Barcelona drug cartel dismantled: 7 tons of cocaine and €6 million in cash seized

A large police operation carried out by the Spanish national police in collaboration with Europol led to the seizure of seven tons of cocaine and €6 million in cash between Spain and Panama.

The Barcelona-based criminal organization was operating internationally, extracting the drug, distributing, and laundering profits.

Investigating the drug cartel since January 2022, the police also found 48 different weapons, including automatic rifles, ammunition, luxury jewels, and luxury cars used to hide drugs and cash.

Police arrested 25 people across 29 police raids in the country.

The investigation started in January 2022 when the police found 620 kg of cocaine hidden inside an electric generator coming from Panama. A month later, another 62 kg of cocaine was found at Madrid-Barajas airport.

The last phase of the investigation was conducted in December. In total, the police found over 3,000 kg of cocaine in Spain, along with 144 plants of marijuana. In Panama, the police seized another 4.100 kg.

Barcelona's harbor: a key platform

Cocaine was delivered through maritime containers in Barcelona's harbor. A dockworker, who allegedly was an accomplice, monitored the different containers while others loaded and unloaded the shipments.

The cartel took advantage of Barcelona's trade hub to ship cocaine throughout Europe, America, and Asia.

The Spanish national police are also investigating the potential connections of the cartel with the murder of a dockworker in November 2024. The victim was assassinated while sitting on the terrace of a café in Montgat, near Barcelona, after dropping his children at school.

Lucky, the group leader, lived in El Prat del Llobregat. He coordinated the network and several operations.

The cartel's decentralized structure, featuring two deputy leaders and three specialized groups, facilitated task distribution while ensuring discretion.

Back in February 2024, the UK national crime agency seized 5.7 tons of cocaine, which were estimated to be worth £450 million (€534 million). The seizure is still 1.3 tones lower than what law enforcement agents seized in this operation.