Spain seizes over $6m in cash from cocaine smugglers

European authorities on Friday said they had seized more than six million euros in cash and arrested 25 suspects in Spain after dismantling a Barcelona-based international cocaine smuggling network.

EU law enforcement agency Europol said the investigation that began in 2022 unearthed a scheme in which Bulgarian, Colombian and Spanish citizens colluded to smuggle the drug from Colombia to Europe.

Suspects hid in ship containers to sneak into European ports and extracted the cocaine at night with the collaboration of corrupt workers, a statement read.

Albanian gang members based in Dubai provided the finance to pay the drug producers in Colombia and the proceeds were subsequently laundered.

Intelligence reports suggested the network was capable of smuggling up to one tonne of cocaine per week, Europol said.

Spain’s Civil Guard said it seized more than three tonnes of cocaine in the country during the years-long investigation and arrested 25 suspects following 29 raids in December.

Investigators uncovered more than six million euros ($6.3 million) in cash stashed in homes and hidden vehicle compartments accessible through electronic devices, the force said in a statement.

Spanish authorities also seized jewellery, luxury cars and 48 firearms, including an AK-47 assault rifle.

Authorities in Panama seized more than four tonnes of Spain-bound cocaine in connection with the network in October last year.

Spain is one of the major gateways to Europe for international drug trafficking networks due to its ties to former colonies in Latin America and its proximity to Morocco, a top cannabis producer.

The operation was supported by Europol as well as law enforcement in Bulgaria, Colombia, Costa Rica, Panama and the United Arab Emirates.