Fishing boat loaded with 1,500 kg of cocaine intercepted near Canary Islands

In the framework of a joint operation with the British N.C.A, French Customs, the Judicial Police of Portugal and the Federal Police of Brazil. Policia Nacional last week intercepted a fishing boat loaded with 1,500 kilos of cocaine in international waters near the Canary Islands

The boat, a fishing boat without a flag, left Brazil for Spain with a load that was destined for the Spanish and European market.

The fishing boat was assaulted by the Grupo Especial de Operaciones (GEO) in an intervention that had the collaboration of the Spanish Navy and the Air Force, achieving the arrest of the seven sailors who were on board.

The ship has been towed to the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria where a more thorough search has been carried out.

The investigation began last January. The agents were aware of the existence of a South American drug trafficking organisation based in Spain, which was preparing to send and receive a large consignment of cocaine.

In the course of this investigation and as a result of the daily collaboration maintained with the main Anti-Drug Trafficking Agencies, coincidences were detected between operational information from several countries. The Policia Nacional has led the coordination of this international investigation.

At the beginning of April the mother ship that transported the drug from South America to Spain was detected, so the collaboration of the Spanish Navy and its METEORO Maritime Action Ship was requested, embarking with, in addition to its crew, a crew of GEO and research agents.

Last week, the fishing vessel was located and approached by the agents. It was a fishing boat without a flag with seven people on board who were arrested. In a first safety inspection 50 bags, each of 30 kilograms, were seized, distributed across five pallets, with an approximate weight of 1,500 kilograms.