Spanish Police Seize Record Cocaine Shipment Off Western Sahara

Record Cocaine Seizure Off Western Sahara Coast near Morocco.

Spanish police made headlines on May 4, 2026, with a record-breaking cocaine bust—one of the largest maritime drug seizures ever recorded. Acting on solid intelligence, authorities intercepted a merchant ship carrying up to 45 tons of the drug, worth billions, off the coast of Western Sahara near Morocco.

The 90-metre-long vessel had departed Freetown on April 22, 2026, before heading toward the Mediterranean.

The 90-metre Comoros-flagged merchant ship had left Freetown, Sierra Leone, on April 22, pre-independence anniversary, and was said to be heading to Benghazi.

The elite Central Operational Unit of the Guardia Civil intercepted the ship near Dakhla, Western Sahara, and escorted it to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria, where it is now under the jurisdiction of a Spanish court.

The operation unfolded after weeks of surveillance on the vessel, which had traveled from South America through West African routes toward Europe. Officers boarded the ship at sea, securing the massive haul hidden in its cargo holds. Authorities confirmed the arrest of 23 crew members, mostly nationals of the Philippines, Angola, and the Netherlands. Investigations into the crew, owners, and supply chain are underway.

Reports have raised questions about potential Freetown connections, as West African ports like Sierra Leone's capital increasingly appear in trafficking routes as the 'cocaine highway.'