Major arms and cocaine trafficking ring dismantled in Tenerife
A major criminal network dealing in illegal firearms and large-scale cocaine trafficking has been dismantled in a joint Guardia Civil operation across Tenerife and mainland Spain, with seven people arrested and huge quantities of weapons and drugs seized.
The organisation, which operated from Tenerife alongside bases in Seville and Madrid, is accused of supplying modified firearms to the black market while moving cocaine in industrial quantities to the Canary Islands. Investigators say the group posed a serious and direct threat to public safety.
During coordinated raids, officers searched seven properties across Seville and Tenerife, as well as offices and industrial units linked to the group. More than 30 firearms were seized, including pistols and blank-firing weapons that had been illegally converted to fire live ammunition. All were found to be fully operational.
Alongside the weapons, officers recovered more than 1,300 rounds of ammunition, large quantities of cocaine, luxury watches and jewellery, money-counting machines and over €30,000 in cash. Specialist equipment designed to detect police surveillance was also confiscated, which shows the group’s level of organisation and sophistication.
One of the most shocking discoveries was a workshop hidden inside an industrial unit, where firearms were allegedly manufactured or modified to order for other criminal groups. Investigators say the site even included a soundproofed test area, allowing clients to try out weapons before collection.
The Guardia Civil also established that the network was transporting more than 50 kilos of cocaine every week from Seville and Madrid to Tenerife. During the investigation, several shipments were intercepted, with officers confiscating more than 20 kilos of the drug before it reached the islands.
Authorities say the organisation has now been completely dismantled. Its dual role in supplying illegal firearms and flooding Tenerife with cocaine made it one of the most dangerous criminal groups uncovered in recent years.
All seven suspects have been brought before the courts. Five have been remanded in prison without bail, while judicial proceedings continue.
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