Spanish authorities seized more than two tons of cocaine hidden in a shipment of pineapples from Costa Rica at the port of Algeciras last week. The discovery highlights ongoing challenges in stemming drug flows from Latin America to Europe through legal trade routes.
The seizure took place on December 11 at Algeciras, a major entry point for fruits into Europe located in southern Andalusia. Officials from the Servicio de Vigilancia Aduanera, part of Spain’s Tax Agency, inspected the container aboard the CMA CGM Better Ways, a Malta-flagged vessel that regularly sails between Central and South America and European ports. The ship carried the container among others, but only this one held the drugs.
Investigators found over 2,000 kilograms of cocaine concealed within the pineapple cargo. Traffickers used the “gancho ciego” method, where they insert drugs into a container of legitimate goods without the exporters or importers knowing. At the destination, accomplices break the original seal, extract the narcotics, and replace it with a fake one to avoid detection during routine checks.
No one has faced arrest in connection with this case so far. The container arrived alongside two others that cleared inspections without issues. Spanish officials released details of the operation on December 29 through local media, noting the drugs were likely bound for distribution networks across Europe.
This incident adds to a pattern of seizures at Algeciras involving fruit shipments from the region. Pineapples, like bananas and other produce, provide cover for such operations due to high volumes of trade. Ports like this one handle large quantities of Central American exports, making them targets for criminal groups.
Costa Rica continues to deal with its role in global drug transit. According to the Global Organized Crime Index released in November in Geneva, the country ranks 16th out of 193 nations for cocaine trafficking. In October, Dutch authorities uncovered 583 kilograms of cocaine and three kilograms of methamphetamine in a steel machine container from Costa Rica.
Local officials here have yet to comment publicly on the Spanish seizure. This seizure underscores the need for tighter controls at export points like Limón and Moín, where containers often depart for international destinations. While Spain’s action disrupts one shipment, it points to broader networks operating across borders. Authorities in both countries face pressure to collaborate more closely to address these tactics.
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