Tenerife Drug Bust: 300kg Cocaine Seized, Four Arrested
Police in southern Tenerife dismantled a drug trafficking group, arresting four men and seizing over 300 kilograms of cocaine in a major operation.
Police have dealt a major blow to drug trafficking in southern Tenerife, dismantling a criminal group and seizing over 300 kilograms of cocaine. This information comes from a joint operation by the National Police and Civil Guard.
The operation, which took place between last Tuesday and yesterday, led to the arrest of four men. All are from the Canary Islands, live in Guía de Isora, and are suspected of distributing cocaine and hashish along the coast.
One of those arrested is believed to be a key figure in the island's drug trade, connected to a restaurant in southern Tenerife. He had been arrested for similar crimes over fifteen years ago, highlighting how some criminal groups persist and the ongoing challenge for police to fully dismantle them. During his earlier criminal activities, the ringleader had built up considerable wealth, including luxury cars, a boat, and several properties – a lifestyle that authorities had noticed.
The seizure of over 300 kilos of cocaine shows how large-scale this network was and the huge amount of drugs it planned to sell. The investigation, led by the National Police's Drug and Organized Crime Unit (Udyco) in Tenerife with vital help from the Civil Guard's Organized Crime and Anti-Drug Team (EDOA), had been running for several years. It intensified recently to confirm that the ringleader was back in business and to track everyone involved in moving, storing, and selling the drugs.
Searches were carried out in several coastal towns within the municipality of Guía de Isora, including Playa San Juan, Fonsalía, and Alcalá. Operations also took place in Puerto Santiago, which is part of Santiago del Teide. Additionally, police searched a rural property between Aguadulce and Piedra Hincada, also in Guía de Isora. Investigators also thoroughly searched the home of the group's leader once more.
The Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office for Santa Cruz de Tenerife province coordinated this complex operation, overseen by a court in the Arona judicial district. Authorities say more arrests are possible, indicating the investigation is still open and could involve other parts of the network.