Seizure of 10 tonnes of cocaine following warehouse accident in Águilas
A pallet of cocaine fell from a forklift in a warehouse in Águilas, Murcia, revealing a deposit of approximately 10 tonnes of drugs valued at more than 100 million euros.
Fortuitous discovery of one of Spain's largest cocaine seizures
According to The Olive Press, the Guardia Civil has discovered what could be one of the largest cocaine shipments in Spanish history following an accident in two warehouses located in Águilas, Murcia. The discovery occurred when a pallet loaded with drugs fell from a forklift whilst being transferred inside one of the buildings located in the El Labradorcico industrial estate.
The impact opened part of the cargo and scattered packets of cocaine across the floor. Workers present fled immediately, leaving the forklift behind. Local police responded after being notified of what was reported as a possible workplace accident, but found the building empty.
Officers counted more than 5,000 kilogrammes of cocaine in the first warehouse. A second building located nearby was also found to be full of drugs, raising the total estimate to approximately 10 tonnes. The Guardia Civil is still weighing the substance, but preliminary assessments suggest that the street value could exceed 100 million euros.
If confirmed, this amount would be almost five times greater than all the cocaine seized in the Murcia region over the last five years, which stands at around 2,300 kilogrammes. The volume of the shipment has obliged officers to divide it for weighing, being transported in heavily guarded convoys.
Neither of the warehouses bore any sign or name identifying a company. Investigators believe the cocaine could belong to an Albanian criminal organisation, which was using the buildings to prepare the drugs for distribution. Initial indications suggest that the cocaine was destined to be transported by road to various points in Spain and other European countries.
Guardia Civil detectives are working to establish who was storing the cocaine and its origin. So far no arrests have been made. The size of the shipment and the use of two warehouses point to a network capable of mobilising enormous quantities of narcotics.
Source: The Olive Press