when the Civil Guard discovered the possible trafficking of cocaine from South America to Europe by hiding it in maritime containers destined for Rotterdam (Netherlands). From there it was distributed to Spain and various European locations.

Joint police operations uncovered the existence of a clandestine 'macro-laboratory' of cocaine in a town in Toledo. It was located in an industrial park, integrated with other businesses and industries, giving a completely legitimate appearance. However, inside the building, various rooms had been set up specifically for the extraction and processing of cocaine hydrochloride. The laboratory was operated by expert Colombian 'cooks' brought in specifically by the organization to process the narcotic substance.

The main area of ​​the laboratory was organized into several distinct zones: extraction, precipitation and filtration, and finally, pressing and packaging. In each of these areas, continuous activity took place, in shifts 24 hours a day, focused on processing cocaine base and its subsequent transformation into cocaine hydrochloride, which was presented in the form of 'bricks' and sealed with the different logos used by the organization to differentiate its product in the illicit market.

Laboratory in full production

At the time of the intervention, the laboratory was in full production and contained substances in different stages of the process, from liquid mixtures of cocaine base with solvents, to the finished cocaine hydrochloride. More than seven tons of corn flour used as a means of concealment and transport, impregnated with cocaine base, were seized. Nine kilos of cocaine with a purity close to 93% were also found, already processed and packaged, ready for sale.

During the dismantling of the infrastructure, 3,500 kilos of different precursors, both solid and liquid, used in the various phases of the extraction and processing of the drug were seized. The laboratory was equipped with all the necessary tools and materials and constituted for the organization a stable and continuous source of production of narcotic substances.

In addition to cocaine hydrochloride, various smaller quantities of other substances were seized, including pink cocaine, MDMA, poppers, marijuana, 90 tablets for erectile dysfunction, and bags of Paprika.

Interventions in Colombia and in five Spanish provinces

The operation was carried out in three main phases. The first, carried out in Cartagena (Colombia) in April 2025, where nearly a ton of cocaine hydrochloride was seized.

The second and main phase took place in February of this year in Spain. In it, the laboratory in Gerindote (Toledo) was dismantled and four more searches were carried out in different locations in the Community of Madrid. During this operation, seven people were arrested, including the leader of the criminal organization. Around 100,000 euros in cash, five firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition of various calibers, three bulletproof vests, two incapacitating electric pistols, a money counting machine, mobile phones, documentation, a large quantity of narcotics and three high-end vehicles were seized.

The final phase took place in March, with operations in the provinces of Malaga, La Rioja and Bizkaia, where around 70,000 euros in cash, from drug trafficking, or luxury brand watches, among other items, were seized. The operation culminated with the remaining arrests, with a total of 13 members of the criminal organization arrested.

Money laundering investigation

At the same time, the Toledo Operational Unit of Customs Surveillance has carried out the study of the patrimonial and economic relationships between the investigated, which have resulted in the adoption of precautionary measures against seven properties, 17 vehicles and eleven bank accounts.

The investigation has been carried out by the Toledo Operational Unit of Customs Surveillance, the Judicial Police of the Civil Guard in Toledo, and the Madrid Police Headquarters. In Colombia, it was the country's Anti-Narcotics Police that carried out the inspection and seizure at the port of origin.

During the development of the operation, international police cooperation between various countries in North and South America (USA) has been of great importance. Colombia, Peru and Uruguay), as well as Europe (France, the Netherlands and Portugal), with operational activity even being carried out in Colombia, Peru and Portugal, which has been crucial to the result achieved.