A major anti-drug trafficking operation has led to the interception of a cargo vessel in the Atlantic carrying a vast quantity of cocaine, in what could become one of the largest seizures ever recorded in Spain.
The merchant ship, Arconian, sailing under the Comoros flag, was escorted into the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Sunday afternoon by a Guardia Civil patrol boat. Upon arrival, all 23 crew members were detained, while authorities began the process of weighing the seized packages.
Early estimates indicate the shipment could total between 30,000 and 45,000 kilos of cocaine.
The operation is being overseen by Spain’s National Court and remains under judicial secrecy, limiting the release of precise details. Nonetheless, sources close to the investigation suggest the haul may even surpass the nearly 10 tonnes of cocaine confiscated in January during a separate maritime operation west of the Canary Islands. ALSO READ: Spanish police intercept Europe-bound vessel carrying 10 tonnes of cocaine in largest-ever maritime bust.
According to investigators, the vessel departed Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 22 April, officially bound for Benghazi, Libya. It was intercepted as part of an international anti-drug trafficking effort, reportedly involving customs surveillance officers. A comprehensive search of the ship is now underway in port.
The case highlights the Canary Islands’ growing importance as a key hub along global drug trafficking routes. In recent months, Spanish security forces have intensified their operations across the archipelago, seizing significant quantities of narcotics – particularly cocaine and hashish – amid a broader global surge in both production and consumption. ALSO READ: Nine arrests after Spanish police seize 6.5 tonnes of cocaine on boat off Canary Islands.
Rising output, falling prices and increasing demand are driving trafficking to record levels, a trend authorities are working to counter. In 2025 alone, police launched around a thousand investigations, resulting in 1,893 arrests and the seizure of more than 130 tonnes of drugs. Hashish accounted for the largest share at 70.5 tonnes – three times the volume recorded the previous year.
Cocaine seizures also continued to climb, reaching 60 tonnes nationwide, while heroin confiscations rose to 66 kilos. In one December operation, officers seized eight kilos of heroin in tablet form – roughly equivalent to the total amount recovered throughout 2024.
Cannabis seizures have likewise remained high. The number of plants destroyed surged from 7,400 to over 35,000 last year, while more than 1,700 kilos of the drug were confiscated, slightly exceeding the previous year’s total.
These figures are drawn from data compiled by the central criminal intelligence unit, reflecting operations carried out in 2025 by the Central Unit for the Fight Against Drugs and Organised Crime (Udyco) and its central narcotics brigade.
The crackdown has continued into 2026 with no sign of slowing. Between January and April, more than 30 operations led to 187 arrests and the seizure of nearly 60 tonnes of drugs – split almost evenly between cocaine (25.3 tonnes) and hashish (25.5 tonnes), including several major hauls.
Among the most notable cases was the largest maritime cocaine seizure in Europe since 1999, involving nearly 10 tonnes intercepted some 535 kilometres off the Canary Islands. Authorities have also uncovered 17.5 tonnes of hashish in operations linked to a newly discovered drug tunnel in Ceuta.
Investigators believe such tunnels have been used for years to smuggle large quantities of hashish from Morocco and have not ruled out the existence of additional underground routes, according to reports from Canarias7. ALSO READ: Spanish police uncover sophisticated drug tunnel network linking Ceuta and Morocco.
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El alijo del Arconian podría alcanzar los 45.000 kilos de cocaína
— CanalSurNoticias (@CSurNoticias) May 4, 2026
Es la mayor cantidad de esta droga interceptada en alta mar. El barco fue interceptado frente a las costas del Sahara Occidental
🌐 https://t.co/EwyOY6rZNx pic.twitter.com/MeAFAKlnKf
La Guardia Civil podría haber intervenido el mayor alijo de cocaína en alta mar de toda la historia
— CanalSurNoticias (@CSurNoticias) May 3, 2026
Según ha podido saber Canal Sur, la cantidad intervenida oscila entre los 30.000 y los 45.000 kilos de esta droga. Hay 23 personas detenidas, de nacionalidad filipina y angoleña… pic.twitter.com/BReDLWba5j
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