Spanish authorities have intercepted a massive cocaine shipment weighing 2.6 tonnes after discovering the drugs concealed inside wooden crates carrying coconuts from Ghana.
The operation was carried out jointly by Spain’s Tax Agency Customs Surveillance Service and the Guardia Civil after investigators identified two shipping containers as high-risk during international trade controls. The containers were loaded at the Port of Tema in Ghana on August 2, 2026, before arriving at the Port of Valencia on August 22.
During a detailed inspection, officers noticed that the wooden coconut crates contained false bottoms. Hidden beneath those compartments were layers of packages commonly used to transport cocaine.
Authorities opened the packages and found a white powder which later tested positive for cocaine. In total, approximately 2,600 kilograms of the drug were seized.
Rather than immediately ending the operation, investigators continued monitoring the remaining cargo in an effort to identify those linked to the shipment.
After leaving the Port of Valencia, the cargo was transferred into two refrigerated trucks and transported toward Almería. Officers followed the vehicles until they reached a warehouse in the La Juaida industrial area, where authorities monitored the unloading process.
Police later arrested two men in Viator, Almería. Spanish authorities identified them as the importer of the shipment and the individual responsible for unloading the cargo.
Spanish authorities have seized 2.6 tonnes of cocaine concealed in wooden coconut crates shipped from Ghana to the Port of Valencia. Customs officers discovered the drugs hidden beneath false bottoms in the crates.
Investigators tracked the remaining cargo to a warehouse near Almería, where police monitored the unloading operation before arresting two men, including the importer and the intended recipient of the shipment.
— 𝐀𝐒𝐊 (@askghmedia) November 11, 2026
The seizure represents another major blow against international drug trafficking networks attempting to move large quantities of cocaine through European ports using legitimate commercial shipments as cover.
Spanish officials revealed details of the operation on November 11, months after the containers first arrived in Valencia.
The investigation involved customs surveillance teams in Valencia and Almería alongside organized crime units of the Guardia Civil.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed the identities of the two arrested men as investigations into the trafficking operation continue.
