Walter Finch
FOUR tonnes of cocaine hidden among sacks of rice have been seized in the Port of Barcelona, setting a new record.
The bust was part of a wider operation against a Spain-based narco empire that shipped cocaine into Spain and the UK.
Spain’s crack Central Operational Unit (UCO) began investigating a Spanish company based in Toledo last year, suspecting it of being a front to smuggle cocaine from Paraguay to Barcelona and Southampton.
Their suspicions were confirmed when a thorough inspection of 10 containers revealed 4,020kg of cocaine, concealed in powder form within sacks of rice.
The narco traffickers behind the shipment had already had two tonnes of cocaine intercepted in Southampton, the UK, hidden among cacao beans.
A further three tonnes were stopped in Puerto de Villeta, Paraguay.
The sophisticated network processed the cocaine into a powder form in the Paraguayan capital of Asunción, where it was then packaged, and stashed among rice sacks sewn by hand.
The Spain-based criminal network was made up of business people involved in imports and exports to give the operation the sheen of credibility, outside investors who provided funding for logistics, and security muscle to protect the operation from other gangs.
The Guardia Civil’s crackdown resulted in the arrest of eight individuals, including the company’s administrator, and five more under investigation.
Searches were conducted across Madrid, Toledo, Seville, and Cadiz, yielding substantial evidence.
In Paraguay, police arrested two key figures, including – unusually – the chief kingpin of the operation.
In total, authorities have seized 9,432 kilos of cocaine, with 4,020 kilos from the Port of Barcelona alone. This record-breaking bust underscores the extensive reach and sophisticated operations of criminal networks operating today.
