Two men have been arrested in Spain after authorities intercepted approximately 2.6 tonnes of cocaine hidden inside a shipment of coconuts transported from Ghana to the Port of Valencia.
The Spanish Guardia Civil arrested the suspects following an operation targeting two refrigerated containers that were transported by lorries to a warehouse in Almeria.
The arrests were carried out at an industrial estate in La Jualda, where officers apprehended the alleged importer of the drugs and the individual responsible for supervising the unloading of the cocaine.
Although the anti-drug trafficking operation took place in August, Spanish authorities released details of the investigation on Wednesday.
According to investigators, the two containers were loaded at Ghana’s Port of Tema on August 2 and arrived at the Port of Valencia approximately 20 days later.
Customs officials and the Guardia Civil selected the shipment for inspection after identifying it as high-risk for suspected illegal drug trafficking.
During the examination, officers discovered that the wooden crates used to transport the coconuts had specially constructed false bottoms containing concealed packages.
The packages were reportedly designed to resemble the wrapping commonly used by international cocaine trafficking networks.
After opening the concealed packages, investigators discovered a white powdery substance, which laboratory tests subsequently confirmed was cocaine.
How Spanish Police Tracked the Cocaine Shipment to Almeria
Following the discovery, authorities removed the cocaine from the containers, resealed the cargo and allowed the shipment to proceed under police surveillance as part of the investigation.
Two refrigerated lorries later arrived to collect the containers and transported them southwards to Almeria, where officers continued monitoring their movements.
The Guardia Civil waited until the vehicles reached their final destination before moving in.
Police launched the arrest operation as the unloading of the coconut shipment began at the warehouse, leading to the detention of the two suspects.
The arrests form part of an investigation into an alleged international drug trafficking operation involving cocaine concealed in commercial cargo transported from Ghana to Spain.
The case highlights the use of legitimate international trade shipments to conceal illegal narcotics and the role of customs inspections and intelligence-led operations in detecting suspected drug smuggling activities.
Source: newsthemegh.com