POLICE have seized almost 1.7 tonnes of cocaine imported into Valencia by the so-called Balkan Cartel.
The joint operation involved the Policia Nacional, Guardia Civil, and customs officers.
Two Albanians and a Moroccan were arrested on October 8 after taking a shipment of 690 kilos of cocaine at a warehouse in Vallada- in the La Costera region of Valencia province.
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Authorities also intercepted a tonne of cocaine that had arrived at the port of Valencia in a container from Ecuador.
The Albanians were in charge of ensuring the drugs safely arrived at Vallada from Valencia, and reported directly to a Balkan Cartel leader
On Thursday, three additional arrests were executed- including that of a lorry driver, who was tracked down via his vehicle number plate.
The Vallada facility was used as a logistics centre to distribute the cocaine,
The warehouse raid on October 8 happened when the lorry driver started behaving suspiciously after loading up his cargo at the port of Valencia.
Police tracked him all the way to the warehouse where took his 690 kilo stash of cocaine.
He managed to drive off and give police the slip after the cargo was removed.
Police said that the sheer volume of the drugs shipped into Valencia meant that the lorry would have needed a second trip to the port.
A search of the warehouse uncovered a solid steel chest that was so thick that it prevented scanners at the port from detecting what was hidden inside.
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