• Four people have been arrested, including the person who allegedly acquired and stored the boats, the person in charge of the scrapyard, and two people linked to the storage company.

• In addition, 14 high-displacement outboard motors have been seized, some of them especially valued by networks dedicated to the transport of drugs and fuel by sea.

• The scheme involved removing or altering hull and engine identification numbers and registering vessels under the Polish flag to hinder police and administrative traceability.

July 17, 2026. The Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency, in a joint operation with the National Police, have seized in Almería a total of 17 boats and 14 large displacement outboard motors that had been irregularly diverted after having been previously seized for smuggling. The investigation has resulted in the arrest of four people as alleged perpetrators of crimes of smuggling, document forgery, receiving stolen goods and misappropriation.

The investigation began in April, after Customs Surveillance became aware of an advertisement published on an online sales platform offering a semi-rigid boat. Initial checks revealed that its characteristics matched those of another vessel previously seized for a smuggling offense in Almería, which had been ordered to be destroyed.

From that moment on, the investigators began a particularly complex tracking effort. The vessel lacked some of its original identifying elements, which made its investigation difficult, since, in this type of property, the hull identification number, the manufacturer's plates, the engine numbers and the registration numbers are essential to reconstruct its origin and in this case they had been altered or removed.

The investigation allowed them to identify the person offering the boat and locate a property in the municipality of Níjar, where investigators found numerous boats, jet skis and high-powered outboard motors. The person in charge of the place could not provide documentation that proved the lawful origin of all the items or the amounts paid for their acquisition.

During the inspection, 17 boats and 14 large displacement outboard motors were seized. The individual study of the helmets, license plates, engines, photographs, deposit certificates and administrative files initially made it possible to identify several units from actions against smuggling that had been handed over for destruction and that, however, were stored on the property.

Possible destination of the vessels

Investigators believe that some of the seized vessels and engines may be intended for organizations dedicated to providing logistical support to maritime drug trafficking networks. This type of nautical equipment is especially useful for transporting fuel at sea, provisions, spare parts, engines and other supplies to high-speed vessels used to smuggle drugs by sea.

As a result, four people were arrested, including the person who allegedly acquired and stored the boats, the person in charge of the scrap yard, and two people linked to the depository company.

Both the detainees and the seized items were placed at the disposal of the head of the Civil and Instruction Section of the Court of First Instance of Almería, Plaza number 1.

The operation has been carried out by Customs Surveillance officials of the Tax Agency in Almería and by agents of Group VIII of the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) of the Provincial Brigade of Judicial Police of the Provincial Police Station of Almería.

The investigation remains open with the aim of determining the total number of vessels diverted, reconstructing the end-use of the missing items, and identifying other individuals who may have been involved in the events.