Spanish authorities seize nearly a ton of MDMA in operation against drug network

Spanish authorities seize nearly a ton of MDMA in operation against drug network

Spanish and Dutch authorities have detained 15 suspects and seized nearly a metric ton of MDMA in what officials called the largest bust of the synthetic drug in European history.

On Tuesday, Spanish police announced that investigators confiscated 947 kilograms of the drug—commonly known as ecstasy or molly—during coordinated raids across 11 locations in Spain and one in the Netherlands.

The narcotics were found hidden inside industrial machinery bound for Ghana. Authorities say the syndicate planned to route the shipment through West Africa before delivering it to South America, where the MDMA was to be exchanged for cocaine.

The joint operation began in early 2025 as an investigation into a sophisticated network based in southern Spain that specialized in international drug trafficking and money laundering.