In an operation that began in April 2022, the National Police, in collaboration with the Civil Guard, arrested 12 individuals and dismantled a long-standing criminal organization responsible for drug trafficking between mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. The Colombian-origin group had resumed its activities on Tenerife a year before its arrest, prompting close surveillance by the police, who successfully uncovered their modus operandi.
The organization primarily used human couriers to transport cocaine from South America, which was then distributed throughout Spain after arriving in the main airports on the mainland. They relied on another prominent criminal organization based in the Canary Islands for transportation, which used both human couriers by air and modified vehicles with hidden compartments to transport the substance. Over 30 vehicles were at their disposal, making multiple trips between the mainland and the capital islands.
Seizures were made in June and July, resulting in the confiscation of over 5 and 12 kilograms of cocaine in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, respectively. Two leading members of the network and a drug trafficker from Tenerife were arrested. In December, two human couriers carrying over 17 and 4 kilograms of pure cocaine, respectively, were caught at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport, one on arrival from South America and the other about to travel to the Canary Islands. The final seizure, of more than 14 kilograms of cocaine, took place in January 2023 at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria port as one of the members of the criminal organization was transporting it by sea from Huelva using one of their vehicles.
The operation concluded with seven raids in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas, Madrid, Toledo, and Málaga provinces. The two organizations were entirely dismantled, and 12 members taken into custody. More than 54 kilograms of cocaine, five vehicles with hidden compartments used for transportation, and over €75,000 in cash were seized. The investigation was carried out by the Central Narcotics Brigade’s Group 41 of the National Police, and the Drugs and Organized Crime Unit (UDYCO) I of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, UDYCO I of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and the Organized Crime and Anti-Drug Team (EDOA) of the Judicial Police Unit of the Civil Guard Command in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Anti-Drug Special Prosecutor’s Office in Santa Cruz de Tenerife oversaw the operation, under the authority of the Granadilla de Abona Investigation Court No. 4.
