Twenty people have been arrested in Ecuador after an operation backed by Europol targeted a criminal network accused of smuggling tonnes of cocaine to Europe hidden in shipments of tropical fruit.
The action, carried out on 8 October, involved law enforcement from Spain’s Guardia Civil and National Police working with Ecuador’s Federal Police, Europol announced.
Officers searched 23 properties across multiple locations in Ecuador and detained 20 suspects.
The criminal group is suspected of using commercial freight to move cocaine from Latin America to European ports, with Ecuador used as a key departure point because of its export trade and major container ports.
Investigators believe the suspects operated under the cover of fruit import-export companies to reduce scrutiny during police and customs checks.
A total of more than 43 tonnes of cocaine has been seized in 13 operations linked to the investigation between 2022 and 2026, including the latest arrests.
Ports in Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands among alleged logistics hubs
The investigation found the suspects maintained bases in Peru and used logistics hubs including ports in Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, while also establishing links in the United Arab Emirates, according to Europol.
Two Ecuadorian officers were deployed to Europol’s headquarters in The Hague during the investigation to work with member states on intelligence-sharing and analysis.
“International cooperation is our greatest strength against drug trafficking,” EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner stated, adding that the operation involved 43 tonnes seized.
Some seizures tied to the case were detected using Sky ECC data — information obtained from the Sky ECC encrypted messaging service used by criminals.
