Record amount of cocaine seized from ship in Atlantic Ocean by Spanish police, union says
CBS News • • world
Key Points:
- Spanish police, specifically the Civil Guard, have seized an estimated 35 to 40 tons of cocaine from a ship intercepted in international waters near the Canary Islands, marking a potential national record haul.
- Around 20 people were arrested during the operation, and the vessel, which traveled from Sierra Leone to Libya, is now under inspection in the Canary Islands.
- Authorities believe the cocaine was intended to be offloaded onto smaller vessels for distribution across Europe, likely coordinated by international trafficking networks.
- Spain's Interior Minister described the seizure as one of the largest both nationally and internationally, though investigation details remain under legal secrecy.
- Spain's strategic location makes it a key entry point for drugs into Europe, with previous major cocaine seizures and dismantling of trafficking rings in the region reported in recent years.
