Authorities seized nearly four tonnes of cocaine during Operation Black Shadow, utilizing speedboats and innovative evasion tactics, reflecting the extensive and complex nature of international drug trafficking.**
International Coalition Dismantles Major Cocaine Trafficking Network in Canary Islands**
International Coalition Dismantles Major Cocaine Trafficking Network in Canary Islands**
In a significant blow to drug smuggling operations, law enforcement agencies across Europe and the Americas have arrested 48 suspects connected to a cocaine trafficking network in the Canary Islands.**
A major cocaine smuggling operation has been dismantled in the Canary Islands, where law enforcement agencies collaborated to arrest 48 suspects and seize nearly four tonnes of cocaine. This multinational effort, code-named Operation Black Shadow, involved officials from Spain, the UK, South America, and the US.
Police in Spain revealed that the operation predominantly utilized a fleet of 11 narcotic speedboats to transport cocaine from Brazil and Colombia. Investigators noted that the gang employed an innovative strategy by using an abandoned wreck at sea as a refueling hub. Through their advanced encrypted communication systems, including hard-to-track phones and a coded vernacular, the traffickers had managed to elude law enforcement for some time.
In coordinated raids across Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote, European law enforcement carried out an extensive search operation that covered 29 properties, leading to the seizure of 69 vehicles, including boats and jet skis, along with a substantial amount of cash and firearms. Reports indicate that €100,000 (around £84,000) was discovered amidst these operations.
Spanish police emphasized that this raid has successfully dismantled one of the largest divisions dedicated to cocaine trafficking within the region. Furthermore, investigators have identified a distribution network in the Canary Islands, responsible for disseminating the drugs upon arrival from South America. Footage released by authorities depicted armed and masked officers executing searches and schmoozing suspects from residential areas.
The Canary Islands, situated about 100 km off the coast of West Africa, have previously been a target for large drug shipments, as evidenced by a December interception of a Venezuelan fishing vessel carrying 3.3 tonnes of cocaine. A representative from the UK's National Crime Agency shared their commitment to combating international drug trafficking, indicating the determination to prevent the flow of narcotics into the UK market.
