Spanish authorities have seized more than 1.2 tons of cocaine concealed inside a shipment of coconuts in the southern province of Seville, uncovering what investigators believe was a sophisticated drug-smuggling operation.
Police discovered 1,238 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the rear section of a truck trailer and beneath pallets loaded with coconuts. Two people were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking.
The investigation began in December after authorities became suspicious of a company operating in Dos Hermanas, near Seville. Investigators believed the business could be serving as a front for bringing illegal drugs into Spain.
Their attention later turned to a suspicious shipping container, which was placed under surveillance as officers tracked its movements.
Police moved in as the truck driver was preparing to deliver the shipment to a warehouse. The drugs were intercepted during the handover, preventing the cocaine from entering the wider distribution network.
Officers subsequently searched two properties in Seville province, where they seized cash and electronic devices believed to contain potentially important evidence.
The investigation remains active, and authorities have indicated that additional arrests could follow.
Spain remains one of the main gateways for cocaine entering the European Union, particularly shipments originating in Latin America. In 2024, Spanish authorities seized approximately 124 tons of cocaine — around 37% of the total amount confiscated across the EU that year.
Spain, France and Belgium together accounted for roughly two-thirds of the 330 tons seized across the bloc in 2024.
European drug authorities have also identified a shift in trafficking methods, with criminal networks increasingly relying on smaller, fragmented shipments in an effort to reduce the risk of detection and large-scale losses.
