A 37-year-old man from Bracknell has been arrested amid a crackdown on a British drugs-traffic network operating from South America to Europe.

The collective operation was kick-started in 2020 as a collaboration between the Spanish Policía Nacional, the National Crime Agency (NCA), Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service, the U.S.

Drug Enforcement Administration and the European MAOC, receiving support from EUROPOL.

While the investigation initially targeted a British crime syndicate anchored in Spain, responsible for smuggling cocaine globally, it has since led to the arrest of ten British nationals, among 52 worldwide.

Another 28 were taken into custody in Spain. Eight boats were seized along with 1.5 tonnes of cocaine and 36 vehicles.

The seizures also included various firearms and ammunition.

Spanning the globe, the criminals transported drugs from South America to Europe, with one Spanish-registered yacht intercepted 1,200 miles east of Martinique on December 18, 2023.

The three British crew members were apprehended by a French navy frigate, one of them a 30-year-old Scottish man acting as skipper.

The investigation exposed the crime syndicate's elaborate trafficking routes, notably to Spain, for further distribution, including routes into the UK.

It revealed a staggering network extending from Spanish coastal regions such as Valencia, Alicante, and Málaga, reaching as far as Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Barbados and Panama.

Presiding over the operation was a Norwegian mastermind, allegedly involved in drug trafficking for more than two decades.

Respected by Colombian and Mexican cartels, he oversaw the drug's production and transportation in South America prior to it being shipped to Spain.

Profits from the drug shipments were cleverly reinvested in new operations, and laundered through a network that spanned several countries.

Neil Keeping, NCA Regional Manager in Spain, hailed the Spanish-led global crackdown.

Mr Keeping said: "This international operation has dismantled a major drug trafficking crime group and resulted in the arrests of ten British nationals.

"A portion of the Class A drugs seized would have undoubtably been destined for the UK, where its supply at street level fuels violence and exploitation and brings misery to our communities.

"Tackling global crime groups such as this one requires strong collaboration with international partners, and our efforts alongside them continue to ensure these networks are demolished."

In addition to the Bracknell man, other British nationals arrested included residents from Stornoway, Scotland; Boston, England; Chelmsford, UK and Nottingham, UK, with many of them residing in the Malaga area.