Pink cocaine worth £21.1 million seized in Spain's largest synthetic drug bust

Video showing the drugs seized in Spain’s largest synthetic drug bust

Spanish authorities have carried out their largest-ever confiscation of synthetic drugs after seizing pink cocaine and over one million ecstasy pills.

An estimated value of over 25 million euros (£21.1 million) worth of drugs was seized across Ibiza and Malaga in Spain’s crackdown, known as Operation Adriático.

Authorities confiscated 212kg of ketamine, 73kg of MDMA, 20kg of cocaine, 21kg of pink cocaine, 10kg of hashish, 6kg of marijuana, 3kg of a substance used to produce pink cocaine, and 1,071,327 ecstasy pills weighing 357kg.

Pink cocaine does not actually contain cocaine. / Credit: The Guardia Civil

The Guardia Civil, Spain’s law enforcement agency, said they targeted multiple synthetic drug trafficking organisation and arrested nine people.

Officers uncovered one specific network in Ibiza that sold drugs hidden in compartments of cars, prompting the investigation.

This led authorities to intercept a car from the Netherlands at the Spanish-French border, carrying 25kg of synthetic drugs.

The group had also expanded to Malaga, where they planned to set up operations and broaden their business.

The network’s key figures were mainly Italian nationals based in Ibiza, with support from Spanish and Dutch accomplices.

Ibiza is one of the most popular party destinations for Brits, with roughly one million of us visiting over the 2023 summer season.

Experts from the Balearic party island previously told ITV News that one major concern with pink cocaine (also known as tusi) is that it actually rarely contains any cocaine.

It’s typically a mix of drugs like MDMA and ketamine but commonly includes substances such as caffeine, speed, and sometimes fentanyl.

Fentanyl, a powerful opioid used as a painkiller, is highly addictive and poses significant health risks.

Lluc Acero, who runs a drug clinic called Ibiza Calm, previously told ITV News that “taking pink cocaine is like playing Russian roulette. You never know what you’re going to get.

“It’s quite in fashion at the moment. It’s been made to be quite attractive.”