Spain – Authorities have dismantled three interconnected criminal organizations linked to the Balkan Cartel, responsible for smuggling large shipments of cocaine into the country.

The networks operated in coordination, using shipping containers and the “monkey” technique, where young swimmers loaded drugs at sea. Other members hijacked the containers near Spain using the drop-off method, often armed with weapons of war.

The investigation began after 88 kg of cocaine was seized in Mijas, Málaga, in October 2024. Further operations revealed the scope of the smuggling operation, spanning Colombia and Spain, and supported by a third organization providing logistical aid, including high-speed boats.

Authorities carried out 19 raids, arresting 30 individuals. The seizures included 2,475 kilograms of cocaine, over €166,000 in cash, jewelry and watches worth €100,000, eight high-end vehicles, weapons of war, 215 jerrycans of gasoline, nautical equipment, ladders, and GPS devices. Real estate assets worth nearly €5 million and four cryptocurrency wallets were also frozen.

Officials noted that some shipments involved daring assaults on container ships, intercepting narcotics before reaching the Strait of Gibraltar. One seizure involved 1,355 kilograms of cocaine, alone worth more than $100 million at wholesale European prices.

This coordinated operation underscores the effectiveness of the Civil Guard, National Police, and Tax Agency in dismantling highly organized criminal networks and halting large-scale cocaine trafficking in Spain.

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