Spanish police break up criminal network that used swimmers to hide cocaine on ships
Almost 2.5 tonnes of drug seized and 30 people arrested after 15-month investigation into gangs using ‘monkey’ techniqueFalling price of cocaine forces drug traffickers to reuse narco-submarines, say Spanish policeSpanish police have arrested 30 people and seized almost 2.5 tonnes of cocaine...
<p>Almost 2.5 tonnes of drug seized and 30 people arrested after 15-month investigation into gangs using ‘monkey’ technique</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/25/cocaine-forces-drug-traffickers-narco-submarines-spai">Falling price of cocaine forces drug traffickers to reuse narco-submarines, say Spanish police</a></p></li></ul><p>Spanish police have arrested 30 people and seized almost 2.5 tonnes of cocaine after breaking up a criminal network that used teams of young swimmers to hide the drugs on moving, Europe-bound ships which were then attacked and relieved of their unwitting cargo before reaching port.</p><p>The 15-month investigation began in October 2024 when Policía Nacional officers found 88kg (194lbs) of cocaine in a vehicle in the southern Spanish town of Mijas. The drugs led them to three gangs, including <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/13/europol-smashes-balkan-cartel-shipping-drugs-from-south-america">a Balkan cartel</a>, who were working together to bring huge quantities of cocaine into Spain from Colombia.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/15/spain-police-break-up-criminal-network-swimmers-hiding-cocaine-ships">Continue reading...</a>
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