A 48-year-old man in Arrecife (Lanzarote), described by Canarias7 as the person responsible for an establishment. No name was published.

Around 74.30 g of cocaine in 101 wraps, 1,243 sildenafil tablets of 100 mg each, and 2,000 euros in cash.

A prescription-only active ingredient, popularly known as "viagra". Selling it outside pharmacies is not allowed.

Officers searched an establishment during preventive work. They first found a bum-bag with 268 tablets and cash, then the cocaine and a further 975 tablets.

Proceedings are continuing. Whether the man was remanded or released, and the court outcome, are not known according to Canarias7.

LANZAROTE · CRIME

Arrest in Arrecife: cocaine and 1,243 sildenafil pills seized

The Policía Nacional has arrested a 48-year-old man in Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote. He is the alleged perpetrator of a crime against public health, the framing used in Spanish law for drug offences.

26 August 2026 · By Julia Roca Bethencourt · 4 min

Photo: melvil, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Symbolbild).

According to the newspaper Canarias7 (25 August 2026), officers searched an establishment in the city and seized cocaine, more than a thousand sildenafil tablets and cash. The man is said to have been the person responsible for the premises.

What happened

According to Canarias7, the Policía Nacional arrested a 48-year-old man in Arrecife, the capital of Lanzarote. He is being treated as the alleged perpetrator of a crime against public health.

The arrest was linked to an establishment in the city, of which the man was reportedly the person in charge. No name has been published, and the presumption of innocence applies.

What was seized

During the operation, officers seized around 74.30 grams of cocaine divided into 101 wraps, the report says. They also found 1,243 tablets of sildenafil, 100 milligrams each — the active ingredient popularly known as "viagra".

In addition, the officers recovered 2,000 euros in cash. The combination of the drug, the prescription tablets and the cash was, according to Canarias7, what led to the arrest.

How the search unfolded

Officers of the Unidad de Prevención y Reacción were carrying out preventive anti-drug-trafficking work when they searched the establishment, according to the report. They first found a bum-bag containing 268 sildenafil tablets (100 mg each) and cash.

As the search continued, Canarias7 says, they came across the 101 cocaine wraps totalling 74.30 grams, along with a further 975 sildenafil tablets. After the items and evidence were secured, the manager of the establishment was arrested.

The charge and the sildenafil context

The legal framing in Spanish law is a "delito contra la salud pública" — a crime against public health, which covers drug offences. Sildenafil is the active ingredient used in erectile-dysfunction medicines and is a prescription-only substance in Spain.

Selling prescription medicine outside pharmacies and without a doctor's prescription is not permitted. The report did not detail the precise charge or any alleged sale beyond the facts stated.

What is still unconfirmed

Whether the man was later remanded in custody, released, or how the case ends in court was not stated by Canarias7. According to the report, proceedings are continuing.

No details were given about a wider network, any prior record, or other people involved. This reflects the state of the investigation at the time of publication.

Good to know: Sildenafil is a prescription-only medicine. Buying it outside a pharmacy — for example in a shop or through unofficial channels — is risky and illegal: origin, dosage and drug interactions are uncontrolled. Anyone who needs such medication should seek medical advice and obtain it from a pharmacy.

Note: The presumption of innocence applies. The 48-year-old is so far only an alleged perpetrator; no court has ruled. Whether he was remanded, released, or how the case ends is not known, according to Canarias7.

Key facts

Arrested: a 48-year-old man, described by Canarias7 as the alleged perpetrator (as of 25 August 2026).
Charge: crime against public health (drug offence).
Seized: about 74.30 g of cocaine in 101 wraps.
Seized: 1,243 sildenafil tablets, 100 mg each (268 in a bum-bag, 975 more).
Seized: 2,000 euros in cash.
Officers involved: the Unidad de Prevención y Reacción of the Policía Nacional.

FAQ

Who was arrested?: A 48-year-old man in Arrecife (Lanzarote), described by Canarias7 as the person responsible for an establishment. No name was published.
What was seized?: Around 74.30 g of cocaine in 101 wraps, 1,243 sildenafil tablets of 100 mg each, and 2,000 euros in cash.
What is sildenafil?: A prescription-only active ingredient, popularly known as "viagra". Selling it outside pharmacies is not allowed.
How was it found?: Officers searched an establishment during preventive work. They first found a bum-bag with 268 tablets and cash, then the cocaine and a further 975 tablets.
What happens next?: Proceedings are continuing. Whether the man was remanded or released, and the court outcome, are not known according to Canarias7.

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