Spanish law enforcement catches Ukrainian drone drug gang
Date
12/1/2024 7:16:55 AM
(MENAFN) Spanish authorities have successfully dismantled a drug smuggling operation involving Ukrainian-made drones used to transport hashish from Morocco. The drones, which were manufactured in Ukraine and then driven to southern Spain, were operated by criminal groups based in the Campo de Gibraltar and Costa del Sol regions. These regions are notorious for drug trafficking due to their proximity to Morocco, which is a major producer of hashish.
The Police operation, called "Operation Cyclone," led to six raids in the cities of Algeciras and Marbella, resulting in the arrest of ten individuals. Seven of the suspects have already been imprisoned. The operation, which was supported by Europol and law enforcement agencies in Ukraine and Poland, successfully seized three drones—two of which were operational and one still under construction. These drones were capable of carrying up to 10kg of hashish per flight, with a range of around 50km, allowing them to fly directly from Morocco into southern Spain without having to land.
The use of drones for smuggling is not new in the region. While speedboats have traditionally been used to carry larger drug loads, drones are harder to intercept due to their small size and ability to travel undetected. Over the course of the investigation, the smugglers allegedly transported up to a thousand kilograms of drugs using UAVs. This operation follows similar drone smuggling cases in France and Spain in previous years, highlighting the growing use of innovative methods by criminal organizations to evade law enforcement.
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