Spanish authorities have seized what could be a record-breaking cocaine shipment of over 40 tonne from a cargo vessel intercepted in the Atlantic Ocean, marking one of the largest drug busts globally.

The operation, carried out by Spain’s Civil Guard, took place near the Canary Islands, where officers boarded the vessel and detained around 20 crew members suspected of involvement in a major international trafficking network, the authorities said.

In an X post, the Spanish Civil Guard Union, AUGC, describes the operation as an “historic blow to drug trafficking.” It adds: “Intercepted in international waters the largest known seizure: between 30,000 and 45,000 kg of cocaine on board a freighter.”

Investigators say the ship had departed from Freetown, Sierra Leone, and was reportedly en route to Benghazi in Libya, the BBC reported.

It adds that Libya was unlikely to be the final destination, suggesting the vessel may have been part of a complex smuggling operation designed to transfer the cocaine onto smaller boats for distribution across Europe.

Experts suggest unloading such a massive quantity of drugs at a single port would raise immediate suspicion, reinforcing the theory that multiple drop-off points and coordinated maritime logistics were planned, according to Euronews.

The vessel has since been escorted to the Canary Islands, where forensic inspections and evidence collection are continuing under court supervision.

The case highlights the increasing use of West Africa particularly coastal states like Sierra Leone, as transit hubs in global cocaine trafficking networks linking Latin America to Europe.

Spain’s geographic position and strong ties with Latin America have long made it a primary gateway for narcotics entering Europe, Euronews reported, citing recent surge in large-scale seizures, including a 13-tonne cocaine bust in 2024 at the port of Algeciras and multiple maritime interceptions involving sophisticated smuggling methods.

Authorities believe the operation was orchestrated by a highly coordinated international criminal network, potentially involving multiple nationalities and maritime assets, according to a Hespress report.