A substantial cocaine trafficking operation, using advanced strategies to smuggle narcotics from South America to the Canary Islands, has been effectively dismantled by police forces. Authorities announced that four tonnes of cocaine were seized and 48 suspects apprehended during a series of raids on the islands, including Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote.
Spain's Policia Nacional disclosed that the criminal organization had employed a fleet of 11 speedboats—known as narco boats—to transport cocaine across the Atlantic Ocean. The operation, termed Operation Black Shadow, was the result of a collaborative effort among police forces from Europe, the UK, South America, and the US and involved extensive planning over several months.
Europol noted that the traffickers utilized a sophisticated encrypted communication system to evade law enforcement. This included satellite communication, untraceable phones, and coded messages. More than 29 properties were searched during the raids, resulting in the seizure of 69 vehicles, which included boats and jet skis, as well as firearms and cash amounting to approximately €100,000 (£84,000/$114,000).
The dismantling of this operation highlights the complex methods used by international drug smuggling networks in their efforts to penetrate European markets—a significant target for South American drug cartels. In a statement, Spanish police emphasized that they had dismantled one of the largest organized crime groups involved in cocaine trafficking.
The raids showcased the range of tactics used by law enforcement, with footage capturing masked officers executing searches and arresting suspects. This is not an isolated incident; earlier reports confirm intercepted shipments of cocaine bound for the Canary Islands, a popular tourist destination located about 100 kilometers off the coast of West Africa.
