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The Tax Agency seizes 3.6 tonnes of cocaine in the open seas

Its 15 crew members have been arrested, 12 of them Venezuelan, 2 Spanish (Galician) and 1 Italian. The assault took place about a thousand miles from the Canary Islands.

June 2, 2008. The Tax Agency seized 3,600 kilos of cocaine on board a Venezuelan-flagged ship named “San Miguel” that was located about 1,000 miles northwest of the Canary Islands in the early hours of Saturday to Sunday. Its fifteen crew members have been arrested, twelve of them Venezuelans, two Spaniards, residents in Galicia, and one Italian. The market value of the drugs could have exceeded 200 million euros.

Officials from the Customs and Excise Department of the State Tax Administration Agency, aboard the Special Operations Patrol Boat “Petrel-I”, assaulted the Venezuelan fishing vessel based in the port of Pampatar (Margarita Island) and 16 meters long, with the name “San Miguel”. On board were 144 bales of cocaine, each weighing around 25 kilos, which could total around 3,600 kilos of cocaine. The ship is in poor condition, lacks documentation and was not flying any flag at the time of the operation.

The operation was developed and directed by the Investigative Court number 7 of Vigo and was carried out in international waters in an area between the Azores and the Canary Islands, after the Venezuelan authorities obtained authorization through the mediation of international organizations to board the ship, which was carried out without any incident.

The fishing vessel “San Miguel”, which is being towed by the Customs Surveillance Vessel “Petrel-I”, is heading to the port of Vigo (Pontevedra), where the detainees will be placed at the disposal of the Judge who is hearing the case and the corresponding counting and weighing of the seized drugs will be carried out.

The operation, called “Antilla”, is the result of the Tax Agency’s investigations, which have been intensified over the last month and aimed at identifying means of transporting cocaine from South America to Spain. The operation remains open in Galicia with several searches in the last few hours.

The ship “Petrel-I” will arrive at the port of Vigo on Thursday 5th at 12:00 noon, with the drugs seized and the ship impounded. Interested media will be able to take pictures of the arrival and unloading of the drugs, as well as statements from those responsible for the Tax Agency.