Spanish, Portuguese police make major cocaine seizure

MADRID – Spanish police say a 15-month investigation has led to the seizure at sea of 3.3 metric tons of South American cocaine with a street value of around 100 million euros ($113 million).

Police said in a statement Friday the drug was headed to Spain and was captured when security forces from Portugal boarded a ship in the Atlantic, 150 miles (240 kilometres) off the Portuguese coast.

Authorities believe a gang was using cargo ships to transport the cocaine to Europe. The drug was usually transferred to smaller coastal craft using the ship’s crane.

Police say 11 people, including eight Ukrainians, were arrested in the operation that took place at the end of January.