More than 10 tonnes of cocaine have been discovered in two industrial warehouses in the Spanish city of Águilas, in a major anti-drug operation that has placed an Albanian criminal organisation at the centre of the investigation.
According to Spanish media reports, the drugs were stored in two industrial facilities suspected of being used as bases for collecting and distributing cocaine across Spain and other European countries.
One of the most significant findings is that the boxes containing the cocaine were marked with the addresses where the shipments were supposed to be delivered. Investigators believe this information could help reconstruct the distribution network and identify those responsible for organising the trafficking operation.
The drugs were discovered in the El Labradorcico industrial area after a pallet loaded with cocaine fell during the unloading process.
The impact damaged part of the shipment, causing several packages of cocaine to spill onto the warehouse floor.
Workers present at the facility quickly fled the scene, abandoning their equipment. A municipal police patrol arrived after receiving a report of a possible workplace accident but found nobody inside the industrial premises.
Following further inspections, authorities discovered a second warehouse, bringing the total amount of seized cocaine to more than 10 tonnes.
According to reports, more than five tonnes of cocaine were counted in the first warehouse, while the discovery of the second facility significantly increased the total seizure.
The estimated value of the shipment on the illegal market exceeds €100 million.
Investigators from Spain’s organised crime and drug trafficking unit are analysing the addresses marked on the boxes to establish the intended destinations of the shipments and map the logistical structure of the criminal organisation.
The discovery represents a major blow to an alleged international drug trafficking network, although investigations are continuing to establish the full extent of the operation and identify those involved.
