The Guardia Civil has seized 1,184 kilograms of cocaine hidden on a fishing vessel that docked at the port of Santa Pola, Alicante. The operation led to the arrest of ten people, with one additional individual under investigation for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking offence.
The drugs were packed into 40 burlap bales, concealed within ten large containers partially covered with fishing nets to evade detection. The investigation uncovered an organised structure with defined roles among those allegedly responsible for collecting and transporting the drugs by sea, as well as those providing support from land.
Operation details and discovery of the drugs
The investigation commenced earlier this year after agents received intelligence regarding the potential use of fishing boats to smuggle narcotics along the Alicante coast. Following this, investigators focused on identifying movements consistent with the collection of shipments at sea and their subsequent transport to port.
On 18 September, agents observed suspicious activity from a vessel off the coast and identified a fishing boat heading towards Santa Pola. In response, they established a surveillance operation to monitor its route and the activities of its crew upon arrival at the port. Agents also spotted an individual allegedly conducting surveillance near the docks to alert others of potential police presence.
Once the vessel docked, officers from the Provincial Maritime Service and the Citizen Security Unit of the Alicante Command accessed the fishing boat and discovered the ten containers containing the drugs. The inspection resulted in the seizure of 40 bales, weighing a total of 1,184 kilograms of cocaine. During this initial phase, three individuals were arrested, and two residential searches were conducted in Elche and a villa in Santa Pola, where a boat, a vehicle, and a motorcycle were also confiscated.
Coordinated efforts between sea and land
Subsequent investigations revealed a suspected division of responsibilities among the individuals involved. Some were reportedly tasked with receiving the drugs at sea and transporting them to the port, while another suspect allegedly provided land-based surveillance during the boat's arrival.
Investigators also identified a group operating from the Santa Pola port, coordinating with those receiving the shipment at sea. This information led to a second phase of the operation, resulting in the arrest of seven additional individuals and the investigation of one more. The detainees are suspected of committing a public health offence related to drug trafficking.
The Judicial Authority has ordered the imprisonment of four of those arrested. The operation was carried out by the Organised Crime and Drug Trafficking Team (EDOA) of the Judicial Police Unit of the Alicante Command, with assistance from the Provincial Maritime Service and the Citizen Security Unit, supported by the Complex Operational Centre (COC) of the Alicante Command and overseen by the Instruction Section of the Elche Court.
