A substantial shipment of 21 tons of cocaine has been seized by Spanish authorities, who dismantled an organization operating in the main ports of Spain and Ecuador.

A total of 43 people were arrested, eight in Spain and 36 in Ecuador. One million euros in cash was seized during house searches in Spain.

The criminal organization, based mainly in La Rioja, is suspected of setting up a network to bring containers carrying large quantities of cocaine through the ports of Malaga, Algeciras and Valencia.

The organization had three branches, one linked to Albanians in Dubai

According to Spanish authorities, the criminal organization consisted of three branches. The first, the main Spanish branch, was made up of Spanish and Moroccan nationals and was responsible for establishing the business structure needed to import containers from South America. Its role was to give the operation a legitimate appearance and provide a destination for the legal cargo.

The network’s second branch originated in Ecuador, where most of the seized drugs came from. From the country’s main logistics hubs, primarily the port of Guayaquil, its members controlled the containers that would ultimately reach Spain.

The third branch, based in Dubai, consisted of investors of Albanian origin who injected large sums of money into Spanish companies. These funds, in turn, served as payments to secure business activity for the companies, thereby disguising the large, periodic drug shipments.

Initial arrests and searches in Ecuador

According to Spanish police, the first phase of the investigation was carried out in Ecuador in March 2025, dismantling the branch based in that country and resulting in 50 house searches in different parts of the country, as well as the arrest of 36 people.

The operation involved personnel from the Central Operational Unit (UCO), integrated into the Ecuadorian police force.

Arrests and house searches in Spain

In Spain, as a result of the investigation, which lasted more than two years, house searches and arrests were carried out in the provinces of La Rioja, Alicante, Seville and Cadiz.

The operation resulted in the arrest and investigation of eight people and the seizure of approximately one million euros in cash found during searches conducted in the city of Arnedo (La Rioja). Numerous properties, vehicles and financial assets were also frozen.

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