After nearly four years on the run, 32-year-old Tania Gomez has been arrested in the Canary Islands.

Tania Gomez was known as Europe’s most wanted woman and is accused of involvement in drug trafficking and animal trafficking rings. Her arrest took place last week, as she had been wanted since 2021.

Gomez’s double life

Nicknamed Europe’s “cocaine queen”, Gomez allegedly maintained close ties to a criminal organisation in Stockholm, undertaking the transportation and trafficking of large quantities of drugs and money. Before her activities were revealed, she was an Instagram influencer and owner of the charity HundGärin, which supposedly helped stray dogs.

However, according to Europol, Gomez was also allegedly involved in an international animal trafficking ring abroad.

Her investigation and arrest

Swedish police had turned their attention to Gomez after raiding the headquarters of a criminal organisation in Stockholm in the summer of 2020. The authorities’ operation found nearly a million euros, in cash, hidden in bags. Gomez is also accused of laundering millions through the structure, which allegedly catered to drug dealers and mafia members.

Swedish prosecutors are seeking a 14-year prison sentence if convicted on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. According to the Daily Mail, she played a leading role in the criminal organisation and was directly involved in deals with traffickers and criminals. Authorities say that in May 2020, she received ten kilos of cocaine in Stockholm, strengthening the charges against her.

After raiding the criminal organization’s offices in Sweden in 2020, Gomez fled the country, and authorities suspected she fled to Spain, where her father is from. She was finally located last week in the town of Tias, Lanzarote, after cooperation between Spanish and Swedish authorities.

Spanish police released a video of her arrest, where she can be seen being taken to the police station. The judicial authorities have decided to detain her temporarily, pending a decision on her extradition to Sweden.

Ten former accomplices have already been convicted in Sweden, facing heavy prison sentences.

However, as prosecutor Anna Strath told Swedish TV4, this development does not affect Gomez’s trial, which will be tried separately. The extradition process is ongoing and could take weeks or even months before a final decision is made.