Spain intercepts 2.6 tonnes of cocaine shipped from Tema Port
Drugs Hidden In False Bottoms Of Coconut Crates; Two Arrested In Almeria After Cargo Tracked From Valencia
Spanish authorities have seized 2.6 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a shipment of coconuts that was loaded at Ghana’s Tema Port, in the latest major overseas drug interception involving cargo dispatched from Ghana.
The seizure was announced on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, in a joint press release by Spain’s Tax Agency and the Civil Guard (Guardia Civil). Two men were arrested in Viator, in the province of Almeria, over their alleged involvement in the importation and unloading of the consignment.
According to the Spanish authorities, the drugs were hidden in two shipping containers declared as carrying coconuts. The containers were loaded at the Port of Tema on August 2, 2026, and arrived at the Port of Valencia on August 22 aboard a container ship, 20 days later.
How The Drugs Were Found
The containers were flagged for inspection by the Entry Summary Unit of the Customs Surveillance Service after being assessed as presenting a high-risk profile for illegal drug importation during routine international trade controls.
A search uncovered packages of cocaine hidden beneath false bottoms fitted into the wooden crates used to transport the coconuts. Field tests confirmed that the white powder inside the packages was cocaine.
Officers removed the drugs and sealed the containers, then waited for them to be collected. Two refrigerated lorries arrived, the cargo was loaded into them and followed to Almeria. The lorries went to a warehouse at the La Juaida industrial estate, where the two suspects were arrested.
The operation involved the Valencia and Almeria Operational Units of Customs Surveillance, alongside the Civil Guard’s Organised Crime Unit and its Fiscal and Border Analysis and Investigation Unit in Valencia.
The operation took place in August, but authorities only released details on November 11, 2026.
No Ghanaian Suspects Named Yet
Spanish authorities have not named any Ghanaian suspects in connection with the latest seizure, nor disclosed whether arrests have been made in Ghana.
The Spanish reports do not say whether Ghanaian authorities were involved in the investigation, or where in the supply chain the drugs were placed inside the crates. The detail confirmed so far is that the containers left Ghana’s main seaport, Tema Port.
Growing Pattern Of Interceptions
The seizure adds to a growing list of major drug seizures overseas involving consignments traced to Ghana.
In September 2026, French customs authorities seized nearly 3.9 tonnes of cocaine concealed in a container carrying plastic waste from Ghana at the northern port of Dunkirk.
In June 2025, Dutch customs seized 4.5 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a timber consignment from Tema at the Port of Amsterdam.
Together, the Spanish and French interceptions alone account for approximately 6.5 tonnes of cocaine linked to shipments that departed Ghanaian ports.
The latest interception has renewed concerns about the possible exploitation of Ghana’s ports by international drug trafficking syndicates and the effectiveness of security screening procedures for export cargo.
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