Spanish police and DEA dismantle Sinaloa cartel ring after 40kg of meth hidden inside a Popeye statue is seized in major Europe drug bust.
A worldwide plot by the Sinaloa Cartel to flood Europe with meths has been foiled after a two-and-a-half year investigation by Spanish police and the American DEA.
Authorities in Spain and America hailed the success of ‘Operation Saga’ which has culminated in the “second-largest methamphetamine seizure in Europe.”
The investigation, which involved police and anti-drug officers in Spain, USA, Mexico, Dubai and Finland, has only come to light now after the end of the second stage of the operation.
It has now emerged that in mid-2024, agents in Tenerife seized 40kg of meths hidden in the base of a 1.5 metres statue of Popeye that had originated in Alicante. One local drug trafficker was arrested and has been jailed.
A total of 16 people have been arrested on allegations of drug trafficking, membership of a criminal organisation, and money laundering.
Among those arrested was a member of the Sinaloa cartel who police said was found hiding in a Madrid apartment and was “paid a salary of €2,500 a month in exchange for his silence”.
Police said the investigation also uncovered the use of a marble import company which was being used to smuggle drugs into Spain. The owner has been arrested.
During searches of the company’s premises, officers found “nearly €3 million hidden in an underground bunker”.
According to Spanish National Police, the smuggling ring was operating as a multi-drug network.
In a statement, they said: “A shipment of 38 kilograms of marijuana that the organisation had sent to Finland was also intercepted.” Finnish authorities have arrested the intended recipient.
The statement added: “The other arrest was of the leader of the drug trafficking network, who oversaw operations between Dubai and Mexico, as well as the other members of the organisation.”
In addition to this, searches were carried out at seven addresses across Valencia, Alicante, Málaga and Madrid. Officers seized luxury watches, mobile phones, geolocation devices and ammunition.
The statement added: “With this operation, this criminal network is considered dismantled. It was the most powerful in Europe in terms of synthetic drug trafficking.”
Timeline: Operation Saga
- 2023: Police launch Operation Saga under the supervision of Spain’s National Court.
- Early 2024: Officers seize 1,800 kilograms of methamphetamine in Alicante, later described by police as the second-largest meth seizure ever recorded in Europe.
- July 2024: Police intercept 40 kilograms of meth hidden inside the base of a statue destined for Tenerife.
- September 2024: A Sinaloa cartel member is found hiding in Madrid and allegedly paid €2,500 a month for his silence.
- January 2026: Police announce the conclusion of the investigation and the dismantling of the network.
Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
Discover additional reports, market trends, crime analysis and Harm Reduction articles on DarkDotWeb to stay informed about the latest dark web operations.
