Walter Finch
NEARLY three tonnes of cocaine and four military-grade weapons have been seized in a major drug bust along the Guadalquivir River in Sevilla.
Spanish police reported that the men had ‘paramilitary training’ and were armed with what appeared to be Kalashnikov assault rifles.
The presence of such weapons suggests a level of organisation and capacity for violence far beyond typical drug smuggling operations.
The short investigation, which spanned just over a month, revealed that the traffickers were using a warehouse in La Puebla del Río, near Sevilla, to receive and store the vast quantities of cocaine smuggled in via the Guadalquivir.
This area, between Dos Hermanas, Coria del Río, and La Puebla del Río, has become a hotspot for drug storage after entry into Spanish territory from Morocco.
The operation culminated in a dramatic raid on January 7. Undercover officers monitoring the warehouse observed suspicious activity, including individuals entering and exiting the premises.
Once they got the green light, heavily armed officers stormed the warehouse, arresting two men who attempted to flee.
Inside, they discovered 131 bricks of cocaine, weighing a total of 2,883 kilograms.
Two loaded assault rifles were found on the floor, ready for use, with two more weapons of the same type discovered later.
The seizure, just the latest in a region that has become the nexus of drug smuggling in Europe, has raised concerns about the increasing sophistication of the narco-trafficking gangs operating in southern Spain.
The joint operation, by the Policia Nacional and Guardia Civil, revealed that the river and its surrounding towns have become a key entry point for narcotics.
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The sheer quantity of cocaine seized highlights the scale of the drug trade operating along this waterway, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean.
Four people were arrested in total. Three men have been placed in custody, while a woman was released with charges pending.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to identify any further connections and dismantle the entire trafficking operation.
