Record cocaine seizure made by Spanish police off coast of Western Sahara

4 May 2026, 12:20 | Updated: 4 May 2026, 15:30

Police in Spain have made what they have said is a "record-breaking cocaine seizure in the Atlantic", as part of an ongoing crackdown on international drug trafficking.

Officers from the Guardia Civil's Central Operational Unit found between 35,000 and 40,000kg (35-40 tonnes) of the banned drug on a cargo ship off the coast of northwest Africa.

The vessel, believed to be 90m (295-feet)-long and registered in the Comoros Islands, was heading for the Mediterranean after leaving Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, on 22 April, the force told Sky News.

It was intercepted by the unit, an elite team that investigates serious crimes, off the coast of the Western Sahara region, near the city of Dakhla.

It was escorted to the port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria on Sunday night, where it is being held by a Spanish court.

The Guardia Civil, speaking on condition of anonymity, as their investigation is ongoing, was acting as part of a large crackdown on international drug trafficking, overseen by Spain's High Court.

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Officers have arrested 23 people who are mostly Filipino, Angolan and Dutch nationals.

The Guardia Civil's main union, the AUGC (Asociación Unificada de Guardias Civiles), released a picture of the record haul.

(c) Sky News 2026: Record cocaine seizure made by Spanish police off coast of Western Sahara