2.6 Tonnes of Cocaine from Ghana Seized at Spanish Port, Two Arrested
Story by: Regina Bless
Spanish authorities have intercepted 2,600 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in two shipping containers that arrived at the Port of Valencia from Ghana, leading to the arrest of two suspects in connection with the shipment.
The seizure was announced on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in a joint statement by Spain’s Tax Agency and Civil Guard.
The two individuals were arrested in Viator, within the province of Almeria, over their alleged roles in the importation and unloading of the illegal consignment. They were identified as the importer of the shipment and the individual assigned to oversee the unloading process.
Investigations revealed that the cocaine had been cleverly concealed beneath false compartments constructed inside wooden boxes used to transport coconuts. The containers had been declared as carrying coconuts, but the drugs were hidden underneath specially designed false bottoms rather than among the fruits.
According to Spanish authorities, the containers were loaded at Ghana’s Port of Tema on August 2, 2026, before arriving at the Port of Valencia on August 22 aboard a container vessel.
The shipment attracted the attention of Spain’s Customs Surveillance service after its Entry Summary Unit identified it as high-risk during routine international trade checks and selected it for further inspection.
A subsequent physical examination uncovered the hidden compartments containing the cocaine.
Following the discovery, investigators placed the containers under surveillance as they were transferred from the port into two refrigerated trucks. The vehicles later travelled to an industrial warehouse at the La Juaida estate in Viator, Almeria, where the suspects were arrested after authorities monitored the premises.
The operation was carried out through a collaboration involving the Valencia and Almeria Operational Units of Customs Surveillance, the Civil Guard’s Organised Crime Unit, and its Fiscal and Border Analysis and Investigation Unit in Valencia.
The latest interception adds to growing scrutiny of cocaine shipments reaching European countries through cargo originating from Ghana.
In September 2026, French customs officials intercepted nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine at the northern port of Dunkirk. The drugs were discovered in a shipping container carrying plastic waste that had arrived from Ghana.
That incident prompted Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission to initiate investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shipment and how it passed through the country.
However, Spanish authorities have not identified any Ghanaian nationals as suspects in the latest case, nor have they announced any arrests in Ghana in connection with the consignment.
Spain’s Tax Agency says investigations are continuing, with particular attention being given to establishing whether the arrested individuals have links to money-laundering networks and identifying other possible logistical locations connected to the operation within Spain.
The investigation is expected to establish the full extent of the suspected trafficking network and determine whether other individuals were involved in moving the drugs from Ghana to Europe.