WIREDGOV

Ten British nationals have been arrested as part of multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking from South America to Europe.

The joint operation was launched in 2020 and has been conducted by the Spanish Policía Nacional, National Crime Agency, Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the European MAOC, with the support of EUROPOL.

At that time intelligence identified a British crime group based in Spain responsible for trafficking cocaine across the Atlantic.  

Since then, worldwide law enforcement agencies have arrested 52 people – 28 in Spain – and seized 1.5 tonnes of cocaine, eight boats and 36 vehicles, as well as firearms and ammunition. 

The criminal network owned a fleet of vessels which were used to transport the drugs from South America to Europe via Spain. 

One such vessel, a Spanish-registered yacht, was intercepted 1,200 miles east of Martinique by a French navy frigate on 18 December 2023. Officers discovered 1.2 tonnes of cocaine on-board and arrested the three British crew members, including the skipper, a 30-year-old man from Stornoway, Scotland.

The long-running investigation identified routes used by the organised crime group to bring vast quantities of drugs to Spain for onward distribution, including into the UK.

They sailed back and forth from Spanish coastal locations, such as Valencia, Alicante, and Málaga, to Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Barbados and Panama.

Overseeing the entire operation was the Norwegian figurehead of the international crime network, who is presumed to have been operating in drug trafficking for more than two decades.

He had the full trust of the Colombian and Mexican cartels, and coordinated the production of the drugs and its transportation through South America until it could be shipped to Spain. 

The investigation found that the money generated by the drug shipments was reinvested in new operations and laundered through a network of businesswomen that operated in several countries.

Neil Keeping, NCA Regional Manager in Spain, said: “This Spanish-led international operation has dismantled a major drug trafficking crime group and resulted in the arrests of 10 British nationals – eight from England and two from Scotland. 

“The NCA’s international network has played a leading role in sharing intelligence with overseas partners to intercept huge shipments of drugs and trace key members of the criminal enterprise. 

“A portion of the Class A drugs seized would have undoubtably been destined for the UK, where its supply at street level fuels violence and exploitation, and brings misery to our communities. 

“Tackling global crime groups such as this one requires strong collaboration with international partners, and our efforts alongside them continue to ensure these networks are demolished.”