Two Scots – including a captain – are among ten Brits arrested as part of a multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking from South America to Europe.
A 30-year-old man from Stornoway who skippered a vessel that was raided in December 2023 east of Martinique was arrested as 1.2 tonnes of cocaine worth an estimated £96m were seized.
All three men taken into custody were British nationals but since the arrests worldwide law enforcement agencies have arrested a further 52 people, 28 of those in Spain.
A 34-year-old man from Scotland was among those arrested.
1.5 tonnes worth of cocaine with an estimated value of £120m as well as firearms and ammunition were seized on eight boats and 36 vehicles.
The criminal network was said to have owned a fleet of vessels which were used to transport the drugs from South America to Europe via Spain.
The investigation identified routes used by the organised crime group to bring “vast quantities of drugs” to Spain for onward distribution, including into the UK.
Sailings back and forth took place along Spanish coastal locations, such as Valencia, Alicante, and Málaga, to Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Barbados and Panama.
A Norwegian figurehead oversaw the operation of the international crime network, presumed to have been operating in drug trafficking for more than two decades
He was said to have the full trust of the Colombian and Mexican cartels, and coordinated the production of the drugs and its transportation through South America until it could be shipped to Spain.
The investigation found that the money generated by the shipments was reinvested in new operations and laundered through a network of businesswomen that operated in several countries.
The joint operation, conducted by the Spanish Policía Nacional, National Crime Agency, Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the European MAOC, with the support of EUROPOL was launched in 2020.
Neil Keeping, NCA regional manager in Spain, said: “This Spanish-led international operation has dismantled a major drug trafficking crime group and resulted in the arrests of ten British nationals – eight from England and two from Scotland.
“The NCA’s international network has played a leading role in sharing intelligence with overseas partners to intercept huge shipments of drugs and trace key members of the criminal enterprise.
“A portion of the Class A drugs seized would have undoubtedly been destined for the UK, where its supply at street level fuels violence and exploitation, and brings misery to our communities.
“Tackling global crime groups such as this one requires strong collaboration with international partners, and our efforts alongside them continue to ensure these networks are demolished.”
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