Spain has seized around 10 tons of cocaine during a major anti-drug operation carried out aboard a commercial vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, Spanish police announced on Monday.
The operation, codenamed “White Wave,” was conducted on Sunday against a cargo ship sailing under the flag of Cameroon, approximately 535 kilometers west of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic.
In a statement, Spanish police said the seizure represents the largest quantity of cocaine ever intercepted at sea in Europe. The operation was carried out in coordination with security agencies in Brazil, France and Portugal.
Authorities said the vessel, which was carrying a legitimate cargo of salt, had departed from Brazil and was bound for a European port. The ship had reportedly remained stationary in the Atlantic for around 12 hours, claiming it had run out of fuel, before Spanish forces moved in.
Police said the intervention was launched after surveillance detected several fast boats approaching the vessel, allegedly to transfer the narcotics. Spanish security forces then boarded the ship and uncovered the massive cocaine shipment.
All 13 crew members on board were arrested. The suspects hold Indian and Serbian nationalities, according to police.
Following the operation, Spanish authorities escorted the vessel to a Spanish port for further investigation.
The seizure marks a significant blow to international drug trafficking networks operating across transatlantic routes and underscores Spain’s central role in European efforts to combat large-scale cocaine smuggling into the continent.
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