Agents of the National Police, in a joint operation with Customs Surveillance Officials from the Tax Agency, have intercepted and boarded a 15-metre-long sailing boat with a Spanish flag in waters near the Canary Islands, found to be transporting approximately 3,600 kilograms of hashish.
The interception was carried out by the Customs Surveillance Special Operations Ship 'Petrel,' and during the operation, the four crew members, a Bulgarian, an Italian, and two Moroccans, were arrested.
On board, agents discovered 100 packages weighing 36 kilograms each of the typical type used for transporting narcotics, which were stacked inside the boat, not hidden, and visible at a glance. The sailing pattern of the vessel and its course prompted a routine reconnaissance, leading to the discovery of the illicit substance.
Police escorted the sailing boat to Gran Canaria:
After taking control of the boat, the 'Petrel' ship docked at the ports of La Luz and Las Palmas in Gran Canaria to unload the drugs, in collaboration with the National Police and to present the detainees before the judicial authorities.
The operation was directed and coordinated by the Anti-Drug Prosecutor's Office of the National Court. The detainees, along with the boat and the confiscated narcotics, will be brought before the Central Examining Court number 4, which is handling the case.
