Spanish police dismantle British cocaine ring on Costa del Sol, seize over a tonne
Spanish authorities broke up a British drug network operating from the Costa del Sol, confiscating more than a tonne of cocaine and arresting a driver, while five key suspects remain at large.
In a coordinated effort, the Guardia Civil’s Operación Miscelanea intercepted three cocaine consignments across Spain, amounting to 1,014 kilos, after halting a van in Talavera la Real and another in Baza, and conducting a raid in Estepona. The driver, identified as being of British origin, was arrested in Estepona, where officers also discovered a rifle, a submachine gun, a semi-automatic pistol, ammunition and cash. Investigators say the network stored large cocaine quantities at a residence on the Costa del Sol and used high-speed vehicles and vans to transport the drugs to various Spanish ports for sea shipment to Britain.
Following the Baza operation, five main suspects escaped Spain, leading authorities to seek international arrest warrants. The detained driver has been ordered to remain in custody without bail, while the whereabouts of the remaining suspects are still unknown.
Why it matters
The bust disrupts a major cocaine supply line to Britain and highlights transnational drug trafficking routes.
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