Hamburg: A major international drug trafficking gang has been broken up, in connection with a record cocaine seizure in Hamburg in 2021, Spanish police said on Tuesday. Nine people have been detained over the case, police said. Seven were in Lithuania, with one each in Spain and Ireland.
According to Ghana News Agency, the gang is said to have smuggled cocaine from South America, hashish from Morocco, and marijuana procured in Spain into the rest of Europe since at least 2021. Police said the gang was responsible for the 16 tons of cocaine found in Hamburg in a shipment from Paraguay in 2021. The haul was the largest ever seizure in Europe at the time, with a street worth of some pound 2 billion ($2.34 billion).
Extensive evidence was seized during the large-scale operation, Spanish police said. Over pound 2 million in cash was confiscated, along with seven firearms, more than 100 kilograms of marijuana, GPS detectors, encrypted mobile phones, and various documents. The dismantled organization with Lithuanian roots used Spain, in particular the regions of Valencia, Tarragona, and M¡laga, as a 'logistical hub' for drug smuggling within Europe, according to the statement from the Spanish national police.
Large quantities of drugs were transported to other countries by ship, lorry, and car. A key role was played by the son of the suspected gang leader, who reportedly lived in Orihuela, in the southern Spanish province of Alicante, and was considered a central figure in the organization of numerous drug shipments. The man, who was arrested in Spain, was constantly accompanied by two bodyguards.
Numerous people have been detained and convicted in connection with the Hamburg seizure.
