Spanish police, working closely with authorities in the UK and Ireland, have broken up a criminal organisation accused of smuggling marijuana hidden in sacks of animal feed shipped to Ireland, officials said on Thursday.
According to a statement from Spain’s National Police, the investigation was launched in 2025 after investigators identified a network composed of British, Irish and Spanish nationals. The group allegedly used international freight services to send pallets of animal feed containing concealed marijuana buds to Ireland.
The gang is believed to have trafficked over three tonnes of marijuana since 2019, with consistent monthly shipments, the police said.
Throughout the investigation, several consignments were intercepted in both Spain and Ireland, leading to the seizure of approximately 300 kg of marijuana.
Officers carried out 12 searches in the provinces of Málaga (10), Madrid (1) and Seville (1) and arrested 13 people in the same provinces who are allegedly members of the criminal organisation. In addition, in the Irish county of Louth, Ireland’s Garda Síochána police carried out a house search and arrested another person allegedly belonging to the criminal network.
The operation also involved coordination with the UK’s National Crime Agency.
During all the house searches, officers seized €95,920 in cash, as well as £2,930 and $1,922.
They also seized 630 marijuana plants, a semi-automatic pistol, three blank-caliber pistols, 11 vehicles, six luxury watches valued at over €200,000, as well as numerous electronic devices and ‘other criminal-related items’, according to the police statement. Simultaneously, ‘movable and immovable property and financial assets worth over €2,000,000 were seized’.
Spain remains a key entry point for drug smuggling into Europe, due to its proximity to Morocco — one of the world’s leading cannabis producers — and its historic links to Latin America.
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🚩Desarticulado un grupo criminal que enviaba #marihuana a #Irlanda🇮🇪 oculta en sacos de pienso para animales
👮♂️14 detenidos (13 en 🇪🇸 y 1 en 🇮🇪) y 12 registros en #Madrid, #Málaga y #Sevilla
🚔Intervenidos 100.000€ en metálico, 630 plantas de marihuana y un arma de fuego… pic.twitter.com/AscWx5pUVQ
— Policía Nacional (@policia) August 7, 2025
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