Spanish Authorities Seize 11 Tons Linked to Albanian Mafia Destined for Europe
Today in Spain, 11 tons of cocaine, imported by Albanian criminal organizations, were seized in two operations, according to El Mundo citing Spanish police.
The confiscated drugs in Galicia were concealed among frozen tuna loins and arrived in the Valencia Community in double-bottomed sea containers. The narcotics were shipped from Colombia, passed through Ecuador, and were intercepted by the police upon docking in two different Spanish ports: one in the northwest city of Vigo and the other in Valencia in the east.
"In one week, we managed to take 11 tons of cocaine off the market," stated Antonio Martínez Duarte, head of the Central Brigade of the Spanish Police's Drug and Organized Crime Unit, at a press conference in Madrid.
Today, police and tax service agents provided details at the Canillas police complex about the two recent operations that led to the arrest of 20 individuals. Most of those arrested were Albanians, along with a Colombian, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, and several Spaniards, including a Galician businessman who allowed them to use his fishing company for transporting drugs, the identity of whom remains undisclosed.
"These two operations were not related to each other; the only thing connecting them is that we believe both are conducted by Albanian organizations," said Martínez Duarte.
During the operation in Vigo, 7.5 tons of cocaine were seized, hidden among frozen tuna loins, marking the largest confiscation in Galicia. A businessman from La Coruña played a key role in this, being monitored since 2019, intending to conceal the narcotics in a large flow of sea containers.
According to Martínez Duarte, these organizations are part of the so-called 'Balkan Cartel,' which has drawn the attention of all European police forces.
"Albanian mafia groups have monopolized drug supplies not only in Europe but also in Latin America for some time," he said.
"These organizations go straight to the departure point; they control shipments from start to finish," he added.
Carlos Gómez, another member of the police's drug enforcement unit, mentioned changes in the nature of organizations involved in the procurement, transportation, and sale of Colombian cocaine in Europe.