Spanish law enforcement authorities have seized more than 3.7 tonnes of cocaine in two separate operations, including a 2.6-tonne consignment concealed in a shipment of coconuts exported from Ghana’s Tema Port.
The two operations, which resulted in 12 arrests and one additional person being investigated, involved interceptions at the Port of Valencia and the Port of Santa Pola in Spain.
The largest seizure involved 2,600 kilogrammes of cocaine discovered in two shipping containers that arrived at the Port of Valencia from Ghana.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, Spain’s Tax Agency and Civil Guard said the containers had been loaded at Tema Port on August 2 and arrived in Valencia on August 22.
The containers were selected for inspection by the Entry Summary Unit of the Customs Surveillance Service after being assessed as presenting a high-risk profile during routine international trade controls.
A physical examination of the shipment revealed that the cocaine had been concealed beneath false bottoms constructed inside wooden crates used to transport coconuts.
According to the authorities, investigators discovered layers of packages containing a white powdery substance beneath the false structures. Preliminary tests subsequently confirmed the substance to be cocaine.
Rather than immediately concluding the operation at the port, investigators removed the drugs, resealed the containers and placed the consignment under surveillance to identify the individuals expected to receive it.
The cargo was subsequently transferred into two refrigerated trucks and transported to a warehouse at the La Juaida industrial estate in Viator, Almería.
Officers arrested two men as the goods were being unloaded. The suspects were identified as the alleged importer of the consignment and the person responsible for overseeing the unloading operation.
Announcing the seizure, Spain’s Civil Guard stated on social media: “2,600 kilos of cocaine seized at the Port of Valencia! The drugs were travelling hidden in false bottoms of boxes of coconuts from Ghana.”
The operation was jointly conducted by the Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Service of Spain’s Tax Agency, involving their operational units in Valencia and Almería.
