Portuguese and Spanish authorities have dismantled one of the region’s largest cocaine extraction and processing labs in Badajoz, Spain. The cocaine lab raid in Badajoz, Spain, resulted in seven arrests and the seizure of 66 kilograms of cocaine, along with large amounts of precursor chemicals.
The investigation began when Portugal’s Polícia Judiciária (PJ) alerted Spanish authorities to a suspicious truck potentially carrying chemical supplies across the border into Spain. Surveillance operations were quickly launched along the A-5 motorway.
Police tracked the truck as it entered the “El Nevero” industrial estate in Badajoz. There, it unloaded dozens of chemical drums. Investigators noted that suspects employed extreme security measures, using frequency blockers and anti-tracking devices to avoid detection.
House searches led to the discovery of 46 kilograms of packaged cocaine, 20 kilograms of product in the processing stage, and over 100 drums containing acetone and other precursor chemicals. Police also seized nine high-end vehicles, multiple mobile phones, and electronic counter-surveillance equipment.
The seven suspects, all men aged between 25 and 47, include individuals with known criminal records. They are currently in preventive detention after being handed over to judicial authorities.
The success of this cross-border operation highlights the growing trend of synthetic drug labs across Europe and the importance of international cooperation in dismantling organized crime networks.
Portuguese and Spanish authorities have pledged continued collaboration to combat transnational drug trafficking. According to investigators, the lab was a major node in the European cocaine supply chain, capable of processing large quantities of narcotics for local distribution and export.
The PJ’s National Unit for Combating Drug Trafficking praised the swift coordination between agencies, calling it a “model operation” against organized drug production and trafficking.
12 June 2025
Source: Portugal Resident
