MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Arrests linked to Mvdeo/Vigo fish containers cocaine stuffed ring

Something fishy or snorty in any of these containers?

Six Uruguayans and two Colombians were arrested this week in Spain in connection with an international organization that shipped cocaine from South America to Europe as well as managing a plant to print fake Euros.

According to Uruguayan police sources the arrests mainly in Barcelona and Vigo have totalled 21 in the last few weeks, with 14 firm sentences, and are linked to the Cerberus operations, I and II, which last year unveiled an organization that sent cocaine to Spain from Montevideo in containers with frozen fish.

Apparently some of the members of the gang were also involved in printing fake 20 and 50 Euro bills, which helped follow the trail to the cocaine shipments.

Last year the Spanish and Uruguayan police forces working with support from the United States DEA office dismantled the operation which consisted in introducing cocaine, brought in from Buenos Aires and then sent by sea either in returning trawlers or containers to Vigo, Spain that has become one of the main routes to introduce narcotics to Europe.

The Spanish police last year discovered in the Vigo terminal several containers with frozen fish holding a total of 600 kilos of cocaine, neatly stowed among the cargo. A second batch of 124 kilos was located hidden among fishing nets on the returning trawlers. Most of the fishing vessels and containers had originated in the port of Montevideo.

As a consequence of the two Cerberus operations most of the network operating from the port of Montevideo ended up in jail and several officers from maritime agencies and Customs officials had a hard time explaining the situation.

According to Uruguayan police sources the arrests in Spain could mean the end of what was left of the organization attempting to introduce cocaine taking advantage of the fishing industry.

However “this is not the end”, maybe “one chapter” of a long story that has sufficient resources and imagination to try other ways of sending drugs to the European market, said sources in Montevideo.