S panish authorities announced on Saturday the successful dismantling of a major cocaine smuggling network linked to the notorious Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang, seizing approximately one tonne (1,000 kilograms or 2,200 pounds) of the drug at the port of Valencia.
The operation was conducted in coordination with Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, and resulted in the arrest of 20 individuals. Ten of the suspects have been remanded in custody.
While most arrests were carried out in Spain, two suspects were apprehended in Belgium and another in France.
According to investigators, the group operated as part of a Belgian faction of the Hell’s Angels and was chiefly responsible for coordinating and retrieving cocaine shipments hidden in shipping containers arriving from Latin America.
Police detailed how the smugglers deployed so-called “spidermen” — individuals trained to climb container stacks within the port. These operatives used bolt cutters and radial arm saws to breach container walls and extract the concealed narcotics.
Spain remains a key gateway for cocaine entering Europe, with organized criminal networks frequently exploiting its busy ports to traffic drugs from Latin America.
Authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing and did not rule out further arrests.
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