Spanish Authorities Seize 625 Kilograms of Methamphetamine Shipped from Mexico

Madrid, Spain — Spanish authorities have dismantled an international drug trafficking organization after intercepting a shipment of more than 600 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in containers labeled as coconut oil, which originated from Mexico.

The illegal substance arrived at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport from an unspecified Mexican airport, where routine customs checks detected irregularities in a shipment of 36 containers.

Investigators launched the operation in mid-February after specialized fiscal and border analysis agents, along with customs surveillance personnel, identified suspicious anomalies in the cargo. Although the shipment was declared as a food product, laboratory tests confirmed it contained drugs.

Following the discovery, authorities moved the cargo to a controlled storage facility in Arganda del Rey and set up a covert operation to track those responsible.

Police conducted continuous surveillance on the storage location and addresses linked to the shipment’s recipient and logistics manager. Over several days, investigators documented suspicious activities, including repeated visits to the warehouse by one suspect who took measures to detect possible surveillance.

Authorities also identified meetings between different suspects, confirming connections within the criminal structure. A key meeting occurred in early March when two individuals—one Spanish and one Mexican—met at a business establishment.

According to investigators, the Mexican citizen held a leadership position within the group. Further investigation revealed the two maintained a closer operational relationship than initially suspected.

The operation culminated on March 5 with the arrest of five people allegedly involved in importing, distributing, and storing the drugs, including one Mexican national.

Among those detained was an individual identified within the organization as “the notary,” responsible for verifying that shipments met established agreements. Authorities arrested him upon his arrival in Spain on a flight from Mexico.

Four of the five detainees have been sent to preventive detention by court order. Authorities consider this seizure one of the most significant blows against methamphetamine trafficking in Spain in recent years, both for the volume seized and the method used to conceal the substance.