48 arrested in a bust of international cocaine

Police said the smuggling of the main cocaine that used a network of fast boats to transport drugs from South America to the Canary Islands had been dropped.

Nearly four tons of cocaine that traded from Brazil and Colombia have been seized and 48 suspects were arrested in raids via Fueretfenta, Gran Canaria and Lanzarut.

Policia Nacional said that the gang used 11 boats called NARCO to smuggle drugs across the Atlantic Ocean in a complex operation that included the use of deserted wrecking in the sea as a fuel -refueling platform.

Police forces from Europe, including the United Kingdom, as well as South America and the United States, participated in the planning of raids, which was called Black Shadow.

The National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom (NCA) confirmed that the British citizen was among those who were arrested.

Europol said that the gang used fast boats “over and over, and leaves from the strategic points in the Atlantic Ocean to the mother of cocaine.”

Investigators revealed that the gang used “an complex encoding system to evade law, including the use of satellites, the hard -to -follow phones and an encrypted language.”

Police said the raids were months in planning and saw 29 properties searched, and 69 vehicles – including boats and jet jumps – were seized – fiery money and firearms were recovered.

Details of the raids highlight the complexity of international drug smuggling gangs networks to obtain drugs in Europe, a major market for carpels in South America.

The Spanish police said the operation “dismantling one of the largest criminal organizations for cocaine trafficking.”

The force also said it had identified a local network in the Canary Islands responsible for distributing cocaine as soon as it arrived from South America.

Footage of the raids published by the Spanish police showed armed and convincing officers who mixed many houses, arrested the suspects and carried out searches.

This is not the first time that the police have intercepted a large amount of cocaine heading to the Canary Islands, a Spanish region and a popular tourist destination located about 100 km (62 miles) off the coast of West Africa.

Police announced in December that they had intercepted the Venezuelan fishing boat 1000 miles at sea.

It was discovered that the ship – which was largely dilapidated as it was sank while pulling to the beach – was carrying 3.3 tons of cocaine.

Commenting on the last RAID, a NCA spokesman said: “Besides our international partners, we are unable in our efforts to treat drug trafficking across the border, while making sure to seize it before reaching the Criminal supply chain in the United Kingdom.”