Spanish police break up criminal network that used swimmers to hide cocaine on ships

Almost 2.5 tonnes of drug seized and 30 people arrested after 15-month investigation into gangs using ‘monkey’ technique

• Falling price of cocaine forces drug traffickers to reuse narco-submarines, say Spanish police

Spanish police have arrested 30 people and seized almost 2.5 tonnes of cocaine after breaking up a criminal network that used teams of young swimmers to hide the drugs on moving, Europe-bound ships which were then attacked and relieved of their unwitting cargo before reaching port.

The 15-month investigation began in October 2024 when Policía Nacional officers found 88kg (194lbs) of cocaine in a vehicle in the southern Spanish town of Mijas. The drugs led them to three gangs, including a Balkan cartel, who were working together to bring huge quantities of cocaine into Spain from Colombia.