Diver arrested while trying to retrieve 80 kilos of cocaine from ship in Las Palmas Port
A dramatic anti-drug operation in Gran Canaria has led to the arrest of four people, including a professional diver and two port workers, after the discovery of 84 kilograms of cocaine hidden on a ship docked in the Port of La Luz and Las Palmas.
The initial arrest took place in July, when officers from the Guardia Civil detained a diver as he attempted to remove several packages of cocaine from a vessel moored at the Nelson Mandela dock. The operation was carried out in coordination with Customs and Excise officers from the Spanish Tax Agency and the Port Police.
Inside the Operation
Following the diver’s arrest, investigators identified three other suspects — two of whom worked in the port as mooring operators. CCTV footage confirmed their possible involvement, showing that they allegedly used a company boat, normally reserved for waste collection and pollution control, to help extract the drugs.
A fourth person, not employed at the port, was later identified as the alleged organiser of the operation, believed to have arranged the drug retrieval and supplied some of the equipment used.
Searches and Arrests
The investigation, led by the Organised Crime and Anti-Drugs Team (EDOA) of the Judicial Police Unit (UOPJ) in Las Palmas, resulted in five authorised searches across various locations linked to the suspects.
After two months of surveillance and evidence gathering, all three remaining suspects were arrested.
Joint Police Effort
The large-scale operation, codenamed “MERMAI”, involved multiple agencies, including:
- Guardia Civil’s EDOA and Fiscal and Border Section at the Port of La Luz
- The Rapid Action Unit (USECIC) and the Canine Unit
- The Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency
- And the Operational Intervention and Support Group (GOIA) of Las Palmas Local Police
All four detainees were brought before Court No. 4 of Las Palmas, which ordered their immediate imprisonment without bail.
The Guardia Civil confirmed that the successful seizure of the 84 kilograms of cocaine has “dismantled a sophisticated criminal operation” attempting to smuggle drugs through one of the Canary Islands’ busiest ports.
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