A Stornoway skipper arrested in the “world’s largest drug bust” could be held in Spain for up to four years before his trial takes place.
Conor Cowan was one of the 10 Brits arrested as part of Operation Mentor, a major multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking between South America and Europe.
The vessel the 30-year-old skippered was intercepted by the French Navy near La Martinique on December 18, 2023.
It was carrying 1.2 tonnes of cocaine with a street value of £140 million.
Cowan was detained along with two other British crew members.
Following his arrest, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) revealed it was supporting a British National in Spain.
The Spanish Prison Service confirmed to The Press and Journal today that Connor is currently remanded in custody in Spain, and set out how long he could be detained.
Stornoway skipper Conor Cowan being held in Spanish prison
A spokesperson for Spain’s Instituciones Penitenciarias, the country’s prison service, said: “We are aware that a 30-year-old named Conor Cowan is being remanded in custody in a Spanish prison.”
The institution has explained that, although unlikely, he could be held for four years before a trial takes place.
The spokesperson continued: “In Spain, a person can be remanded in custody for two years before a judge calls the case.
“However, in special circumstances, it may be extended for a further two years, making a total of four years before trial.”
Operation Mentor: ‘World’s largest drug trafficking organisation’
The Isle of Lewis skipper, who has connections to Oban, was arrested as part of a major international operation against drug trafficking.
Operation Mentor, which began in 2020, was described as the “world’s largest boat-drug trafficking organisation”.
It was conducted by the Spanish Policia Nacional, National Crime Agency, Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the European Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre, with the support of EUROPOL.
Intelligence had identified a British crime group based in Spain responsible for trafficking cocaine across the Atlantic.
Since then, 52 people have been arrested, 28 of them in Spain.
Worldwide law enforcement agencies have also seized 1.5 tonnes of cocaine, eight boats and 36 vehicles, as well as firearms and ammunition.
Officers identified routes used by the organised crime group to bring huge quantities of drugs to Spain, which were then distributed to different countries, including the UK.
The NCA said they sailed back and forth from Spanish coastal locations, such as Valencia, Alicante, Almeria Málaga and the Canary Islands to Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Barbados and Panama.
The operation’s leader is known as ‘The Professor’, who recruited skippers for drug transportation.
He is believed to have been a drug lord for more than 20 years and had relationships with Mexican and Colombian cartels as well as several businesses for money laundering across different countries.
Conversation