Transnational drug network dismantled for sending cocaine to Iceland with 'mules': 34 arrested
The Spanish National Police, together with Europol and Eurojust, dismantles a criminal network that used vulnerable people as human couriers. More than 100 kg of cocaine seized.
Criminal network dismantled after using vulnerable people to traffic drugs to Iceland
The Spanish National Police has dismantled a transnational criminal organisation dedicated to sending cocaine and synthetic drugs to Iceland through human couriers, according to Google News ES — Crime. The operation, coordinated with authorities from Iceland and Lithuania under the auspices of Europol and Eurojust, concluded with the arrest of 34 people in several European countries and the seizure of more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, in addition to other substances.
The profits generated by the network exceeded four million euros, laundered through the acquisition of properties and real estate in Lithuania. The network operated by recruiting people in situations of economic and social vulnerability, whom it used as 'mules' on commercial flights with Iceland as the final destination.
The beginning: two Spanish nationals arrested in Keflavík with liquid cocaine
The investigation began in February 2025, when Icelandic police informed the Spanish National Police of the arrest of two Spanish citizens at Keflavík airport. Those arrested were transporting in their luggage eight bottles of rum that concealed 8,400 millilitres of liquid cocaine base. The point of origin was Spain, specifically the border checkpoint in Bilbao.
Based on that finding, the authorities established the existence of a criminal organisation made up of citizens of various nationalities and led by a Russian citizen resident in Lithuania, considered by Europol to be a high-value target.
Structure in Spain: recruiters in several cities
With the Spanish connection detected, the Drug and Organised Crime Unit (UDYCO) was tasked with locating and identifying possible members of the network present in national territory. The organisation's leader frequently travelled to cities such as Barcelona, Gijón, Vigo and Viveiro, in the province of Lugo.
Analysis of the profile of those arrested confirmed the recruitment pattern: the leadership selected people without resources, with disorganised family backgrounds and without social stability. In exchange for transporting the drugs, the 'mules' received minimal financial compensation that was clearly disproportionate to the risk they assumed. In some cases, the couriers travelled with the drug concealed inside their bodies, in the form of capsules ingested before the flight.
Key border coordination in Bilbao and Las Palmas
The cooperation of the border checkpoints in Bilbao and Las Palmas made it possible to identify one of those responsible for accompanying the 'mules' to the airport, who oversaw both the luggage check-in and boarding. That identification made it possible to alert the authorities in Iceland and Lithuania about the suspect's movements, which led to successive drug seizures and arrests of couriers upon their arrival at the destination.
Members of the organisation based in Spain were responsible for recruiting vulnerable people, organising transfers and, on occasions, accompanying them to the final destination.
Simultaneous operation in several countries on 4 February 2026
After more than a year of investigation, on 4 February 2026 the operational exploitation phase was executed simultaneously in several European Union countries. To this end, an Operational Coordination Centre and a secure communications channel were established between all participating countries.
During the searches—41 in total—telephone and computer terminals, cash, cryptocurrency wallets and materials used to manufacture false bottoms in suitcases were seized. The balance of arrests was distributed as follows: 20 in Iceland, 7 in Lithuania, 4 in Spain, 2 in Belgium and 1 in Denmark. Of all those arrested, 15 Spanish citizens currently remain in pre-trial detention in Iceland.
More than 100 kilos of cocaine and thousands of MDMA tablets seized
From the start of the investigation, authorities seized more than 100 kilograms of cocaine, 5,100 MDMA tablets and around one kilogramme of ketamine and methamphetamine. The volume of the seizures and the number of arrests made it possible to completely dismantle the criminal network.
European financing and EU security strategy
The operation is part of the European Union's Security Strategy, which prioritises the fight against organised crime and terrorism. The Directorate General for Migration and Home Affairs of the European Commission (DG HOME), together with the Internal Security Funds (ISF), provided financial backing for the work of the member states involved in this type of coordinated operations on a continental scale.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)