Operation against drug trafficking

• 29 bales of hashish have been seized, practically all of the cargo carried by a semi-rigid boat, also seized thanks to the work of the Customs Surveillance Service helicopter crew.

• The operation is part of the operation established by the Tax Agency to control the maritime routes of hashish trafficking from North Africa.

August 1, 2022.- The Customs Surveillance Service of the Tax Agency has seized 29 bales with nearly 870 kilos of hashish and has seized a recreational boat, after managing to thwart a stash on the Bonanza beach in Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz).

The operation began after the location on Friday afternoon of a recreational boat, close to the coast, loaded with packages used to transport hashish, for which the helicopter gave the corresponding warning requesting support.

Meanwhile, the crew of the smuggling boat possibly became aware of the aerial surveillance and headed straight for Bonanza beach, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, to end up running aground on the sand and fleeing inland.

The Customs observers jumped ashore to secure the boat and the merchandise, at which point they were surrounded by a large number of onlookers. Taking advantage of this circumstance, some people took the opportunity to harass the officials and try to steal the drugs, managing to escape with between one and two bales.

This led the helicopter pilot to protect the agents by placing the helicopter at a low altitude and managing to disperse the crowd, until reinforcement arrived; Finally, the Civil Guard and National Police collaborated in controlling the area.

As a result of this action by the Customs Surveillance Service helicopter crew, 29 bales of hashish were seized and the recreational boat was seized, the ownership of which is already being investigated.

All the actions have been made available to the competent court and it is not ruled out that future arrests may occur, since different avenues of investigation have been established and an attempt is being made to identify those responsible for the stash and those responsible for the theft of the drugs in the beach.

This action is part of the Tax Agency's control plan, which establishes maritime surveillance as a priority in the fight against hashish trafficking from North Africa.