The National Police of Spain has delivered a significant blow to a sophisticated criminal organization operating in the provinces of Cádiz and Álava. Under the operation known as HORUS, which commenced last year, law enforcement agents have successfully dismantled a network engaged in the transportation of hashish and cocaine utilizing advanced aerial technology to navigate across the Strait of Gibraltar. To date, this operation has resulted in the arrest of eight individuals implicated in this international drug trafficking scheme.
The most innovative aspect of this organization was its use of unmanned fixed-wing aircraft to smuggle drugs from Morocco into Spain. Throughout the investigation, agents succeeded in intercepting one of these exceptionally large drones, measuring four meters in wingspan and equipped with four motors, capable of transporting up to 20 kilograms of cargo. These aircraft proved to be highly effective for the criminal enterprise, as they could traverse the distance between the two countries in mere minutes, achieving speeds that exceeded 100 kilometers per hour.
Once the narcotics reached Spanish territory via air, the network initiated a complex ground logistics operation. The drugs were concealed in vehicles outfitted with sophisticated hidden compartments specifically designed to evade detection during inspections. The ultimate destination for these shipments was the city of Vitoria, which served as a distribution hub for various French criminal organizations responsible for the final trafficking within the neighboring country.
The concluding phase of the operation, led by the Instruction Section of the Algeciras Magistrate's Court, included five simultaneous entries and home searches in the locations of Algeciras and Vitoria. As a result, the police seized 40 kilograms of hashish, two kilograms of cocaine, and 14,000 euros in cash. In addition to the arrests of the eight suspects, two vehicles used for transportation and one of the drones—a critical component of this operation that merged aerospace engineering with traditional drug trafficking routes—were confiscated.
As reported by elmundo.es.
