More than 40 ‘narco-boat’ drug smugglers arrested in major police sting

More than 40 people have been arrested after a major drugs raid busted a “narco-boats” gang accused of trafficking cocaine into the EU.

The investigation, dubbed Operation Black Shadow, saw police forces from around the world work together to seize nearly 3,800 kilos of cocaine, 69 vehicles and €100,000 (£84,232) in cash.

A British national was among the 48 arrested during last Tuesday’s raids, the National Crime Agency confirmed to Sky News.

The gang used “mother ships” to transport cocaine from South America to the Canary Islands, with 11 speedboats used to ferry the drugs to shore.

They even turned an abandoned shipwreck into a refuelling platform for the speedboats and boats, according to Spain’s Policia Nacional.

The criminal network used a “complex encrypted communications system” to evade police, including the use of satellite terminals, hard-to-trace phones and a coded language.

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Twenty-nine houses were searched in Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.

“The criminal network specialised in smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South America into Spanish territory using high-speed boats, said an NCA spokesperson to Sky News.

“Alongside our international partners, we are relentless in our efforts to tackle drug trafficking across borders, ensuring it’s seized before it reaches the UK criminal supply chain.”