Khaberni - The Spanish police dismantled a large network for smuggling cocaine that relies on using high-speed boats to transfer the drugs to land from floating bases in the Atlantic Ocean, seizing 10 tons of drugs and arresting 105 people suspected of involvement in the smuggling operations.
The police said on Monday that an investigation spanning a year, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies from countries including Cape Verde, Colombia, France, Portugal, and the United States, concluded that the group had smuggled an estimated 57 tons of cocaine into Europe during that period.
The high-speed boats sailed far into the Atlantic Ocean to transfer drugs from transport and storage ships.
The police stated in a report, "They managed to establish actual water platforms where the boat captains stayed at sea for over a month at a time to carry out several consecutive operations."
It added that other members used sophisticated equipment to monitor the communications and movements of security agencies.
The police confiscated 30 boats, 70 vehicles, and a number of communication and surveillance devices featuring advanced technology.
The investigation also concluded that at one point, the group paid about 12 million euros to the family of one of the crew members after his death to buy their silence.
