**Cocaine Smuggling Ring Dismantled in Canary Islands Operations**

**A significant cocaine trafficking operation has been interrupted by police forces across the Canary Islands, resulting in the arrest of 48 suspects.**

 

A large-scale cocaine smuggling operation operating between Brazil, Colombia, and the Canary Islands has been effectively disrupted by law enforcement agencies, leading to the arrest of 48 individuals. Nearly four tonnes of cocaine were confiscated during the coordinated raids that spanned Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote.

The Spanish Policia Nacional reported that the criminal organization utilized eleven narco boats for their operations, employing a sunken wreck in the Atlantic as a refueling base. This complex operation was meticulously planned over several months, culminating in what has been named Operation Black Shadow, which saw collaboration from police forces across Europe, the UK, South America, and the United States.

Europol disclosed that the gang operated through a sophisticated network, employing speedboats that would shuttle drugs from strategic Atlantic points to a mother ship laden with cocaine. Their evasion tactics included encrypted communication systems, satellite technology, and coded language to thwart law enforcement efforts.

The raid resulted in the examination of 29 properties, the seizure of 69 vehicles—including boats and jet skis—and the recovery of firearms and approximately €100,000 in cash. Authorities reveal that the operation has dismantled one of the largest cocaine trafficking organizations known in the region and has uncovered a local distribution network within the Canary Islands, marking a significant achievement in combating drug trafficking in Europe.

Previously, law enforcement had intercepted a Venezuelan fishing vessel carrying over three tonnes of cocaine, emphasizing the ongoing challenge they face regarding narcotics smuggled into this popular European tourist destination.