Eight people were arrested after the high-powered vessel allegedly attempted to escape and carried out dangerous manoeuvres off the coast of Mazagón
The Guardia Civil has intercepted a narco-boat carrying more than three tonnes of hashish off the coast of Mazagón in Huelva province.
The operation began on the morning of 14 October after surveillance teams detected a suspicious vessel at sea. An interception and boarding operation was immediately launched, involving officers from the Guardia Civil’s Huelva Provincial Maritime Service and one of the force’s helicopters.
After locating the vessel, officers reported seeing numerous packages on board that appeared to contain hashish.
According to the Guardia Civil, the boat’s occupants accelerated away after becoming aware of the police presence. The vessel then carried out a series of sudden and dangerous manoeuvres that allegedly placed both its occupants and the pursuing officers at serious risk.
During the pursuit, those on board also began throwing several petrol containers into the sea.
The Guardia Civil patrol boat Río Tiétar eventually caught up with the semi-rigid vessel, allowing officers to board it and arrest all eight crew members.
A total of 76 bales of hashish, weighing approximately 3,040 kilograms, were seized during the operation. Officers also confiscated the narco-boat, which was fitted with four high-powered engines, along with several fuel containers that remained on board.
The eight detainees are being investigated on suspicion of drug trafficking, smuggling, serious disobedience towards law-enforcement officers and an offence against public safety connected with the illegal transportation and supply of fuel—an activity known in Spain as petaqueo.
The operation formed part of the Guardia Civil’s continuing efforts to combat maritime drug trafficking and the logistical networks that supply high-speed narco-boats operating along Spain’s southern coastline.
