It reached a value of 800 million euros/ Footage of the largest cocaine seizure in Europe is published

2026-05-09 20:57:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

It reached a value of 800 million euros/ Footage of the largest cocaine seizure

Spanish police have released footage of the largest cocaine seizure in Europe, following raids on a ship near the Canary Islands earlier this month.

An image of the large cargo placed on a pier in Madrid, as well as a photograph of weapons found on board, were released by the Guardia Civil, an elite unit that investigates serious crimes.

Officers conducted searches on board the 90-meter-long ship "Arconian", registered in the Comoros Islands, where they found 27 tons (27,215 kg) of drugs, worth more than 700 million pounds (812 million euros). According to the Spanish Supreme Court, 23 people, the ship's crew, were also detained as part of the operation.

It reached a value of 800 million euros/ Footage of the largest cocaine seizure

Last week's shipment surpasses the previous European record of 22.7 tonnes (22,700 kg) seized in Hamburg in northern Germany in June 2024. This amount is more than double Spain's record of 11.8 tonnes (11,8000 kg), found in a shipment of Ecuadorian bananas in Algeciras, in southern Spain, last year.

Firearms and ammunition were also discovered on the ship, and officers found six crew members, from the Netherlands and Surinam, hiding when they boarded the ship. The other 17 crew members were from the Philippines.

It reached a value of 800 million euros/ Footage of the largest cocaine seizure

The court ordered the crew to be held in custody without bail, highlighting the seriousness of the alleged criminal offences, the risk of flight and the possibility of further criminal activity while the investigation continues.

The ship "Arconian" set off from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, on April 22, before being intercepted by the Guardia Civil in the North Atlantic between the coast of North Africa and the Canary Islands. /CNA