globally largest bands of cocaine yachts seized

Drugs - globally largest bands of cocaine yachts seized

The Spanish police, in cooperation with colleagues from several countries, have dismantled what they claim is the largest band of cocaine smugglers, who brought cocaine from South America to Europe using sailing yachts through Spain.

During searches and interventions in Spain, Portugal, Norway, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Colombia, a total of 50 people, among them 16 Norwegians, were arrested, according to the Spanish Police. In this international operation, which involved a total of eleven countries, 1.5 tons of cocaine, eight boats, 36 vehicles, and 85 phones were seized.

The leader of the organization, who was known as "Professor" in drug circles, hired the crews of the sailing boats, who were then led by another member of the gang. A godfather blessed the smugglers, ensuring they reached their goal successfully.

The "Professor," who was likely active in the drug trade for more than 20 years, had the full trust of the Colombian and Mexican drug cartels with whom he coordinated the production of drugs and their transport through South America to Spain.

The investigations revealed that the money earned from drug deliveries was reinvested in new businesses and laundered through a business network operating in several countries.

The gang had a base in ten sailing yachts in Spain, each capable of transporting more than a ton of cocaine. They had bases in Valencia, Alicante, Almería, Málaga, and on the Canary Islands, from which they controlled ports in Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Barbados, and Panama.

1. The Spanish police operation against the cocaine smuggling ring reached as far as Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago, two countries in South America and the Caribbean, respectively.
2. The seized sailboats and vehicles were used by the gang to transport cocaine from South America to Europe, with Spain serving as a key transit point.
3. The arrests made in this international operation also included individuals from Bulgaria, Norway, Portugal, and Panama, its influence spanning multiple continents.
4. With operations in Europe, including Spain, the criminal organization managed to weave a sophisticated web of drugs and criminality that stretched from Southern Europe to the United Kingdom.
5. The seized phones contained communication records between members of the gang, revealing their links to drug cartels in South America, such as those based in Colombia.
6. The organization's reach extended beyond Spain and Europe, with connections to drug circuits in South America, notably in countries like Colombia and Panama.
7. The fruits of their criminal activities allowed the gang to establish legitimate businesses in various European countries, such as Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, further laundering their illegal earnings.
8. The investigations revealed a deep entanglement between the European drug market and South American drug cartels, underscoring the transnational nature of drug trafficking and criminality.

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