The Civil Guard has carried out Operation Uroboros, resulting in the dismantling of a criminal organisation dedicated to cocaine trafficking from the port of Algeciras, in the province of Cádiz. During the operation, eighteen people were arrested, eight of whom were dock workers.
Arrests and discoveries
The detainees are linked to four cocaine seizures totalling 139.28 kilograms. During the operation, nine searches were conducted in properties in nearby towns, including Algeciras, La Línea de la Concepción, and Puente Mayorga.
In one of the searches, authorities found 12 kilograms of cocaine, as well as €457,020 in cash, two handguns, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest. A frequency detector, used to locate tracking devices, and two vehicles involved in the criminal activity were also confiscated.
Organisation's methodology
The investigation revealed that the organisation had a hierarchical structure and a defined division of roles among its members. Two operational branches were identified: one responsible for drug extractions at the port and another focused on logistics and surveillance, which included counter-surveillance of security agents.
The uniqueness of this operation lies in the arrest of dock workers, who provided the organisation with legitimate access to the container terminal and direct knowledge of cargo movements. This facilitated drug extractions with a lower risk of detection.
Previously, it was common for criminal organisations to use 'fake dock workers', individuals not affiliated with the port, but in this case, the involvement of actual stevedores increases the complexity of surveillance in the port environment.
The method used by the organisation, known as 'lost hook' or 'blind hook', involved hiding cocaine among legal goods in containers coming from South America. Thus, the drug was extracted at a transit port, such as Algeciras, without the parties involved being aware of its illicit destination.
The investigation was carried out by the Organic Judicial Police Unit of the Algeciras Command, under the direction of the Court of First Instance Plaza number 2 of Algeciras and coordinated with the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office of the Campo de Gibraltar. Following the arrests, six of those detained were remanded in custody without bail.
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