Spain seizes nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine in sea operation

MADRID, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Spanish police reported on Monday that they had seized massive amounts of cocaine from a cargo vessel intercepted on the high seas, marking the largest maritime drug haul ever made by Spain.

Police officers discovered nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine concealed beneath a shipment of salt aboard a foreign-flagged ship around 530 kilometers west of the Canary Islands, said Spain's National Police report. A firearm was also found on board. Thirteen crew members were arrested during the operation.

Investigators said the vessel had departed from Türkiye and loaded the drugs in Brazil before heading toward Spain, with the southern port of Huelva believed to be its intended destination.

Spanish authorities said the operation involved law enforcement agencies from several countries, highlighting the scale and complexity of transnational drug trafficking networks operating across the Atlantic. ■