Portugal and Spain dismantle international cocaine trafficking network

A joint operation between the Portuguese Polícia Judiciária and the Spanish Policía Nacional, known as ‘Operation Eclipse/Hawara’, has dismantled an international drug trafficking network. The organization was responsible for introducing large quantities of cocaine from Latin America into Europe.

Authorities seized approximately 3.35 tons of cocaine, three firearms, and two vehicles. The investigation revealed that the group used high-speed boats to transfer drugs from mother ships in strategic Atlantic locations to the Portuguese coast, before transporting them to final destinations such as the Costa del Sol in Spain.

During the operation, three men were detained across Portugal and Spain. In Portugal, a 37-year-old man was caught in flagrante delicto driving a vehicle containing over 1.5 tons of cocaine and two automatic weapons. In Spain, police intercepted a vehicle in Marbella and discovered a ‘drug nursery’ in Torremolinos, which served as a secure storage facility containing roughly 1,700 kg of cocaine.