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At 4am on the morning of Friday, officers began raids simultaneously in Glasgow, Lanarkshire West Lothian and Barcelona.
Police Scotland, Spain’s Guardia Civil and Eurojust all worked together to crackdown on the cross-border crime.
After two years of investigations behind the scenes, specialist detectives from Organised Crime and Counter Terrorism moved in.
Eight men, aged 35 to 64 years old, were arrested in Scotland for alleged crimes including drug trafficking, organised crime and money laundering.
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The first suspect is scheduled to appear before the Glasgow Sheriff Court while the remaining seven suspects are due to appear in Airdrie Sheriff Court at the end of March.
The same operation saw five arrests by Spanish police, though details of those detained are not yet public.
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The early raids, according to Detective Chief Inspector George Calder, were the product of years of effort and close collaboration between agencies.
He added: “Today’s operations is the result extensive investigative work for a number years. As our efforts continue, we will continue utilizing detectives from Police Scotland.”
He said, “I hope the day of action shows those who are involved in serious and organized crime that we won’t give up on you and you will face justice.”
He said: “Enforcement actions are just one aspect of our work. We will continue to use all the tools and tactics available to relentlessly pursue any person involved in serious criminality.”
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He also highlighted the importance of international cooperation. “We continue to work with our colleagues from partner agencies including the National Crime Agency, the Guardia Civil and by sharing intelligence, information and resources in order to stamp out illegal activity.”
The investigation is also distinct from the murders of two Scottish criminal gang leaders in southern Spain last year.
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