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[SITUATION] · [QUIET] · [CRIME]
41 clusters · 115 sources · 75 days · First seen · Last updated
Spain drug trafficking crackdown expands
Overview
The investigation that began in late May 2026 has broadened. On 17 July, coordinated raids in Granada, Málaga and Almería seized 118 kg of marijuana, hashish, prohibited weapons, drones and other equipment, and placed seven alleged gang leaders in pre‑trial detention. Earlier July actions included a 2,500‑kg hashish haul near the Guadiana River and other seizures. The crackdown extended beyond Spain’s borders on 18 July when Moroccan gendarmerie intercepted a 220‑kg hashish shipment near Tangier and, at the Bab Sebta crossing to Ceuta, stopped a car carrying 32.4 kg hidden in its wheels, arresting a dual‑national driver. A further wave on 29 July saw nationwide operations: in Palma de Mallorca authorities recovered amphetamines, ketamine and MDMA; in Agost, Alicante a home yielded 65 g of cocaine, 350 g each of hashish and marijuana and €14 000 in cash; the Guardia Civil uncovered an outdoor cannabis plantation of 2,440 plants and 90 kg of dried buds in Enguera; Valencia raids seized 73 g of cocaine, small amounts of cannabis and weapons; and in Estepa and Osuna indoor farms with 4,881 plants and 8 kg of processed marijuana were dismantled. Dozens of arrests and additional cash and weapons seizures underline a sustained, multi‑agency effort to disrupt domestic production and trans‑border trafficking networks. June saw large fuel seizures fueling narco‑lancha operations in Cádiz province (≈17 000 L gasoline) and related arrests. A third underground tunnel for hashish into Ceuta was uncovered in early June, highlighting persistent cross‑border logistics. Armed clashes in Huelva in mid‑June resulted in the seizure of over 1 100 kg of hashish and highlighted escalating violence. Joint Spanish‑Moroccan actions in mid‑June intercepted almost 5 t of hashish in the Strait of Gibraltar, while Moroccan raids later that month seized more than 800 kg near Tangier and Ceuta.
Entities
Guardia Civil · Policía Nacional · Tenerife · Spanish National Police · Valencia
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] A 33‑year‑old rider on an electric scooter in Torreforta was found with 11.8 g of ketamine, 3.22 g of MDMA and 0.54 g of LSD.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Two indoor cannabis plantations with about 500 plants were dismantled in Las Torres de Cotillas, Murcia.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] More than 30 g of ketamine, amphetamine packets, MDMA and other substances were seized in a garage in Santa Catalina, Palma de Mallorca, leading to a detention.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In Agost, police seized 65 g of cocaine, 350 g of hashish, 350 g of marijuana and nearly €14,000 in cash.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] A joint police operation in the Sierra de Enguera seized 2 440 cannabis plants and 90 kg of dried buds, detaining two Albanian men.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Police confiscated about 400 g of wax, 2 kg of marijuana, 1 kg of hashish and €2,000 in cash in the Velluters neighbourhood.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Three drug‑sale points in Valencia’s Velluters neighbourhood yielded 73 g of cocaine, 3 g of marijuana, tusi and €320, leading to nine arrests.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Five people were detained and 4 881 cannabis plants and eight kilograms of processed marijuana were seized in operations in Estepa and Osuna, Seville.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In Puente de Vallecas, police seized 42.5 g of cocaine, €4,500 in cash and an electric stun baton.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] In León, police seized more than 150 doses of crystal, stone base and marijuana.
Timeline
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about 2 months ago
[CRIME] 10 sourcesSpanish police dismantle several indoor marijuana farmsSpanish police raids across Almería, Murcia, Valencia, Tenerife and Brenes seized over 3,200 indoor cannabis plants, confiscated equipment and weapons, and arrested at least 16 people in a coordinated anti‑cult
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about 2 months ago
[CRIME] 24 sourcesSpanish police dismantle multiple drug farms and sale pointsSpanish authorities seized thousands of cannabis plants, dozens of drug doses and large cash sums in coordinated busts across Murcia, Mallorca, Madrid, Alicante, Tarragona, León and Seville, arresting dozens of
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2 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesTangier area sees major hashish seizures by Moroccan authoritiesMoroccan forces seized 220 kg of hashish near Tangier, arresting two suspects, and later stopped 32 kg hidden in a car at the Bab Sebta crossing, detaining a 22‑year‑old driver.
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2 months ago
[CRIME] 12 sourcesSpanish citizen arrested at Bogotá’s El Dorado airport with 10 kg of cocaine hidden in pilot uniformA man disguised as a pilot was caught at Bogotá’s El Dorado airport with about 10 kg of cocaine hidden on his body while trying to board a flight to Barcelona, and was handed to prosecutors.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 3 sourcesSix‑year prison term handed to drug trafficker for 18 kg cocaine haul in MallorcaA man sentenced to six years in Mallorca for smuggling 18 kg of cocaine and 1.9 kg of hashish, seized by Guardia Civil at the port.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 6 sourcesGuardia Civil arrests Vilagarcía resident for drug trafficking in SanxenxoGuardia Civil caught a 26‑year‑old Vilagarcía man in Sanxenxo on July 7, seizing 100 g hash, 100 g marijuana and 10 g cocaine; he was released pending court action.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpain reports 106 police and guard officers detained for drug offences since 2021Spain’s interior ministry says 106 police and guard officers were detained or investigated for drug crimes from 2021‑2025, with 24 cases in 2025 split evenly between the National Police and Guardia Civil.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish police seize cocaine and arrest dealers in La Palma and MálagaSpanish authorities arrested a drug suspect in La Palma, seizing cocaine and MDMA, and detained a Málaga tavern waiter for selling cocaine, as part of broader anti‑drug operations.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 6 sourcesSpanish Police Arrest 14 in Major Money‑Laundering Probe Linked to Torán Narcotics NetworkSpain’s Audiencia Nacional ordered the arrest of 14 suspects, including two police officers, in a money‑laundering ring that funds Ignacio Torán’s cocaine network, expanding a major organized‑crime case.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish police dismantle large marijuana farm and seize cocaine stash in separate raidsSpanish police arrested a man after busting a 523‑plant marijuana farm in Roquetes and detained a woman with 270 cocaine doses in Madrid, linking both raids to drug‑related crimes.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish police seize 3,750 L of fuel and dismantle indoor marijuana farmSpanish police halted a fuel‑smuggling cache of 3,750 L in Almería and dismantled an indoor cannabis farm in Munera, arresting three and six suspects respectively.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesJerez Police Seize Van Carrying 3,330 Liters Fuel Tied to Narco LogisticsSpanish police halted a Jerez‑area van carrying 3,330 L of fuel, arresting the driver and linking the illegal transport to the narco “petaqueo” fuel supply for boats in the Strait of Gibraltar.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 5 sourcesDJ Hugo Bianco sentenced to 9½ years for leading Spain‑US drug ringDJ Hugo Bianco, tied to Ibiza clubs, received a 9½‑year sentence and €3 M fine for leading a Spain‑US drug network, with large seizures in Spain and Miami; he remains a fugitive in Florida.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 3 sourcesMoroccan security seizes more than 800 kg of hashish in Tangier and Ceuta raidsMoroccan forces seized over 800 kg of hashish in two northern operations – 700 kg near Tangier and 120 kg at the Bab Ceuta border – and launched investigations into the traffickers.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesGuardia Civil busts drug point in Tobarra, fines drunk rider in GandiaGuardia Civil shut down a drug‑selling venue in Tobarra, seizing cocaine and hashish, and fined a drunk electric‑scooter rider in Gandia for excessive alcohol and lack of registration.
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3 months ago
[INTERNATIONAL] 2 sourcesSpain‑Morocco cooperation curbs hashish flow and migrant arrivals in the Strait of GibraltarJoint Spain‑Morocco forces seized nearly 4,800 kg of hashish in the Gibraltar Strait, while migrant sea arrivals there fell to 1 % of Spain’s total in 2025.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish court sentences shipowner of “Simione” to 12 years for 2.9‑tonne cocaine shipmentSpanish court gives shipowner Pablo G.F. a 12‑year term and €600 million fine after a 2.9‑tonne cocaine haul was intercepted en route from Africa to Spain.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 4 sourcesSpanish police dismantle drug money‑laundering network in MalagaSpanish police arrested a drug‑money launderer in Mijas, seizing cash, assets and VTC licences, in a joint Spain‑Denmark operation.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 3 sourcesSpain‑Portugal boat‑hull network on trial for drug smugglingTwo men face trial in Vigo for allegedly building boat hulls in Galicia and Portugal used to smuggle drugs to several Spanish ports, while they deny any trafficking links.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 3 sourcesMan arrested in Murcia with 4 kg hash in link to 2024 Almería drug haulGuardia Civil arrested a fugitive in Murcia with four kilograms of hashish, linking him to a 2024 Almería seizure of 50 kg and charging him with multiple offenses.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish Guardia Civil arrests drug sellers in Pozoblanco and La BurebaSpain’s Guardia Civil seized cocaine in two raids, arresting a seller outside a bar in Pozoblanco and a 77‑year‑old man with 101 g and a precision scale in La Bureba.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesCartagena port busts reveal 2.4‑ton and 578‑kg cocaine shipments bound for EuropeColombian police seized 2.4 tonnes of cocaine hidden in coffee for Spain and 578 kg concealed in guava pulp for Italy at Cartagena port, exposing sophisticated export‑based smuggling.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpain police crack down on drug‑related gangs in Tarragona and ZaragozaSpanish courts seek prison terms for a marijuana‑cultivation ring in Tarragona, while police jailed twelve members of a Dominican gang in Zaragoza for drug, weapons and electricity‑fraud offenses.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 4 sourcesSpanish police dismantle drug network and prostitution ring in ValenciaSpanish police in Valencia halted a drug network, arresting 28 and seizing cocaine, MDMA and cash, while also freeing nine transgender victims and arresting five in a prostitution ring.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpain and Morocco seize 4.8 tonnes of hashish in Strait of GibraltarSpain's Guardia Civil and Morocco's Royal Gendarmerie jointly seized 4.8 tonnes of hashish in the Strait of Gibraltar after a high‑speed chase; 121 bundles were recovered, with no arrests made.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesGuardia Civil shot during Huelva drug seizure; suspect released pending chargesGuardia Civil agents were shot during a 1,120 kg hash seizure in Punta Umbría, Huelva; one suspect was released with charges while officials blame resource shortages and ineffective 2018 anti‑narcolanchas laws.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish Guardia Civil Seizes Nearly 5 Tons of Hashish in Strait of Gibraltar OperationSpanish and Moroccan forces seized about 4.8 tons of hashish in the Strait of Gibraltar, and a separate Huelva raid halted a 1.1‑ton shipment after traffickers fired on Guardia Civil, resulting in 56 bundles' s
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesHuelva drug raid ends in armed clash with traffickersCivil guard agents in Huelva were shot at by traffickers during a hash raid; no agents were injured and one suspect was arrested.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 5 sourcesSpanish Guardia Civil seizes 1,120 kg of hash in Huelva after gunfire clashGuardia Civil seized ~1,120 kg of hash in Punta Umbría, Huelva, after traffickers opened fire; one arrest, no injuries, search ongoing.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 6 sourcesSpain arrests police officers and shuts down drug flats in Jaén and AlbaceteSpain’s police busted drug networks in Jaén, arresting four officers, and in Albacete, shutting down two drug flats that sold narcotics to minors, seizing drugs and cash.
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3 months ago
[CRIME] 3 sourcesSpanish police seize cocaine in Socovos and Moratalla, arrest two traffickersSpain’s Guardia Civil arrested a 61‑year‑old in Socovos with 59 g of cocaine and a young trafficker in Moratalla with about 100 doses, hashish and cash, as part of anti‑drug operations.
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish Guardia Civil confiscates illegal tobacco and cocaine shipmentsSpain’s Guardia Civil seized 20 kg of illegal tobacco in León and arrested a driver with 1.2 kg of cocaine hidden in a car in Puerto Lápice.
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpain’s Andalusian Coast Faces Surge in Organized Drug TraffickingSpain’s People’s Party calls for more police resources and a special security zone as drug‑smuggling boats surge along the Andalusian coast, threatening national security.
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpain and Morocco probe third drug‑smuggling tunnel beneath CeutaSpanish police say a third sophisticated drug tunnel is being built under Ceuta, linking Morocco to the EU and raising cross‑border security concerns amid stalled Moroccan cooperation.
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpain's Guardia Civil arrests multiple drug traffickers in highway raidsSpain's Guardia Civil detained five drug traffickers – three with hashish on the AP‑7 and two with cocaine, speed and other drugs while traveling with minor daughters in Cantabria.
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpain's Andalusian police seize 17,000 liters of fuel for narco‑boatsSpain’s security report warns of empowered drug gangs in Andalusia. Police in Cádiz seized 17,375 L of gasoline used by narco‑boats and arrested four suspects.
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish police dismantle cocaine and fuel supply networks in Cádiz provinceSpanish police seized cocaine, hashish and cash in a crackdown on drug dealers in Sanlúcar and nearby towns, and intercepted 700 gasoline drums meant for drug‑smuggling boats in San Fernando, Conil and Villamár
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish police dismantle drug and migrant smuggling networks linking Morocco, Algeria and EuropeSpanish police cracked down on two Mediterranean smuggling rings – a Morocco‑linked drug network using drones and an Algeria‑Spain migrant trafficking operation – seizing drugs, cash and vessels and arresting 9
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesBadalona and Tarragona crackdown on illegal drug occupationsBadalona’s mayor expelled an illegal drug‑laden settlement, while Tarragona faces a rise in organized cannabis grow‑ops, prompting calls for stronger police and preventive measures.
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 5 sourcesSpanish police dismantle family drug trafficking ring in AlmassoraSpanish police raided a family drug‑selling site in Almassora, arresting five members and confiscating marijuana, cash, equipment and a vehicle.
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4 months ago
[CRIME] 2 sourcesSpanish police bust major drug‑smuggling logistics network in HuelvaSpanish police and customs seized 800 fuel bottles, two boats and two trucks, detaining four people after dismantling a logistics hub in Huelva that supported high‑speed drug runs from Morocco.
Sources
21noticias.com · 324.cat · activaorihuela.es · actualitatvalenciana.com · almanzora.ideal.es · almeriahoy.com · am.com.mx · autofacil.es · biblestudyguide.com · blogs.periodistadigital.com · bplnz.com · cadenadesuministro.es · canalcostatv.es · cantabriadiario.com · carmelofaro.carmelitas.pt · cartagenadiario.es · chathamhouse.org.uk · chessactivity.com · clm24.es · cope.es · crime-nieuws.nl · curling.co.nz · diaridigital.tarragona21.com · diariodealmeria.es · diariodearousa.com · diariodeavisos.elespanol.com · diariodecadiz.es · diariodejerez.es · diariodelcauca.com.co · diariodeleon.es · diariodesevilla.es · diariolarepublica.ar · elclarinweb.com · elcorreoweb.es · eldiadecordoba.es · elfarodeceuta.es · elhogar.com.ar · elliberal.com · elmercurio.com.ec · elperiodicodeportivo.com.co · elpueblodeceuta.es · encastillalamancha.es · ep01.epimg.net · es.euronews.com · esdiario.com · europasur.es · excelsior.com.mx · extra.com.co
This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history