In a significant law enforcement operation, the Spanish National Police has dismantled a major drug trafficking organisation that was importing cocaine via Valencia Port. The operation, coordinated with Europol, led to the arrests of twenty people, including seventeen in Spain, two in Belgium, and one in France. Authorities conducted searches in both Spain and Belgium, resulting in the confiscation of one thousand kilograms of cocaine, firearms, luxury vehicles, and cash amounting to fifteen thousand euros.

The investigation, which began a year ago, uncovered a method known as ‘gancho ciego’ where the organisation secretly concealed cocaine in shipping containers alongside legitimate goods. Criminals known as ‘hombres araña’ were said to scale container stacks in the port to access the drugs without detection.

Some arrested individuals had links to the Hells Angels motorcycle gang in Belgium, suggesting the operation was closely linked to organised crime. Investigators discovered that the Valencia Port was a crucial transit point for these cocaine shipments, facilitated by a figure referred to as the ‘Power Broker’, who negotiated deals between Colombian drug networks and European criminal leaders.

Furthermore, the operation revealed that the leader of the Belgian faction was one of the country’s most wanted criminals, hiding in luxury villas. His arrest, along with key logistical operatives in Dénia, signifies a major blow to this international drug trafficking network, with further investigations ongoing.