Colombian cocaine cartel smashed by Spanish police

A MAJOR drug trafficking network which sought to smuggle large quantities of cocaine into Spain by sea has been crushed by a National Police sting operation.

A massive 2,400 kilos of the drug was seized in Galicia and Madrid, with 24 people arrested, including two high-ranking members of the Colombian cartel which was attempting to gain a foothold in the European market.

The swoop followed an investigation which began in late 2016, when authorities became aware of a well-known Colombian trafficker who was said to be searching for new entry points into Spain.

Subsequent investigations revealed that two important smugglers from the Cucuta area of Colombia had initiated contact with Spanish drugs gangs over their plans to opening a permanent ‘office’ in Madrid.

Groups in Madrid, Barcelona, Guadalajara, the Basque Country and Galicia were targeted, with the intention of establishing a sophisticated transport, storage and distribution network.

The police probe resulted in multiple raids, with a number of vehicles modified for the transportation of narcotics also seized.