Five Arrested in Costa Teguise as 21kg of cocaine seized from motorhome

Police in Lanzarote have dismantled a drug trafficking network following the seizure of more than 21 kilograms of cocaine from a motorhome parked in Costa Teguise. Five people, aged between 55 and 58, have been arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and membership in a criminal organisation.

The operation was carried out by the Narcotics Unit in Arrecife. According to investigators, the inquiry began in September 2025, after school alerted officers to a motorhome parked in its grounds. The vehicle was allegedly being used to store narcotics.

In an initial phase of the operation, police arrested two individuals linked to the motorhome and recovered 20 kilograms of cocaine from inside it. A subsequent search of one suspect’s home also yielded more than 115,000 euros in cash.

Detectives then focused on identifying the remaining members of the network. Their efforts established the involvement of an individual residing on another island who had been in contact with the detained suspects regarding the seized drugs. Investigators also uncovered various trips and meetings with another individual who had a prior history of drug trafficking.

On 18 April, officers set up a surveillance operation after noticing fresh movements by the suspects. They managed to locate a residence in the municipality of Haría, where one of the suspects collected a large package and placed it in a vehicle.

Police then attempted to intercept the vehicle at the entrance to Costa Teguise. When the driver refused to stop, a chase ensued, ending on a local road where the car was finally intercepted. The two individuals inside were arrested at that time.

Inside the luggage being transported, officers found 40 packages containing cocaine, with a total gross weight of 21.5 kilograms and an estimated street value of more than 750,000 euros.

Following the chase, a search warrant was executed at the residence linked to the investigation, leading to the arrest of the remaining members of the organisation.

All five detainees have been brought before the judicial authority, which has ordered the imprisonment of the leader of the dismantled criminal network.