Spain intercepts cocaine-laden vessel reportedly bound for Benghazi

Spanish authorities have intercepted a cargo vessel carrying what officials described as one of the largest cocaine shipments ever seized by the country, with investigators saying the ship had been travelling towards the Libyan city of Benghazi.

The Spanish Civil Guard said the vessel, named Arkonian, was intercepted in international waters off the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean during a large-scale operation carried out on Friday.

According to Spanish authorities, the ship departed from Sierra Leone on 22 April and was heading towards Libya at the time of its interception.

The Civil Guard said the investigation is currently subject to judicial secrecy orders issued by Spain’s National Court, limiting the amount of official information that can be disclosed publicly.

Spanish media reports, citing the Civil Guard and the AUGC police union association, said the quantity of cocaine seized is estimated at between 30,000 and 45,000 kilogrammes. Officials described the operation as a “historic blow” against international drug trafficking networks.

Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, said the seizure represented “one of the largest anti-drug operations at both the national and international levels”.

Images released by the Spanish Civil Guard on the social media platform X showed large quantities of cocaine stacked inside the ship’s cargo hold, with authorities describing the operation as “historic” in the fight against maritime drug smuggling.

Initial investigations indicate that the vessel may have been part of a wider trafficking network operating across the Atlantic Ocean, with shipments potentially redistributed through smaller vessels towards European destinations.

Around 20 people were reportedly detained during the operation, according to Agence France-Presse.

The seizure comes only months after another major maritime anti-drug operation conducted by Spanish authorities in January, during which approximately 10 tonnes of cocaine were confiscated as part of continuing efforts to dismantle international smuggling networks.