The Guardia Civil intercepted cargo ship Arconian in the Atlantic loaded with a large consignment of cocaine, which could rank among the largest seizures.

The 23 crew members were arrested on arrival at the port and the authorities proceeded to weigh the packages. According to preliminary reports, the haul could amount to between 30,000 and 45,000 kilos of cocaine.

The operation, which is being carried out under the supervision of the national court and remains subject to judicial secrecy which currently prevents the disclosure of specific details regarding the quantity of drugs seized. However, sources close to the investigation suggest that the shipment could even exceed the nearly ten tonnes of cocaine seized in January during another maritime operation west of the Canary Islands.

The vessel had set sail on 22 April from Freetown (Sierra Leone) with a declared destination of Benghazi (Libya), although its journey was intercepted as part of an international operation against drug trafficking in which Customs Surveillance officers are also reported to have taken part. Once in port, a thorough search of the vessel will be carried out.

This latest police crackdown confirms the archipelago’s strategic role in international drug trafficking routes. In the first few months of 2026, the security forces have stepped up their activities with dozens of operations and tonnes of drugs seized, particularly cocaine and hashish, against a backdrop of a global rise in the production and consumption of narcotics.