In the biggest drug bust Spain has seen this decade, 3 tonnes of cocaine (that’s 3000 kg, let that sink in for a minute), have been seized and 11 people arrested in the north of Spain. The drugs were found in a van in the region of Galicia after a tip off by the UK National Crime Agency.
This is the biggest cocaine seizure in Spain since 1999, Police have said.
One million Euro’s in cash (£730,000) and a gun were also found. It is thought the drugs were bound for a smuggling ring in the south of Spain’s Costa Del Sol.
Spain is a well known major entry point for drugs to enter Europe from South America. Police have also added the arrested suspects included “those transporting the merchandise, who were Spanish, and the sellers and buyers of the drugs, who were Dutch and British respectively”.
Seven Britons were arrested in Galicia and Malaga and they included five men from Liverpool – two aged 47 and the other three aged 31, 34 and 59 – a 41-year-old man from Kingston, south-west London, and a 50-year-old man from Thornbury, South Gloucestershire.
The raid took place on December 14th but under Spanish law was only made public on Tuesday.
The UK National Crime Agency have also said that the British gang had paid 500,000 euros (£360,000) for the first 700kg of the drug, which was due to be driven back to the UK.