Spanish law enforcement agencies have uncovered a major cocaine consignment concealed in a shipment of coconuts from Ghana, seizing 2.6 tonnes of the narcotic and arresting two men in connection with its attempted distribution.

The drugs were discovered in two shipping containers that left the Tema Port on August 2 and arrived at the Spanish port of Valencia 20 days later.

A joint team of the Guardia Civil and the Customs Surveillance Service of Spain’s Tax Agency flagged the containers for inspection after identifying them as presenting a high risk of drug trafficking.

A search of the cargo revealed that the wooden crates used to transport the coconuts had been fitted with false bottoms, beneath which packages containing a white powder were concealed.

Tests subsequently confirmed that the substance was cocaine.

#OperacionesGC | ¡2.600 kilos de cocaína intervenidos en el Puerto de #Valencia! 📦 La droga viajaba oculta en dobles fondos de cajas de cocos procedentes de Ghana. 👮‍♂️ 2 detenidos en Viator (#Almería) tras el seguimiento de la mercancía. Operación conjunta de la @guardiacivil y @aduanassva.
— Guardia Civil (@guardiacivil) November 11, 2026

Rather than immediately move the containers out of the port, investigators removed the drugs, resealed the cargo and kept it under surveillance to identify those who would collect the shipment.

Their suspicions led them to two lorries that arrived to take delivery of the containers. The vehicles, which were refrigerated, were followed to a warehouse at the La Juaida industrial estate in Almería.

Police moved in as the cargo was being unloaded, arresting two men — the suspected importer of the drugs and the person overseeing the unloading operation.

The operation was conducted in August, but Spanish authorities released details of the seizure on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.

The discovery has drawn attention to the use of legitimate commercial cargo to conceal and transport illicit drugs across international borders, with the shipment having passed through Ghana's main seaport before reaching Spain.

However, the information released by the Spanish authorities does not establish where the cocaine was placed inside the coconut crates or whether the drugs were loaded in Ghana or elsewhere along the supply chain.

There is also no confirmed information on whether any suspects have been identified in Ghana or whether Ghanaian law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation.

What has been established is that the two containers were loaded at Tema before being shipped to Valencia, where Spanish authorities uncovered the concealed cocaine and tracked the consignment to its intended destination.

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Spain intercepts 2.6 tonnes of cocaine shipped from Tema Port

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