Agents of the National Police and the Civil Guard have arrested twenty-five people, seized more than 7.5 tons of hashish, and dismantled a criminal organization that allegedly was dedicated to introducing, storing, and distributing "large quantities" of this drug between the Canary Islands and the mainland. In Lanzarote, a total of 1,000 kilos of hashish have been seized.
The investigation began at the end of 2025, when specialized units of both forces began parallel investigations into one of the most active drug traffickers in the archipelago. After detecting the coincidence of objectives, the National Police and the Civil Guard unified efforts in a joint investigation that lasted for eight months.
A complex criminal organization
The investigations made it possible to confirm the existence of a complex criminal organization that operated continuously throughout the Canary archipelago and had connections in the Peninsula, North Africa, and South America. The members of the network adopted strict security measures to hinder police work, using constant rotation of vehicles and phones, as well as different surveillance and counter-surveillance systems.
The investigation also revealed that the organization had a significant maritime infrastructure for introducing large shipments of hashish into the Canary Islands for subsequent distribution.
During the eight months of investigation, agents carried out five major drug seizures at different points in the archipelago. The operations took place in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote, where more than 7,500 kilograms of hashish were seized.
The most relevant operation, in Gran Canaria
The most relevant operation took place in the early morning of May 11 in the area of Sardina del Norte, in Gran Canaria. Investigators detected the arrival of a rigid inflatable boat loaded with bales of hashish and established a police operation that allowed the seizure of the stash as it was being unloaded on the coast.
As a result of this operation, nine people involved in the unloading of the drug were arrested, and more than 3,000 kilograms of hashish and the boat used for its transport were seized.
Once the necessary evidence on the organization's activity was gathered, investigators developed the final phase of the operation's exploitation, which culminated in the arrest of a total of 25 people and six searches of properties located in Gran Canaria and Málaga.
During the searches, agents seized more than 250,000 euros in cash, a handgun with abundant ammunition, bladed weapons, and various documents of interest for the advancement of the investigation.
The operation was jointly developed by specialized units of the National Police and Civil Guard dedicated to the fight against drug trafficking, under the direction of the competent judicial authority.
As reported by the National Police in a statement, the investigation remains open and agents maintain various lines of work aimed at locating and arresting several members of the organization who have been fully identified and are currently wanted.
The State Security Forces and Corps maintain specific devices for their location, with new arrests not being ruled out in the coming weeks.
The detainees were placed at the disposal of the judicial authority as alleged perpetrators of drug trafficking and criminal organization offenses, with provisional imprisonment ordered for sixteen of them.
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.