Spanish police have seized 30 tonnes of cocaine from a ship off the Canary Islands in Europe’s largest-ever drug bust.
The Comoro Island-flagged Arconian was intercepted by the Guardia Civil police force on May 1, with a cargo the court valued at more than €812 million ($1.6b).
The seizure dwarfs the 25 tonnes German police recovered at the port of Hamburg in June 2024, previously Europe’s biggest. The amount is also more than twice Spain’s own record of 13 tonnes, found in a shipment of Ecuadorean bananas at Algeciras last year.
The operation, carried out with the United States and Dutch authorities, led to 23 crew members being detained.
Investigators believe the cocaine was to be transferred at sea to high-speed boats and smuggled into mainland Spain. Guns and ammunition were found on board.
Seventeen of the crew members were from the Philippines, while the six found hiding onboard were from the Netherlands and Suriname.
The court ordered the crew held without bail, citing the gravity of the alleged offences, flight risk and the likelihood of further criminal activity while the investigation continues.
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