The drugs, originating from Ecuador and destined for Portugal, were discovered in a container during routine inspections at the Algeciras port facility. The investigation, codenamed Medulla, successfully traced the shipment to the neighboring country.
Agents from the Civil Guard and Customs Surveillance, part of the Local Risk Analysis Unit (ULAR), selected the container officially carrying frozen fruit pulp for inspection. During the search, officers found nearly 500 small packages concealed within the pulp. Preliminary tests confirmed the substance inside was cocaine. The total weight of the seized drugs reached approximately 150 kilograms, with an estimated illicit market value of around 4 million euros.
Given that the final destination of the merchandise was Portugal, investigators immediately activated international cooperation channels. The Civil Guard and Customs Surveillance contacted the National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking of the Portuguese Judicial Police to continue the investigation across the border.
The inquiries established a link between the merchandise seized in Algeciras and a company located in Portugal. The investigation led agents to a warehouse near Lisbon, where the shipment was located on August 20. During the operation in Portugal, a Spanish citizen, the administrator of the receiving company, was identified and arrested for his alleged connection to the cocaine shipment.
This operation prevents the drugs from reaching the European illicit market, highlighting the significance of the Port of Algeciras as a key entry point for detecting large drug shipments concealed in legitimate cargo. Traffickers had used frozen food products in an attempt to hide the cocaine.
The operation underscores the importance of international cooperation and swift information exchange between Spanish and Portuguese authorities in combating criminal organizations that utilize maritime routes and commercial shipments for drug trafficking. The investigation was overseen by the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office of Campo de Gibraltar.
