The operation took place following intelligence provided by the Directorate of Moroccan Territorial Surveillance (DGST).
Rabat – The Spanish Civil Guard, in collaboration with Moroccan authorities, intercepted a rubber boat carrying over 1.6 tons of hashish off the coast of Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands.
The operation took place on May 10, following intelligence provided by the Directorate of Moroccan Territorial Surveillance (DGST), reports Spanish media.
It started early in the morning when a patrol boat from the Fuerteventura Detachment of the Las Palmas Provincial Maritime Service identified a suspicious vessel near Aguas Verdes, west of Fuerteventura.
A coordinated police response involving judicial police and Civil Guard patrols was mobilized to monitor potential drug landing sites along the coast.
As the Civil Guard patrol boat approached the suspect vessel, officers observed two individuals on board surrounded by numerous packages.
Upon spotting the authorities, the crew attempted to flee towards Los Mozos beach in the municipality of Betancuria. There, officers noted a series of light signals from spotlights or flashlights emanating from the shore.
Despite the crew’s efforts to evade capture, the patrol boat pursued the vessel to Los Mozos beach. The suspects abandoned the boat and fled with three other accomplices, using a four-wheel-drive vehicle to escape the scene.
Upon securing the abandoned vessel, Civil Guard agents discovered it was loaded with 46 bales of hashish, amounting to more than 1,610 kilos. In addition, the boat contained numerous empty fuel drums and was equipped with two engines.
The Civil Guard has confirmed that the investigation remains active, and further arrests are anticipated as authorities continue to track down those involved in this substantial drug trafficking operation.
