Spanish police seize 10 tonnes of cocaine in record haul at sea

13 Jan 2026 • 7:19 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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Spanish police seized almost 10 metric tonnes of cocaine in their largest-ever haul of the drug on the high seas.

Authorities intercepted a vessel carrying the drug concealed in a shipment of salt en route from Brazil to Europe, police said on Monday, 12 January.

Footage shows officers using shovels and digging with their hands to remove the drug from beneath the salt.

Thirteen people on board were arrested, and police recovered 294 bales of cocaine and a handgun.

The international effort also involved the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Brazil's Federal Police, Britain's National Crime Agency and French and Portuguese authorities.

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